As the last shreds of the storm dissipate Elleross watches the rider bear down upon Corum and cut the warrior badly, his ice weapon obviously razor sharp.
Looking around he finds himself badly exposed and he knows he has no chance out in the open against this rider.
Imago , speculo, reflexionum! completing the spell his image fractures all around him concealing his true self.
Corum roars in fury as the rider's glaive bites deep into his flesh, peppering the white snow with dark Crimson. Suddenly a bolt from Del's crossbow flies past and buries itself in the rider's hand causing him to drop his weapon.
Corum doesn't hesitate. He sprints forward, charging full force into combat. He sweeps his own pole axe in a deadly arc, smashing into the rider's side.
Pa rage charge
Dam
Sapphire calls upon the power in her blood and rises in to the sky, sword pointing at the rider at all times.
Grayston moves with Corum. "Nice shot! Let's got some fire in the mix!" He then finishes the mixture in his bomb and unleashing it on the rider.
Erdija wheels around in a strafing pattern and looses a pair of arrows that thud into the woolly beast that the rider sits upon. It rears in pain and threatens to throw him even as Del simply plucks the icy glaive from it's clutches with a well placed shot.
Corum hacks into it while Greyston's firey bombs once again prove their worth.
Miss
Confirmed
and
The rider spurs his shaggy mount on and it bulls it's way past Corum though the barbarian is able to dodge aside before the barrelling head crashes into him.
As he closes in on his target, the rider rips a blade of pure ice from a scabbard at his belt and slashes wickedly down at Greyston.
Corum rolls to one side as the strange mount tries to trample him beneath it's hooves. He watches the rider attack Greyston with a long icy sword, sending a fountain of blood into the frozen air. The barbarian roars in fury and charges into the frey again. This time he swings his axe into the hind quarters of the mount.
Pa rage charge
Dam
Now that the rider is close, Nasrin lunges towards him. She leaps high, grabbing onto the rider's arm and then drops back with all of her significant weight, trying to drag the thing from it's horse.
for and
Jagar turns and runs to the melee, trying to trap the prey in the pack's killing circle. As Nasrin goes high Jagar goes low, trying to take out the horse's legs.
for and
Seeing the baleful rider coming uncomfortably near, Del tries to put some distance between himself and their foe, but he gets tangled in the snow.
Turning back around after making no headway, he tries the same trick he tried a few moments before. "Didn't we just talk about how dangerous it is to go running with sharp things? If you're not careful with that, you'll put your eye out!" Another bolt leaps from Ruby's cradle and the rider's sword is swallowed up by the snow as it falls from his hand.
HP: 42/42
AC: 19 (15 T / 14 FF)
CMD: 20
F/R/W: +7/+10/+6
Grit remaining: 0/2
Healing Amulet charges remaining: 3/3
Hero Points remaining: 3
Regular bolts remaining: 57/80
Cold Iron bolts: 40/40
tangle bolts: 3
tracer bolts: 5
Ongoing Effects
Vigilant Loading
Gunslinger Initiative
Greyston cries out as the riders slashes out at him with immense speed. He staggers back desperate to get away from the rider.
hp-30/52
Watching the rider charge into the group he begins to weave another spell.
As the others rush in and attack he adds his own power to the onslaught.
Magia Vis, Potestas ictus! completing the spell with a short abrupt gesture he opens his hand palm upwards and the spinning missiles of pure force burst outwards, they seem almost eager to reach their target as they streak across the frozen ground to slam unerringly Into the rider.
Now surrounded on all sides, the rider is set upon with savagery by blade and spell. Elleros blows a series of clean holes through it's chest and it is unable to retaliate as Del once again plucks the blade from it's hand.
Nasrin and Corum smash into it with fang and blade respectively and haul it's already still body from the back of it's mount.
Miss
As Greyston tries to slip away the elk lunges at him with it's great horns but Jagar snaps at it's heels and causes it to miss.
Hit
and
Enraged and panicked by the loss of it's rider, the great elk rears up and charges out of the melee, smashing Elleros to one side with it's devastating horns.
Sapphire plunges her blade at the elk as it careens towards the group
Continuing to hack at the creature she tries to put it down quickly before it does any more damage.
Del sends a pair of bolts chasing after the thundering elk, relieved that the rider was brought low.
HP: 42/42
AC: 19 (15 T / 14 FF)
CMD: 20
F/R/W: +7/+10/+6
Grit remaining: 0/2
Healing Amulet charges remaining: 3/3
Hero Points remaining: 3
Regular bolts remaining: 53/80
Cold Iron bolts: 40/40
tangle bolts: 3
tracer bolts: 5
Ongoing Effects
Deadly Aim: -2/+4
for and
There is literally nothing he can do as he watches the great elk thundering toward him.
It's hooves throw up great swathes of snow as it charges headlong across the open ground, it's huge wickedly sharp antlers are levelled and if they hit him his furs will do little to stop them tearing him open.
All he can do is trust in his magic, the perfect images surround him and he knows they can be more effective than the thickest plate steel and he braces himself for the hit.
Thankfully his arcane power does its work and the beast is confused and unable to determine which one of his images is real and the antlers slash by him, mere inches from his body and he breathes a great sigh of relief.
Corum's savagery is not lessened by the destruction of the rider. The elk remains standing and, cornered, is a threat. This rational thought is far from the mind of the barbarian who, caught in his battle fury, merely sees a foe before him that must be killed as quickly as possible.
Suddenly the elk tries to charge free of the circle and Corum takes the opportunity to try to strike a telling blow with his axe.
Aoo
Dam
Nasrin sniffs at the fallen rider. Dangerous woods
"Well. That was invigorating! Everyone alright?" Del grunts as he bends down to recover the glaive from the snow. Pulling it free and standing it on the butt end with the blade pointing skyward, he smiles brightly, "Anyone want a trophy?"
Del recovers the glittering glaive and longsword from the snow but to his disappointment they both melt into shapeless messes in a matter of moments
Del's smile turns to a devastated frown as the weapon turns to water in his hand. "What? What? Aww, come on! That's cheating!" He shouts his words aimlessly into the indifferent sky before sighing in defeat. "Ah well. It'll just make for a more compelling tale in the end, I suppose."
Grayston falls to one knee as the creature is finally put down. He takes out a bandage and beings to patch himself up as be he can, wheezing at the pain.
"I'll live." He says with clenched teeth. "What was that?"
Nasrin turns and lopes off into the snowy woodline. Maybe he had other friends? Jagar follows close to her as they run a circuit around the rest of the pack, noses in snow trying to pick up a trail.
Making his way across the frozen ground he watches with interest as the weapons dell brandishes melt away .
I have no idea what that was, it obviously created those weapons via some arcane means and once it died the power holding them together died too. Very interesting he says as he nudges the pile of ice
Greyston, Corum, you should have Nasrin tend your wounds with the wand when she returns. We don't know what else we may run into.he says as he helps Greyston with his bandages
Erdja do you know what this creature is? Have you seen anything like it before? he asks their guide
Erdija leans over to examine the corpse, bending at the forelegs and stowing her longbow over her shoulder.
Cold Rider. she says. Undead horsemen out of the mountains. They are usually the animate corpses of hunters and explorers turned by foul and obscure magic.
It must have spotted us from that ridge and we proved too enticing a target - they hate all things living. I wouldn't expect to see any more but this just goes to show that these mountains.... they are a strange and dangerous place. Between the weather and what dwells here, you need to be on your guard at all times. Who knows what else you might find in Artrosa.
As she stands she says over her shoulder to Del;
Might want to adjust the aim on that contraption, missed this guy twice back then!
Shaking her head as she watches the creature's weapons melt in to water, Sapphire frowns.
If there are more of those about, we would do well to focus on spells of flame I would guess...
Her musing is cut short as she stifles a laugh hearing Erdija's quip at Del's expense.
"Missed? I do believe you need to get your eyes checked, Erdija! My aim was stunningly precise." Del assumes a mock wounded tone, gasping playfully as he slings Ruby back over his shoulder. "Or do you think the cold rider was sprinkling its weapons all around the fracas on purpose?"
Yeah well, try that on the first Frost Bear you fight up in these mountains and we'll see.
Look, there's no shame in not having the stomach to draw blood. she says with a reassuring pat on his shoulder and the same playful mocking tone.
The armor the rider was wearing melts into nothingness in the same way as his weapons. Left behind however is a horn worn over it's shoulder and two aquamarines worth 750gp each.
"Tsk tsk. Even I know undead don't bleed, Erdjia." Del winks then nods at the horn. "Ah! It seems our bony foe left us a trophy after all. How thoughtful!"
After the encounter with the Cold Rider, the party presses on for the remainder of the day before making camp on the snow plains where even Erdija, Nasrin and Corum can find little shelter between them.
The night is bitterly cold but uneventful and aside from waking thoroughly cold, miserable and with very real concerns over frost bite, the party is unharmed.
The next day is much the same. The snow has stopped but beneath a clear sky the temperature feels as if it has dropped even further and once again Erdija voices her concern for Elleros, even if the old wizard reassures her that his magic will protect him against the elements.
I can't help it. she says. It's drummed into me to look after the foals and the elders. she smiles. Artrosa isn't far now, I shan't mention it again.
On the morning of the third day the party makes it's way carefully down the steep cliffs of the Deeprun Cravasse.
Wispy clouds race across the gleaming blue sky overhead, but the floor of the crevasse lies in shadow, the sunlight blotted out by the massive cliffs on either side. Gray grasses and scraggly trees poke through drifts of ice and snow, weaving their way through black boulders that lie at the base of the towering cliffs.
Crudely carved into the face of these cliffs, several miles apart, stand three impossible sculptures that each rise over half a mile in height. Each carving depicts a naked humanoid woman holding forth a warning hand. The first resembles a young maiden with flowing hair, the second depicts a pregnant matron, and the third a stooped and withered crone.
The phrase 'breath-taking' is often overused in this world of wonders where magic and miracles exist and wondrous creations like Baba Yaga's Hut bound across the landscape. But staring up at these towering statues leaves even the most cynical amongst you agog.
Around the base of these massive statues are tracks and various other signs that indicate both frost giants and centaurs have recently passed through this area, as well as the presence of an inordinate number of
humanoid bones of varying ages in the area.
prepared for the day ahead, Elleross feels little cold thanks to his arcane protection.
The throbbing pain from his aging joints however he can do little about.
you are kind and considerate Erdja, a credit to your tribe. Caring for your elders and your young is an admirable trait he says with a smile as he joins them to break his fast.
The next day brings a sight that is truly awsome to behold , they finally draw near their destination and the immense carvings are u like anything he has seen before.
by all the Gods! I have never seen anything like this. The power and resources needed to create such a thing....It makes me wonder why Baba Yaga has allowed her heralds to be destroyed and her daughter to usurp her power.
Surely the being who created this, who created the Hut could deal with her troublesome daughter as easily as you or I might swat a troublesome insect.
What could have happened to her? I hope the answers lie within, this trail of breadcrumbs must have an end he says in wonder as he gazes up at the immense statues and cannot help but feel diminished and a little insignificant before them.
Nasrin comes trotting back to the rest of the pack and sits in front of them, a wolf's grin on her face. How can I tell them what I saw? She stands up and comes around behind Corum, and begins pushing him with the top of her head, towards her finds.
The make their way to the ravine and the site of the three massive carvings. Corum glances up at them and is impressed by their size and detail but such grandeur is lost on him and he instead studies the surrounding area.
Nasrin, in wolf form nudges his hand, and he strokes behind her ears. "I know. I see it."
Survival
The warrior points with his axe and says "Lots of sign here. Frost Giants and centaurs. Plenty of human bones too. Way too many to be natural. Stay alert, this is a dangerous place."
Sapphire stares at the monument for a long time, staring at every crack and crevice. Finally she tears her gaze away and shakes her head.
I can't shake the feeling I've been here before, or at least somewhere very like it...
she sighs
But that's impossible, I lived in Taldor nearly my whole life... my guardian brought me there when I was very little
She frowns, the shadows of the past an unknown constant it was impossible to wage war against. She focuses on Corum's words as he indicates the bones.
Right Corum, we should be on high alert from now then.
She gestures up the mountain
So I appreciate you snuck a glimpse of the place before now Erdija, did you see whether you would be able to traverse the terrain higher up? Do we know how much climbing there is or is there a path to the top?
Corum turns to Elleross. "What did the riddles say again? Did they tell us which one to explore first?"
Del looses a low whistle as he regards the distant statues. "My my! What large..." he pauses for a long moment, "statues. Baba Yaga obviously thought very highly of herself in her youth, it seems." He chuckles softly and shakes his head at the egregious display of vanity.
As they step over the crest of the hill Grayston is struck by the statues the monuments to Baba Yaga's power. "I agree Eleross, to make something like this it's beyond anything i could have imagined." He continues to look on. "She created that hut, but this is breathtaking." He looks at Elleross thinking back to his revelation his family and those who hurt him so deep. "We'll have a lot to ask her when we finally get to her."
--
Grayston steps forward looking toward the tracks and bones Corum points out. Then moves next to Sapphire as she ponders. "Maybe someone told you about this place when you were younger?"
So I appreciate you snuck a glimpse of the place before now Erdija, did you see whether you would be able to traverse the terrain higher up? Do we know how much climbing there is or is there a path to the top?
Not that I saw. the centaur admits. In truth it was the main reason I have never been further than this, as you can appreciate my kind aren't the most nimble climbers.
"About as good at climbing as you are with a bow then?" Del grins broadly before he's even finished the joke.
Aye, well you know what they say. she replies with a flick of her dark hair and a grin. You can lead a horse to a mountain but you can't make it climb a rope!
Corum laughs. "Nice!" he says in approval of the joke. Then his mood turns more serious. He glances around again to make sure there is no threat and says "So we wait until dark and see what the moon is doing before we decide? We'll
Need somewhere safer to wait."
At Corum's instructions, Nasrin goes in search of shelter with clear lines of sight, limited approaches and cover from bith storm and enemies.