Most of the group is grim and subdued at seeing the frozen ice block around a dead man. Letitia is unable to quite hide her interest or a short giggle at the power displayed here.
Baradim checks several bodies including the one in ice. all other soldiers on the ground have been stripped of weapons and armor (and any other valuables they may have been holding).
from the body you are able to recover the breastplate and sword. While in good condition the breastplate is a pretty standard military issue and has no special qualities. the sword is a masterwork longsword.
After recovering the gear , you look towards the woods.
It looks like the weather is significantly worse just ten paces or so into the woods. the snow is piled up, 6 inches high in many places, drifting higher in patches. (this will be difficult terrain unless specified).
In addition to the snow on the ground, more is falling. the falling snow will impede your sight, giving a -4 penalty to perception checks and ranged attack rolls.
As soon as you cross over the border of the woods, the temperature drops noticeably, to below freezing. Every hour spent inside of the Border Wood will require a fortitude save to not be affected by the cold. Cold Weather gear will give a bonus to this save.
What do you do next?
The snow begins to build up now, the temperature beginning to fall quite rapidly as well. Baradim seems to grin though, his arms held wide out as the cold runs through him. "How perfect. This reminds me of my mentor..." He had suffered through the worst of both sides; sizzling heat and freezing cold. To join the druids was not an easy task for anyone at all.
He looks back at the others, a feral grin upon his face as he gives a nod. "We carry forward or do we head back? I do not think your stores carry what we need to keep ourselves safe. The snow will get in our way as well, it will be hard to hit those at a distance." A chill ran through him as a particularly cold burst of wind ran through the group. Baradim would see what each one of them wished to do but he was set to head in deeper into the strange cold that laid ahead.
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Greadra frowns at the deep snow, I had brought snow shoes, but I had hoped not to them... she says, reaching into her backpack and pulling out a pair od old snowshoes. They where of crude make, Not anything fancy. With a majority of it being made out of bone and fur. She straps the boots on and steps forward,
I don't need to worry about distance, and i have a shield... She adjusts her armor and looks to Baradim. I wish to forge ahead, if these city-dwellers wish to go back then I won't argue, but seeing most of you use weapons at a distance... I would Suggest using weapons that you don't need to aim...
Letitia meets the eyes of anyone who looks at her expecting she'll want to go back. Rather than feeling chilled, she feels energized. "Don't go back because of me. I can handle a little snow," she says to Greadra, but loud enough for everyone to hear.
Samuel brings a couple of snowshoes from his backpack "There was snow already when I came out of the forest a couple of days ago, but things have gone just worser" the Taldan opens his palm to take a snowflake "It's not that cold... but all this snow in Taldor's summer... totally unnatural, yet... I don't think this is the works of a Qadiran agent. Those desert rats would be freezing out to death in a couple of hours in a place like this"
The gunslinger nods to Letitia "Yes, I am all about pressing on for now. Alec, can you find the track along this dense snow fall?"
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Before the half elf can get ti beginning to track, Greadra gets to work looking around for signs first, knowing she would only find the tracks of men... Or at least their scent.
Of course greadra is also highly distracted by the lingerie scent of zombie in her nostrils. She grunts, not letting anyone have the impression she's under preforming...
Letitia holds out her hand and watches the snow flakes fall on her skin. It rarely snowed like this in Irrisen; it was simply too cold. Most of the time it was just ice that fell from the sky. She could remember the few times it snowed like this, with big, fluffy flakes that stuck to your hair and eyelashes. She and her sisters had played in the snow for hours on end, building their loyal subjects of snow and pretending to rule like they would one day--
She blinks out of her reverie. "Yes, let's continue. Do the tracks go on? Maybe we'll find out who's caused this cold weather."
Ears open and eyes on the ground, spear still held in one hand, Alec walked along the trail following the tracks.
The image of the man tracked in the block of ice would not leave his head. What where they dealing with he wondered? He wasn't quite as worried about the missing woman as the others. Titles meant little to the man. It also didn't make sense for people to kill everyone else and take her only to kill her somewhere else. He was no military mind but it still didn't make much sense.
His world had changed so much in the last few weeks. Being alone for the first time in his life, killing a dead man, now searching for a noblewoman. What was he doing? He should be hunting deer or fishing by the riverside. He had acted as a guide at times, mostly for youngsters who wanted to learn to hunt or fish but this was much different. The pain in his arm reminded him of that.
As it enters the full expanse of the Border Wood, the trail passes through a small clearing among the taller trees before continuing uphill and out of sight. A large chest lies half-buried in the snow, apparently dropped or discarded by those who hastily passed this way.
what do you do? Check it out or move along?
"Weird. Chests don't usually grow in the Border Forest" Samuel approaches and further examines it " Probably they left it behind because it was heavy. But do you think it's a trap?"
The Taldan removes some of the snow with a hand "I guess there is only one way to find out "
Letitia frowns when they come across the chest in the road. "There are many ways to find out if it's trapped. Some are more dangerous than others. Or, we can leave it for when we return. If it was heavy and contained little of value for the bandits, we're better off leaving it as well. If it's a trap, well, it's because they presume we are greedy to leave such an obvious lure." She makes a pointed glance at Samuel, who seems determined to set it off if it truly is a trap.
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Greadra moves twards thw chest, Spear drawn. "Well, It might not even be worth checking... For all we know it's the lady's langerie." she looks around, keeping an eye out for danger, ready to Chuck her spear if anything decided to poke it's grimy little face out..."I say we Leave it be, More trouble than what it's worth."
Greadra grows fur again and smells the air, closing her eyes... Looking for an ambush.
Greadra moves off to the side, Keeping low, however her armor is impeeding her skills, making it hard to move silently.
"You might be right... not much sense on this" Samuel ends inspecting the chest with care "Nevertheless, if they are Lady Argentea's dresses as you suggest Greadra, she will need them sure in this snow. And it would not do for a true Taldan to leave them behind"
The man seems still to doubt "You cryptic to me Letitia. Do you know a way to check the chest which might be not dangerous?"
Letitia opens her mouth to answer Samuel, but she suddenly stops herself before she speaks. Her mother's lessons in delegating dangerous tasks to expendable servants had immediately jumped to her mind, but good sense stopped her from voicing that suggestion. She pauses and glances around briefly before responding.
"Many ways that our present resources will not allow," she says finally. "Though, a thorough examination could spot a hastily-made trap if the bandits left it here for that purpose. If that does not yield results, perhaps a length of rope could be lashed its lid so that it may be opened from a distance. Barring that, knock it on its side and attack it from the bottom."
Having said her piece, she carefully walks around the chest and further up the trail, staying well away from it. She then turns around and watches the others decide what to do with the mystery chest.
Alec's eyes had been focused on the snow packed ground at his feet. He hadn't even noticed the chest until the others started discussing it. He paused mid-step as thoughts began racing through his head.
A chest? Left in the woods? That's unusual. Why would anyone leave a chest in the woods? They managed to carry it this far, why abandoned it now?
It doesn't look like they split up, or lost people to carry it. It's almost as if they wanted us to find it, but...
"WAIT!" he shouted.
Letitia pauses as the half-breed shouts. She turns partway to look at him, eyebrow arching in curiosity. "Yes, hunter? Do you have a revelation for us?"
"Perhaps I can knock it to the side and break it with my shovel as you suggest Letitia. I guess the Lady will not mind us breaking it if we just recover her..." he looks at Greadra and chuckles "...langerie?"
When the party is called to wait, Samuel startles, picks his musket very quickly and turns back to look what has happened. When he observes Alec standing with an alert face and Letitia looking at him he understands. He knows his friend might not be the chatty one, but he is intuitive, that is how you do survive in the forests "Yes Alec, what is it?"
In approaching the chest, Samuel's sharp eyes spot something out of place. A rope has been attached to the chest, then mostly buried in snow. It leads towards the trees behind the chest. It definitely looks like a trip wire trap
Baradim, who had been moving a little slower than the others, looks over at the chest that was half-hidden within the snow. He had been following Snowpaw's footsteps, trying to keep up with those who wore snowshoes while also hiding his own in the beast's steps.
"There is no need to put your hand in the wolf's mouth if the wolf can't get out of the hole. Leave it there, the Lady will appreciate not being dead more than dresses." These city-dwellers had such strange priorities but he could not fault them. Their instincts had been retrained, noses built for a different scent.
Samuel stops when his initial check founds the strange rope "That must be a trap. Look, a wire trap... what do you think Alec? It is like the ones we use while hunting in the forest..."
After listening Baradim's voice of wisdom Samuel stands up "I do not have the knowledge to cut the rope without risking setting the trap off"
"Ok, you might be right after all, just forget about it" then, unless anyone with trapfinding wants to try, Samuel steps back and starts heading deeper into the woods trying to catch the ambushers.
Letitia gives then a small smile of approval when they decide to leave the chest and the obvious trap alone. She nods once to Samuel when he finds the proof of the trap's device. A similar nod is given to the orc-blooded shaman who spoke the wisdom of not prodding a sleeping wolf when one could just as easily walk around it.
If everyone leaves the chest alone, she waits for the trackers to again take the lead, and then begins to follow them.
Upon spotting the poorly-hidden trip wire, the group decides it would be best just to leave the chest alone. they push on, following the trail of the bandits, which for now is still clearly visible in the snow.
The snow becomes increasingly deep in this part of the forest, where a windswept gully carves a path through a tree-covered ridge. A soft cascade of snow falls from an overhead branch, hissing softly as it strikes the ground.
Following behind the others, Alec trudged through the snow lost in thought. His spear pierced the snow in front of him, testing the ground with the butt as he moved. It wasn't really intentional, just something he had learned from his father. You never knew exactly what was hidden beneath the snow in front of you, so it was best to test it as you went. The habit had saved him from stepping into a bear trap at least once that he knew of.
Samuel advances through the snow following the steps of others. He lets Greadra open the march and Alec to close it in the rear. The Taldan walks behind Baradim and Snowpaw profiting the opportunity to walk side by side with Letitia to talk with her "I have been hesitant to bring the topic before, but the only reason I traveled to Heldren is because my small sister Ariadna disappeared a couple of nights ago. She just vanished into the snow of the night and I cannot figure out what might have had her leave the Sentinels lodge in that way" the man talks openly and does not try to hide his worrisome to the woman "Our parents had a house in Heldren and I hopped she might have gone on errands without telling anyone, but she was not there. You somehow captured my sister's attention since the day you came to town and I have been thinking she might have visited you" he turns hopeful to Letitia "I understood when you appeared in the square that it was not the case, that she was not with you... but might have you seen her? Perhaps she went to check something with you... she might had been scared of something..."
Despite the conversation, Samuel advances with his musket ready over his shoulder, and attentive to the eyes of the forest...
Letitia smiles enigmatically as the elf-blooded youth hangs back in the marching order with her. While they walk, she turns to him with an inquisitive look. "So I can't help but notice you haven't drank my potion. Do you not trust me? I can't make you take it, but if you insist on remaining wounded, please return the vial so that I may provide it to the next person who is wounded. After all," she says with an icy glitter in her eyes, "it might be me."
The corners of Letitia's mouth turn down as Samuel approaches her and tells her of his sister's disappearance. It was true; she had liked the girl. There was something about her... maybe it was the town itself, that drew those touched by Winter to it? She couldn't say, but every time she had decided to leave Heldren, something had come up and caused her to stay just a little while longer. Too many people of that town knew of the north -- even simple farmers could scry upon her in their shaving mirrors. And Samuel's sister had something of the north in her as well.
She shakes her head sadly. "I'm sorry. If she came to Heldren within the last two days, she did not stop by the apothecary. I haven't seen her."
Letitia's word brought him back to reality somewhat unexpectedly. "Huh, what? Oh, uh...yeah, I guess I probably should. Uh...thanks" he said, forcing a smile.
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Greadra looks back at the party and huffs.I came down here because I didn't want to spend the coming season with snow... Seems like I'm not gonna get that wish... she looks around, spear ready and shield up. please be quiet for now, If an enemy is waiting for us it's best to remain silent... That way we can hear them first
As the party is walking along in the snow, broken in to smaller conversations, they are unaware of the dangers hidden in the quiet, soft, beautiful snow. Letitia spots something move in the snow, but only out of the corner of her eye.
As Samuel passes by a particularly large snow drift, suddenly a terrifying creature bursts out of the snow! Something between a lizard a snake and a dragon, the creature is on him before Samuel can even turn around
hit!
10 damage
grappled
The creature leaps out, biting deep into Samuel's chest with a dragon-like maw, then quick as a flash wraps its long body around his legs. two small claws on its front half scrape at Samuel, but fail to pierce through his armor
This is a Tatzlwyrm, a small primitive cousin to the dragon. This one looks like it is native to a cold environment, due to its white scales instead of the usual greens and browns. But how would an arctic dragon be in the border wood?
Bold may act:
Greadra, Baradim, Letitia, Alec, Samuel,
creature
[u] Stat Tracker [/u]
Global Condition: None |
Greadra HP: 12/12 - AC: 17/12/15 Status:
Baradim HP: 10/10 - AC: 16/12/14 Status:
Snowpaw HP: 18/18 - AC: 16/14/12 Status:
Letitia: HP: 8/8 - AC: 12/12/10 Status:
Alec HP: 12/12 - AC: 17/12/15 Status:
Samuel HP: 1/11 - AC: 17/14/13 Status: grappled
NPCs:
Creature – HP: | AC: ??? | Status: grappled
"A white tatzlewyrm!?! Here?" Letitia exclaims as the creature bursts out of the snow and nearly mauls Samuel to death in one bite. She glares at it, calling all the fell fortune of winter to whither away its defenses.
Baradim hear the explosion of snow nearby and catches the shimmering of white scales as it envelopes around Samuel. Caught in its clutches, the beast rips and tears into the man. His armor protects him for now but for how long, he could not be sure.
"Snowpaw! Marbh!" Baradim commands and the tiger turns to rip into the tatzlewyrm, claws and fangs protruded.
Baradim moves around the wyrm that is grappling Samuel, using as much of his movement to try and flank the beast and get the best possible strike without getting in too close to the beast's claws and teeth.
Samuel is surprised by the Tatzlewyrm while he is talking with Letitia without listening to Greadra's advise. The Taldan shouts in pain as the beast pounces over him "Ah!"
Unable to use his musket while grappled by the creature, Samuel draws the Taldan guard sword and tries to free himself by hitting the creature in the snout.
Samuel looked bad, blood flowing from his chest as the dragon-worm-thing's teeth tore a gaping wound. Alec had once seen a man grabbed by a bear in a similar fashion. It didn't end well for the man. Alec's instincts took over as he trudged forward. His eyes narrowed and focused on the creature, looking for any soft spot he could find to slip his spear through.
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Letitia moves her hands in a curious pattern and the snow seems to dance around the Wyrm, somehow affecting it's ability to protect itself.
Snowpaw and Baradim move together to try to free Samuel from the clutches of the Wyrm. the tiger is slowed by the snow and cannot find purchase in the tough scales of the beast
Baradim is able to cut through, inflicting a bright red wound in the flesh of the creature.
Samuel manages to get his hand on the longsword, slashing it across the creature's snout and causing it to shriek in pain.
Alec stabs at the wyrm but is unable to wound it. Greadra takes a shot, but between the movement of the combat, shooting past her ally, and the swirling snow she is unable to find her mark.
The tatzlewyrm seems surprised at how quickly it was surrounded. it releases Samuel and lashes out at Baradim
hit!
10 damage
fail
the tatzlewyrm then tries to shake off the ill effects of the magic placed on it
Bold may act:
Greadra, Baradim, Letitia, Alec, Samuel,
creature
[u] Stat Tracker [/u]
Global Condition: None |
Greadra HP: 12/12 - AC: 17/12/15 Status:
Baradim HP: 0/10 - AC: 16/12/14 Status: disabled
Snowpaw HP: 18/18 - AC: 16/14/12 Status:
Letitia: HP: 8/8 - AC: 12/12/10 Status:
Alec HP: 12/12 - AC: 17/12/15 Status:
Samuel HP: 1/11 - AC: 17/14/13 Status:
NPCs:
Creature – -15 HP: | AC: 15 | Status:
Baradim is taken aback by the ferocity of the monster, his eyes widening in both surprise and respect of the vicious creature. Its teeth sink in deeply into his chest and neck, red spilling onto the snow below him. With a growl, he fights it off enough to barely keep himself from being coiled within its grip but there is a paleness to his face as he stumbles back.
"How...impressive." Baradim murmurs, not without a bloody grin on his face. His eyes look over the creature for a moment, analyzing it's actions before he draws the falchion back up. "Leave us be, beast!"
The falchion falls from Baradim's hands soon after as the rush of blood escaping his wounds finally makes him slip to the ground. "Snowpaw. Marbh." He murmurs out weakly before darkness finally takes him.
The tiger seems to sense its companion's danger and Snowpaw lashes out again with claws and teeth.
Letitia again glares at the tatzlwyrm balefully, stripping its defenses away for at least another few seconds and possibly longer.
The sheer amount of blood around, the vicious creature ripping into body after body, it was all enough to test the hardest of men. His eyes darted around nearly in a panic. What if there are more, hiding, just waiting to strike? He tried to quiet his mind but the fear was creeping up in him as Baradim toppled to the ground.
Again Alec stabbed forward with his spear. His attack was undisciplined though. Sweat was already beading on his forehead.
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Baradim just barely manages to slip from the grasp of the Tatzlewyrm and keep his grip on his massive sword. he cuts deep into the beast, and his faithful tiger companion claws it to death.
Combat ends
the gorge is silent once again, but the peaceful white scene has been splattered with bright red blood from multiple sources. Baradim lies unconscious, Snowpaw standing over him protectively.
Letitia wades through the snow to get to Baradim while pulling out another flask of the ice-blue liquid. "Someone call away the cat; I've no wish to be mauled while attending to its master," she instructs.
If it's safe to do so, she pours the liquid down the half-orc's throat.
"Uh, here kitty kitty. Here Snowpaw. He'll be okay but we need to help him so please don't eat the pretty lady."
Satisfied that the tiger wouldn't attack, she tends to the fallen warrior. She watches intensely as her magic potion reverses the wounds, though her mouth twists in annoyance at the end when it becomes clear the injury is slightly worse than what her potion could heal. Still, she was pleased with the results.
She stands up and faces the group, eyeing Samuel's nasty injury briefly before speaking.
"I'm afraid that is the last of my potions I owned. I've no means of healing Samuel's bite wound presently. However, I can brew another potion in about two hours, if you're inclined to give me that kind of time. We'll need to stop here or someplace close by; I can't make one while we travel."
Snowpaw stands overtop of Baradim's body protectively, fangs bared and the lowest of growls leaving its lip threateningly. Yet as Alec whispers to it come close, it seems to look between him and Baradim before slowly moving over in the snow. The usually playful demeanor of the fierce animal is subdued and Alec can feel its hackles rise as Letitia begins to pour the potion of healing down Baradim's throat.
The wounds begin to knit and the color of the half-orc's face begins to return, his eyes opening blearily before a low grin spreads across his face. "Ancestors can't have me yet..." He barely sits up before Snowpaw explodes from Alec's grip and barrels into the druid. Rolling in the snow, uncaring of the blood upon the ground, Baradim laughs and rolls with the beast before nodding. "I am alright friend, I am alright. You were a good boy, I am proud of you."
Looking up at the others, Baradim nods to them. "You have brought me back from the touch of darkness. Thank you, Tish." There was almost a smirk as he said her name, standing up from the snow and brushing himself off as best he could. "I think it best we find shelter then from the cold. Samuel cannot fight in such condition and I cannot heal him."
"If we wait here the freezing temperatures will finish us. We have to find a refuge." Samuel preses his bleeding arm to try stop the fresh wound "I will be ok" he tries to smile to Letitia, but when he stands up his face is that one to pain.
"That Tatzl... how did you call it again?" the Kellid sheathes the sword in his belt "I have patrolled here infinite times, and I have never seen a lizard like that one... but you seemed to recognize it. Do you have that kind of animals in your lands?"
Ultimately, Samuel would accept to rest for a couple of hours if the group is able to find a good place to rest, protected from the freezing snow.
Alec stood looking up into the sky, feeling the snow falling on his face. "The snow falling will cover any tracks and make it very difficult to follow them."
He looked at Snowpaw and then Greadra. "We will lose their scent too, if we wait too long."
"If it's shelter we seek, we should head back to town. Maybe grab everything we passed on the way to sell for more healing potions. I reckon you would be more at ease making potions back at the alchemist than holed up in some cave" he said, looking at Letitia.
Letitia shakes her head at Samuel. "You can barely stand. One more scratch and you'll be bleeding out like Baradim was."
She then rolls her eyes at Alec. "You reckon incorrectly. I have everything I need save for a small cookfire, which should be built easily enough. Let's venture to the next treeline, which will give us some shelter and fuel. I'll have another potion made in no time at all -- hopefully before the trail is fully cold."
She inspects the corpse of the snakelike dragon. She produces a dagger and slices out its tongue and eyeballs, then stows them in a pouch. She lets Greadra have the rest of the corpse. To Samuel's question, she shrugs nonchalantly at it. "Tatzlwyrm. And it's not an animal, but kin to dragons. Distant, lesser kin, but dragons nonetheless. Its white coloration does mean it should be native to the far north."
She arches an eyebrow at the gunslinger. "My lands? What lands would those be? Last I checked, I was but an apprentice in an apothecary."
"An apprentice who speaks the tongue of a place half the world away." Baradim murmurs after having watched her harvest the eyes and tongue of the beast. His grin spread softly now across his face as he gives a soft nod. "You are strange, Witchhair, very strange. I like you though, even with your giggles and your eyebrows." Baradim would move past them, nodding towards Alec and the others. "Let us find shelter, someplace where the wind won't bite us."