I'm getting my children out of here, miss. he says earnestly. I've already had my fill of this cursed forest. Thank you again, whatever your business here - good luck with it.
He begins moving down the path toward the city.
Elleross closes the mans hand around the necklace and shakes his head.
I also lost my wife...a long time ago, but all I have of hers are my memories. this was your wife's. you should treasure it, Pass it onto your boys.
We do not require any reward he says earnestly as he refuses the necklace.
The man smiles.
She isn't in trinkets any more, elder. She's in here. he taps his finger on his chest, just above his heart. And in here. he places his hands on the heads of his children and ruffles their hair.
I'm sorry for your loss. But please take the amulet, it really is the least I can do.
When the man leaves Corum points forward with his axe. "On we go then. Let's find this hut."
He leads the party down the track, ever deeper into the strange forest. He is always watchful as they move forward carefully. His eyes scan the undergrowth and trees, looking for signs of danger.
This is the strangest wood he has ever been in. The trees and shrubs completelt out of place in the frozen winterland that is Irisien. Let alone the broken houses and buildings through which the trucks and branches protrude.
He pushes on toward the centre of the wood.
Sapphire smiles and wishes the family fortune, before turning back to the task at hand.
She follows Corum, sword drawn and ready for trouble.
"Thank you for this, we appreciate it more than you could know." He shakes the mans hand before he leaves. "Take care of your kids." He then kneels down in front of the children. "Look after your father." He then stands and moves a long with Corum.
Karend waves as he turns and hobbles back toward the entrance to the forest, leaning on his girl for support.
Corum meanwhile, presses on to the centre of the wood, leaving the teetering house behind.
Within moments he comes across a clearing, snow drifting slowly down onto the bizarre scene beyond.
A large chunk of stone juts from the ground like a natural stage. Six boulders float in the air and slowly orbit the raised platform. The rich scent of loamy earth hangs heavy in the air.
A single figure sits on the central stone. Eldritch energy burns within the eyes of this humanoid figure. Strangely colored hair crowns her head like a torch, and gleaming white teeth shine from her grin. The creature cradles a pipe in her long, graceful fingers.
Greetings mortal. he holds up a clawed hand. I mean you no harm, nor will any of my kind. But you must turn back, you cannot pass. We have come to claim this reality, and we'll take the Crone's hovel with us. Turn away and live your lives in peace and safety, unburdened by the heavy weight of relevance.
Corum smiles. He does not like this being. She feels magical and he is deeply suspicious of her. I don't think so."
Greyston feels unsure of himself but can see Corums rage building and hopes to get something out of this other than another fight. "Wait." He steps in front of Corum. "We can say the same we mean you no harm. But we have to get to that hut, we've been through to much and our need is high its life or death for us. Please see reason."
Strange and enigmatic creatures from the First World, dawn pipers are unmistakably humanoid and share some of the same delicate features of half-elves. But dawn pipers’ otherworldly nature becomes evident when one looks at the creatures’ eyes, which burn with a strange light. Their skin is smooth, free of blemish or body hair, and radiant. Their hair moves constantly, like the flickering flames of a torch in the breeze, and seems to express a seasonal theme in coloration. Their faces are portraits of every emotion that passes through their consciousness; joy, loss, and murder may all dance across their expressions in a matter of moments. Only when a dawn piper is asleep or plays a soothing melody on its pipes does its expression become static and human—and through such songs, dawn pipers’ heartbreaking beauty becomes truly evident.
These creatures have an array of spell like abilities including some that blind or deafen their foes. They have both spell resistance and are resistant to physical attacks that are made with weapons not made of cold iron. If a Dawnpiper is able to create an elemental font (which this stone cricle looks like) they have even more potent and deadly spells at their disposal
This is your final opportunity to see sense, mortal. the Dawnpiper says through that perpetual grin as she slowly draws her rapier.
Elleross knows this creature speaks the truth.
If they were to leave it would not try to harm them but unfortunately that was not an option available to them.
Like the other shelves b this room it was crammed with books, scrolls and many strange objects each keyed to a singular memory.
Floating up from the floor he scanned the shelves, his eyes taking note of every item and object and dismissing them one by one as he searched for the item he required.
Before long he locates it.
Reaching out he takes hold of a small wooden sphere, it's surface carved with a stylised sun burst with a slender flute at its centre. As he touches it's smooth surface his fingers tracing the design the knowledge suddenly springs into his mind and he is once again sitting before a flickering candle stub, the dank cold walls of stone hold prison surrounding him and a hefty book open on his lap.
The book was a study of the first world and its denizens, and he at once recognises the dawn piper before him
You have no claim upon this reality Dawnpiper, nor do you have any claim upon the dancing hut.
My companions and I do.
We are cursed, bound to a task that we cannot turn aside from. We will take the hut and use it to find Baba Yaga. We cannot walk away.
Elleross says as he watches the creature carefully
my companion speaks the truth, we do not wish to harm you but if you do not let us pass we will.
I know you believe your magic will protect you. You believe because you have increased your powers with your elemental font that you will destroy us.
You are wrong.
Your resistance to our weapons won't help you, we bear cold iron and magic of our own.
The dragon Logrivich could not defeat us. Neither will you he says matter of factly
you must let us pass or force us to destroy you
Sapphire readies her weapon calmly, staunchly standing by Elleross' side and ready to wade in the second things turn ugly.
With the fixed grin written all over its face, it is difficult to tell whether she is sincere or not, but the fey sighs loudly and with an air of resignation.
The Crone’s Hut is ours. You cannot have it.
The boulders that orbit the platform suddenly all crash to the ground at once, sending up a plume of snow and shards of rock. With a grating rumble the boulders begin to animate, sprouting humanoid appendages and lifting themselves to stand on imitations of legs.
The Dawnpiper whistles a tune on her flute and says to her earth elemental squadron; Destroy them!
Corum ceies "I'll punch a hole. Sapphire get that thing with the pipe.". He lets loose his pent up fury and shouts with the joy of battle.
He charges at the nearest elemental, swinging his axe in a mighty overhead smash, bringing it down on top of the creature with a sound like thunder.
Pa charge
Dam
"We tried! But now we take her down!" He then steps forward and lobs a bomb over the others.
Greyston steps forward and hurls a fizzing bomb at the Dawn Piper. She steps aside as it flies toward her and it sails harmlessly past.
Fail
It explodes behind the high rock, covering one of the elementals in scorching fire.
Del sighs as the fey expresses her intent to do them harm, then gawks as the very boulders seem to grow feet and legs and arms fit for smashing. "You know, I think I'm starting to miss having to fight trolls and dragons." Not having any idea how to harm a small, angry mountain, he instead slips one of his rarer bolts into Ruby's cradle and takes a shot at the fey that summoned them.
HP: 25/36
AC: 19 (15 T / 14 FF)
CMD: 19
F/R/W: +7/+10/+6
Grit remaining: 1/2
Hero Points remaining: 2
Regular bolts remaining: 65/80
Cold Iron bolts: 39/40
Tanglebolts: 3/5
Ongoing Effects
Vigilant Loading
Gunslinger Initiative
Elleross knew there would be no reasoning with this fey creature.
He watches the boulders transform into earth elementals and he knows they need to even up the odds somehow.
.... Aqueum,orbis! he calls upon his prepared spells, uttering the words of this new incantation and drawing forth a small glass bead from his belt pouch he completes the spell.the glass bead streaks from his hand toward the fey and as it reaches the creature it suddenly expands To form a churning orb of water.
The sphere of liquid expands and moves over the fey before he directs it towards the elementals closest to it.
Success
Fail
Fail
A massive amorphous orb of water appears before the pedestal and rolls over the Dawn Piper and two of her Elemental squad, scooping the pair of small boulder like people up but unfortunately bypassing the fey leader who also dodges to one side as a crossbow bolt streaks past her head.
Nodding at Corum's words, Sapphire immediately launches in to the air, moving in a a bounding arc and landing next to the dawnpiper. She manages a spin as she lands and sends her cold-iron blade dancing towards the piper's head.
Nasrin barks a short command and both her and Jagar leap to the fray. Surrounding one of the elementals, they attack with spear and fangs.
for
Jagar follows the girl into the fray and bites after the same stack of moving rocks that both Nasrin and Corum are attacking. Though he chokes on the taste of cold stone and moss, he drags back as hard as he can trying to topple the rockstack.
for and
Between them, Corum, Nasrin and Jagar crush the first elemental with a combination of axe, blade and tooth. It is reduced to little more than a pile of rubble by the end of the assault.
Two more are scooped up by Elleros' orb of water whilst Sapphire dashes to meet the Dawn Piper head on and is rewarded by feeling her blade bury itself deep in her abdomen.
The Dawn Piper reels from the attack but brings her flute up to her lips and whistles a tune. Suddenly, the ground drops from beneath the feet of Corum and Greyston, sending the pair tumbling down to the spiky depth of a pit.
Success
Fail
Fail
and
Two of the elementals remain trapped in the watery vortex but the others converge on Sapphire as they threaten their master, using their ability to glide through rock to easily get into position to threaten her.
But none of them are able to land a telling blow.
Del shakes his head at the fey's nimble-nature and brings Ruby up to his shoulder for another shot. He whispers a quiet prayer to Desna then lets the specially crafted bolt fly.
Desna though, oft as fickle as she is charming, allows the bolt to fly wide once more. Shrugging, he tries again.
"Oh, Desna. How you love to vex me."
HP: 25/36
AC: 19 (15 T / 14 FF)
CMD: 19
F/R/W: +7/+10/+6
Grit remaining: 1/2
Hero Points remaining: 2
Regular bolts remaining: 65/80
Cold Iron bolts: 37/40
Tanglebolts: 3/5
Ongoing Effects
Vigilant Loading
Gunslinger Initiative
Corum and Greyston are tapped in the pit. We have to end this quickly. he shouts out as he focuses his will and sends the orb of warmer crashing I to the fey and its elemental again.
Corum and Greyston are tapped in the pit. We have to end this quickly. he shouts out as he focuses his will and sends the orb of warmer crashing Into the fey and its elemental again.
Greyston cries out as he drops and then again from the sudden pain as a spike pierces him in the leg. "I'm not getting out of here!" He shouts putting his leg off the spike looking up at the smooth walls, he then thinks for a moment standing up from the ground. "Corum stand on my shoulder maybe that will help you get up! There's no way i can climb that."
hp-34/46
The barbarian falls into the pit and onto the spikes. As he is about to be impaled he reaches out to grip one of the spikes and arrests his fall, stopping the spike from piercing his skin. In the process his knee smashes into the floor of the pit and sustains a minor cut.
He slings his bardiche over his shoulder and begins to climb out, bracing against two perpendicular walls. Digging hands and feet into the walls of the pit he hauling himself up by brute force.
Climb
Maintaining her focus as foes surround her, Sapphire shouts out.
My magic will not protect me for long here!
She takes a single dancing step to take herself away from the bludgeoning fists, then begins a spell of her own, choosing somethign she hopes will end the fight quicker in case her companions can;t get to her in time.
1st (5)— burning hands, shield, shield,
Fail
Success
Success
Fail
Fail
With Corum in a rage and ignoring him Greyston attempts to climb.
Not making any progress.
Greyston curses as a spike catches him as he fails to make any progress.
hp- 30/46
Magia Vis, Potestas ictus!
Seeing his orb once again fail to engulf the fey Elleross focus' his mind and unleashes another spell.
Opening his palm the three pyramids of swirling purple force leap into the sky and streak unerringly toward their target .
Sapphire, focus on the fey. I will keep the elementals off you as long as I can, the orb should hold them for now
As one the hunting wolves step to overwhelm the next elemental. Nasrin's spear blade flashes and then lets out a scree of steel biting into stone.
for
Jagar's slavering jaws lash out and though he is eager, his teeth catch nothing.
for and
Climb
Corum continues to climb. The sharp edges and spikes make progress slow as they scrape and poke him but they do not pierce his calloused hands.
He can hear the sounds of battle from above and he redoubles his efforts. must get up there. Gonna kill that fey b$#&ch
Once again, Nasrin and Jagar work in concert to reduce one of the elementals to rubble whilst the other is whisked off it's feet and engulfed in the swirling aqueous orb.
Corum curses as he hauls himself out of the hole and Sapphire and Elleros continue assaulting the Dawn Piper with spell and blade.
The Dawn Piper reels form the blast of Elleros' magic missiles and Sapphire's blade cuts her deeply.
She once again raises her flute but this time releases a terrible blast of sonic energy, the ripple of music washing over the party and almost bursting their eardrums with it's force.
Fail
Fail
Success
Fail - this is not a spell
Fail
Fail
Success
Success
Two of the elementals suddenly break free although this time as soon as they come in contact with the ground they meld into it and disappear from sight.