We can't wait around for it to end! I can carry two of you through this and in to the forest then come back for the others unless anyone has another idea!?
"Do it. If anything comes out of that storm I'll take care of it."
Corum stands in readiness.
She nods quickly to the barbarian and sheathes her sword, flames and lightning arc around the scabbard as she hovers off the ground and grabs Elleross and Del by their backpacks, one in each hand.
Hold on to your gear gentlemen...
Using her training she soars across the ground and dives in to the storm, fighting her way through to where she remembers the opening on the other side was, as soon as she bursts out she lowers the two to the floor and goes back for the others.
Greyston stands just behind Corum. "We'll cover you if they come out."
Nasrin drops to a knee next to Jagar and nuzzles his neck, "Stay calm my little hunter. We're going to fly!"
Del's eyes widen in surprise as Sapphire scoops him up and whisks him through Elleross' freezing, blinding sleet. "Whoa, what- whoa!" As he's set down, he quickly brings Ruby up again, ready for any trolls emerging from the frosty haze.
HP: 25/36
AC: 19 (15 T / 14 FF)
CMD: 19
F/R/W: +7/+10/+6
Grit remaining: 2/2
Hero Points remaining: 2
Regular bolts remaining: 64/80
Cold Iron bolts: 40/40
Tanglebolts: 3/5
Ongoing Effects
Vigilant Loading
Gunslinger Initiative
Sapphire grunts with the effort despite her strength and the magic that powers her movement, through gritted teeth she manages
Keep thinking of the ballad you'll write Del, what could be better than the whole group flying through a storm and avoiding the trolls therein!?
Looping back and scooping up Corum and a rather surprised-looking Jagar she erupts from the hailstorm the other side drenched and with eyes like fire.
Onwards then, whilst we still have cover from the storm!
She draws her blade and advances in to the forest.
As he flies through the air Corum is again amazed at the sensation. While battling the dragon he hadn't realised the thrill of flight. Now, being carried through the driving wind and hail, his heart soars with the sensation.
They land on the verge of the forest and Sapphire immediately enters it. Adrenaline still floods his body from the flight and he smiles broadly. "Well, you heard the lady...on we go."
He hefts his axe and walks after Sapphire, about 5' to her right.
Round 4 all trolls are out and round 5 they meet where the party were standing
Sapphire ferries the heroes through the driving storm and deposits them on the path just inside the tree line.
As Elleros' spell comes to an abrupt end, they see the three trolls standing around the body of the fourth, arguing among themselves. They don't appear to have noticed the party standing there just yet.
Nasrin motions away from the trolls, and begins creeping away...
Jagar slinks along after his mistress, belly to the ground.
Bracing himself against the blistering storm he dangles from Sapphires grasp like a bedraggled kitten and all he can do is hope they don't fly into something...or someone.
Namely the other trolls.
brace yourself Dell, this won't be pleasant he warns as he looks up at Sapphire
ok I'm as ready as I can be...go
Landing heavily on the path within the woods he turns and points the wand at the path behind them.
Activating the stored energy within he forms another illusion, duplicating the view along the path behind them.
With any luck they won't realise where we are, if they look this way when the storm ends they will see only the empty path ahead .
Get the others SApphire, and be careful he says as he moves further along the path whilst maintaining the illusion.
Elleros times his illusion perfectly. As the storm abates he brings up a magical screen that shields the path with a duplicate. Through it, he and the other can see a hazy, greyed out version of the scene in the courtyard before the forest. The three trolls are still arguing, the vision looks as if you were looking through a frosted window.
Under cover of the illusion, Corum presses on. Very soon, he comes to a fork in the path where it continues to the north but also branches to the west and east.
He cannot see very far along the north but to the west he sees a pool of strange silvery water standing in a clearing with a further path leading north.
To the east however, perched precariously in the branches of the trees here is a small house, apparently lifted into the air from its foundations. The branches creak as the house teeters and sways with the wind.
Del scratches his head at the house in bewilderment. "That is not something I think I ever expected to see. Anybody got any witches handy we can drop that on?" Del chuckles at his own joke with a bright grin and bounces his eyebrows at the others.
unfortunately there are all too many of them around here Dell. I suspect if we go poking around that house it is likely to fall on us. he says not understanding the reference Dell is making, the WIzard of Oz regretfully was not among the various books in Stoneholds meagre prison library.
we should press on and get to the hut as soon as possible. If we go past that house we had best be careful in case there is still someone at home.
Both these paths seem to head North, but which do we take? The lake or the house?
Are there any signs that anyone has passed this way? he asks looking to Nasrin and Corums wilderness expertise to provide the answer.
Glancing at the different paths then up at the house lodged in the trees, Sapphire shrugs her shoulders.
anything that isn;t getting to the hut is just a distraction, we should try and cut through to the heart of the forest as quickly as we can. Does anyone feel an eldritch pull in any direction?
She tries to feel something herself, but evidently the adrenaline is getting in the way.
If all paths seem equal then my vote is going via the lake.
Greyston feels the overriding need to get to the hut and pick a random direction. "Let's move towards the house, we don't know if everything in here will be hostile but i don't like the idea of that pool. I don't want to get wet out here in this cold." Pointing he slowly begins to move towards the hut, vial draw and ready to throw.
The house is only precariously balanced in the branches of the tree. Every time the wind blows, it creaks and threatens to topple out.
As you get closer you hear two small voices calling out in distress from within.
He-elp... please, someone help my Da! one of the voices cries whilst the other just seems to be crying.
Del's eyes go wide at the sound of the voices. "Someone, strike that, someones it sounds like, are still up in that thing?!" He turns to Sapphire, "Do you still have some of that fancy flight left to you? I wouldn't trust that thing to wait for us to find and fetch a ladder...." Del ends his thought with a worried glance up at the rocking, teetering homestead in the branches.
Tricks. Nasrin growls low. "Fey woods. Watch your back."
Greyston steps back and look up at the house. "Nasrin is right, we've felt the tricks of Fey before but we need to get up there, if it's really someone that needs our help."
"Elleross, Sapphire? can you fly up there?"
they sound genuine enough to me but I would echo Nasrins warning, nothing in this forest can be trusted. Sapphire, be careful. he says as he looks up toward the precariously perched house.
why would anyone still be here? There is something that doesn't ring true here. But those voices sound real enough
Sapphire nods at Del
Can do, but if it turns out that the front door is some house-resembling monster's mouth then you and I will be having words!
The magus draws on her powers and rises quickly in to the air, moving to enter the house and investigate what's going on.
Expecting attacks from the Fey, Nasrin puts away her scimitar and shield and gets out the cursed spear that slew Thorn.
Corum looks up at the house suspiciously. "I've got a bad feeling about this. Be careful."
He scans the surrounding area to make sure there are no enemies creeping up on their position.
Perception
Sapphire flies up to the house, sword drawn and cautious. The house itself is a small, two-room affair and she flies this way and that trying to get a good look inside. Eventually she approaches a window and with a gloved hand wipes away some of the frost.
Inside, she can see a human man lying on the floor of what was ostensibly the main living area. He is barely conscious and she can see that one of his legs is badly injured – at least judging by the amount of blood caked on his torn trousers. One of the branches of the tree has burst through the floor of the house and appears to have impaled the man, though at some later point he has managed at least to free himself. Two children, a boy and a girl, crouch near him.
The girl is the one who cries out for help whilst the boy sits hugging his knees in distress. She looks up and sees Sapphire hovering by the window and gasps.
Please miss... you have to help my da!
Corum watches Sapphire fly up to look into the window. "What do you see up there?" He calls.
Greyson looks around behind them half expecting an attack half hoping for a break for once. "I hope we're not getting tricked..."
Ok it looks alright...
Sapphire moves inside the house and tries to reassure the children.
It's ok, Auntie Sapphire is here to help! Now, I'm going to help your Da, but first I have to take you to safety. Now which of you wants to fly!?
She ferries the children down to the ground, then returns to grab the man and bring him back down so he can be looked at.
As Sapphire slips into the precarious structure, he looks at the others with obvious tension. "Well, it sounds like she's talking someone at least." Still, as distrustful as the rest, he keeps Ruby at the ready and trained on the tilted doorway up above.
Gazing intently up at the house , Elleross finds himself holding his breath as Sapohire disappears inside.
Less than a minute later she emerges with the children and he breathes a sigh of relief
she is bringing someone out with her, the children who called for help. he says as she sets the children down and then returns to the house.
The children are too terrified not to agree to Sapphire's invitation to fly down whereas the man is too delirious to put up any kind of resistance even if he wanted to.
The swordswoman deposits the two children in the snow besides the party and then flies back up for the man. This time, as soon as she nears the door, the whole house lurches suddenly and creaks as a branch beneath it snaps. You can tell it won't take much to make the whole thing tumble.
At the sudden twisting movement the little boy screams in fear.
With a successful knowledge check you devise a means to shore up the house to the point where the above skill check only causes the house to fall if you fail by 8 or more.
Elleross looks up sharply, his own neck creaking like the tree before him.
sapphire! The house is about to fall. The branch holding it up has all but given way.
You will need to be extremely careful or use the other branches to shore up the house. I can direct you from here to make it safer but you must be quick
As the house shifts in place, Sapphire dodges in mid-air, surprising herself with how nimbly she moves.
I really ought to practice with this more, I'll add it to the long list of things I need to practice more..
She darts inside the house quickly, aiming to grab the man and get out before the structure collapses. She scoops him up without touching the delicately balanced structure and soars back down to the ground.
I suggest we move away from here in case it comes tumbling down!
Corum watches Sapphire enter the house and emerge first with two terrified children and then with an injured man. They move away from the precariously placed house."Well done Sapphire."
He looks down at the man ands says "Grey, can you bind his wound? He'll bleed out otherwise."
As the man's wound is tended, he turns to the trail and watches for signs of danger. Talking over his shoulder he says. "We'll have to leave them here to fend for themselves. We can't look after them and find the hut."
The man groans in pain and remains barely conscious, seemingly not fully understanding what is going on around him.
The children crowd around their father as he lies in the cold snow.
Greyston moves back away from the house while helping carry the injured man. "Set back let me look at him."
Greyston curses under his breath as he quick grab for a potion uncorking it and forcing it down the man's throat. "His wounds had succumb to infection, he was close..." He sees the children staring at him and spares them the bitter truth.
"But he should be ok now, he's stable. Hopefully we can get some clue as to what's happening around here." He stands moving away giving the man space and the child room to run to their father.
The wound in the man's leg begins knitting together immediately and after a few moments his eyes flicker open.
Wh... where am I? My children!
The boy and girl rush to embrace him and as he picks himself up, still hobbling but certianly faring better than he was, he hugs them back fiercely.
Thank you. You saved us. Who are you people, you don't look like Winter Guard? he says.
"We are the end of the Winter Guard." Nasrin's feral grin is probably more intimidating than she intended.
The man looks confused. What does that mean?
"We're not part of the winter guard, but we're here to help you." He looks at the others. "How can we get them out?"
It's alright. the man says. I think I can walk now. My name is Karend and this is Trevis and Crina. I can't thank you enough for getting us down from there. he adds, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder.
When this damned forest sprouted up the house was lifted right out of it's foundations.
Whoever you are, take this. It belonged to my wife before she passed and it's the only thing I have to show my gratitude.
He unloops a simple leather necklace with a piece of moonstone attached.
Hopefully it will keep you safe. One of you at least.
Corum glances over his shoulder. "We're looking for Baba Yaga's hut. Know where it is?"
Thank you but we're just glad you and your children are ok. There are trolls and other nasties around this location, I'm sorry but we have to press on. Can you hide ok now your leg is fixed?