Del offers a wide grin as Nadya slips into the room, "Nadya! So good to see you again. Pay no mind to my current situation - a temporary set back, I assure you. As for Nazhena, I've seen her, but not recently. She left for Whitethrone some days back, I'm afraid. Radosek's in charge in her absence. Miserable, goat-loving-" Del seems about to spiral off into a profanity-laden rant but shakes his head and looks back up at the group with a bright grin.
"If you want help scouring the tower, I'm happy to give it." At Elleross' question about a little girl though, Del's grin turns into a frown. He looks at Nadya, shaking his head gently, "I'm sorry, Nadya, I haven't seen Thora."
There is no latch nor lock to be found on the cag, it appears to be fashioned out of a single piece of perfect ice.
That being the case, Del shields his eyes as Corum reduces it to little more than a mound of slush with judicious use of his own 'key.'
Nadya averts Del's gaze and sets her jaw.
I don't think we'll find Thora here. Or anywhere. I just want to ask that witch where her body is so that I might mourn her properly. She took my baby from me but for the sake of my boys I have to bring something of her back. she idly wipes a tear with the back of her hand and then rips the arrow from the throat of the sergeant and place it back in her quiver.
We don't know what else will be in this tower but we should be ready for it.
Chain shirt x9
Potion of Endure Elements x9
Light steel shield x9
Cold Iron Longsword x9
Light crossbow x9
90 bolts
180gp
mswk cold iron longsword
mswk light crossbow
light steel spiked shield
potion of CLW x1
potion of interrogation x1
small glass mirror (magic)
25gp
As you set about the grim task of stripping the guards of their weapons and valuables, you find on the body of the sergeant a milky, white crystal, about the length of a dagger.
That's it, that's the key! Hatch says excitedly. IF you lose it password is "Meeting in the Hall, take one take us all." he says. Teleporters not nice though, they very cold. he mutters.
Elleross looks across at Nadya and he can feel her pain.
The loss of a loved one is a terrible thing, especially if they are taken from you deliberately.
I pray to the gods she isn't right, but I fear the worst. These witches are cruel and vindictive. If Thora is gone we will avenge her along with all the others. We will visit their cruelty back upon them a hundred fold until they are no more he thinks to himself coldly.
Motioning to Corum and Dell they move the weapons locker out into the main room and dump it into the teleport area.
that will stop them coming in this way for now. he says looking at the barricade.
Del, you had best arm yourself with whatever you can find. We need to prepare for our next step. he says as he wipes his own blood off his face, gently feeling his eye socket and cheek, the bones seem to have re set, the potions doing their work well.
that Elemental was nearly the end of me, if any of you are hurt I suggest you heal yourselves while you can. I suspect we have worse to come he says turning to the others.
Sapphire nods at Del
Well met friend, your timing is fortuitous as my companions have noted, we have dire need of more blades and the will to wield them
she nods at Elleross, then moves to the barracks, stripping out cots and mattresses and dragging them through to add to the pile around the locker.
That should hold it a while at least
about to turn away she suddenly notices one of the blades on the floor, picking it up and hefting it before admiring its balance.
I think this cold iron blade is a superior weapon to that I picked up outside Heldren, if no-one objects I'd like to use it
She looks around to see if everyone is ok, then she dusts off her hands
Now is anyone still wounded? I have yet to quaff Greyston's infusion and am not too badly scathed as yet. Has anyone more dire need than I?
Corum checks his wounds and smiles. "Not too bad. These soldiers are easier to deal with than that troll. So do we continue up? We should keep pushing. Press our advantage. We don't want them to dig in up there."
Although still carrying some wounds the warrior is clearly anxious to continue the assault.
Nasrin ushers the remaining sled dogs into the tower. She keeps Jagar close to her hip remembering how he took a few extra bites into the last guard he brought down. I have to remind him that we do not eat the flesh of two-legs.
Jagar sits, or strolls, with his new pack leader, content with his place as a true hunter of two-legs.
Greyston nods at Del is released. "Welcome aboard then... arm yourself taking this town will be hard. Is there anything you can tell us of the numbers we may face? or the creatures up in the tower?"
He looks on at Nadya. The pain she must feel... i only hope we can at least give her some closure. He then places a hand on her shoulder. "We will get revenge, this will not go unanswered you have my word."
--
"What is the plan, we use the teleporters? They could have trapped them and could be waiting for us." He says stepping closer to one of the teleporters looking it up and down.
Del rises from the shattered remains of his cage and rolls his shoulders with a contented sigh. As the footlockers are broken open, he locates his own belongings and secures his belt and and a heavy linen shirt before throwing a long, brown coat with a high collar on over his shoulders. He then hangs a small quiver of bolts off his belt on his left hip, a collapsed, handheld crossbow in a holster on his right, and a larger crossbow slung across his back. Slicking his shoulder length black hair back, he spins to face the others with a lopsided grin and hands held wide. "There! That's much better. I will forever remain in your debt and, at the same time, lament missing the opportunity to make a better first impression with you fine, tower crashing rescuers."
As he tests the tension in each of his crossbows, the lanky half-orc shrugs at the question of the tower's layout. "Sorry, apart from Radosek, I'm not sure who or what else Nazhena might have in the upper stretches of her giant icicle. And is it just me, or does living inside a giant icicle seem a bit pretentious to anyone else?"
Elleross looks on with interest as the half Orc dons his gear, not sure what to make of him as yet.
he seems capable enough but will he stand with us when the going gets tough? We shall see soon enough. One thing is for certain the more of us there are, the better our chances he thinks to himself as he scratches art the drying blood that stains his silver beard with streaks of ruddy reddish brown.
you don't owe us anything Del, and your help taking this tower would more than repay it even if you did he says to him.
Greyston is right, they are probably lying in wait for us on the next level so what are out options? We storm up there and take our chances? he asks hatch do you know how many can travel at once via these teleporters? he asks the sprite and whilst waiting for the answer he forges on.
the other option is this, we find a way to secure the main gate to prevent any patrs returning and we wait for those on the upper level to come to us. We clear the teleport and set our own ambush.
Both plans have their risks. he says as he sits on one of the bunks and rubs at his aching leg.
there is one other option and it involves you Hatch, you can hide from sight yes? Some kind of invisibility? Could you pass through the teleport and scout for us? This will be very dangerous for you. Do not worry about saying no, no one would think any less of you he says looking toward the small sprite.
Nasrin rolls her eyes at the orc. From a city and his thoughts stink of it.
"Sitting is asking for trouble. If the witch is not here let us kill her minions now. We can hunt her later." She looks to Hatch, "Better than you going, can you make one of us invisible?"
Although floating in mid air, Hatch shuffles his feet nervously.
Can only vanish for myself. he says. And Hatch too scared to go up. I don't want to see the masters and they can always see me somehow. But more guards are up, Captain, probably more. Maybe my kind too
The old elf pulls out his pipe and filling it with tobacco he strikes a tinder twig and lights it, drawing deeply on the sweet smoke.
I don't blame you Hatch, if they can see you anyway then it is far too dangerous he says
we should all be able to go up to the next level at the same time , but we can expect a volley of crossbow bolts at the very least.
If we can fashion some kind of barricade we could teleport up with it in front of us. If we are all behind it it will provide us with cover.
Hopefully they will waste their first shots and then we strike. He says thoughtfully
we will need to see what we can find to fashion such a thing.
From the way Hatch describes the upper floor, we could stack barricades on the south facing teleporters and we can stand on the northern ones. When the teleporters engage, both barricades and 4 of us will port up, those 4 can then push the barricades forward and set up a perimeter to secure the immediate area, whilst the others then port up after them.
suggests a thoughtful Sapphire
Shouldn't take us more than 30 seconds to deploy upstairs, what do you think? I'm sure between us we can construct some wooden palisades either light enough to shove or with skates or wheels so we can shove them off the teleporter floor without much effort...
Corum thinks for a while.
"Hatch. Is the layput of the floor above similar to this?"
He picks up a shiled from one of the dead guards. "If so, I could use one teleport and everyone else fillow me up a few seconds later fron the other. I can raise merry hell and buy tou time with the distraction. Thrre is every chance I could get peppered with arrows but I can't see a way up without some blood being spilled. All I say is if we do it that way keep some potions handy for me. I may need them!"
As the others hem and haw over barricades and such, Del snaps his fingers and grins. "You're already dressed as guards, why don't a pair of you take me up to the next floor as your prisoner. We can glance about and, if anyone's there, we can just make it seem like you used the wrong teleporter phrase. If not, we pop back down and all head back up together. Easy as pie!"
Taking in everything else, Greyston steps forward ready to lay out an idea. "Waiting around will get us nowhere, a distraction one side could work in our favour and Del's idea could give those going up first time before they get peppered with bolts. If we split up to those with ranged and those with melee maybe. Corum, Nasrin and Del playing the part of prisoner. Then me, Elleross and Sapphire up the other side ready to flank them?" He says looking towards the teleporters.
Corum laughs and slaps Greyaton on the shoulder. "Plan! Let's do it."
Nasrin listens to the plan and nods. "Best be fast, but not too fast. we need to have the prey focused on us before the others come to help." She straps her spear to her back and unlimbers her sword. "Should it be Corum and I, or Sapphire and Corum. I can come with Grey and Old Wolf, summoning help if we need it." she looks to Corum, "You decide."
Del shoots Sapphire a disarming smile when Nasrin suggests she might play at being one of his captors. He slips the holster holding his handheld crossbow around so it's centered at the small of his back and pulls his larger crossbow free. Holding it forward, he smiles warmly, "Maybe you could hold onto this for me? I'm not much of a prisoner if I'm fully armed, after all. Take care of her though! Ruby here needs to be treated like a lady."
Nasrin sneers at the miniature contraption. "Blades are better. Fangs are best."
Elleross reaches In to his pack and pulls free one of his potions.
Nasrin, take this you are hurt. We can't take the upper levels with you wounded.
Corum, you are also bleeding quite heavily by the look of you, are you ok?
If you have wounds tend to them now before we ascend he says as he puts out his pipe and stows it away in his pack.
we will hit them from both sides, if we can we need to secure the teleport pads once we are up there to prevent anyone coming down from the upper levels
If you want to come back you have to say; "Spiral downward to the ground, every ounce and every pound. Hatch says.
I'll stay with Hatch. Patrols are bound to be returning here at some point, quicker even if they know we are here so we will hold the ground floor. Nadya says. Besides, if Del is right and Nazhena isn't here... she shakes her head.
Corum drinks a potion and checks the edge on the blade of his axe.
"Good enough." He smiles grimly.
"Ok. Sapphire and I are guards. Del, keep that little crossbow handy. The rest of you give us 10 seconds then follow us up from the other porter."
he turns to Nas. "Wolfmaid. We have run together, hunted and killed. Jagar may raise suspicions up there. I doubt any guards have a wilf in tow. Instead we hunt like a pack. Hitting them from both sides. We distract the head while you come in behind and hamstring our prey. They won't stand a chance. "
Stepping to the teleport with Sapphire and Del he takes up position on the right of the man and speaks the words. As the world dissolves around them he frips his axe ready and says a.silent prayer to Gozreh.
Clw
As Corum speaks the words of power that sound so oddly like a child’s nursery rhyme, a slick web of ice forms around their feet, crawling up their boots and legs, fixing them in place. It continues upwards until it encases them completely but it is not cold to the touch. The whole process took less than a second.
When the ice fades away the group brace themselves for the inevitable barrage of bolts but none come. They find themselves in a grand dining hall.
A crescent-shaped dining table occupies this Y-shaped chamber, while two large mirrors on the north and south walls create the illusion of an even bigger space. Twenty feet overhead, an immense chandelier of ice crystals hangs from the ceiling. To the east, rounded steps access a short hallway, flanked by twin ice sculptures of dryads holding ice-carved tree-limbs creating an elaborate archway.
Translucent, glass-like double doors are set in the hall’s north and south walls. To the west, two alcoves stand between three windows providing an amazing view of the wintry landscape outside the tower. Gauging by the view, you must be about a hundred feet higher than the ground level.
Corum's senses reel for a moment. The transport making him momentarily disoriented. He looks around him and seeing no immediate threats he motuons to the others to spread out. "Cover the entrances." he whispers and moves to guard the nearest exit. They wait for the others to appear.
The ice feels strangely warm to Sapphire as the teleporter's magic washes over her. As the group reappears upstairs, her breath is momentarily taken away as she stares at the vista through the windows.
As Corum's words remind her of the here and now, she throws Del's crossbow back to him and draws her sword, moving quickly to stand near the entrances to the room not already covered by Corum and Del.
Del nonchalantly catches Ruby and slides his smaller crossbow and its holster back into place on his right hip. "There, see? A positively lovely view and no bitter, spiteful guards to spoil it."
...seven, eight, nine, ten. Nasrin counts up and then says the words. She watches, maybe frightened as the ice moves up her legs, then her body. She relaxes and lets the magic work. Next thing she knows she is in a room that only an Ice Witch would call comfortable. Ice and frost as decoration? Nasrin growls, knowing something is wrong from the dead quiet in the dining room. She remembers the dying sergeant from Waldsby: He called for help in a mirror!
"The mirrors. Magic mirrors. We can't ever sneak up on them as long as their eyes are open."
Greyston braces himself ready for the ice to take over him as he saw it happen to the others. Before he can fully feel the effects he is in a dining room. "No guards?" He asks moving into the room, spotting the big mirrors.
"We should smash them, Nasrin is right. Don't give them a chance to use them."
As the others arrive and Del, Sapphire and Corum take up position to cover the exits you suddenly hear the sound of singing and laughter.
Before Corum can reach them, the doors at the end of the corridor swing open and four creatures enter, three tiny sprites with blue skin and the fourth is somewhat familiar. This humanoid creature has the legs of a bald goat, a completely hairless body, and a horned head. She is the self-same creature that approached your camp when you first crossed the portal.
She cries out in surprise when she sees you.
Intruders! she cries at the top of her voice and then, in a much calmer, more even tone, she begins to sing a song so hauntingly beautiful it aches.
The atomies instantly each turn invisible, vanishing before Corum's very eyes.
Stepping onto the teleport Elleross steels himself as the ice covers his body,
It is an oddly unpleasant feeling but impressive nonetheless and he cannot help but wonder at the arcane energy harnessed up create such a thing .
In a heartbeat he finds himself on the upper floor with everyone else, he is used to transporting himself throughout his memory palace but this is altogether different and he takes a second to acclimatise to his new surroundings .
. Opening his inner eye he appears in the entrance hall of his great manse and at the speed of thought he strides through the palace and out of the rear of the building, passing through his winter garden he ascends to the top of his own pale tower and moving to the top room of the tower he sits before the fireplace as it roars to life and even as Nadyas likeness greets him he reaches for the small statuette that now resides on the table beside him.
It is a perfect likeness of the true pale tower but fashioned in pure ice.
He picks it up and though it is cold to the touch it is not unpleasant.
Raising it up he looks through the base of it as if it were a looking glass and within its deep blue depths he sees the layers of the tower, just as Hatch described them
the door to our left leads to a sealed room I believe was for storage. our right leads to the corridor that leads to the area beyond the door Corum is heading to. There are two rooms off that corridor used as bedrooms if hatches description is accurate. We should expect some company from there he says to the others as he remembers the layout of the place.
Just then the familiar figure of Nazarenes servant appears and Elleross watches with dismay as the sprites disappear from sight.
Pulling out a scroll he moves toward the centre of the table.
Nasrin sees the witche's servant and starts to rush to get to her. The sprites going invisible slow her up a step, and she instead makes her way cautiously towards Corum.
Jagar follows close on the heels of his pack mate and as he gets closer to the prey he sprints to close the distance. Nasrin shouts at him once, but his hackles are up and he is more than ready for this fight. However, as his paws are scrambling for purchase on the hard floors he simply slides into the her feet.
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Sapphire swears as the enemies flood in to the room, breaking in to a sprint and thanking her stars that she has swapped her blade for one of cold iron only a few minutes ago.
Seeing the goat creature again, Greyston clenches his teeth remember how unsettling their first encounter was he quickly moves around the table drawing out a vial and shaking it up stopping just in front of the table he lobs it at the singing goat.
Corum watches the blue creature enter the room. He sees her surprise and smiles grimly. Hesitation can so often mean the difference between life and death. His adrenaline surges and his metabolic rate surges and he opens the door within him and lets free the fiery beast that is his primal self. His rage explodes and he charges at the being, slashing at her with his axe.
Charge
Dam
Del darts back toward the center of the room, his long coat billowing behind him as he rolls up onto the center of the curved table so he has a better vantange. He shakes his head at the forlarren and quips, "Intruders? I object! I was, at worst, an unwelcome guest."
From his position on the table, he holds his shot, waiting for the right moment.
HP: 20/20
AC: 17 (13 T / 14 FF)
CMD: 15
F/R/W: +4/+6/+4
Grit remaining: 2/2
Hero Points remaining: 2
Ongoing Effects
Vigilant Loading
Gunslinger Initiative
Jagar dashes forward toward the singing fey but as he does so, the two tiny creatures reappear, pricking him with their needle-like rapiers.
Sapphire, Nasrin and Elleros move up while Corum wades in but is unable to land a blow on the spritely bard. Greyston tosses a bomb at the creature but with Jagar thrashing before her, it flies wide and splashes her with scalding liquid rather than exploding directly.
Hit
Hit
Confirmed
Hit
Hit
Hit
Fail
Success
The Forralen strides forward past the wolf before her and engages the warrior, cutting deeply into his chest with two frozen claws while Jagar again comes under attack from the tiny creature left by the eastern doors.
The two fey disappear once again.
Corum's attack is clumsy and he pays the price. The woman's claws tear into his cheat and he can feel an icy cold slowly spreading across his limbs, stiffening them and slowing him down. Bleeding profusely he grits his teeth and swings his axe again. Setting his feet he puts every ounce of his dwindling strength into the blow, swinging from his hips, his arms locked to drive the blade at the woman with terrible force.
Pa rage
Dam
Del curses softly to himself as the bolt flies wide of the little stabby sprite then cringes as Corum's blood splashes to the floor in the wake of the forlarren's strikes. He slips another bolt into Ruby's cradle with practiced ease, then holds his shot once more.
HP: 20/20
AC: 17 (13 T / 14 FF)
CMD: 15
F/R/W: +4/+6/+4
Grit remaining: 2/2
Hero Points remaining: 2
Ongoing Effects
Vigilant Loading
Gunslinger Initiative
Nasrin shouts, Burn her again, Grey!" She waits, tottering on the balls of her feet waiting for that grenade to hit it's target.
GRRRRR-SNAP-SNAP Jagar slides around towards the door out of the room his teeth slashing and snapping at the larger fey.
for and
His teeth get ahold of enough of her that he is able to drag her to the ground. He lets go and gives an excited Yip!
Corum's axe bites into the silvery blue flesh of the fey and as she cried out Jagar takes advantage, snapping into her calf - though not as deeply as he would have liked - and drags her to the floor.
Greyston curses himself as he misses. "I can't get a clear shot but I will keep trying!" He shouts out pulling out another vial and tosses it at the goat again.
Nasrin moves to close in on the suddenly prone goat-woman. Her scimitar comes closer until it gets dangerously close to the fey's exposed throat. Only a lucky shift on the victim's part saves her worthless life.
for
Sapphire moves in to attack position, again power surging down her sword, swinging her blade as her hair raises up again, darting around like a cobra and snapping forward at the fey.