Medda offers to cure your apocoalyptic shakes, but you are left with 1 Wisdom damage after 2 nights of rest (no effect in PFS until you are back to 2 damage).
As the army of exploration disperses and begins exploring the frozen terrain, you descend a gentle slope toward a frozen lake to the west with the mountains rising to the north and east. Moving toward the lake, you hear angry shouts both bestial and feminine. The arguments overlap one another and seem to be in two different languages.
Approaching through the trees, you see two white scaled kobolds accompanied by two legged white dragons. They are gesturing emphatically and screaming in broken sylvan at a dryad with coniferous hair. She is gesturing equally emphatically and repeatedly pointing away.
As you near, the kobolds turn on you and begin to shout threateningly at you. One of the two-legged white dragons takes to the air and spits a globule of ice at your group. It lands at Brutus' feet and explodes into a wave of freezing cold water, washing over Iskar, Fandral, Holly, and Henderson. The second dragon takes to the air with remarkable speed, winging over the pine trees and lands at the back of your group.
The two kobolds suddenly sprout wings, and their fangs become even larger. Each draws a dark from his belt and moves into the forest.
The dryad watches with indifference as the battle begins.
Combat! Round 1
Bold may act.
Brutus (-26 hp, Reflex DC 18 to reduce by half [cold])
Fandral (-26 hp, Reflex DC 18 to reduce by half [cold])
Iskar (-26 hp, Reflex DC 18 to reduce by half [cold])
Holly (-26 hp, Reflex DC 18 to reduce by half [cold])
Old Man Henderson (-26 hp, Reflex DC 18 to reduce by half [cold])
Victoria
Zaas
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Slipping on an icy patch, Iskar nearly falls over as the blast engulfs him. "BRRR!!! Man that's cold!" he exclaims, shivering.
Taking a step towards the trees, he reaches towards Zaas. Twirling a hand around fervently, he taps the rune on the beasts head. "
支持我的朋友可能與我們的戰鬥" The rippling muscles of the creature seem to inflate, bulging against the already taught skin. "If you can, take one of the little ones alive, ok?"
"Bolster my friends might vs those we fight!"
"If you insist, I'll try." moans the quadruped as it lumbers ahead of the group and takes a sharp turn into the wooded region.
Spotting the small beast, it offers up a toothy grin. "Ah, yes. You're mine!"
Zaas snaps at the kobold warrior and comes away with a mouthful of pine needles as the white-scaled humanoid forces the eidolon away.
Combat! Round 1
Bold may act.
Brutus (-13 hp, Cold Resist 20, Shield)
Fandral (-26 hp, Reflex DC 18 to reduce by half [cold]) (p Cold Resist 20)
Iskar (-26 hp, Cold Resist 20)
Holly (-13 hp, Cold Resist 20)
Old Man Henderson (-26 hp, Reflex DC 18 to reduce by half [cold]) (p Cold Resist 20)
Victoria
Zaas
Fandral stabs through the obstructing branches to wound the kobold with precision. In frustration, the white-scaled kobold drops the dart into the snow. He draws his miniature greatsword and swings it at Fandral with one motion.
The swashbuckler things he feels his collar bone and a few ribs crack as the blade slams into his shoulder. Victoria's warding does protect him from the supernatural cold radiating from the blade.
The other kobold creeps through the trees and throws a dart at Fandral. Distracted by the pain, perhaps, he fails to dodge the small dart and it lodges in his thigh. The kobold then draws his own miniature greatsword.
Meanwhile, the white drake that had cut off the adventurers' retreat regurgitates a deluge of freezing water over those still near it.
The flying drake swoops past Henderson, biting him as it passes.
Combat! Round 2
Bold may act.
Brutus (-13 hp, Cold Resist 20, Shield) (Ref vs. DC 18 or take 5 damage)
Fandral (-58 hp, Cold Resist 20) (Fort vs. DC 18 or Dex damage)
Iskar (-26 hp, Cold Resist 20) (Ref vs. DC 18 or take 5 damage)
Holly (-13 hp, Cold Resist 20) (Ref vs. DC 18 or take 5 damage)
Old Man Henderson (-13 hp, Cold Resist 20, gravity bow) (Ref vs. DC 18 or take 5 damage)
Victoria (Cold Resist 20) (Ref vs. DC 18 or take 5 damage)
Zaas (Cold Resist 20)
-----
Red Kobold (-19)
Green Kobold
Cyan Drake [4]
Blue Drake [1]
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"Hey now that is about enough of that." Holly casts Beacon of Luck. Holly then takes moves back away from the drakes while hopefully avoiding any swipes they might take at her.
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Hearing a rustling noise above, the runed man squints through the trees. Failing to see it coming, he is again engulfed in the frozen pellets raining down from above. "For crying out loud! If I fall before a human from the cold, I'll never live it down!"
Looking down to the elaborately carved sticks encircling his thigh, he mumbles to himself "Hmmm...all have potential...eenie...meenie...minie...moe!" Selecting one, seemingly at random, Iskar calls out to the flying menace above.
"嘿，你帶著冰凍的羽毛。 你意識到這是沒有用的嗎？ 昨天我們殺了幾乎和你一樣醜陋的東西，它已經死了！ 你能做除凍結我們之外的任何事嗎？我保證你今晚會烤!"
"Hey, you with the frozen feathers. Do you realize this is useless? Yesterday we killed something almost as ugly as you. And it was already dead! Can you do anything other than make it snow? I promise you'll be roasting by tonight!"
As a growl begins to well up within the creature, he glances over his shoulder. 'Iskar can't see me from there...how would he know it was me....' considers Zaas licking his lips. 'They certainly deserve it.'
Shaking his head, the eidolon lunges forward, mouth open wide. Following up with his regular combination, he does his best to keep the pointy bits from piercing the target.
Holly expertly dances away from the drake. Iskar intimidates the beast, threatening it in its native language.
Zaas bites and claws at the kobold, proving most effective with his teeth. The kobolds armor protects it from most of the eidolon's talons. Fandral, however, pierces the armor with two swift thrusts. The third is deflected.
Victoria unleashes a gout of fire. The drake on the ground rolls out of the way of the blast, but the flying dragon takes the full force of her assault.
Henderson then fires a series of arrows at the flying drake. Each of the arrows strike, and the beast falls from the air. Dead.
The kobolds try to put an end to Fandral, flanking him. Fandral nearly parries the first bow, which hurts almost as much as the first--or maybe it is because his ribs are already cracked. He parries the second one, desperate to stay alive, and retaliates with a riposte that pierce's the kobold's neck, killing him.
Despite losing his flanking partner, the kobold behind Fandral strikes past his parry and cuts down the swordsman. Fandral's blood begins to flow into the snow.
The remaining drake attempts to bite Brutus' head off of his shoulders, but the brawler simply pushes the dragon's maw aside.
Combat! Round 3
Bold may act.
Brutus (-13 hp, Cold Resist 20, Shield) (Ref vs. DC 18 or take 5 damage)
Fandral (unconscious, dying, -90 hp, Cold Resist 20)
Iskar (-31 hp, Cold Resist 20)
Holly (-13 hp, Cold Resist 20)
Old Man Henderson (-13 hp, Cold Resist 20, gravity bow)
Victoria (-5 hp, Cold Resist 20)
Zaas (Cold Resist 20)
-----
Red Kobold (-111)
Green Kobold
Cyan Drake (-162) [3] (shaken)
Blue Drake (-24) [0]
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Stepping away from the carcass, Iskar smiles. "Well that was easy." With a glance over his shoulder, his face falls. "I do hope they're ok in there."
He clears his head with a shake and refocuses on the task at hand. Clearing his throat, Iskar bellows upward "看到？ 不能說我沒有提醒你。 你現在有兩個選擇。 投降，並告訴你的奴才做同樣的事情，或者在這里和現在！ 如果你跌倒在這裡，你將不會再起來！"
"See? Can't say I didn't warn you. You have two choice now. Surrender, and tell you minions to do the same, or fall here and now! If you fall here, you will NOT rise again!"
Watching the man fall, and the woman quickly charging in, Zaas forces his ways through the trees. "I do hope you can save him. He has been quite helpful these past few days."
His head clearing a lower branch, he nearly plows into the kobold headon. "You! For you there will be no parley!"
Each of Victoria's rays of fire strike the clumsy drake. The white scales char and blister where they land.
Holly refuses to let Fandral rest, awakening him face down in the cold snow beside a dead kobold. Zaas tromps around him and then bites the would-be human-slayer hard.
Brutus hammers the wounded drake with his powerful fists, striking the blackened and cracked scales over and over until he strikes with such force that his hand breaks the beast's rib. The white drake topples over next to its mate.
Henderson fires through the forest and pelts the kobold warrior with five heavy, blunted arrows that render it unconscious.
With the last of the kobolds and drakes vanquished, the coniferous dryad steps into a pine tree and emerges from another pine near Holly. He eyes you all warily as she speaks in Taldane, "Thank you for helping me to remove these intruders from my forest. I am Enzial."
She looks towards the mountains. "The white dragons of the mountains hatched a new brood. The kobolds that serve the dragons have come down seeking meat for their masters. Hunting is not a problem, but lately they have killed so many that it threatens the balance in my woods."
Haste is active
Beacon of Luck is available within 30 ft of Holly
Brutus (-13 hp, Cold Resist 20, Shield)
Fandral (prone, -60 hp, Cold Resist 20)
Iskar (-31 hp, Cold Resist 20)
Holly (-13 hp, Cold Resist 20)
Old Man Henderson (-13 hp, Cold Resist 20, gravity bow)
Victoria (-5 hp, Cold Resist 20)
Zaas (Cold Resist 20)
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"Hunting is not my issue at the moment. I need information that this one can provide." Holly points at the unconscious kobold laying nearby. "Perhaps however you might be able to answer some of the questions that we have."
Holly quickly checks on to be sure her fellow party members are getting themselves put back together before continuing.
"I am Lady Holly Day al-Hadir and these are my companions; Brutus, Fandral, Iskar, Henderson, and Victoria. And that fellow there is Zaas. We have come from far to the south in search of information to stop a terrible evil that is trying to once again threaten these lands. Would you be willing to answer some questions for us?"
"What do you know of a women by the Ivvora and a now deceased white dragon by the name of Grathatanhakis? Do you know who or what might have taken over the deceased dragons lair?"
"I have never heard of Ivorra," the dryad confesses. "The dragon you speak of, Grathatonhakis, was a powerful wyrm that terrorized this region until dying unexpectedly a millennia ago. It was only just recently that the young white dragons in the area began to return."
He stares through you for a moment and then rejoins the present, "If you wish to slay the dragons, you should speak with Vallahk and Quiselle. They are the stewards of this region. You may find them very difficult to convince to take action, but if you can, they would prove valuable allies in your efforts."
"Human? Oh, no," Enzial says with a feminine chuckle. "They are children of the first world and king and queen of the forest. I can take you to them, if you wish to appeal to them for aid."
Looking to his companion, he nods. "Yes, please show us the way. I would love to meet your King and Queen."
Enzial smiles and says, "This way, then."
The dryad leads you to a cluster of birch trees. The trunks grow so close together that it seems a sparrow could not pass. However, when Enzial approaches, the trees seem to leap aside and create a path for you to travel. Once inside the path, each step you takes seems to make the trees to either side of the path speed past as though you had crossed miles in your single pace.
After what feels like only a few dozen feet, you emerge into a large clearing surrounded by a living palisade of birch trees. At the center, a lopsided oak with green leaves stands. Two regal beings sit atop the roots and hold court before a gathering of dryads, pixies, satyrs, and animals.
As Enzial brings you to the court, you can overhear the king and queen's discussion.
"War is the only way to stop these depredations," insists the tall, elf-like man with wings made of pine needles. "Come against them like an avalanche from the mountain top and wipe them away."
An elf-like woman wearing a gown of pine needles and a crown of geraniums slowly shakes her head before responding, "But what of those under our care? The collateral damage may be as great as that of the kobolds themselves."
Enzial leads you to the front of the crowd and curtsies. "My king, Vallahk. My queen, Quiselle."
The two fey monarch turn toward you. Quiselle smiles and says, "Welcome, mortals, to our court. What brings you to us?"
Vallahk's eyes narrow as he listens to Fandral. The swashbuckler cannot help but feel like he is a mouse under the gaze of an owl.
Quiselle smiles sadly. "I would rather not take any chances with the innocents of my forest, either."
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"King Vallahk and Queen Quiselle you humble us with your welcome into your domain." Holly curtsies as she speaks.
"We are members of the Pathfinder Society and have come here bearing the favor and greetings of the Decemvirate. We seek allies and aid in ending a threat to your domain and to our world." Holly addresses her remarks to the queen.
"You have no doubt heard of Ivvora and how she sought out Grathatonhakis to bring an end to the dragon's evil many decades ago. We know that Ivvora died and Grathatonhakis died as well. What we do not know is if Ivvora defeated Grathatonhakis or if someone or something else did. Ww would like to know what you might know of that part of history if you would be so inclined to tell us."
"The power vacuum left behind by the death of Grathatonhakis is being filled again by as yet unknown force. It appears though to have both white dragons and kobolds under its command. We seek to end what ever this new threat is before its power grows to strong and seek your aid in doing so. To that end I on behalf of the Pathfinder Society and the Decemvirate pledge that our agents will work with you to defend your domain against this new threat. We have already gained the trust and cooperation of the Twinhorn Following in this same endeavor. Will you lend your aid?"
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Addressing the queen first
Your highness, we beseech you lend us your aid, as it will benefit your own people as well as our cause. Mutually beneficial to both. Please consider, as this is your realm and you know what will be in the best interest of your subjects. Especially their safety and prosperity. This unknown force will definitely not seek to be a willing ally as we offer here.
(do these need to be separate checks or can we aid each other? auto-assist if that is allowed)
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After a long insightful pause, Brutus joins in the conversation. He addresses Vallahk first.
"There is a chance that open war with the dragons will endanger your forest and your people. But if the dragons are left to their own devices, it's only a matter of time. It is better this battle occur now - on your terms."
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Not quite liking the look the male is giving, Fandral changes his tone and changes his tactic. "Look, if we do not come togerther and take care of these things now. We can not be certain that you all would survive. I know you have magic on your side, but they do as well. I have faced a few dragons in my lifetime and it never ends well."
Vallahk brow furrows deeper and deeper as the Pathfinders speak. However, Quiselle nods with each point made. "I can see how allying with the mortals would relieve the burden of death from my subjects," the queen says as she climbs effortlessly into the branches of the oak. The boughs move to cradle her like a throne as she reclines. "Allowing these outsiders and northmen to fight our battle for us defrays the cost to the people of the forest."
Enzial leans in and whispers to you, "I believe you have the queen convinced."
Vallahk beats his wings with a grunt and lands on long, broad branch. He peers down at you with eagle-like eyes. "All this talk of favors and beseeching. The lightning does not ask permission before it strikes. The wolf does not bow to his prey before he takes it down."
He looks to Quiselle as he argues, "We do not need the mortals. Let them do what they will, but we much march and take back our dominion like a prairie blaze spreading across the grasses."
"You're a hunter, I see," Vallahk says, turning his predatory attention back to Fandral. He ignores Brutus' and his carefully crafted words entirely.
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Having listened to the arguments back and forth, Iskar considers his position on the matter. 'Seems the Queen is a wise, considerate woman. However, I believe the king here requires a more forceful approach...'
Stepping forward, the half-orc clears his throat with Zaas at his side. "M'lord. My companions have appealed to your kindness and spoke of tactics. Yet, you abruptly sweep them aside. As for your not needing mortals to serve in your name? That's a bunch of hooey."
"We lowly mortals have seen much in our time. I watch my brethren regularly fight and die for this immortal or that immortal in the name of their gods. It's pitiful, if you ask me. I have been to heaven! I have fought alongside gods and I have slain gods! Even you immortals can fall."
"Do we need your help? Probably not. Would it benefit both you and I to join forces? Certainly. You want to wage your war without outside help? Fine."
Pausing, he turns to look at the crowd gathered, drawing his arm across the open field. "How many of these 'soldiers' do you wish to sacrifice in the name of YOUR PRIDE?! Do you wish to be a king of an empty forest? If that be your plan, then by all means, we'll leave you to your slaughter."
Turning back to Vallahk, he steps closer, sneering. "If you wish to have a kingdom left, perhaps you should get your head out of your nethers and allow the lowly man-folk to help you. Worst case scenario, we absorb some of your enemies blows. Best case, we save your @ss. You should make your choice, be bear in mind, your immortalness....even you can die!"
"I would not be so certain of that," Vallahk says in a quiet, dangerous voice.
"You mortals cannot even fathom our kingdom. Death only brings new life, and there is no such thing as an empty forest," the erkling king chides Iskar, but the half-orc catches a glimpse of what might be appreciation.
"Still, my king," Quiselle interrupts, "We should not pose undue suffering on our subjects."