Aishe's arrow once again goes wide, and Caelia comes from the other side of the tree just to see Yageloo cut down the sprite. The blue light fades almost immediately to a faint glow as the body falls to the ground.
The remaining sprite, seeing his comrade fall, rushes to defend him, pointing out her finger towards Caelia.
The sprite dodges left and right, avoiding Zev's jaws, and the blades of Sarya and Caelia, and then unleashes a wave of colors. The multi-hued visual assault washes over Caelia, Igmar, Growler and Yagello.
Caelia grits her teeth at the visual assault, but holds her ground. Behind her, Igmar, Yagello and Growler fall to the ground, their bodies shaking with involuntary muscle movements.
Seeing her companions in danger, Sarya whistles to Zev, and works her way towards the Fey.
Zev leaps out of the branch onto the soft snow, and runs towards the fey.
Zev stumbles and snaps low, missing the now brightly-lit sprite.
Caelia, a bit dazed from the flashing colors, concentrates on taking down the fey. I won't be able to help them if I'm dead, she thinks.
A frustrated Caelia swings again and again, and while the sprite takes a step back from Zev, Caelia's blade catches the fey off guard, and it collapses into the ground at last.
The party takes stock of their situation.
As the last sprite goes down, Arkady says a quiet prayer, and goes to confirm his unconscious companions will recover. Once assured they are well, he does a brief scan of the area for magical or mundane threats, as well as to see if any of the arrows or bolts fired during the fight can be found.
"Is everyone alright?"
"I'm okay, just a little shaken up..." says Aishe in reply to Arkady's inquiry. She is currently kneeling next to Growler, try to help the she-wolf recover from the color spray spell the last sprite used. "I wouldn't have guessed that three such small creatures could cause such havoc, or be so difficult to hit! We'd better find somewhere to camp for the night now though. We won't make it back to the road before dark in our current condition."
Yagello sits up from his prone condition and wipes the snow off his upper body and face. He blinks a few times, still trying to shake the cobwebs out of his head.
He looks up reluctantly at the two spellcasters in the party,"What in blazes was that? Flashing rainbow colors and then I'm face down in the snow!?"He pauses for a moment as if trying to access his memories. "Aishe, didn't you do something similar during our battle against the zombies?"
"Yes, it's an illusion spell which I'm told is commonly referred to as a color spray, at least by arcane spellcasters." says Aishe. "I wasn't sure that it would affect those zombies when I used it earlier, and I didn't even try it here for fear that I'd hit one of you. Besides it only works when you're very close to your targets." She glances over at Arkady and gives a little shrug. "Unlike our Varisian wizard here, I can only cast a few cantrips and two actual spells. One of them is the color spray, and the other is a kind of deflection spell commonly called mage armor."
Aishe has been rubbing Growler's neck and fur while she speaks, trying to revive the wolf, who finally stirs back to consciousness. Standing back up and brushing the snow off her clothes, the sorceress looks around at her companions. "Well, now that everyone is awake again, we'd best be somewhere else. These fey may have had friends nearby, and I doubt we'd enjoy meeting them, should they decide to drop by. If you can find us somewhere relatively sheltered from the snow and cold, Yagello, I think we should set up camp for the night and try as best we can to recover our wits."
Arkady nods at Aishe's suggestion. "I agree, we're fairly spent, a rest would be good." He looks at the druid and the cleric, then leans in toward the others and whispers, "I'm also concerned about Sarya and Caelia. I think the encounter with the zombies and the ice-snake may have affected them more than we thought. They both look like they could use some time to recover."
In a normal voice, he continues. "My concern, of course, is that it will be even colder tonight. Yagello, do you think we will be able to find suitable shelter anywhere near? "
His head still spinning a bit from the color spray and Aishe's subsequent description of magic, Yagello finally stands up. Part of him would like to press on, but he also shares some of the concerns Aishe and Arkady raised.
He wrinkles his nose in the brisk air, "You're right Arkady, these conditions are not great for making a shelter. The temperature will only fall more at night, and we really should get out of these wet clothes."
He rubs his hands together, his voice beginning to trail off. "Maybe I'll get lucky and find something serviceable around here, a cave or even an unused beaver's lodge..."
After peering about, Arkaday does not detect any remaining magical auras in the area.
"I saw a large stone overhang that would provide shelter off the trail just a short time ago, just before we ran into the fey," Sarya says, "It would keep the majority of the elements at bay for the night."
Akady slips Rom out of his scarf, and he and the hare search around for his crossbow bolts.
Finding none of them, he picks Rom back up and pets him. Ah well, they were probably all broken against the hard ground anyway...
"Well, let us make for the shelter then. "
While Igmar and Yagello both recover from the effects of the spell, Aishe will try to recover her two cold-iron bolts if possible, since Arkady has started looking for his spent quarrels. However she won't spend more than a couple of minutes do so.
As the party gathers itself together and follows Sarya back to the rock overhang she remembers seeing, Aishe ruefully reviews the day's events in her own head. <So between the zombies, the tatzlwyrm and the sprites here, I've been of almost no use to anyone. If it hadn't been for Growler my presence wouldn't have contributed anything to our survival so far.> She is cold, wet, tired and miserable; this adventure is nothing like the epic tales the bards tell in taverns by the fireplace, over a mug of mulled cider!
Nearing the stone overhang, Yagello nods to himself and remarks, "Not too bad, not too bad at all. This'll do adequately for the night."
Almost as if following a set pattern in his head, he walks about the area quickly setting up the camp. His bedroll and blanket he puts in one spot, an iron pot off to another corner, and a third area he clears for the fire. He also takes out his rope and measures out a length in his hands.
"We can hang our clothes at over the fire. It'll make us more comfortable tomorrow and our hanging garments will block some of the wind as well."
Snapping out of his intense focus, he seems to notice Aishe's poor mood for the first time. "Aishe, I could use some help finding some kindling for our fire. We'll all feel better once I get a blaze going." He gives her a gentle smile and stretches out his hand.
As the group settles in for the night, Caelia grows withdrawn, lost in her own thoughts. She was essentially powerless during the battle with the sprites, and despite the fact that the party was successful, she slept fitfully while thinking of what could befall them next.
Sarya volunteered to take the first watch, and set quietly starting into the flames. She woke Yagello for the second watch, not saying much over the cracking wood on the fire.
Yagello woke the party in the morning after an uneventful night, and after a quick meal of rations set out for another day.
Snapping out of his intense focus, he seems to notice Aishe's poor mood for the first time. "Aishe, I could use some help finding some kindling for our fire. We'll all feel better once I get a blaze going." He gives her a gentle smile and stretches out his hand.
Aishe seems to be exhausted and depressed for quite a while after the group reaches the paltry shelter of the rock overhang and sets up camp. Despite Yagello's encouragement she replies only with short sentences at first. "Alright, I'll fetch some..." Growler seems to sense her mistresses' mood as well, hovering around the sorceress as she moves off a short distance to dig through the snow for relatively dry sticks and bark chips to use as kindling, and nuzzling Aishe in an effort to get her attention.
Once the ranger gets a fire going, Aishe removes the bread and cheese which she brought from Heldren and parcels it out to everyone, although the two small loaves and the wheel of cheddar doesn't stretch very far between six people and a pair of wolves. Still, with a fire to provide some warmth against the arctic cold beyond the rock overhang, and some food in her stomach, her spirits start to revive a little; especially when Growler lopes over and drops her muzzle onto the half-elf's lap, rolling her head to one side to look reproachfully up at Aishe.
Giving a tired chuckle, Aishe scratches the she-wolf behind her ears, and looks around at her companions. "Ah well, I guess it could be worse... but I wish I'd brought more food with me now. I hadn't considered how the unseasonal cold would scare off all the small game in the forest. Otherwise I would have tried to shoot a hare or a couple of squirrels for a stew on our way here. Sorry for moping about folks, it's just that today's events have been a bit of a shock for me."
Arkady accepts the shared food graciously, and shares his portion with his hare. "Thank you, my friend. I was not prepared for spending significant time in such weather as this. Hopefully we can resolve this quickly tomorrow. "
To Aishe, he says, "None of us realized what we were going to find. Between the shock of finding the frozen corpses, then the *walking* corpses, then me almost dying at the maw of that snake-beast, then the tiny fairies ... it is no wonder any of us are a bit out of sorts. Do not be upset at not having the foresight to catch any game." Grinning, he covers Rom's ears and whispers, "Although if you could refrain from mentioning hares as potential food, I would appreciate it!"
As the group prepares to bed for the night, he spends some time reading auguries in his Harrow deck as well as in the leaves of the tea he brews to drink. Seeing nothing that can be considered promising news, he chooses to say nothing rather than add to the somberness of the day.
----
The next morning, the young wizard studies his spellbook, then casts an enchantment on himself. Once this is done, he seems much less bothered by the weather, and does what he can to help prepare for the day's travel.
The next morning Yagello looks over his motley group of companions and is glad everyone seems in better spirits. Caelia and Sarya remain unnaturally silent, though, so he wonders what kind of personal demons they may be fighting. Just before he woke up the others, he removed his drying clothes from the line and dressed back in his winter garments from Heldren's general store.
Heading back on the trail, he runs his hand along his face feeling the growing bristles. No time for shaving until our mission is complete.
Keeping a watchful eye on the forest, he speaks to the others, "A rest was necessary for our constitutions, but I hope our quarry has not gotten too far away now. I fear for the Lady's safety every moment she spends out here, especially if there are human bandits afoot."
His eyes scan the tree line and the trail ahead as Yagello vows to avoid being surprised by any enemies ahead.
As they get back towards the trail, the snowfall from the night before has obscured the individual footprints. Thankfully, a noticeable depression in the ground remains, likely due to the sheer number of footprints.
"It's a good thing there was only a light snowfall last night," Sarya says to Yagello, "Otherwise we would have lost them completely. We should be fine as long as we find them today."
Caelia, meanwhile, remains silent. She kept thinking back to the battle yesterday, and how she could not help her companions. She fell quie
As the group continues along the trail, Yagello turns to the others. "I believe those zombies and sprites we encountered are but the tip of the iceberg. In my experience, humans themselves are the main source of all evil."
He gestures to Aishe and Igmar, "Part of me envies you for not being human or at least partly not being human. I don't know of any other animal or plant in nature that has such a capacity to inflict harm on its own kind."
He grips his elven curve blade, "My mother knew of the evil in men's hearts. That is why she trained on this sword, as if to distance herself from her very own nature."
He then goes silent, deep in thought. He has grown more comfortable with his fellow adventurers over the past day and thus given them this rare glimpse into the inner workings of his soul.
Somewhat taken aback by the Taldan's declaration, Aishe ponders for a minute before replying.
"There's plenty of evil in this world to go around Yagello, whether you're human or not; there's also nobility, love and goodness, all of which traits humans and other beings share." The half-elf looks a little embarrassed to be saying such things, knowing herself to lack the wisdom or experience to be making such pronouncements, but saying them anyway.
"Don't go borrowing guilt or responsibility for the actions of others. From what I've seen so far, you have a good heart, and so do many humans. As for the ones who choose to commit evil... well, that's why the gods gave us free will, so that those of us who wish to oppose evil can choose to do so."
Aishe lets out a little, self-conscious chuckle. "Oh heavens! I sound just like the village priest giving a sermon. Let's just concentrate on finding these bandits, and avoiding any more fey if possible, agreed?" She returns to scanning the snowy woods around them for danger as they trudge along the trail...
Arkady smiles a bit. "Yagello, would it help to know that in my auguries this morning, I looked into the futures of each of us? I saw no reason to doubt the goodness of everyone here, and in fact see you in particular as leading the way toward removing this blight on the land. Yes, humans are capable of great evil, but nothing comes alone. They are also capable of great good. Don't be too quick to despise your heritage."
"I can assure you, as well," Igmar says, chuckling, "that I have come across many a dwarf who has a heart considerably more hard than yours, Yagello. Do not dismay—we will continue to fight for good in the world, even if we are the only ones left to do it."
Yagello sighs deeply, but a tired smile also appears on his face. "Thank you for your kind words, friends. I hope I can someday justify all the faith you have in me."
He shakes his head slowly though, still not completely convinced by their overall argument. "But I just don't know. There's so much evil in the world. It's almost like we're begging for reckoning."
He shakes an overhanging branch of a tree as he passed, sending snow flying. "Perhaps it has already come..."
Caelia, trailing the back of the group, seems a bit more hesitant to support the party's expedition. "Yagello is right. There is so much evil in this world, I'm not sure our small group can fight against such powerful evil. Perhaps this is something better left to more experienced groups...." Her voice trailing off in self-doubt, Caelia's doubts hang heavy in the air.
The party continued to follow the trail for a time, moving much more cautiously, when Yagello hears some conversation behind them. He motions for silence, and the group falls still until they all can hear the sounds of men approaching while conversing.
Behind them, on the trail, Caelia recognizes a familiar face, along with an unknown half-orc. "Cervin," she hails, "It is good to see someone familiar!" She runs back along the trail towards him and gives him a brief hug, clearly relieved. She introduces Cervin to the group, explaining that he had been helping out at the temple for a time. "I guess you heard about what happened as well? I'm sorry I didn't say anything before leaving, it just happened so fast! Perhaps it is best that you came, I don't think I'm cut out for this type of adventuring." Caelia takes a pause, aware of how she must be uncomfortably babbling.
She takes a second look at the half-orc, who she doesn't recognize. "Who's your friend here?"
Cervin and Daegan had heard of the icy fey and the unnatural cold in Heldren, and also of the adventurers that took off from town early yesterday morning. They set out along the road and found the wrecked carriages on the edge of the border wood, and the nearby dead zombies.
They had camped for the night, and decided to follow the trail into the Border Wood the next morning. Along the trail, they passed by an empty chest, deep snowdrifts, and a strange set of trees with dead birds suspended from the branches. Finally, they ran into the adventurers, and Cervin was glad to see Caelia and her companions were unharmed.
The large she-wolf standing in front of the tall half-elf girl raises it's hackles and lets out a low-pitched snarl at the new strangers. Aishe kneels down next to the beast, ruffling her fur and trying to settle the wolf's nerves. "I'll have to ask you to forgive Growler for being inhospitable, she's not used to unexpected guests, especially after yesterday's shenanigans."
Yagello sizes over the visitors, "Well met strangers, you both look like pretty capable swordarms. I am Yagello of Oppara. Do you bring any new tidings out of Heldren?"
He stops for a moment and rests on a nearby tree stump, rubbing the growing stubble on his face and head.
Sarya remains silent at the back of the group, hesitant to talk to more strangers after only recently being comfortable with this small group.
Cervin picks up Caelia in a huge hug before setting her down in the snow. He's obviously shivering as he approaches the group, with the awkward, laboured steps of someone unused to snow. He favours Growler with a big smile.
"She and I are gonna be great pals. Aren't we? Who's a good do..."
He trails off as Growler continues to give him a death stare. "We'll work on it." Cervin turns to face the group. He's a shortish, lean with long hair, a short beard, and looks like he's half-freezing to death. Cervin is currently half-hidden under a massive pack, a lot of weaponry, and heavy fur clothes.
"Cervin of Erastil, I've been helping at the temple with Caelia here and came out to investigate. My green friend here is Daegon, a religious of Gorum. No new developments in Heldren, which I consider a blessing. My God feels the pain in this land - something is deeply wrong. We're here to help."
"Well met, friends. I am Igmar Cratebearer of Highhelm in the Five Kings Mountains," the dwarf says in his deep, thunderous voice, bowing deeply with a bit of a flourish. "It is nice to see friendly faces, even if those faces are unfamiliar."
"I hope you brought rations with you. Any small game in these woods has either fled or died of the frost already. They would not have been fat enough to survive these conditions in midsummer." says Aishe, sizing up the half-orc and the new human. "In any case, some extra swords are definitely welcome. We've taken a beating from our first few encounters with the cold-fey and the other new denizens of the wood. I'm Aishe, by the way. As for Growler, be a little careful, as she's not tame at all. She just follows me because she wants to, as far as I can tell."
"Igmar, Aishe, Yagello, I know Caelia here... I don't think I've met your shy friend in the back there. Hello - don't worry I'm friendly. And I'll give Growler her space. She'll learn to like me. Everyone does!"
Cervin stomps his feet to keep warm. "Right... food. Old Deadeye has always ensured the land provided for me, but the land here has seen better days. Oh well, I'll figure something out! But tell me of your travels, what have you encountered?"
Daegan speaks up for the first time, having merely acknowledged his introduction by Cervin with a nod, and returning Igmar's bow. "Well met to all of you as well. My name is Daegan Corsmeir, as you've been told, at least partially. I was merely staying for a night or two in Heldren, but when I heard of this slaughter in the Woods, I was compelled to pore over it. Cervin was already set on following you further, so I only felt it was right to continue onwards with him. I also feel the stirring of my God in this lonely place, and a distinctly more mundane sense of unease."
He gives Cervin a half-smile when he mentions his lack of food. "I brought ten days worth of rations. If you'd like, I can share them with you. And yes - are there any specifics we should know? I'd like to be as prepared as possible for what we might meet."
Arkady smiles as the newcomers introduce themselves. Despite the extreme cold, the Varisian is wearing ordinary travelling clothes (well, ordinary for a Varisian - the circus of color makes him stand out against the white snow rather significantly).
"Well, this explains the auguries this morning. The Harrow told me of unexpected aid, and my dreams last night were of two stars suddenly becoming visible amidst a constellation of six.
"Well met, and may Desna smile on all of us. I am Arkady Szriakou, of Varisia, and this is my companion, Rom." At this last statement, a small white head pokes out from a large scarf. Arkady reaches down and pulls out a white hare, which he pets fondly. He continues, "As you may have discerned, I am a student of the arcane art of divination. As you both appear to be religious men, I hope neither of you has any reason to object to my style of magic."
Cervin beams delightedly at Daegan. "I'm naming a child after you! Someone's at least." He turns to Arkady. "And good to meet you, Varisian. Erastil teaches that we must work with that which is most practical, and accompanying a diviner of mysteries in this accursed place seems -very- practical to me. Besides, our enemies will be distracted by your garb and thus easier to shoot."
Yagello answers Cervin's questions with a deadly serious expression on his face. "Yes Cervin, my half-elven friend does not exaggerate. The battles have been difficult in these Border Woods. The zombies I imagine you saw on the road, but we've also dealt with a trapped chest, a wrym-like creature, and several frost sprites."
He continues, "You two are men of battle, certainly. Maybe we should speak of tactics a bit? I've been leading the charge so to speak on these trails. Would one of you like to travel alongside of me on the front line?"
Caelia nods at Yagello's suggestion. "Yes, Yagello has been quite helpful, but I'm afraid most of us haven't been of much help so far." She looks around the group, realizing she inadvertently criticized many of her companions. "I mean, I don't mean to speak for everyone, but at least in that last battle with the icy fey creatures, we only got in the way. Or rather, I got in the way. You know what I mean, right?" She stops talking, wary of embarrassing herself any further.
Cervin grimaces and squats on his haunches. He pulls an arrow from his quiver and starts drawing out a formation.
"Humility is a virtue Caelia, but don't underestimate yourself. We all have our party to play. As for me, I can swing an axe, but Erastil speaks best through my bow. Daegan here... that armour and that big sword probably like being up front though, right? Here's my thinking - put me at the back."
He starts sketching a little more.
"If attacked from the rear I can handled myself in close combat. Daegan can swing that big sword up front, and Igmar can travel alongside Arkady. Caelia and Aishe can travel together and I can take up the rear with our silent friend back there, provided she is comfortable with that. Do we all have cold iron?"
Daegan leans over Cervin's rough sketches. "Seems a solid marching order. I do my best work in close quarters, as you've rightly assumed. My only worry is that my blade is not of cold iron. I had not anticipated fey troubles in my wanderings. But it is what it is. If you'll have me alongside you, Yagello, I'll gladly take the front."
He chuckles slightly, a rough sound. "It's hard to be fully prepared in such conditions. You've not only the numerous threats from ill-tempered creatures, but natural conditions as well... I've some spell-work to compliment my handiness with a blade, but it seems my foresight was most limited this morning when I took up my prayers. Tomorrow I can prepare something to keep some of us safe even if these conditions worsen."
"And as for you, Arkady... I don't see any reason for me to take issue with your magics. They will most assuredly be useful, and to scorn those who would make themselves of use would be most foolish."
Cervin unhooks a charcoal-grey battle axe from his belt and holds it up.
"Any good with an axe? I have an iron dagger in case somebody wants to get personal. In exchange for the food."
Daegan looks doubtfully at the proffered axe. "I'm afraid not... my work mostly revolves around weapons of a larger variety." Here he sighs, takes down his pack and brings out five days worth of rations. "I would never admit to being ashamed of wielding any sort of weapon, but being reduced from this," and here he rattles the hilt of his greatsword, "to a dagger... well, it is a slight blow to my pride. But so be it. Perhaps it will save my life someday. Here's the food."
"I have a few quarrels left with cold-iron tips on them, but those sprites are damned hard targets to hit, especially with the snow blinding you." says Aishe in response to Cervin. As an addition to Arkady's declaration of his magics, she adds with a smile; "And if anyone wants to object to the small amount of magic I can wield, then I'm afraid that's too bad for them, as being a sorceress it's an intrinsic part of me. Not that the few spells I know have been of any use at all so far..."
Cervin laughs and passes his dagger over to Daegan. He pulls off his pack and starts carefully packing the rations, his hands shaking from cold.
"I'm sure to a fey it looks like a greatsword. That has to count, right?" He stands up and regards Aishe.
"Magic is magic. I don't know it well, but I respect those who can use it. And I am certain you will have a great part to play in this..." Cervin waves his hand vaguely around the frozen woodland. "Whatever this is. Erastil aches from the damage to these woods and wants us all to put it right. So what next?"
"We forge ahead as best we can, I imagine..." says Aishe in response to Cervin. "The bandits and the fey must have a lair somewhere ahead of us, and if the kidnapped noblewoman is still alive, she's probably there awaiting the bandits to send a ransom demand. If she's lucky." The half-elf girl lifts her backpack with an effort and slings it over her shoulder, then reaches for her spear leaning up against a tree nearby. "And whether or not the bandits know anything about this unnatural cold, I'll bet the fey are involved somehow, so forwards is our only option if we want to find some way to stop these snows of summer."
All this talk of magic and gods making his head spin, Yagello says somewhat hurriedly, "Well then, let's go. That noblewoman's chances are not improving while we stand here talking."
His expression softens when he sees Aishe struggling with the backpack. "Aishe, would you like some help with your gear? My shoulders have born worst loads than that many a day."His face annoyed and unhappy mere moments ago now sports a gently smile as he regards the half-elf.
"Oh, no, but thank you. I can manage without slowing everyone else down." says Aishe to Yagello. "I grew up working on my parents farm before the magic within me began to rise, so I'm stronger than I actually look." Smiling she hefts the backpack into a more comfortable position and steps out onto the snowy track, with Growler pacing around her impatiently. "As you say - let's get going."