You detect a magical aura coming from the bird, Quinn.
"Hardly. I have little time for those uppity witches, thinking they're too good for everyone else. Bold of you, though, to approach so openly."
Pems smiles. "We are merely following the local customs as my old dad used to say! When in Taldor, do as the Taldans do, he always said! What business are you on today?"
Remaining silent, and not just to avoid another thump from Mal, Quinn continues focusing on his attempt to detect magic.
"Bold of you, though, to approach so openly."
"Is there any other way but to approach it openly? Uh, master Crow?" Tsin slowly relaxes her hands, but ends up fidgeting them to her sides.
"Oh, merely looking around, as it were. Enjoying the day," the bird replies, cocking its head as it continues to stare at the halfling. "And, perhaps there is no other way, but most people would choose not to approach it at all if they could. Nasty witches there. Quite rude!"
Quinn, you detect a single faint magic aura.
"Yes, well rudeness seems to be in ample supply in the world these days," Malavarius remarks dryly, "These are dark days we're in. Dark days, indeed." As he speaks, Malavarius looks closely at the bird, to ensure it's leaving foot prints in the snow as it hops from foot to foot. If not, he looks around to see if the witchcrow might be lurking elsewhere. As he does this, he asks, "What unkindnesses have the tower's inhabitants visited upon you, Master Witchcrow?"
Pemsworth smiles pleasantly at the crow. "Is there something you wished from us, sky-dancer?"
Hektir spits, his hand still on his sword, waiting to see what happens.
Sense Motive
Quinn continues with his detect magic efforts.
Tsin waits patiently as the true 'voices' of the party speak to fey fowl. Glean what you need to, what can be, and let us off.
Quinn, the faint aura is definitely coming from the bird.
You believe it's divination magic.
"Well, you see, I was simply looking for something, seeing if there was anything for my nest. But clearly not."
The bird takes wing, and suddenly vanishes.
"Hmpf. Well, let's be on our way then, shall we? Oh, while I'm thinking of it, I had a thought. Oh... but what was it? Hmmmm... what the devil was that thought, Zeno?"
Pems starts when the bird takes off and disappears, watching the skies warily. "Well, that was odd. You called it a witchcrow, Mister Malavarius? But it claimed to having nothing to do with the witches! What is the truth, do you think?"
"Witchcrows are a type of bird native to these chilly lands. As the people here tend to be a superstitious lot, I think anything with an ounce of magic gets associated with witches at some time or other. This particular bird's penchant for dramatic exits is just one of several magical abilities those birds have." He glances at Zeno, then looks back to Pemsworth. His voice is low and conspiratorial, "Don't tell Zeno though. He may get jealous! hehe!"
As Mal's piercing whisper breaks across the snow and Zeno acquires a positively human expression for an avian creature, Quinn pities the bird and comforts him. "There now, Zeno, no crow will ever be a match for you, witch's pet or not. His crowy shenanigans are just cover for a lack of true ability as you possess." Quinn presents a mock bow to the bird, then adds, "and the next time that old codger thumps me in the head with his staff peck his cranium for me, right on the hat line so he has to wear it funny for a day."
Hektir spits and gets goin' to the Pale Tower.
Smart bird, that one. I'll need one like that maybe. Or maybe something that eats birds, that'd be nice too.
"Nadya?" Hektir flexes manlike as he looks at Nadya. "You want me to protect you as we walk on?" Hektir smiles his manly smile.
Nadya laughs. "No, Hektir, I think I will be OK. The snow, it does not seem very threatening right now."
After a short time, the crow appears again, as Pems feels a shudder go through him, feeling momentarily like someone had walked across his grave.
"Did anyone else feel that? That cold shiver?" Pems looks around, trying to see what the crow is up to.
"I've had several as my hood shifts." Tsin tenses again with the return of the blackbird. "What troubles you, master Pems?"
Pems shudders. "I don't know, a chill, like someone walked over my grave.."
"If I've learned anything in our travels, it's to be wary of such feelings." Tsin draws her longbow, nocks an arrow, and moves closer to the halfling. "Is it the bird's return?"
Hektir spits, looking for badguys.
Perception
"I hate me them damn witches, Pems. I hate them good, Pems. If I ever catch me a witch in my hands, I'll squeeze their eyes out."
Malavarius looks at Pemsworth, frowning in consideration and thought. As the others address the halfling, Malavarius turns to regard the returned witchcrow.
"Is there something we can do for you, Master Witchcrow? With the sky as open as it is to one of your kind, I can't help but think these repeated meetings are deliberate on your part."
"Well, you just seem more interesting than anything else, so I decided I would forgive your rudeness earlier. Why are you going to the Pale Tower?"
Pems feels another shiver go through him, again though not from the chill.
"Ha! What a coincidence, it just seems more interesting than anything else too." Zeno snickers at the wizard's plucky response, then covers it with another Hektir-like spit-cough.
Pems leaps about a foot in the air. "Dammitall! I felt another shiver! What is going on?!?"
Hektir looks around for trouble, ignoring the fool bird (the crow, not Zeno...wait, actually ignoring both).
Perception
Quinn is discombobulated for a moment as the bird reappears. "Hmmm, I thought it just flew away, a tricksy bird indeed. Tell us bird, do you live at the Pale Tower?"
Standing still for a moment, he caws raucously, and suddenly four more crows seem to appear around him.
"Oh, perhaps we just want to talk, see if you have anything interesting to say."
Mal, you don't see anything of special note.
"Interesting, why, our tracker tells the best stories! That's why I travel with him. What kind of stories are you interested in hearing?" Quinn does his best to remain casual, while gently prying for information from the crows, and fails to achieve either goal.
Tsin scours the sky for further crows.
She turns her attentions back to the crows. "You only care to pry, blackwing. Be gone from here."
Sensing only growing numbers, Tsin aims her bow at the talking bird. The black one. "I don't want to injure you, but I will if you remain."
It's quite apparent that Tsin really does want to injure the bird.
Hektir spits and keeps walking, trying to keep between the bird and Nadya.
Tsin's arm grows tired.
"Oh bother. I'm rather beginning to notice these young fools are disturbingly violent, Zeno." Malavarius sighs, then prepares to bring his magics to bear.
The bird gives what you can only assume is the avian version of a harumph at Tsin's threats.
"I was trying to be nice, but I think you have something I want!" he snaps, and the five crows launch themselves toward Pems before Tsin can get off her shot!
Hektir:
Malavarius:
Pemsworth:
Quinn:
Tsin:
Antagonist:
Nadya:
Surprise round
Despite the halfling's surprise, he's able to throw his arm up, the bird's talons catching nothing more than a few threads of his jacket.
Tsin's arrow seems luckier for a moment, but it soars off into the snowy woods as its target disappears when the arrow passes through it, leaving four birds seemingly swarming around Pems.
Round 1, init 15
"Little witchy menances, you're no better than the rest of your ilk!" Drawing his rapier, Quinn lunges forward stabbing at a witchy bird.
"No crows at all, but singular crow concealing itself with illusion!! Alive!! I want it alive, so that we can make it crow!!"
"Foul dirty bird!" Pems stabs at the nearest bird with his spear!
for damage!
Frowning, Malavarius calls up a shimmering curtain of light as the nasty bird presses the attack.
HP: 19/22 (-8 +5)
AC: 12 (12 T / 11 FF) includes ward
Fort: +1 // Ref: +2 // Will: +5 (+1 vs spells, SLAs, & Su abilities of evil arcane spellcasters)
Resist 5: Cold
Cantrips Prepared (4): detect magic, open/close, prestidigitation, read magic
Level 1 Prepared (4+2+1): endure elements [X], forced quiet [X], hold portal [ ], hydraulic push [ ], protection from evil* [ ] [ ], snapdragon fireworks [X]
Level 2 Prepared (1+2+1): protection from arrows [ ] [ ] [ ], spontaneous immolation [ ]
Protective Ward used: 2/8
Scorching Ray charges used: 10/42
Ongoing Effects:
protective ward: 1/6
Round 1, Init 11
Hektir looks at Tsin as the arrow flies and shrugs.
Ayep.
With a spit, Hektir draws his sword as he charges the birds.
to hit;
damage.
Pemsworth: 20
Malavarius: 15
Quinn: 15
Hektir: 11
Witchcrow: 9
Nadya: 8
Tsin: 4
Pems jabs at the attacking birds, drawing a squawk of pain and outrage as his spear hits a solid body, sending a few feathers flying.
Mal casts his protective magic on the group as Quinn jabs the same bird Pems hit, before the swirling illusions could confuse him, the attack resulting in another avian outburst.
Hektir whips his sword free and swings, but his efforts to make sure he doesn't hit Pems hamper him, and he doesn't manage to hit any of the swirling crows.
Bleeding slightly from their two wounds, the birds take to the air, flying up 10 feet, out of range, before seeming to cast their beady eyes on Pems.
"Mine guder!" Nadya curses, pulling her bow and winging an arrow toward the crows. It hits one, but the birds simply disappears in a burst of feathers, three others remaining.
Witchcrow: 8; 2 images
Pems feels his stomach flip over as the birds' gaze falls on him!
He stabs back at the bird, trying to gut it before it can get the better of him!
for damage!
A defensive ward in place, Malavarius pulls a wand from his sleeve and points it at the troublesome witchcrow, "Piddlespot!"
HP: 19/22
AC: 12 (12 T / 11 FF) includes ward
Fort: +1 // Ref: +2 // Will: +5 (+1 vs spells, SLAs, & Su abilities of evil arcane spellcasters)
Resist 5: Cold
Cantrips Prepared (4): detect magic, open/close, prestidigitation, read magic
Level 1 Prepared (4+2+1): endure elements [X], forced quiet [X], hold portal [ ], hydraulic push [ ], protection from evil* [ ] [ ], snapdragon fireworks [X]
Level 2 Prepared (1+2+1): protection from arrows [ ] [ ] [ ], spontaneous immolation [ ]
Protective Ward used: 2/8
Scorching Ray charges used: 11/42
Ongoing Effects:
protective ward: 2/6
Realizing he can't fly, Pems casts snowball instead!
for cold damage!
Tsin steps up alongside Nadya, draws another arrow, and hopes to wing another target. A small growl accompanies the twang of her bowstring.
Round 2, Init 11
Hektir looks at the soaring birds and gives a grunt.
"What you want with the wee one? You can have the rabbit, but not the halfling, if you're hungry. The only thing you'll get from us more arrows and pain," Hektir opines while sheathing his scimitar.
Hektir casts Produce Flame and hurls a flameball at the birds.
touch to hit;
fire damage.
"No he cannot have the rabbit!" Pems shouts, looking shocked and angry.
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Hektir looks at Pems, confused.
"Why won't you negotiate?"