Return of Winter by Artofregicide (Inactive)

Game Master Artofregicide

"We should probably make a small fire, so that Jack can recover. Somehow I doubt the end of this journey is going to be a party; we'll need everyone at their best."

Ruso drinks one of Elder Safander's potions, restoring some of his lost vitality. Then the elven rogue sets off across the open clearing to the half buried chest. Kneeling in the snow, Ruso looks all over the chest, expecting to find an explosive trap or a poison needle, but his once over finds nothing. Just as he's about to start on the lock, he freezes (no pun intended). Out of the corner of his eye of to his right, he sees a place where the packed snow is a little too perfect. Leaning that way, he gently brushes some of the snow aside, revealing a double thickness of rope buried just beneath the ground cover. Curious now, he follows one end of the rope back to the chest itself. The other runs across the clearing to the trees at the edge. Looking up he sees a great spiked log strung up in the trees there. The log is tied to an end of the rope and is about 20' long. Obviously, whoever set this meant for the box to be moved and then the great log would come swinging out of the trees, smashing anyone in a 20' line around the box.

While the others watch, Ruso skinnies up the tree, detaching the ropes from the hanging log. With a crash it falls to the ground, harmlessly.

Dropping back to the ground and wiping the snow from this hands with great satisfaction, Ruso then bends to the chest, smiling he realizes it is not locked. With a great flourish he throws back the lid to the chest, and sees...absolutely nothing. The chest is empty.

Jack watches the elf work with great interest, tossing back the last of Safander's potions as he does so. The potion warms him and removes some of the pain from his bruises from zombie punches. He reminds himself to put an extra donation in the Elder's alms box, when they get back to Heldren.

Jack CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Jack heals 5 hp to move to 10/13 and recovers all NL damage --that also removes the fatigued condition, for now. Disabling the log trap results in 150xp per player. This moves your total to 250/2000 or about 13% to level 2.

"Heh" Peltra fails to completely suppress a chuckle once the box is opened. "What a shame."

Ruso stares into the chest with a forlorn look on his face. "All that bloody work for nothing. What a waste."

Ruso wanders back over to the group. "Alright, well we might as well keep moving. No sense in sticking around to see who or what set this trap."

"That was a very sneaky trap. It looks like this would have taken a while to set up. Maybe it slowed them down."

Irina moves up next to Jack. "Are you doing alright? Feeling better? Ready to move on? Maybe we can find a warm place to camp later."

Not bad for an elf. Maybe I can use his fingers for some of my engineering ideas.

"Alright, let's get moving. Our legs are the only thing keeping us warm."

"Yes, better. I am surprised the cold has affected me so, but I am good to continue."

A bit defeated by the experience of the empty chest, but heartened by the fact it could've been much much worse, the group trudges along fighting through the snow and against the bitter wind. The ground slowly climbs upward through the woods, but the path is still quite easy to follow.

After about 20 minutes of staying with the path,you come upon a windswept gully that carves a route up through a tree-covered ridge. The only way forward, short of scaling the rocky and ice covered ridge, is to use the gully as a path. Unfortunately, the wind has blown the snow deeper here than you have encountered before. In some places the snow depth is past the waist of a man, really slowing forward progress.

While this look like a dangerous place to make the climb due to the narrow, constricted path, there is little other choice. Looking around carefully, you don't see anything amiss, but admittedly, the blowing snow hampers your vision.

New map is linked at top. Map is courtesy of my children's Flip-Mat subscription from Father's Day some years back. Please organize yourselves in the area indicated and show your marching order through the narrow defile. Will be imagining the path shown on the map is the gully, which rises from left to right. For game purposes, the deep snow drifts inside the gully count as 4 squares of movement for each one square traversed. The edges of the gully required a Climb check to scale. I have already made any necessary Perception rolls, so no need to add them at this point.

"Bah...this weather is most strange. The snows seem of the north in winter. NOT this far south in summer."

Wulfgang tries to climb in the gully.

Climb: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

Wulfgang tires of plowing through the snow and makes an attempt to scale the rocky walls of the canyon, but unfortunately, they are far to slippery with ice to allow handholds and he quickly gives in.

Just as he turns to trudge ahead, a pair of stark white, serpentine creatures, with the heads of ferocious dragons and two relatively small forearms that end in tiny claws, pounce from under the snow cover and slip to attack. As they move they seem to communicate in a harsh signal of sinisterly sibilant whispers.

Heavy Snowdrifts - Surprise Round

22 Red Wyrm
20 Skyne (surprised)
19 Blue Wyrm
17 Irina (surprised)
11 Ruso (surprised)
9 Wulfgang (surprised)
8 Jack (surprised)
6 Peltra (surprised)

Lying in wait for the softer skinned prey to come past, Red Tatzylwyrm leaps at Irina but cannot sink its fangs into her, even in her surprised state.

Blue Tatzylwyrm tries the same tactic on Skyne, more successfully. The teeth bite into the adventurer's unsuspecting neck, but more ominously, it's sinewy serpentine body begins wrapping around Skyne, holding him fast.

End of Surprise Round

Skyne gets 7 hp dmg and now has the grappled condition.

"Hang on! I'm coming to help!" Ruso begins pushing his way back through the deep snow.

Heavy Snowdrifts - Round 1

22 Red Wyrm
20 Skyne (7hp dmg, grappled)
19 Blue Wyrm
17 Irina
11 Ruso
9 Wulfgang
8 Jack
6 Peltra

Acting faster than the heroes can react, Red Wyrm takes another snap at Irina, striking her hard and then sinuously wrapping her in its muscular coils.

Irina is also hit for 9hp dmg (bringing her to zero). She is disabled and grappled. Skyne is up with the grappled condition, before the wyrm that holds him acts.

Know Arcana: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

"These are Tatzylwyrms. Relatives of true dragons, and have a poison breath. Not that this one is using the breath weapon. They are cunning, and very rare. We should be honored to see one at all, and I will be if I don't die." Irina gasps out as she stands grappled by the creature afraid to move.

So calm and collected in the face of certain death!

"I'll be honored to survive seeing one!"

Skyne quickly draws a dagger and tries to poke out the wyrm's eyes.

Heavy Snowdrifts - Round 1 - continued

Even while suffering the bite and serpentine grasp of the wyrm, Skyne remains belligerent as ever. Working a dagger free, he tries to stab the tatzylwyrm, but cannot get the right leverage to put any force behind the blow.

The wyrm quickly turns to face Skyne and breathes a green vaporous cloud in the face of the young wizard. The smell of the breath is sulphuric, a bit like rotten eggs, and Skyne retches while inhaling enough of the gas to make himself feel not well at all.

Skyne needs a Fort save vs poison. Poison stats: Tatzlwyrm poison: Breath—inhaled; save Fort DC 12; frequency 1/round for 2 rounds; effect 1d2 Str damage; cure 1 save.. The rest of the party (Irina, Jack, Wulfgang, and Peltra) is up to finish round one. Remember the 4 to 1 penalty in movement in the snow drifts of the gully.

Skyne spits in the wyrm's open maw, then quickly clamps his mouth shut and buries his nose in his shoulder.

Fortitude: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

Jack trudges through the snow as fast as he can (5' step takes 20' move), and swings the scythe at the wyrm holding Irina.

Power Attack: 1d20 + 4 - 1 ⇒ (14) + 4 - 1 = 17
Damage: 2d4 + 4 + 3 ⇒ (1, 2) + 4 + 3 = 10

So calm and collected in the face of certain death!

Not going to do anything that could possibly count as strenuous. :) I'd count screaming and panicking as strenuous. Who knows what grand gesture I'll need to do to save you all.

could someone move me back to the wyrm please I'm assuming it's difficult terrain on phone

Wulfgang moves through the snow back to the wyrm.

double move

could someone move me back to the wyrm please I'm assuming it's difficult terrain on phone

Done, but I think it's 4x movement, so a double move is only 15 ft.

The 24-hr rule is again in play Peltra hasn't posted. I'll run her again to keep things moving.

Heavy Snowdrifts - Round 1 - concluded

Fluttering on the edge of consciousness, Irina chooses to stay as still and calm as possible, despite the squeezing grip of the wyrm's scaled body.

Well ahead of the others while scouting, Ruso turns at the sounds of trouble and makes his way back towards the fray, the heavy snow slowing his progress dramatically.

Wulfgang also moves as close as he can to the nearest wyrm, unlimbering his axe in the process.

Shocked at the assault on Irina, Jack leaps forward and slashes at the nearby tatzylwyrm, striking the dragon and causing a fairly serious wound.

Stepping forward, Peltra is able to make an attack on the other wyrm, but can't connect against the distracted foe.

End of Round 1

Peltra mace: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11

Heavy Snowdrifts - Round 2

22 Red Wyrm (10hp dmg, grappling)
20 Skyne (7hp dmg, grappled)
19 Blue Wyrm (grappling)
17 Irina (grappled, disabled)
11 Ruso
9 Wulfgang
8 Jack
6 Peltra

Red Wyrm, holding the mostly disabled Irina, wriggles its coiled body around her even more, while it's teeth skin into her for another bite. The winter witch slumps in the grip of the white-scaled wyrm, having lost her battle for consciousness.

Irina takes 6hp dmg more as the wyrm continues to grapple and bite at her. She falls unconscious and bleeding, and will need to stabilize. Now it's Skyne's turn -- he is also grappled.

@GM: I think you forgot to roll a maintain on me last round, though you do only fail on a 1.

Skyne continues stabbing at the wyrm's face, and finally wedges the point of his dagger between the scales.

Heavy Snowdrifts - Round 2 - continued

Fighting as fiercely as he can while held tight, Skyne is able to use his dagger to stab into the serpentine body, but the wound is slight and only serves to irritate the hungry predator.

Continuing to squeeze Skyne tight, Blue Wyrm rips at the wizard both claws, raking his flesh and causing him to lose consciousness as well.

The rake attack causes 9hp dmg to Skyne and he falls unconscious and bleeding as well. Rest of the party is up. Irina, remember a stabilize check, please.

Blue Grapple maintain, last round: 1d20 + 9 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 9 + 5 = 17 Sorry to have forgotten this before, but here it is for transparency's sake

Ruso remains in a continued slog with the waist deep snow as he tries to reach his endangered companions. Just hang on a moment longer. Please!

Heavy Snowdrifts - Round 2 - continued

Ruso rushes towards the fray as quickly as he can given the waist high snow in the gully. He worries that he will arrive too late to assist his fallen companions.

Lolling helplessly in the grasp of Red Wyrm, Irina continues bleeding out, inching closer to death.

Call me impatient, but I went ahead with the stabilize roll, and failed. Jack, Wulfgang, and Peltra are on the clock.

Are the tatzlwyrms continuing to grapple Irina and Skyne?

Thank you for rolling. I don't mind. I got super busy and didn't get to post last night.

Are the tatzlwyrms continuing to grapple Irina and Skyne?

For now yes, they just finished the round where they squeezed the fight out of them so they haven't acted since.

Still missing actions from Wulfgang, Jack and Peltra. Their 24 hours is almost up. I may be running the whole (conscious) group...

sorry was busy last night and today

Wulfgang attacks the closest wyrm. "someone save Irina!"

attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

damage: 1d12 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

Heavy Snowdrifts - Round 2 - concluded

Stepping forward axe in hand, Wulfgang takes a swing at the wyrm that is holding Irina, but the serpent's hard outer scales turns back his blow.

Having already wounded Red Wyrm once, Jack loads up his scythe once again, swinging for all his might, trying to rescue Irina from its clutches. The swing is certainly mighty, but the wyrm has learned to avoid that crude blade and shifts its sinuous form out of the way just in time.

Alone against Blue Wyrm, Peltra steps forward through the deep snow and brings her mace down on the tatzylwyrm but again the blow caroms off the dragon's scales without effect.

End of Round 2

I didn't hide the parties attack rolls below, so you can see them. Not good luck with the dice so far.

Jack scythe, PA: 1d20 + 4 - 1 ⇒ (6) + 4 - 1 = 9
Peltra mace: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11

Heavy Snowdrifts - Round 3

22 Red Wyrm (10hp dmg)
20 Skyne (unconscious, bleeding)
19 Blue Wyrm
17 Irina (unconscious, bleeding)
11 Ruso
9 Wulfgang
8 Jack
6 Peltra

Red Wyrm drops the still form of Irina, choosing instead to focus on those that have caused it pain and irritation. Hissing with anger, it lunges at Jack, the jaws ripping at the ranger, causing a serious wound, while the mouth holds him fast.

Blue Wyrm turns its attention to Peltra, after casting Skyne's bleeding form to the side. The wyrm's bite strikes the oracle, grappling her as well.

Skyne needs a stabilize check. Jack is hit for 9 hp, leaving him at 1. Peltra is hit for 4. Both are grappled. This is not looking good for the party...Rest of the group is up again, to try to turn the tide.

Wulfgang swings at the wyrm near Jack.

"Bah...face me.." he cries.

attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

damage: 1d12 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

if by change I kill it. I'll move towards the blue one.

Ruso continues to slog through the heavy snow and frees his blade from its scabbard.

Peltra continues swinging her mace at the wyrm biting down on her shoulder. "Let go, you blasted lizard!"

Standard attack
Mace: 1d20 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 - 2 = 3

Edit: I didn't realize Jack was now grappled, so have to re-do my action.

Jack drops his useless scythe and grabs the dagger at his belt. He stabs at the creature, not really expecting to survive but unwilling to just die.

Attack, grappled: 1d20 + 3 - 2 ⇒ (10) + 3 - 2 = 11
Damage: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

The heat and blood spilling from Skyne's body turn the snow into a sticky, red slush.

Stabilize: 1d20 ⇒ 5

Stabilize: 1d20 + 2 - 7 ⇒ (15) + 2 - 7 = 10

Irina manages to stabilize, and her bleeding slows.

Heavy Snowdrifts - Round 3 - continued

Irina's body is able to stop the bleeding but she lies still and senseless in the cold. Skyne is not so fortunate, and his lifeblood continues to pool around him in the snow.

Drawing his rapier, and hoping to be on time, Ruso plows through the deep snow and readies to strike the ferocious wyrm. Just then, Wulfgang's axe slashes through the air, hitting the beast with sufficient force to crash through its armored scales and sever the body in two. With a cry of pain and rage, Red Wyrm dies loosening its grip on Jack in the process.

Peltra, still held fast by Blue Wyrm, tries to make a swing, but cannot gain sufficent footing to put any strength behind the blow, and it caroms off the wyrm's hard skin ineffectually.

Jack, since you are free now, you can have your action back instead of an attack on the dead target. Remember the squares cost 4 per 1 if you move. Skyne, you can give us another stabilize roll for Round 4 if you like.

Skyne's wounds begin to clot, and his blood stops flowing so quickly.

Stabilize: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (11) - 1 = 10

Jack roars as he breaks free, shouting a quick {b]"thanks"[/b] to Wulfgang.

Rather than slogging through the drift, he grabs his bow and shoots an arrow at the blue one.

Attack, into melee: 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (9) + 3 - 4 = 8

"Argh!" he grunts in frustration.

Heavy Snowdrifts - Round 3 - concluded

Free of the embrace of the dragon-thing, Jack unshoulders his bow and fires a shot at the remaining creature. Unfortunately, the sinuous movements of the other wyrm are such that the arrow flies wide of the mark, burying itself in the ever-deepening snow.

End of Round 3

Remember that in future fights in the winter pocket, ranged attacks take a-4 visiblity penalty due to blowing snow. Well that starts to even the odds somewhat. Let's see if the heroes can keep up the momentum.

Heavy Snowdrifts - Round 4

20 Skyne (unconscious, stable)
19 Blue Wyrm
17 Irina (unconscious, stable)
11 Ruso
9 Wulfgang
8 Jack (8 hp dmg)
6 Peltra (grappled, 4 hp dmg)

Maybe its the cold, but whatever the reason, Skyne's bleeding slows then stops but the mage remains unconscious, his form lying still as snow blows atop him.

Continuing to grasp the oracle tightly, the remaining wyrm shrieks as its mate falls to Wulfgang's axe and then furiously turns its deadly maw to Peltra, blowing a cloud of green gaseous fumes in her face.

Peltra needs a Fort save vs Poison. All the conscious party can now act.

Jack shoots again, then starts pushing his way through the snow.

Attack: 1d20 + 3 - 4 - 4 ⇒ (1) + 3 - 4 - 4 = -4

Jack shoots again, then starts pushing his way through the snow.

[dice=Attack]1d20+3-4-4

Sorry if I wasn't clear before, but not holding you to that -4 visiblity penalty in this fight, since I didn't mention it before hand. Future ones, though, it will be included unless otherwise stated. Either way, doesn't impact the outcome this time.

Wulfgang pushes through the snow. double move. not sure if I was moved after I killed the red wyrm. then I should be 1 square closer

"Foul beast"

Ruso continues his slog through this blasted waist deep snow. "Blast it. Come at me!" These things are such a pain to chase in this deep snow.

Heavy Snowdrifts - Round 4 - continued

Continuing to slog through the deep snow, Ruso closes in on the remaining foe, rapier still in hand.

After dropping one of the fell serpents, Wulfgang moves closer to the other preparing another dire strike.

Firing another arrow, Jack grimaces as it flies wide of the mark. He then plows a bit closer for a better shot.

Everyone is closing in the remaining wyrm. Peltra needs her Fort save vs Poison and then her turn is up to end the round. I will run tonight, if no post.