The scholar Skagni has drawn a map to aid the pathfinder, and armed with that, they set out for the realm of the mammoth lords. Can they stop the Shadow Lodge from reaching their powerful weapon?
Roary:
The Ulfen have a saying: “No blade is as sharp, no demon as cruel as the winds that walk their way down the Icestair.”
At the border of Irrisen and the untamed wilds of the Realm of the Mammoth Lords, Roary remembers an Ulfen saying as the barren, snow-covered plains stretch to the horizon.
Four days’ travel now lies between the eastern edge of Irrisen and the shattered remains of the Huscarl King’s keep. To the east, sinuous snow drifts give way to rocky foothills from which pines and scrub brushes claw for life. In the distance, the massive creatures that give this land its name shuffle along at a ponderous speed, still impossibly huge even from far away. Skagni’s map marks a clear and straightforward path, but the snow makes for slow travel. The Shadow Lodge agents have a head start, but persistence through the harsh environment and adherence to the strict map may yet make it possible to catch them before they reach the Keep of the Huscarl King and gain access to the mighty weapon held within.
But first a flashback to Whitethrone: you may roll K(local) or K(History) for information, and do purchases. Equipment for the cold weather is recommendable
Male Half-Elf Sorcerer/2 |AC 11 T 11 FF 10 | HP 13 | F +1 R+3 w +4 | Init +5 | Perc +8 | SM +1 | Use MD +6
Taken me a while, debating the purchase of the Fire Sphere scroll.
Going to buy a wand of CLW, and will grab the scroll. Gives me most of the elemental attacks.
Cold weather gear purchased back at the start of this whole shebang.
Ready to go when you all are
The party slowly plods through the open tundra, across foothills for the first day of the journey. Those paying close attention can see giant sloths, massive elk, and the giant animal that gave the place its name, the woolly mammoth. Fortunately, none of these creatures stray close enough to the party's path to be a threat. Just after noon, the trail leads through a patch of dense evergreens that end atop a low hill.
The thick cluster of pine trees ends abruptly at the top of a low hill. At the bottom, the snow is littered with the aftermath of battle. Broken shields and spears jut from the snow like fractured bones, and blood colors the ground around a sprawl of bodies, many still seemingly locked in combat.
Male Human Rgr2/Sor1 | AC 15 T 12 FF 13 | HP 23/23 | F +4 R +5 W +2 | Init +2 | Perception +6 | SM +0 | CMD 14 | conditions: none
Kn (local), untrained, limit DC10:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14=10 Can you get more than 10 on an untrained knowledge check if others provide 'aid another' or is the cap still 10?
Random takes the wand from Roary. "Ah! I see what you're thinking! We use this to hike through the frigid wasteland naked. We'll intimidate our enemies with our obvious indifference to the cruel conditions! They'll run in fear from a group of Pathfinders whose fruit hang low in the snow, and whose nipples stay soft in the biting Northern winds."
Random hits everyone with the wand, even though they underestimate the fear-inducing, psychological advantage of making the journey over the tundra sans clothes.
As the party approaches the battlefield, Random tries a trick, after drawing his bow. With a few motions of his free hand and words from some ancient and forgotten dialect, "Antom-phay ound-say," he leads the way ahead of the party with the sound of a pack of scavenging goblins, in an attempt to rouse any warriors still clinging to life among the dead.
In squeaky goblin voices, "Look at all the dead longshanks! Let's strip them and rob them!" "Let's stab them!" "Let's do sex with their corpses!"
The first goblin voice again, "What is it with you and doing sex with corpses?!"
The second agrees, "Yeah, that's too much! Even for goblins like us. What we clearly are. And not an illusion. But real goblins that are going to start stabbing these peop- I mean 'longshanks' any second now..."
The third goblin voice sulks dejectedly, "Well, I'm just saying: I don't think these peop- grr... 'longshanks'... would like to have sex done to them by real goblins, either...!"
The first voice, resigned, "Let's just start stabbing them. Stabbing is fun. With our knives! Er, 'dogslicers,' I mean..."
Kynn sends an arc of electricity at the creature, which jitters and shocks as the ray hits. To make matters worse for the animal, Random's arrow hits it in the shoulder. Enraged, it looks back at the party...
---Surprise (1 standard or move only)---
Kynn
Random
Roary Torrian
--- Round 1 ---
Wolverine (16)
---
Kynn
Random
Roary
Torrian
---
The corpses number ten in all, and are of two distinct groups. Five are native Kellids who carried axes and wooden shields. The lower half of each Kellid warrior’s face is painted white in a haphazard sprawl of color from the upper lip to just above the larynx.
DC 20 K(Loc):
These warriors were members of the Snowmask Clan, a fearsome group of barbarians known for protecting this region of the Realm of the Mammoth Lords from all outsiders.
DC 15 Heal:
One of the Kellids is still alive, but barely.
The other combatants wear more “civilized” clothes, including heavy winter coats. These non-Kellid dead have been stripped of their weapons and any other valuables, leaving them in only their clothes and padded armour.
DC 15 Survival:
A series of boot-shod footprints leads off in the same direction the PCs are headed, followed by the more crudely-shod prints of another set of humanoids that followed shortly thereafter, flanking the first trail.
Male Human Rgr2/Sor1 | AC 15 T 12 FF 13 | HP 23/23 | F +4 R +5 W +2 | Init +2 | Perception +6 | SM +0 | CMD 14 | conditions: none
Heal:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
Random looks over the bodies strewn about. He looks more closely at one of the barbarians. "Hey! This one's alive! Do we want to rouse him? He may be grumpy after people like us nearly killed him."
Male Half-Elf Sorcerer/2 |AC 11 T 11 FF 10 | HP 13 | F +1 R+3 w +4 | Init +5 | Perc +8 | SM +1 | Use MD +6
Kynn looks up from where he has been working to shift the bodies into a decent respectful repose.
Here, one moment.
He reaches over and pulls out a wand, tapping the severely injured man.
CLW, Wand:1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
Male Elf Rogue(Cutpurse)/1 HP 9/9 | Init +3 | AC 16/ T13/ FF13 | Saves Fort+1, Ref+5, Will-1 | Perception +5
Torrian nods and turns to his companions. "Think he's saying that he and his compatriots attacked the Shadow Lodge members - killed some, the rest ran. He says they are his enemies too."
Skald:
"How many were you when you attacked? How many were they?"
The adventurers set out again, the trail leading in eastward direction, and march on through the snowy cold.
DC 10 perception:
The booming sound of a horn can be heard in the distance, to south of the trail.
DC 10 perception, if the first was successful:
A second horn sounds, in answer to the first.
Near dusk, the adventurers enter a rocky field.
The gradual shift into rockier terrain is now more apparent than ever. Large, round stones evoke cobblestones as they form a layer of ground, although the hard-packed snow is still visible between. Ahead, an ancient ring of boulders juts from the ground to form a ring. The wind’s erratic path around the massive rocks has blown the snow into large, haphazard drifts.
Ragni's map indicates there's a small cave nearby, where the part can find shelter.
HP 173(213)| DR 7/- | AC 22 | T 14 | FF 18 | CMD 33 | Fort +22 | Ref +16 | Will +13 | Init +5 | Perc +19
Situational Buffs:
+9 saves vs Spells/Sla's while Raging, +4 damage vs Spellcasters
"There's deffinitely someone ahead of us and someone to the side.. Their communicating with those horn blows.. My guess is that their barbarians.. If we run into to them lets try and make allies first.."
Male Elf Rogue(Cutpurse)/1 HP 9/9 | Init +3 | AC 16/ T13/ FF13 | Saves Fort+1, Ref+5, Will-1 | Perception +5
Perception:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
Torrian nods at Roary's assessment. He draws his shortsword and moves with it in hand. "Would be fantastic if we can make it a few days without having to fight everyone we meet, wouldn't it?"
Male Human Rgr2/Sor1 | AC 15 T 12 FF 13 | HP 23/23 | F +4 R +5 W +2 | Init +2 | Perception +6 | SM +0 | CMD 14 | conditions: none
"Well, bugger. I knew we should have caught that injured barbarian and tied him up and brought him with us. Then we could've shown his friends out there that we mean them no harm!"
"Well, should we head to that cave on the map? Or is that too obvious?"
As the party passes through, the mounds of snow suddenly come to life. Fortunately, nobody is really caught off-guard by this move - save for Kynn - and it is readily clear that this is an ambush by warriors from the same clan as the Kellid that you saved.
HP 173(213)| DR 7/- | AC 22 | T 14 | FF 18 | CMD 33 | Fort +22 | Ref +16 | Will +13 | Init +5 | Perc +19
Situational Buffs:
+9 saves vs Spells/Sla's while Raging, +4 damage vs Spellcasters
Works for me!
Roary will take a defense stance and attempt to talk to the men.. Taking Total defense actionWe are not here to fight you! We are tracking some scum from Whitethrone, we wish to be allies!And i realize they might not speak his language but..
