Arcane mark
Detect magic
Disrupt undead
Light
Endure elements x1
Mage armour
Magicmissile x3
Grease
Blindness/deafness
Create pit
Scorching ray x2
Mirror image x2
Dispel magic
Haste x2
Spiked pit
Black tentacles
Bone shatter
Emergency force sphere
Invisibility greater
Lightning arc
Teleport
Wall of force
As they open the door to the hut , the bitter cold air rushes in to meet them and Elleross breathes Deeply of the strange air from this distant world.
it is not as cold as I imagined it would be. he says as he steps outside into the strange dull light this worlds orbit takes it far from its sun, the light that reaches us is weak and diffused. This is truly a strange land, I have never imagined seeing such a place. It is quite fascinating, this world is supposed to be completely different when it draws nearer to the sun. It is supposed to be hot tropical climate. It is hard to imagine he says looking around the strange horizon.
Soon they begin to trek across the landscape and before long the source of the flapping wings is revealed and he turns to see the strange dragon like creature and it's riders
stay calm, they may be curious about the hut and not mean us any harm he says as he holds his hands open to show he is not armed
greetings, we are travellers seeking some guidance. he calls out to the riders as they circle above, using every language at his disposal.
Greyston forgoes any breakfast as his stomach turns at the smell preferring to drink another long gulp of his flask. Ignoring most of what is said he struggles along.
Wrapping up tightly he moves forward out the door and behind everyone attempting to keep up with the group as the mass amount of whiteness starts to spin him out.
As the dragon swoops over the hut Greyston turns quick and slips falling on his back looking up at the lizard-like creature. "I'm not too sure about this."
Elleros' attempt at communication seem to cause nothing but consternation. The male rider at the back seems to be saying something to the lead rider every time Elleros says something.
That changes when he addresses the group in Draconic. At which point the red-scaled lizard cranes it's head to look back at the riders who return it's gaze and say something among themselves.
The creature swoops around and lands gracefully some 80 feet away from the group. One the rider mounted behind the lead steps off the lizard. He is male and you can just about make out fur on the exposed areas of his body. The female rider remains mounted on the powerful-looking lizard. She has a lance in hand but it is held to the sky as she shouts;
አንተ ግን እኔ ሰማሁ መረጃንም መንገድ, የእኛን ቋንቋ መናገር. እኔ በሰውነትዎ ላይ የእርስዎን ፀጉር ለብሶ ይልቅ እንዲህ በማድረግ, እንደ አንተ እሱን አይቼ አላውቅም. እርስዎ ማን እንደሆኑ እና የት መጥተው ነበር?
You have heard me, and speaking of my language. I do not ever see such like this, hair over your body than over it. Who are you and where did they come from?
With a few arcane words Lucrezzia casts Tongues She then responds, "We hail from the world of Golarion and we are on a noble quest to free our world from tyranny. I am known as Lucrezzia Luzatto and these are my companions, Elleross, Greyston, Corum, and Sapphire." She points to each in turn and waits, in what she hopes is a humble, but not submissive posture.
You can speak our language? At least partially. But I have never come across people like you, who wear furs instead of being covered in it. Who are you and where do you come from?
Sapphire notes the weapon being carefully not pointed in the party's direction, and ensures her own blade remains sheathed, though she keep one hand on it as much as to be ready as to try and keep it quiet from telepathically screaming to be let out...
The male rider removes his helmet and you can see he appears to be covered head to toe in whiteish blonde fur. He is lean and tall and has long, pointed ears similar to an elves but longer and swept back at the sides of his head. They are notched in a feathered or comb-like pattern and you can see they constantly adjust in tiny movements, not unlike those of a dog.
He tucks his helmet under one arm and makes a quick gesture with the other.
Detect Evil
He says something to the female and she then dismounts from her lizard. She stands a little shorter than her male companion but she too takes off her helmet and has similar features to the male except she also has long blond hair that flows down her back.
Extraordinarily, the lizard then stands on two feet like a man, hulking at over ten feet tall. The female hands the lizard him her lance. She begins walking toward you and says;
በሌላ ዓለም ላይ? ይህ እንዴት ሊሆን ይችላል? አንተ ስድስት በደመ ውስጥ ከጓደኞች እና ቤተሰብ ጋር መደነስ አቀባበል ነዎት. አንተ እኔን ደውለው ይህ አጎቴ እና ታላቅ ጓደኛ እና ጓደኛው ነው
From another world? How can this happen? You do not seem dark in the heart according to my uncle and his instincts are good. You call me Bescaylie and it is my uncle Corrleon and great great friend and companion Efrixes.
The male and dragon also move forward but show no signs of aggression. The male Triaxian speaks then as he comes closer;
የእርስዎ ጉዞ ርቀት መሆን አለበት, እኔም ከዋክብት በላይ ሕይወት እመሰክርባቸዋለሁ. የእኔ ስም እኔ ፈውስ ውስጥ ተሰጥዖ ያላቸው እና አንድ ተጓዥ የሚሠቃይ ከሆነ, ምናልባት ሊረዳህ ይችላል
Your journey must be far away, I never knew that life was beyond the stars. My name is Correlon, I have talent in healing and if one of you suffers from traveling, I might be able to help.
Greyston stands up on shaky legs dusting himself off."I'm Greyston, we came from that hut. It... teleported us here and we're not sure why. We were heading out to see if we could find anyone or anything in this snowy waste." He speaks out in Draconic unsure of how much he should tell them first.
Corum steps out onto the tundra and breathes in the cold air deeply. "Ah! Like home." he says and they begin to walk across the plain. At the sound of wings he spins and crouches, his hand going to the hilt of his sword. He watches the lizard and
Riders circle them and land. They are not threatening yet so he remains calm but watchful. He listens as Lucrezzia speaks in a strange tongue and he decides to wait to see what happens next.
Elleross looks at the strange people with respectful curiosity as they approach.
He had never seen or read about anything quite like them and he was more than pleased they seemed to be friendly.
As Lucrezzias and Greyston speak he relays what is being said to the others before speaking again.
I am pleased to meet you all. we are well met then it seems, we do not regularly travel to other worlds. As my friend has said we were brought here by the hut you see behind us and we never imagined it would bring us across the stars he says
we do not know these lands or even quite why we are here, the hut belongs to a powerful witch from our world. She is very Dark in the heart but we must find her in order to save our own world.
She is called Baba Yaga, have you heard of her? Is the name familiar? he asks hopeful of some information
The female - Bescaylie - turns to her uncle, the one she identified as Corrleon.
Uncle, you are older and wiser than I. Is Baba Yaga one of Yrax' servants perhaps?
But the male Triaxian shakes his head. I have never heard that name, whoever it is they are not one of Yrax' forces. If the one who is dark in the heart is the owner of your transport, how is it that you have it? And she is the only means to save your world? Apsu's breath, you doth sound cursed... he mutters.
The dragon sniffs at the air and when it speaks it reveals rows of sharp teeth.
Bescaylie, we should be careful. How can we be certain they are not spies of the enemy?
The female Triaxian puts a furred hand on the large dragon's shoulder.
Thank you for your watchful protection, my friend. But Corrleon can see into the hearts of men and dragons alike and sees no darkness here. I trust him more than most in the Legion. Turning back to the group she says; Why would you look for this Baba Yaga here?
Elleross shakes his head slightly
that is not an easy tale to tell, Baba Yaga is a very powerful witch , some consider her to be a god. She has daughters who become the queen of the witches and reign the frozen lands in the far north of our world.
Their reign is finite however as Baba Yaga replaces them when their time is up, unfortunately her current daughter has other ideas. She seeks to take over all the lands. Elleross explains as best he can
we need your help and so I will not withhold anything from you, our lands are warm and pleasant but Baba Yagas daughter has opened up magical gateways all over our lands covering them with ice and snow, even in the height of summer and Baba Yaga is missing.
You say we sound cursed, we are.
we found one of her followers who was badly injured, they are the ones who herald her return and her daughter had slaughtered them all. He cursed us, and now we must find Baba Yaga or likely we will die ourselves.
He gave us access to her hut and we have been following a trail of obscure clues ever since, the hut brings us where it wants to. Each trip brings us closer to our goal but the road ahead of us is far from clear.
Now it has brought us here and we have absolutely no idea what to do next.
He pauses slightly to allow them to understand what he is saying and then he asks about them
you mentioned Yrax? I assure you we have no idea who that is. We are truly strangers.
Who or what is this Yrax? Are they your enemies?
That is quite the tale. says Bescaylie.
I know I have certainly never heard it's like. says Efrixes, the hulking dragon.
Bescaylie gives her companion a look but says nothing, rather replying to Elleros;
You truly have no idea where you are or what is happening here? I am a rider of the Dragon Legion and Efrixes is my good friend and companion. My uncle is a great warden of these lands - the Drakelands.
There are three dominant creatures on this planet - Triaxians like us, dragonkin like Efrixes and True Dragons.
Long ago, with the rise of the true dragons, many Triaxians saw not only enslavement, but the potential extinction of their race. It was only through an alliance of Triaxian men and women, dragonkin, and metallic dragons—an army the likes of which has never been seen before or since—that the menace was halted. Huge sacrifices were made, including the lives of most of our true dragon allies, yet
the spirit of their alliance continues to live on today in the form of the Skyfire Mandate.
The Dragon Legion defends the Skyfire Mandate staunchly. I myself am a Legionnaire of Spurhorn, acting under the orders of Commander Pharamol. But Yrax is the Lord of the Howling Storm, a truly evil and ancient white dragon who leads his forces against us and is determined to destroy Spurhorn and the Skyfire Mandate once and for all.
Sapphire, long a fan of well told tales and newly filled with nostalgia for Del's writing, smiles in appreciation of the tale.
Good to meet you, you seem like honorable sorts, and we've found those of like mind few and far between these last few weeks.
"If you willing to be host, then we be honored to be guests. As we 'ave say, the Hut brought us to this here, but we don't be knowin' to what end. Mayhap we could do a service to your or your commander?
Somehow, we is searchin' for a key and have only an ancient woman's confounding riddle to guide us."
A key to what? Bescaylie replies.
Ellri could probably explain the whys and wherefores better, but in terms I understand, the hut needs specific objects to act as lodestones of sorts. Present the hut with the right objects and it takes you to the place they are linked to.
She gestures around her
And so we move from place to place, each jump taking us closer to Baba Yaga, as after we reach her I hope we can go home...
[b]And so we move from place to place, each jump taking us closer to Baba Yaga, as after we reach her I hope we can go home...
I can only guess how that hut works, it is truly astonishing. As Sapphire said, each object is a piece of the puzzle to locate Baba Yaga, unfortunately we don't know what the objects are
She sighs and looks at her uncle.
Spurhorn is under siege. We have already lost many riders and dragonkin and the siege shows no sign of breaking. At this point it is only a matter of time before their breach our defences.
I am only beyond the walls to find any able-bodied Triaxian and though he is no longer a part of the Legion, I thought of no one better than my uncle Corrleon.
I have no idea about keys or lodestones, so I wish you luck in your quest. I very much doubt our Commander would be in a position to host, even visitors form beyond the stars.
other than spurhorn, are there any other settlements nearby? Elleross asks wondering if there is anything else near to them.
If not then it would seem they may as well head to Spurhorn, they had few other options at this point.
Lucrezzia's voice is very formal as she says, "We would very much like to come to Spur" she pauses a fraction of a second, "Horn with you, if we may." She looks to Elleross and says in Common, "The ravens dropped both a spur and a horn on the rug"
Looking back at Lucrezzia sheepishly he tugs at his pointed grey beard slightly as he says there is no fool like an old fool!
It is too much of a coincidence, I believe you are correct Lucrezzia, the objects spelled out the name of this place.
Could the two headed eagle signify the dragon and its rider? The bearskin represent the fur that covers these folk? Perhaps that is too obvious. We shall soon see.
It seems we are meant to travel to this besieged place.
I do not wish to get in between these warring factions but it seems we must he says to the others in common before turning back to the strange locals
would you allow us to accompany you back to Spurhorn? it may be that the object we seek is to be found there. we may be able to help you with your siege in return for you helping us he says
Corum listens to the strange language and is grateful for Elleross' translation. His interest piqued at the mention of a siege and he says "You'Ve got a battle on?! Now you are talking! You need help in this fight and We need to find the next key. We might be able to help each other. What can you tell about this siege? What force do you face? Numbers, make -up, deployment? There's always a way to break a siege if you can find it, have someone brave enough to risk their neck and tough enough to do what needs doing."
Corrleon shoots a sidelong glance to his niece, his ears twitching for a moment before he sighs and turns back to the newcomers. "There is but one reasonable course for thee then. Pharamol would likely be quite interested to speak with all of thee in regard to thine offer. If ye truly wish to enter into an alliance, than it shouldst be through him." Looking back to Bescaylie, he smiles warmly and places a hand upon her shoulder. "I can lead them safely to Spurhorn, if you wish to fly on ahead."
Bescaylie doesn't seem to hear Corrleon. Instead she is looking up at Efrixes, her furred face scrunched into frown.
She doesn't say anything, but Efrixes nods his large, scaled head and says in a voice like gravel sliding down a hill;
Doesn't Commander Pharamol have a a two-headed bird?
Bescaylie nods back.
This is strange....
Corum listens to the strange language and is grateful for Elleross' translation. His interest piqued at the mention of a siege and he says "You'Ve got a battle on?! Now you are talking! You need help in this fight and We need to find the next key. We might be able to help each other. What can you tell about this siege? What force do you face? Numbers, make -up, deployment? There's always a way to break a siege if you can find it, have someone brave enough to risk their neck and tough enough to do what needs doing."
Greyston stomach sinks as the raven's signs make sense. Never expecting it to be easy, but his drinking while making it easy to move on has started to catch up with him.
He takes out his flask and downs another quick shot. Before moving forward. "Our path is set, we have to get into Spurhorn there is no way around it this Commander Pharamol is our next step to getting out from this curse." He states matter of factly not seeming happy at all but has no other course of action, the course and the will to just get it done focusing him on the task.
"Our friend here." He points to Corum. "Is more than happy to plan out our approach but maybe you should tell us a bit more about Commander Pharamol and what the force is like? and can we get in?" He says with a deep sigh, his stomach rolling.
Corrleon sighs, "Pharamol is..." he hesitates here, searching for the correct word. "Driven. As steward of Spurhorn, he carries a burden most heavy, and Yrax sees to it that he payeth with the blood of his troops regularly. Such would be trying circumstances for anyone. Moreover, I believe most would fail to stand up beneath the load." His ears twitch again and he throws his hands out to his side, looking to his niece for better words but finding none. After a long pause, he adds, "When last our paths crossed, I found him to be hard and... unyielding, but honorable."
If you're willing to help us, and you look capable, then we shall see. Bescaylie says. I can't speak for the Commander, but I know he values the lives of his Riders and Dragonkin far more than some trophy bird.
The Dragon Legion aerie of Spurhorn is an imposing fortress perched high atop a large rocky crag in the Parapet Mountains on the western edge of the Skyfire Mandate. But we are outnumbered by Yrax' forces one to three.
She shakes her head then and says;
Uncle, it is easier to show them. We should guide them to Lookout Point, they can see the seige for themselves from there.
"A fine idea, Bescaylie. War is a wretched thing; best they looketh upon it with unclouded eyes and judge for themselves if they count what they seek as worthy of involvement."
Corum eyes Corrleon. Despite his refined words he has the bearing of a warrior. Ot is not just his armour and weapons, it is the subtle but unmistakable way he stands well balanced and poised. Corum approaches and offers his hand. "I am Corum. We are well met. You any good with that?" he points at Corrleon's bow.
Corrleon accepts Corum's outstretched hand, but being unfamiliar with the gesture, he grabs the burly man's right hand with his own left, wrapping his furred digits around the back of the half-elf's hand.
His ears twitch slightly as he eyes dart back over his shoulder to regard his bow. "Ah, I am a fair shot, yes. And whilst taking life and causing harm is a regrettable necessity here, doing so is not my calling." At this he reaches up with his free hand and places it upon a gash still showing on Corum's shoulder. A soft warmth suffuses the half-elf's skin as the damage swiftly mends.
I can use dimension door to get us up some of it, 960 feet to be precise.
Corum's eyebrows arch with surprise and he smiles. "A healer and a warrior? Very useful skills. Thanks."
He looks around and says "So where is this look out point? Is it much of a climb?"
Corrleon laughs at Corum's question. "A climb? Oh, such a venture would taketh days to mount, and more supplies than thee have here among us. Nay, traveler, to reach to Lookout Point, it is through the skies that ye must go."
At this he steps back and shakes his head. "Ah, but I forget my manners. Allow me to afford thee a proper introduction. I am Stalacorr Leo Nuphrides Bett Chalcedarr Dus Daxionnen, and I am at thine service. If thee are at all similar to we triaxians though, then ye are likely to find proper names too long for common parlance. In such cases, I am please to simply be Corrleon Daxio."
"Corrleon might be easier, I'm Grayston and I don't mean to be rude but, How about we get on this? This waiting around isn't helping with this cold." He says under his large furs. "I can fly at least I think I can, it's something I've been working on replicating magical flight like Sapphire does. It will be the first time I'm trying it." He takes out a small blue potion and shakes it up ready to drink when everyone heads off.
The old elf extends his hand in greeting to their strange new companion.
our names are not so grandiose Corrleon, I am Elleross Oronar. he says as they shake hands
I do not relish a trek into not the mountains, I should be able to conjour a flight spell or possibly some form of teleportation but it would take a lot of my resources.
Perhaps some of us should go to the lookout point and others remain behind, I do not think we all need to venture up there. We shall see Spurhorn up close soon enough
"I can be there easy as a walk, if that'd be our idea."
Following their new-found companions, the group make out into the frozen mountain range. The journey to the lookout point is short ans Bescaylie circles around them on the back of Efrixes, the dragon still holding the lance in it's great claws as they do so.
The dim light and star-ridden sky is still disconcerting but at least the group has some kind of purpose.
Eventually they make their way into the foothills of the range and look up at what looks like less a mountain and more just a jagged lump of rock that, someway up, has a smooth flat plateau.
This is the Lookout Point. You can probably hear the siege if the fighting starts again. But from up there you'll get a better sight of the forces we face.
"Let's not leave anyone down here, if Corum can fly he can carry Elleross or Lucrezzia and Sapphire the other. Let's get up there and start planning how we're going to get in. I'd hope to save any teleportation you have Elleross to hopefully get us in." He says looking around at everyone and then up at the large Point at the top.
Over the course of a few minutes the group take to the gradually thinning air and swoop up to the plateau. Efrixes lands last, kicking up a small cloud of snowy dust with his great leathery wings.
You can see the whole valley. he grunts.
And the dragonkin is not wrong. Stepping to the edge of the plateau you take in the impressive sight of the valley spread out before you.
Spurhorn is immediately obvious, eventhough you have never seen it before. A huge tower of ice and rock protrudes out of the valley floor like a dragon's tooth. Windows and access points seem to dot the surface every now and then but none are at ground level. Rows of parapets line the tower at intervals along a curtain wall that is built around the spike of rock and you can make out other towers built within that curtain.
The Drakelands army outnumbers the defenders by at least three to one, but the climb up the steep cliffs surrounding Spurhorn makes an assault on the fortress a difficult and bloody proposition. However, the sheer size of the Drakelands army is enough to bottle up Spurhorn’s defenders inside the fortress.
You can make out hundreds of humanoids encamped around the fortress and dozens of flying creatures patrolling the perimeter of the beseiging army that look like nothing more than birds at this distance but in truth must be large flying creatres the size of Efrixes or even larger.
Looking out over the vast valley Elleross can see the plight of the besieged.
Even though their fortress seems impregnable the forces surrounding them have the numbers.
how long can Spurhorn last against this army? Is there any hope of breaking the siege? . He asks their new companions
getting to the fortress will be difficult, they have forces in the air and all across the land, we cannot fight our way through them all.
The fortress is close enough that I could teleport us straight there he says as he looks at the vast army before them.
The Ice Seers maintain a constant watch on the walls. They can see through even the thickest snowstorms and even invisible attackers cannot escape them. Most of Spurhorn is built deep underground. The spire and the castle atop is mostly for defence. It is a formidable position to take - but the fact that Yrax is willing to do so shows how much his strength and numbers have grown.
They must know that we have stores to last weeks but they have the numbers to wait that out or grind us down or.... she swallows hard and Efrixes puts a massive claw on her shoulder for support. ... or even to launch a full scale assault. If that happens and we cannot turn them away, they will slaughter us to the last.
Despite the great numbers of attackers, Spurhorn is enormous, and it is a practical impossibility to maintain an impenetrable perimeter around it. If you are quick and careful, you could get past the patrols with minimal contact particularly if you fly and avoid the ground-based patrols.