Icy Crossing - Round 9
10 Ruso (5hp dmg)
10 Irina
9 Skyne
9 Jack (12hp dmg)
6 Wulfgang (4/12hp)
6 Blue Ice Elemental (1hp, dmg, evil eye, -2 attacks, 3 rounds)
5 Peltra (3/9hp)
Irina gives the blue Ice Elemental the Evil Eye Again.
Jack swings again, but he is clearly weary as the swing is slow and easily dodged.
Skyne creeps onto the ice for a better angle, though it does him little good. This is humiliating. I may as well just throw the whole damn crossbow.
Standard Attack (blue)
Icy Crossing - Round 9 - concluded
As Ruso moves deftly across the ice and behind the elemental, Irina hexes the remaining foe's ability to defend itself, making further attacks just a bit easier.
Skyne fires another bolt wide of the mark, after stepping carefully onto the ice
Jack continues to fight, but his swings seem weaker and weaker as his battered body starts to wear down.
Fortunately, Wulfgang is refreshed and he gently slips across the icy stream and unleashes a mighty blow with his axe that shatters the last elemental into dozens of ice shards, ending the fight.
End of Combat
"Let's get across this river, and then I will work to heal you." Iriana moves carefully across the river. Once she makes it across she will use the wand once each on everyone who is injured.
The immediate danger dealt with, Skyne skates carefully across the frozen river.
"That wand is worth it. Just a few bruises left, and I'm sure those'll heal with a little sleep."
Finding some place out of the snow would be nice.” Ruso trudges on through the snow while keeping a wary eye out for traps and any other nasty surprises.
"More than nice, but I suspect that's not a possibility. There's some powerful magic behind this winter."
"Let's take a look at the body before we move to far away." She makes her way over to the legs sticking out of the snow. She just see legs.
Irina skips across the icy pond and taps each of her compatriots with the healing wand with varying degrees of success. As they re-gather themselves to press on, she moves forward to check out the body lying in the snow on the far bank. All she can see, even close up, is the legs and feet of a human-sized man jutting from the piles of snow.
Bending to scrape away the icy and snow, Irina is surprised to see a familar face attached to the very dead corpse. It is Old Man Dansby, who's prize bull Ferdinand, went missing early in the adventure. The man, who was once a warrior of some repute by all accounts, appears to have taken Ferdie's recovery on personally and paid the blood price for it, frozen by the elementals and left here to die.
Buried in the snow next to Dansby are his former tools of the trade, a composite longbow (+1 STR), a dagger, a masterwork handaxe, and a pouch filled with a a few handfuls of coins.
The shadows on the snow stretch long as the summer sun starts to slowly sink in the west behind a high ridge which stands to the west, running to the south. Heading in that direction, the trail begins to climb towards the high ground under snow-laden trees. The prints of boots and horses mar the freshly fallen snow, still visible despite the near-constant snow fall and wind.
You climb gently for about 40 minutes until you come to a place where the trail makes a series of switchbacks climbing higher. Rocks are strewn about the path at random intervals, some barely visible under the layers of snow cover.
"We should probably conserve our limited resources."
Wulfgang doesn't see anything out of the ordinary at the bottom of the trail where the party now stands - besides all this snow in summer, that is.
Ruso quickly begins gesturing to his companions to be quiet and stay still. He then mimes two people talking to each other and points up the trail. Once everyone is quiet and still Ruso looks at them each in turn before pointing at himself, gesturing a man walking slowly, pointing up the trail, and shading his eyes as if looking around.
Ruso then sets off slowly and quietly up the switchback. As he nears the top he will begin looking for a spot where he can peer over to see who is arguing and try to determine if these individuals might pose a threat to his companions and himself.
Irina stays quiet and follows a about ten feet behind Ruso.
Skyne nods at Ruso, following quietly with his crossbow loaded and ready.
Pressing his back against the snowy escarpment to try to avoid detection, Ruso inches foward up the hillside, staying as quiet as he can. Following behind, Irina and Skyne also edge along the cliffside,try to be stealthy.
As Ruso gets to the spot where he might be able to just peer over the side, he sees a group of 3-4 men standing around the rocks on the level above the rest of the group. The men are dressed in heavy padded coats and armed with shortbows and shortswords. Like armed men everywhere, it appears they have taken a lackadaisical approach to guard duty and rather than standing as silent and hidden sentries, they are all standing together in a small knot, smoking tobacco and stamping their feet to get warm.
The wind carries a few snippets of their conversation to you, but most is broken up enough as to be unintelligible.
"...ransom money...Rokhar's done it this time...Ready for dinner...ready to get out of this accursed cold...Hope they're keeping the fire stoked at the lodge...Winter-touched...Feeling ill...will take may share and..."
Just as Ruso makes a move, the scabbard of his rapier, scrapes against the rocks with an unmistakable screeching sound. The elf rogue freezes, hoping the sound didn't carry, but when he peers up again, he sees them reaching for their weapons and looking his direction with alarm. "What was that sound?' one of the men calls.
Bandits on the Trail - Round 1
21 Jack
19 Yellow Bandit
17 Red Bandit
16 Green Bandit
10 Ruso
9 Skyne
9 Wulfgang
6 Blue Bandit
4 Irina
3 Peltra
The noise of the bandits calling out alerts all to the presence of foes on the ridge above where Jack, Peltra, and Wulfgang wait.
Jack double moves up the path, grabbing his bow.
Jack double moves up the path, grabbing his bow.
Bandits on the Trail - Round 1 - continued
As Jack unshoulders his new bow, he presses forward up the trail, hurrying to get to the top where it sounds like trouble lies.
Hearing something, but unable to place just what, the bandits fan out and start looking around. Yellow bandit moves up into the rocks, bow in hand, crouching down and taking cover while he scans the area.
Red Bandit also grabs his bow and moves off towards the north west, perhaps heading for the higher ground.
Green Bandit disappears behind the big rocks, and is lost from sight. NOne of the bandits seems to spot the party just yet.
Ruso continues to try to move as stealthily as possible along the rocky face and unlimbers his shortbow. Now where did they scatter to? Ruso looks around as he edges forward.
Skyne follows after Ruso, but unable to keep pace and quiet at the same time.
Bandits on the Trail - Round 1 - continued
Ruso drives forward through the deep snow at the edge of the escarpment, spying at least a few of the bandits. He can see one more in the rocks.
Skyne follows behind, but he makes enough noise that the bandits can get a bead on the location finally.
Bandits on the Trail - Round 1 - continued
Wulfgang double-times it up the trail, brandishing his axe, and hoping to close the distance to the foes as quickly as possible.
Above, Blue Bandit spies Skyne and Ruso moving behind the ridge and points them out to the rest of this allies. He moves against the large rocks, trying to get some cover, and then raises his shortbow, ready to fire but holding for now. "Turn around now! The trails closed!" he shouts. "Last warning!"
Peltra also double moves as fast as she can up the trail.
Irina moves up behind Skyne. Her sling in her hand.
Bandits on the Trail - Round 1 - concluded
Continuing to hustle forward, but being careful to stay behind the lead group, Irina gets closer to the foes, but not close enough to try any of her witchcraft.
End of Round 1
Bandits on the Trail - Round 2
The bandits spy the party and get into position as the group maneuvers to get close enough to make contact.
21 Jack
19 Yellow Bandit
17 Red Bandit
16 Green Bandit
10 Ruso
9 Skyne
9 Wulfgang
6 Blue Bandit
4 Irina
3 Peltra
Jack double moves to get caught up.
Bandits on the Trail - Round 2 - continued
As Jack double-times it up the trail the bandits take the first shots.
Yellow Bandit fires his shortbow down at Peltra who is still rushing up the trail, bu the shot is a long one and the man's lack of skill with the bow is evident as the arrow flies well wide of the mark.
Red Bandit trudges through the deep snow, looking to take a position above the heroes where he can fire down on them from above.
Green Bandit circles the big rocks the foes are using as cover, setting up at the base where he has cover, but can still fire if the heroes get closer.
Ruso peeks around the corner and then rushes from cover to cover.
Skyne starts to let Ruso gain some distance, and keeps an eye out for the hostiles.
Standard Ready attack; Trigger Attack easiest target if they attack us
Bandits on the Trail - Round 2 - continued
Ruso rushes forward, taking cover behind another of the trails steep escarpments.
Behind him, Skyne also moves forward, his crossbow aimed and ready to fire if the bandits take the first shot.
Father back, Wulfgang scrambles forward, hurrying as much as he can in the snow, to keep up.
Firing his shortbow, Blue Bandit tries to reach where Ruso stands, despite it being a longer shot than typical for that weapon, but the fired projectile falls short of the mark, burying itself in the deep snow nearby.
The shot triggers return fire from Skyne's crossbow, but that shot also misses, caroming of the rocks harmlessly.
Rushing ahead to keep up, Peltra jogs quickly along the path, mindful not to slip in the icy conditions.
Irina moves just past Skyne, and casts Evil Eye on the red bandit. She doesn't bother to speak.
Bandits on the Trail - Round 2 - concluded
Irina pushes up the trail, exposing her self to fire, but also able to use her witchcraft to sway the battle. Her hex against the shooting prowess of Red Bandit is effective.
End of Round 2
Bandits on the Trail - Round 3
Shots are exchanged at a distance. Irina's witch magic starts to have an effect.
21 Jack
19 Yellow Bandit
17 Red Bandit (evil eye, -2 attacks, 7 rounds)
16 Green Bandit
10 Ruso
9 Wulfgang
6 Skyne (readied action fired)
6 Blue Bandit
4 Irina
3 Peltra
Bandits on the Trail - Round 3 - continued
Jack rushes forward along the path, then at the top of the switchback, he stops and fires an arrow at the bandit who is on the ridge above the group. Jack grins as this arrow catches the bandit above in the shoulder eliciting a sharp cry of pain.
Firing from behind the cover of the rocks, even if from a distance, Yellow bandit shoots at Ruso, scratching the arm of the nimble elf.
From above, Red fires down on Irina, but her evil eye affects him enough that the shot just misses.
Green bandit delays, waiting to see if anyone gets closer before loosing his arrow.
"That's just a scratch, Ruso, you're fine!"
His hands a little steadier this time around, Skyne hits the red-haired bandit right in his center of mass.
Move Reload
Standard Attack (red)
"You sir are going to pay for that!" Ruso quickly moves to a position where less individuals have a shot at him and looses his own arrow in return fire.