Cearb rolls over from where he had been trying to sleep, "Bah. T'would be better if I could not remember my home, except Nithviel is not something that slips easily from my dreams, even if I lived to be as old and cracked as Bastagar, it is one thing to lose one's home, but very different to be lost from one's home, knowing it is out there, never to welcome you back, but it is there, full of sprites and witches, even trow as needed, all at service of the Forest, its the cold out here that drives them all bad, freezes the juices of life, they gets to liking it too much, their heart go cold, too much in life for me to go that cold, little sprite arrows withstanding..."
Hilde sits at the fire, warming her hands, and listens to Olaf's story. Gazing around the fire at her companions, she seems to take stock of each. Bitterness, loss, weariness and revenge, these seem clear enough. Cearb's words give her strength however, driving her concerns from her mind.
The young knight takes her worries and fears and casts them on the winds, unworthy and unwanted. Looking at her companions again, she smiles and draws in a smooth, relaxed breath.
"The rising sun doth never fail, to bring us pain and sorrow, do we learn from yesterday, or carry them to tomorrow. Where life is brief, why live for death, for anger, pain and hate? Spend thy days with love and life, take joy to face thy fate. Thy allotted days are thine to spend, the manner too thy choice, I'll face my doom with love for all, and laughter in my voice."
The Halfhand smiles at the Dwarf's words, chuckling slightly.
"Perhaps so, perhaps so." he nods. With a breath he reaches into his pack and retrieves a stone tablet, placing it on the wooden shield. Flicking through the pages of his tome, he finds a page of half-drawn diagrams and runic inscriptions.
"I am glad of your presence here." There is sincerity in the wizard's voice, the darkness cast from the lines on his face by the pale glow of the fire. "Your wisdom gives me relief - There are so few in this land who are worth talking to."
He does not look up from his work, simultaneously reading from the tablet and drawing arcane diagrams in his book.
"Ah, these northerners don't know how to write a spell..." he says, shaking his head.
As evening grows into night and the cold of the wind and air makes breathing shallow and you cluster tightly around the fire as it spews life sustaining warmth into the air. Sleep comes to some easily, and to others harder than before. Lack of comfort, the chill air... or the aftermath of the dance with foul fae of Irrisen all feature in the minds of those that dream - though rest does come and is thankfully not interrupted.
As dawn breaks and the sun begins a tortuously slow rise in the distance, you break shelter and after ablutions are spent prepare for the road ahead. The trail still shines clear in the snow, and makes for easy following. Silence and snow laden trees are your companions for a few hours trudge and the sun is fully above the horizon by the time you spy anything of note.
A human-sized snowman stands in the middle of the trail before a frozen stream. A crude wooden sign leans against it and bears the words “Trespassers Turn Back.” A solid sheet of ice extends across the frozen stream, while snow-covered rocks line its banks.
The Halfhand finishes his work with the rising sun, carefully packing his book away into the numerous close-fitting bags. His protection spell would be lasting a while longer yet, leaving him unfazed by the bitter and biting cold.
Cantrips - Spark, Acid Splash, Detect Magic[/i]
1st-level - Endure Elements, Shield, Colour Spray, Grease[/i]
"Wait. Ormr, do you smell danger?"
As they reach the stream, the Halfhand readies his crossbow, muttering a spell under his breath.
The Halfhand peers past the snowman and across at the ice through narrowed eyes.
Halfhand can detect no auras or scent of magic. The frozen surface of the river looks thick enough to take the weight of a man without breaking.
Kelgar arches an eyebrow at the snowman.
"Ach, 'tis a paradox. Th' man-o-snow is both welcoming n' warding. These bandits o' fey sure are a curious lot..."
Sniffing the air, Kelgar brushes his beard out of his way and assumes a low crouch as he does a half-circle search on the near side of the stream.
Sizing up the two gnomes, the dwarf thinks aloud, stroking his beard as he recalls yesterday's encounter with the trapped chest and the solid end of the log meeting his gut.
"Ah know th' gnomes 'ave a way o' speakin' to squirrels n' such. Perhaps ye can fine one and ask 'im if this be some sort o' trick?"
"Bah! Trespassers?! Those who spread ice where summer ever bloomed think us the trespassers, I can give the snowman a kick, find out iff'n they rolled up somebody for their trouble, or at least a shuffty, better than us in there, now ice bridges I've seen before, entire armies could cross, granted that was made in anger, not to trap, like everything else they put in our path, might be they just needed to bride this since one foot in the river would freeze them solid, sounds wise to me, we need more of these bridges, but I will give it a kick all the same."
He snaps another long branch while keeping a careful eye on Basagar wary of his reaction to branches. "And its not a 'way', its just watching and listening the animals, usually not too much to say but know where food, water and shelter can be found, but squirrels?, Bah, they sleep more than us at night, find a bat, in a crevice, in a bole, they see all without even looking, need a bat.."
After seeing Kelgar "sneak" up to the river, Hilde decides it's okay to approach. Drawing her sword and hefting her shield, she will stay 10' behind Cearb as he approaches the ice bridge. As they get closer, she will stay on the bank but try to get a feel for how thickly frozen the stream is (is it cloudy or clear?)
Perception
"The ice seems strong enough for a man's weight." the wizard says, creeping closer to the riverside. "I'm watching you." he says, pointing at the snowman as he passes. "Give me another look like that and I'll melt your wretched face clean off. Don't think I didn't hear what you said." He continues muttering to himself as he passes on towards the edge of the ice, tapping it gently with his foot.
"Gnome, come, walk across this." He waves over his shoulder, not gesturing to anyone in particular. "I would see if any river beasts appear to eat you. Perhaps you'll make better bait than fighters."
Kelgar finds no tracks outside of those left by the bandits and horse that you track - which clearly cross the frozen stream and continue on beyond it. You're confident that the ice is firm at the surface and would bear your weight... but you'd need to get closer to gauge if there were any weak spots in the sheet of ice.
As Caerb comes closer and gets within fifteen feet of the snowman it seemingly stirs to life and speaks “Can’t you read? The sign says turn back! Now get lost!” before it's head turns and faces the gnome. To his disappointment though there does not seem to be any bats nearby.
"No extra tracks, and crossing looks safe enough."
Kelgar scratches his head at the sudden capability of the snowman to come to life and speak.
"Ah don't think it's no golem or scarecrow that'll attack. Maybe jess a clever kind o' sign tryin' to make us turn back. I wouldn't doubt there's some sort o' trap about, either."
Cearb steps back from the snowman after its little stunt. He holds a knife ready as he eyes Halfhand and the cold messenger. "Ho that's a trick, could learn something there Magic-Man, make stupid words come out of something besides your mouth, I will gladly walk this ice bridge, better than swimming, get to the next fight just that much quicker, but we will fight the snowman first it seems, it will likely do more than talk if we approach, why not melt him down now, build a fire, give him a poke with a burning stick, burn his sign, let him hold his burning words, will give him something to talk about.."
The snowman continues to regard Cearb with it's icy disposition and a chilling look upon it's makeshift face.
Somehow the Snowman's talking doesn't perturb the wizard in the slightest. He swings around towards it, his face red with fury.
"I warned you, you damned delusion!" he roars at the snowman, obviously convinced that its speaking is some form of hallucination. With an arcane utterance, he sucks in a large breath of air before launching a wad of caustic spittle at the creature's head.
The wizard snarls as the spit flies through the air, but then comes to a sudden realization. His head snaps in the direction of his companions. "Wait... You hear its words also?"
Kelgar shakes his head, with a pleading look to the heavens as the gnome threatens the snowman.
"Ach, do we even need to deal with th' snowman? Best we jess leave it be, perhaps it will save a lost hunter's life if it truly is warnin' about some witch's hut hidin' out in these parts?"
Kelgar shambles through the snow looking for a fallen tree.
"Olaf. Perhaps we can find a tree and make our own crossing jes in case th' ice isn't as safe as it's looking. Some distance down from Cearb's frosty friend?"
Olaf regards the snowman with disgust.
"Lovely. More winter magic."
He nods at Kelgar's suggestion, and helps the Dwarf fell a likely-looking tree.
The Halfhand's spittle sails out to strike against the snowman's head and eat away at the packed snow. No reaction is drawn from the seeming automaton and as the acid spends it's force the left side of it's face is left a melted crater. He figures that the words must have come from a triggered spell resulting from proximity... but even now the last of the dweamor is fading away again.
Moving away from the stoic and watching guardian a tree of suitable length is easily found and felled. The cracks of the axe striking wood echoing through the undergrowth like whip cracks. It is felled and with some manhandling you push most of it's length across the frozen creek.
Olaf practically dances over the felled tree to the other side of the creek!
Clapping his hands as the timber falls, Kelgar struggles to resist the urge to yell, and finally compromises with a soft statement that travels not much further than his companions.
"Timber..."
"Alright, lads and lass. Best ye be careful crossin'."
The Halfhand frowns as he catches the last vestiges of magic fade from the snowman. "That was not there before..." He folds his arms in close, the cold winter chill beginning to pierce his protection, his eyes distant and glossy, lost in contemplation. "It is getting worse, Ormr."
Seeing the two fell the tree, the wizard shakes his head. "A waste of effort; the ice here is thick enough to support any one of us." He looks down at the frozen river again. "Though perhaps with that impact, not anymore..."
Almost invisible in the water a jagged and icy form lies tensed and perched against the creek bed... looking up at you as you cross and perhaps waiting for another to move onto the log before acting...
"ACH! Somethin' stirs. MAKE READY!" Kelgar croaks and points towards the ice, his voice struggling with the cold air as Cearb takes to the log.
for
Cearb clambers up unto the big tree. As he crosses, he finds himself distracted trying to figure out the amount of water below the ice. His oversized boots don't help with his balance.
Hilde:
Caerb:
Bastagar:
Kelgar:
Halfhand:
Olaf:
Action Tracker (Round 1): Halfhand, Icy Lurk, Bastagar, Caerb, Hilde, Kelgar, Olaf
"What do you see, dwarf?" the wizard shouts. "What comes?"
The Halfhand's eyes dart about, trying to spot the threat, his trigger finger itchy. Ormr perks up as well, his head darting left and right.
Emerging from the icy surface of the creek come twin creatures of ice. The sheet of frozen water parts for their passage and a sloughing of water across the lake follows. Their forms are angular and sharp edged, seemingly formed from crystal clear ice as they surge forward towards the ones crossing the log.
As the right hand creature approaches Kelgar the dwarf lashes out, but his aim is awry and does not harm the beast. The elemental reaches out...
Reposition:
...dragging the dwarf off of the log and onto the surface of the frozen creek. Though his footing is treacherous, Kelgar remains standing... for now.
The denizen of the ice to the left lashes out at Caerb with a bludgeoning and freezing fist...
Slam: for
Action Tracker (Round 1): Halfhand, Icy Lurks, Bastagar, Caerb, Hilde, Kelgar, Olaf
"Those are...!" the Halfhand starts, his finger squeezing the trigger of his crossbow reflexively.
Halfhand identifies the creatures as elementals, in this case binding ice together fuelled by the elemental spirit. They are hardy and their touch chills the afflicted to the core, numbing them against action. They can also swim through ice as though it were air, the frozen water passing around their form to be remade in their wake.
"Elementals!" the wizard finishes, his eyes narrowing. "Creatures of ice. Flame or steel, bring to bear - Spend no time searching for places of vulnerability, for you'll find yourself wanting."
Landing on the ice, Cearb slips but catches himself before falling. Looking at his feet, he sees shadowy movement below him. The shadows seems to react to his sudden presence on the ice, and the darkness grows beneath him till it explodes from beneath him driving his breath from his lung with a powerfully cold blow.
Coughing out frost, Cearb waves his knife before him while hopping foot to foot, "C'mon ye beastie, try that again while I be watching ya, neat trick ya have, good for ice skating, need a pick to cube you up..."
Cearb tries to draw the attention of the Block of Ice with his knife and his mouth, while maintaining his defenses, hoping the Bigguns can approach safely.
Halfhand's readied shot flies wide of the ice elemental as it surfaces from the creek's depths.
Mapski... with only minor speeling misteak
Action Tracker (Round 1): Halfhand, Kelgar, Icy Lurks, Bastagar, Caerb, Hilde, Olaf
Action Tracker (Round 2): Halfhand, Kelgar, Icy Lurks, Bastagar, Caerb, Hilde, Olaf
Round 2
Kelgar shakes his head and groans. "Blasted ice comes alive now to 'arry us! What else 'ken possibly stand in our ways this week?"
for
Round 1:
Olaf roars, and moves up to the creature attacking Caerb , preparing to deliver a punishing blow!
Both Kelgar and Olaf's axes are well aimed, but glance off the ridges of ice that make up the form of the elementals without leaving lasting damage.
Action Tracker (Round 1): Halfhand, Kelgar, Icy Lurks, Bastagar, Caerb, Hilde, Olaf
Action Tracker (Round 2): Halfhand, Kelgar, Icy Lurks, Bastagar, Caerb, Hilde, Olaf
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Hilde moves up to B8 and attacks.
Her face is grim and her usual banter silent.
The care taken to cross the snow robs Hilde's blow of any power it had and the ice elemental is untroubled by it.
Action Tracker (Round 2): Halfhand, Kelgar, Icy Lurks, Bastagar, Caerb, Hilde, Olaf
"'ware your head, Dwarf!"
The Halfhand loads another bolt, stepping forward to aim past the dwarf and at the icy elemental . Staring down the sight with dark and narrowed eyes he pulls the trigger, sending the bolt whizzing past the dwarf and into the creature's icy body.
Even as the bolt flies, the Halfhand shifts into a flurry of shadows, inching around the edge of the river bank. He roars as the first blow is dealt, a manic grin on his face as he takes form once more.
"We will not bow to the elements! Let them know the power of mortal men!"
Bastagar hobbles along the log and leaps behind the elemental , bringing his shillelagh down with a resounding crack.
Olaf roars, and attempts to crack the mobile chunk of ice in front of him into tiny little pieces!
Bastagar shuffles along the log and drops down behind the elemental to thump it with his odd club, chipping away at it's torso.
Halfhand's crossbow bolt flies true and hits the elemental with a thunk. It's side becomes a nest of cracks as it reels in apparent pain.
The elemental assaulted by the bleached gnome spins around with a meaty backhand...
Slam: for
...catching the gnome solidly across the shoulder and sending him reeling.
The second lashes out at the skald, thinking him the greatest threat...
Slam: for
...having similar success to it's companion and making solid contact across Olaf's hip.
Bastagar is badly bruised by the strike, but manages to lash out with his shilleagh and deal further damage; while Olaf has better success and his axe cleaves almost fully through the other elemental's leg... though both remain active and in combat.
Action Tracker (Round 2): Halfhand, Kelgar, Icy Lurks, Bastagar, Caerb, Hilde, Olaf
Action Tracker (Round 3): Halfhand, Kelgar, Icy Lurks, Bastagar, Caerb, Hilde, Olaf
Round 3
Seeing Bastagar land on the ice behind the nearest elemental, Kelgar comments to nobody in particular, "Ach - was jes' tryin' t'get off th' ice!"
Sighing, he steps forward again and tries to mimic Olaf's style of axe-swinging, foregoing any defensive posture he adopted earlier.
for
Kelgar's axe crunches heavily into the back of the elemental and seems to sever something of importance within the beast. It's back arches before it sinks unmoving to lay atop the ice.
"Well struck!" the Halfhand bellows, drawing his knife. "Let's finish this quickly!"
The Halfhand moves to the creature's side, crouching as he checks that the thing is inert.
Fort -
Bastagar staggers back, the blow nearly powerful enough to fell him outright.