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Her icy rage insulating her against the crippling terror, Sigrun acts, drawing the massive frost giant hammer strapped across her back and bringing it slamming down in a powerful overhead swing, punctuated by a roar of aggression as it smashes into the ground to release a crackling bolt of ice that shoots across the ground toward the burning corpse pile.
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Neverhome lands a particularly solid strike on the creature before Sigrun turns it into an ice cube. The flames covering its body immediately begin melting the ice, but it should be held in place for at least a few moments.
Fiery Corpse Orgy: 66pts damage, frozen
Your Turns
"That should hold it for a bit, and the cold should hurt it while we prepare for it!" Sigrun says, approaching the frozen monstrosity.
On the rise behind you, the Dancing Hut abruptly begins dancing around in circles before charging into the nearby forest.
"Uh. We should probably follow it." Hobbes states as he jumps onto Hila's back and pulls Percy up as well. Hila then races after the Hut.
"Yeah, to the hells with this thing." Sigun agrees, turning to chase after the hut.
Wheee! Percy giggles as she rides.
The Hut leads you on a merry chase for almost half an hour before abruptly stopping at the edge of a nightmarish landscape. The forest ends at a muddy field riddled with snow-rimmed craters and punctuated by gnarled trees, twisted coils of barbed wire, and deep trenches. Beyond a high fence, cracked and blackened onion domes hint of a ruined temple reaching for the stormy sky, where dark clouds churn and boil. Eerie gray shadows dance and writhe across the dusky landscape, giving it the appearance of a maggot-riddled corpse.
Looks like it's time to make like clouds. That grounds is the very definition of unfriendly.
A shame friend Zsestrian isnt here,being stuck with the hut, He would make those illusional things like with the wisps we could send them one way while we go another.
He lamented quietly surveying the dangerous looking grounds.
After observing the area for some time, you're able to get a sense of what defenses stand in your way. Periodically, metal wagons patrol the ruins - always in pairs. There appear to be a total of six of these wagons. You also see that deep trenches surrounding the ruins are filled with Dirtling soldiers. While they're almost effortlessly dispatched on an individual basis, you've witnessed firsthand the sheer destructive power they can unleash when encountered in large groups. You can also see eleven tall towers around the perimeter of the ruins. Each houses some sort of extremely-powerful lantern that constantly moves to-and-fro providing mobile patches of illumination across the ground before you.
About 1000 ft and nowhere to hide... Percy mutters.
I could make you all very small. I bet they aren't looking for mice in the fields. Offers Abrasax. It might take us longer to cross, but it's the best option I've got that won't draw the attention of every one of those wand things.
"Might be the best option. Hobbes, do you think you can get in a nd take a look around without being noticed, so we know what we're walking into?" Sigrun asks as she looks at the deadly encampment.
"Course I can." Hobbes looks around and decides to use the giant metal wagons as cover to hide from the other metal wagons as he traverses the battlefield.
Cover is extremely sparse, and the sheer number of eyes observing the area prevents you from getting closer than 100ft from the trenchline without risking being seen. Still, after some time, you're able to gather some information.
- Every ten minutes, the guard towers in the four corners of the temple wall crackle with strange purple lightning. This arcs to the spiked wire coils surrounding the walls, electrifying them.
- The guard patrols enter and exit the temple grounds via the main road. There appears to be both a verbal and somatic passphrase.
- There's a large cemetery to the northwest of the temple that appears to be less-frequently patrolled.
Hobbes comes back after his scouting. "So there's a lot of patrols on the main road. Too many to sneak in that way. The walls are also electrified. I think the, uh, cemetery might be our best bet. It's on the northwest side. A lot less patrols there."
"There's probably a reason for that." Sigrun mutters, "But it sounds like our best option."
Neverhome nods, his eyes glancing to the towers occasionally.
I'm not afraid of the dead. Let's go.
The muddy trenches tear a gaping scar through a field of headstones and wooden crosses in the northwestern corner of the ruins. Upturned bone from centuries of burials crunch underfoot, hidden beneath the packed snow. Periodically, you need to duck behind grave markers to escape the notice of the moving lights, and once you're almost spotted by a pair of passing metal wagons. Still, Hobbes was correct - this is the safest place you could be right now. Before too long, you find out why: a 3ft-tall creature that looks a bit like a gargoyle is busily unearthing a skeleton. Sensing your presence, she mutters an inquiry in Sylvan. <"You're not from this world, no no. Not from earth but from Golarion, yes yes. Are you here to take my precious bones?">
Seeing the impish creature digging up someone from their grave made Neverhome tilt his head but when it turned and greeted them cordially, he thinks, he simply waves his hand in greeting in return since he did not speak the fey tongue.
Thankfully, Percy speaks Sylvan like she's born to it. Hello there, friend. You are correct that we are not of this world, but we haven't come for your bones. We need to get into that prison. Someone has gone and done something exceedingly stupid and tried to imprison an Eldest. We are here to correct their mistake. I don't suppose you could assist us in exchange for, say, a bit of help digging up some nice bones?
Tombstone fairies dwell within graveyards, raising murderers and evil heroes from the dead to go out and continue their deadly work. They often demand some form of repayment for the raising of such beings, keeping the creature’s funeral shroud as a bargaining chip.
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The fey gives Percy a wicked grin. <"Looking for Little Grandmother, eh? One from this world wants to take her throne. If you want him, he lurks in the church-but-not-the-cuhrch, far, far away, between here and the land from which I come. Leave Polina's bones alone, and Polina help you. Wouldn't want to displease Little Grandmother's favored minions, heh heh.>" She chuckles mirthlessly.
<"Very wise. Give us your aid and we will try not to even touch your bones, as much as the big one's clumsy feet can manage.">
Polina gives you a conspiratorial whisper. <"Little Grandmother's locked away in the church-but-not-the-church, trapped between. To find her, you need the one who built the anchors of the world. He's there ... and there. Bring him to me, and I'll make sure he assists you.">
Percy does the same, <"If I were stupid I'd thank you. Thankfully I'm not stupid. We'll be right back.">
Percy nods and motions her companions on. When they're safely out of earshot she fills them in.
So, we have two buildings to raid. Let's see if we can't do this without bringing the whole camp down on us.
Hobbes has been listening in carefully as the pair converse. He nods along as the plan unfolds. "You got it babe."
Trying to follow along even though he doesn’t speak the language he gives Percy a nod after she leads them away. ”What are we looking for?”
Baba Yaga's prison designer.
Neverhome nods.
Hobbes, you're the sneaky one here. How do we get in? Under the tower?
"Problem is, the lot of you's are not sneaky and the only way in is through the main road. I'm thinkin' I cause a distraction to get them away from it so you's can sneak in, see? Then I stroll back in. I think it's gonna be a lot easier once we're actually inside."
"That could work, any ideas for a distraction that won't get you killed while we sneak in?" Sugrun asks.
"I could hide out somewhere and take shots at 'em . If they spot me, I start movin'."
I can make you really small, if that would help. Abrasax offers.
"That could work."
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Hobbes can use the Stealth skill to hide in any of his favored terrains, even if the terrain doesn’t grant cover or concealment.
Abrasax does her thing and soon they are both truly tiny. I'll go with you. she says. This doesn't last forever and I'd hate for you to get big at the wrong time.
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