"That looks like a fine blade. Do either of you have training with a longsword?" Totho asks the others.
"I prefer more agile weapons. Still, we should hold on to it."
"I'm quite capable of using it in a pinch, but I'd much prefer not to find myself toe to toe with an opponent. Still, it may come in useful." Aerryndöl looks down the snowy trail leading into the Border Woods. "Should we bury the bodies? The temperature is dropping and our journey now takes us into the forest."
"Unfortunately, I believe the ground will be frozen. Perhaps a cairn of stones and a heartfelt blessing will suffice. We must remember that the Lady may not have much time."
Risk begins to gently gather the bodies together, pausing to provide final rites before continuing to place stones around and atop the hapless victims.
Totho will check the carriages for any clues or bodies to add to Risk's pile of the dead.
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Rohkar’s bandits already looted the overturned carriage. Two of Lady Argentea’s handmaidens lie dead inside. The broken chests and boxes strewn across the ground contain the handmaidens’ spare clothing, including three courtier’s outfits.
The carriage that is still standing has decorative chasings on it, the marks of Taldan heraldry. It also has damage from the many arrows fired in the battle that took place here. A spear has been wedged between the handles of the carriage doors to hold them closed. Muffled sounds emanate from inside the carriage.
"Look lively..... we've got a live one!" Mol calls out to the ladies.
He looks over his shoulder to make sure they're paying attention before he slides the spear out from between the handles.
The drow approaches the rear of the wagon with caution, drawing out her starknife.
Aerryndöl scurries over to give Totho cover with her longbow as he opens the carriage door.
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Totho removes the spear and you all hear a tinkling sound. The forest goes eerily quiet and you can hear the sound of your own breathing quite clearly. In the next moment, the doors to the carriage swing open and a zombie comes stumbling out. There are two more inside.
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"The good lord Cayden always says that things that are dead should stay dead!!!" Totho exclaims as the zombie stumbles out.
Totho punches the first zombie in the surprise round.
"I'll tie them up and you channel them back to death Risk!" he cries over his shoulder as he pops the shambler in the nose.
"I have never called on Desna to harm anything before, but I will try it."
Pulling forth a silvered butterfly, the cleric holds it forward and intones a prayer,
Aerryndöl muffles a scream. She has never seen a souless creature before and never thought she would, for that matter. Without hesitation, she releases the tension in her fingers letting an arrow fly.
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Totho punches the first zombie, caving in its face, but it doesn't fall until Risk's energy pulses through it. Still in the carriage, a second one falls to Aerryndöl's arrow. All of you hear that strange tinkling sound again.
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Aerryndöl quickly scans the area for the source of the strange sound. "What's that noise? Is it coming from the carriage?" she inquires as she knocks an arrow preparing to fire.
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The sound has no discernible direction from which it is coming. The last zombie takes an uncoordinated swing at Totho who dodges nimbly out of the way.
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Swift action activate pummeling style
(power attack, pummeling style)
"I have no idea what that noise is ..... I'm a little busy with the dead guy trying to eat my face!"
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While you are distracted by the zombies, a creature leaps out of a what appeared to be a small snowdrift, and attacks Risk. This white serpentine creature has the head of a dragon and two relatively small forearms that end in tiny claws. It lashes out with its tail and tries to grab her in its coils, but she nimbly rolls over the tail that goes swinging wildly, having missed its target.
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Aerryndöl casts an evil eye at the creature and then lets out a hideous laugh.
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The wyrm hisses in anger as Aerryndöl's curse settles in. The zombie stumbles out of the carriage toward Totho and falls flat on the ground.
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Punching dead face
(power attack, pummeling style)
The drow dances quickly to the side and lunges, her arm striking like a serpent at the heart of the creature.
for
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Totho finishes off the last zombie, stomping its head in for good measure. Risk lashes out with her starknife and a gash opens up along the wyrm's side. Hissing, it lunges at her again, but the drow spins to the side of the attack, using its neck to balance herself. When the wyrm recovers, there is a noticeable look of fear in its eyes.
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Poison Gasp (Ex) A tatzlwyrm’s breath contains a poisonous vapor. While grappling, instead of making a bite or rake attack, a tatzlwyrm can
breathe poison into its victim’s face.
Aerryndöl points to the creature, "It's a tatzlwyrm! Careful not to let it grapple you for it will breath poison upon you!" The witch places a hex upon with a wicked laugh, "It shall suffer grave misfortune for choosing us as its next prey!"
"Zombie's dead..." Totho says as he turns around and sees the big furred wyrm-thing.
"Whoa!" he exclaims and punches it twice.
(power attack, pummeling style)
or maybe he just waves his fists about in the air to try to intimidate the beast.....
Hearing Aerryndöl's warning, Risk lives up to her name by staying in melee with the monster. As she gracefully repositions her footing, she reverses her grip and slices at the creature's neck.
for
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Realizing that it is not going to acquire an easy meal, the tatzylwyrm turns and flees back into the Border Wood.
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"Let it go ..... I think it has had enough." Totho says to the others,
Aerryndöl knocks an arrow preparing to strike down the fleeing wyrm but stops short of releasing it upon Totho's words. "We may see it again... and in an inconvenient moment," she scowls. Giving it a final look, she then turns back to the carnage and retrieves her arrow from the dispatched zombie. "Do you think this," she says pointing to the zombies, "was one of the members of the lady's court, arisen from beyond or an undead feasting upon the corpses?"
Totho looks inside the carriage where the zombies were trapped.
"Likely they were left here by the bandits as a trap to deter pursuit. Perhaps they have the services of a necromancer."
"If there is a necromancer involved, the Lady may be in greater peril than we thought. Bandits may have held her for ransom. A necromancer may have a darker purpose."
The bard takes a look inside the carriage as well as the surrounding area. "Lets see if there are any other clues shall we?"
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Risk's search of the carriage turns up a small jewelry box under the seat that the bandits missed. Lady Argentea’s signet ring is still inside, as are a pair of earrings, a set of pearl-inlaid bracelets, assorted gold and silver necklaces, and one sapphire pendant. Otherwise, it seems that the bandits looted everything else.
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earrings=25 gp
pearl-inlaid bracelets=90 gp,
necklaces=75 gp
sapphire pendant=50 gp
"Those look valuable, but I don't have any training in appraisal."
"Did either of you notice if the kidnappers left a trail?"
"Sorry, I have seen many a pretty bauble, but I have no idea about those. We should keep them to return to the Lady when we finder her. I am certain it would be comforting to her."
Risk looks for clues as to the kidnappers trail.
Aerryndöl marvels at the jewelry for a moment. "I've had some experience valuing items for sale, but I've never seen such beautiful stones as these. I'm afraid I'm a bit clueless as to their value, Totho. But, I agree with Risquelyn that we should hold them for the Lady." The witch looks to find the trail of the bandits.
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At the edge of the site, an obvious trail leads between a copse of trees and over a snowy plain toward the Border Wood. The bandits took the surviving horses from Lady Argentea’s carriage with them, transporting both the noblewoman and the valuables they looted. The bandits were unable to hide their trail in the heavy snow, so it can be followed easily.
Within the edges of the Border Wood, 6 inches of snow cover the ground, reducing overland travel rates by half. Additionally, the weather proves much worse, with temperatures below freezing and falling snow.
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.
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"Well, they either want us to follow them, or did not believe anyone would would try to. Allow me to go first."
With that, the drow begins to stalk through the bandit's wake.
Totho looks at his suit of plate armor and then after the stealthy dark elf.
"Yeah ... quiet just ain't in the cards." he mutters as he clanks along in her wake.
Aerryndöl Snickers as she trails behind the other two enjoying the cold temperatures and snow.
"Looky here ..... somebody dropped a chest as they left the ambush"
The bard checks the chest for any obvious traps or locks.
Aerryndöl looks over the others shoulders pointing out a few oddities that she notices on the chest.
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The chest does not have a lock on it.
"I believe I can make sure that log does not hurt anyione. I certainly do not want to have anyone else come along and set it off."
"Yikes! a trap!" Totho points at the log.
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The simplicity of the trap is easily overcome by Risquelyn. Keeping tension on the rope, she ties it off on a branch before cutting the log down which lands with a heavy thud and the expected twittering of nature. Several snow-white ptarmigans fly up into the air from a nearby bush.
"Step aside ladies...."
Totho steps forward and opens the chest and looks inside.