’that fairy looks like the others, at least it doesn’t have it’s bow, I wonder why it’s a prisoner.’ Checking the latch on the cage, Einar shakes his head and ignores it’s pleas. Passing items to his companions upstairs he double checks the basement. Ah a loose tile, it pays to be thorough.’ Smiling to himself he gathers the items from their hiding place and paces them up to his companions also. finally he picks up the iron cage and carries it upstairs resting it on the table.
Turning to Cadence and Crummock he recommends, "You two vill vant to talk to zis one, I am opening zee last trunk in zee large ystafell wely." going into the room using the key found on Rokhar, Einar opens the trunk, ,hhmmmm the spyglass is interesting as well as the silver dagger. the boots are nice, they don't look big enough for me, and I know better than to mess with the scrolls, I will put this stuff on the table with everything else.
Einar drags the chest out to the main room and puts all the items neatly beside all the other things they have found. 'I like that shortsword better, I wonder if anyone will catch the hint.' Taking the shortsword the took from the woman he killed from his belt he places it on the table with all the other mundane gear from the underlings.
'I believe that's organized enough to determine what we load up and what we leave here. Einar goes into the kitchen and address' Ten-Penny, "Ten-Penny, vould you mind showing me zee barn, I zould like to see zee shape zee horses are in, ya."
"You'd better let me out!" As it is brought in front of Cadence and Crumock, it threatens Einar, shaking its tiny fists in the air angrily. "Or I'll get my big brothers Skrikks and Szassh to deal with you like they did with that pesky farmer!"
The door to this small outhouse is frozen shut. A small hammer hangs by a rope from its upper eaves to chip away the ice and provide access. Unfortunately, the weather has made the outhouse much less functional, and the stench of its recent use is somewhat overpowering.
Ten Penny shows you the way to the barn.
Twin doors open into this low stable, where five stalls hold three horses and a mix of loose straw. A rack of riding gear hangs on the east wall, and a cast-iron tub sits empty in the corner. The riding tack on the eastern wall includes enough gear to equip each horse with a bit and bridle, riding saddle, and saddle bags. The horses look thin and emaciated, like they haven't been fed well and been ridden hard. They have whip marks over their bodies.
'These horses are not in good shape, we need to feed them and get blankets on them, they will not be ready for the cold.' turning to Ten-Penny he asks, "Ve vill not be needing food for more zan zee next couple of meals. a oes unrhyw lysiau, pardon, Are zere any vegetables zat ve could feed zees poor animals?" As Einar is speaking he exits the barn, closing the door behind them when they leave, he walks the perimeter of the property, making sure that everything is still quiet.
The perimeter is quiet.
"I'll find something."Ten Penny goes into the kitchen, and you hear the sound of things being dumped onto the floor. She comes up with a pail of carrots and turnips. "I suppose this works?"She asks you questioningly.
'I wonder if they have any grain alcohol.' Going back into the house Einar resists the urge to look around more, waiting until Ten-Penny finishes finding vegetables. "Zat vould be excellent, Out of curiosity is zere any Ale or Mead?" He sees the looks from his companions out of the corner of his eye, placing his hands on his hips he responds, "Not for me, for zee horses; a little Alkohol aus Getreide vould give zem strength. I vouldn't give zem too much, it vould make zee cold vorse."
As Ten-Penny gets the food ready for the horses, Einar busies himself gather the three largest blankets he can find and some twine to put the blankets on the horses with. Once he has them gathered he returns to the barn and putting a blanket on each horse, making sure that they don't eat too much too fast.
Once he gets back inside he asks his companions, "Are ve leaving tonight or in zee morning?"
"Nope. They drank it all the moment they got their hands on it." Ten Penny answers. "Then got totally smashed after. And I had a fine mess to clean the next day." She grumbles.
The horses eagerly eat the carrots and turnips offered.
Crummock nods with satisfaction as the place is turned upside-down.
When the party finds the creature in the basement, he is decidedly unimpressed with its threats.
"If they be anything like the chwiorydd we encountered earlier, then they will end up pinned to trees, or at the center of small impact craters."
He then turns to the others.
"This is another creature that has deeded its life to the eternal cold. I think it is beyond redemption."
Unless someone stops him, he will then put an end to it.
Back outside, Crummock fusses over the poor horses, rubbing them down, and nodding with approval when the half-orc brings them something to eat.
"Aye, that be a good idea; we want them to be strong enuf to make the journey back."
|
"You'd better let me out!" As it is brought in front of Cadence and Crumock, it threatens Einar, shaking its tiny fists in the air angrily. "Or I'll get my big brothers Skrikks and Szassh to deal with you like they did with that pesky farmer!"
Cadence looks the fey over, keeping the anger controlled that is seething inside, though her knuckles have turned white while clutching her guisarme.
"They took on Old Man Dansby? A formidable target. If you were all such fierce warriors, why did the necromancer imprison you down here? What did you do to offend him?"
"Wait, if it has been kept caged that likely means there is something different about it." Mr. Whiskers says.
"We should talk to it, then use the smelling salts we found to revive the other and try to talk to it as well."
The lore indicated that the person who changed them could kill them. Yet this one sounds like it still has some spirit to it.
He then goes down into the cellar where Cadence is talking with the sprite.
"He wanted to learn more of our secrets. As if we'd tell. My brothers are made out of ice. They're 100 times bigger then me and have snake tails. Their powerful fists will mash you to bits once they find you. Aren't you scared? " The sprite says with ghoulish glee. "If you set me free...I might consider asking them to leave you alone."
"So Rohkar captured you, or did your mistress make a present of you to him?"
Turning to Cadence, he mentions "Snake tails are rather unusual on a fey, aren't they?"
"Yeah that b@stard cheated. One moment I was flying around, then there was a loud noise and I woke up in this cage. Cheater bugger."
"My mistress would peel his flesh from his bones if she knew I was taken captive here. No way would she bow to such louts as him." The sprite sniffs disdainfully.
"Pardon me, I forgot my manners. I am called Mr. Whiskers. What should we call you?"
Turning to Cadence again, he mentions "Good to know they all cooperate so well."
"We all serve the winter witch Nazhena. Her apprentice Radosek has marshalled great armies from the frozen north across the portal and will soon move to claim this woods in her name! He will crush you like the puny insects that you are!" The sprite brags, while giving an evil laugh.
"You can call me Vixx." Vixx answers Mr Whiskers. "You'll make a fine pair of gloves for my mistress...yes once Radosek gets here and gets me free, I'll suggest it to him..." Vixx eyes Mr Whiskers thoughtfully.
"Well Vixx, I am not an insect nor will I be made into a pair of gloves. I am surprised though, I didn't think that Winter Witches took on male helpers. This Radosek must be impressive if your mistress Nazhena accepted him."
"It is strange though, why would she even care to conquer someplace like this."
"Do not question Mistresses plans. You are not worthy,rat. Radosek has vast arcane powers and will turn you into ice statues if you don't release me!"
"Tiny caged beings should try to remain civil. Just because we are enemies is no excuse for being rude." he replies in a mildly chiding voice.
"So, other than skill with ice sculptures what is so impressive about this fellow that makes him fit to serve your mistress?"
Although the words are polite, it is clear that Mr. Whiskers does not care much for the tiny fey.
"Boots for Radosek as well." Vixx eyes Mr Whiskers speculatively.
"Izoze will freeze your blood and Teb will gut you and pull all your intestines out in the snow, rat! You know that farmer? He was like, 'Shoo, shoo little pests, stop stealing my crops.' I bet he thought it was funny bullying us. He wasn't laughing when Skrikks and Szassh bashed his brains in. We were. " Vixx gives Mr Whiskers a chilling smile. "Think you're so big now, calling me tiny?"
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Once he gets back inside he asks his companions, "Are ve leaving tonight or in zee morning?"
Walking near the fairy and Mister Whiskers, Einar stops very near the table, bending over closely and looks at the fey. 'Mister Whiskers wants us to stay civil, I wonder if pissing on the obnoxious fey would be inpolite.' Turning from the fey, Einar addresses the team, "Should Vee stay here for zee Nacht?"
|
|
Cadence eyes the fey and says casually to Mr. Whiskers, "Gibt es noch etwas von dem arroganten kleinen Mörder?"
Her hands have been clenched on the guisarme so hard her fingers hurt. They murdered old man Dansby. Then they laughed. She lets go of the guisarme, stretches her fingers and then pulls out her fiddle. Looking the fey in the eye, she suddenly fiddles fast and furiously on her strings, letting all her anger flow into the music.
When she's done, she turns to Einar and says, "It would be lovely to stay here tonight. Warm and dry." She makes sure that the fey can hear every word that she's saying as she looks the fiddle over. "I think the snow might gotten into my strings." Then she looks at the fey. "If we have to replace them, think that fey's heart strings might do? I've heard that they're even more wiry and resonant than cat gut."
Mr. Whiskers seems a bit distraught by the tiny fey's threats. His ears are down and the whiskers twitching so much they bring to the strings of a harp being strummed.
"What?" he squeaks at Einar's question.
Hearing Cadence's answer he pipes in "I don't think the lady would do well if we tried to go tonight. We best allow the dogs in so they will be warm."
Turning to Crummock, he says "They really respond well to you. Would you bring them in?"
"Do that and Nazhena is going to have your corpses strung on tree branches for her ravens to pick over."
"Sie hat uns gesagt, wir hätten einen Magier von irgendeiner Art und wahrscheinlich einen Krieger, der unter ihr arbeitet. Jede zusätzliche Details, die Sie erhalten können, wäre schön, aber ich habe das Interesse daran verloren, ihr zuzuhören."
With that, he walks away from the fey in her cage.
Crummock, by now is heartily sick of listening to the arrogant fey rant and ends its life by stabbing it in its chest.
With the fey dead, Mr. Whiskers suggests "We can use the smelling salts to wake the bandits that survived and question them. Maybe ask the ladies which are potentially worth the effort of bringing back to Heldren. It would be difficult, some might choose a quick death over possibly dying in the cold."
He paces a little.
"I don't like it, but that is the best plan I can come up with. Does anyone else have better ideas?"
---
"We should ask them their names and what they know of Rohkar's plans. What they have seen of the fey. Anything else we should ask?"
'These are truly a kind people, I wonder how a tough winter will affect them, there appear to be decisions needing to be made that will not be comfortable.' Einar, sees Mister Whiskers ears tucked and he shouts
Einar walks near Cadence, not caring if the fey hears or now lowering his head, his eyes sad. "Wenn Sie wirklich wollte die Feen Herzen Saiten würde ich gerne bringen sie Ihnen, aber ich glaube nicht, dass Sie das wollen." Nodding over to Crummock he continues, "Crummock has offered to do zee task, vee should let him."
'they give their enemy a merciful death.' Standing beside Crummock as he gives the fey a clean death. Einar nods and speaking softly. "Seien Sie dankbar wenig prahlerisch, ich würde Ihnen den Blutadler für das Sprechen gezeigt haben, wie Sie taten."
With the death of their leader, the remaining bandits( after being awoken with smelling salts) throw themselves at the party's mercy, saying it was all Rokhar's fault. They are willing to do anything you ask them to do to save their own lives, since the only other alternative is death(quick - by your hands), or a slow one if they are kicked out in the snow. They confess that they have been interrogating Lady Argentea(none too gently) at the orders of their boss for details of how Taldor nobility function, Taldan military structure and details of her life, informing him about what they garnered later. They have not been allowed to do anything more then giving her a few punches and kicks if she does not comply.
Crummock thinks that even though they put the blame on Rokhar, they were fully in agreement with his plans when they were carried out. They might be having second thoughts on whether kidnapping Lady Argentea was all that a good idea now...
After talking with the others, Mr. Whiskers is in favor of Einar's idea to have the bandits swear an oath. He volunteers for first watch that night. The plan in the morning is to leave the former bandits here and return to Heldren with Lady Argentea and Ten Penny.
He does check that there will be enough food for the bandits. He suggests we take the horses.
The supplies are running low. There might be enough to last a week, but not more then that. Ten Penny cooks everyone a soup made out of the remainder of horse, potato and onions, which is rather thin.
If they know how to rob then they know what it will take to stop robbers. Watching each of the brigands take a vow, when the are done Einar speaks to them. "Vee have tasked you vit protecting zee forest from robbers, ve vill come back. If you return to zee way of zee bandit, I vill hunt down, Der Sohn deiner Mutter, how you say, Every mozers son of you, ya."
Once the rescuers are separated from the ex-bandits, Einar points out, "Vee vill need to bring zem supplies, zo zat zay can do vat vee have instructed. Und vee will need to return zee weapons to zem."
The bandits are shepherded by Einar down to the cellars to be locked up, with Einar sleeping on the trapdoor on his bearskin rug. Their energies sapped by their injuries, they fall into a deep slumber and Einar does not get bothered throughout the night.
The night passes uneventfully. Ten penny boils an orange coloured tuber and passes everyone one each.
The party sets off, with Crummock using his magic to protect Ten-Penny and Lady Argentea from the cold. Ten Penny is excited to go to Heldren, while Lady Argentea is happy to be on her way to safety.
As they pass through the frozen woods, they see snake tracks. The tracks lead to two icy creatures with humanoid features above the waist, but below its body is a snake-like, slithering tail, hoisting Swiftfoot ontop of a pike. Swiftfoot's neck has been snapped and drags limply on the ground.
"Yes boss...though I don't think there will be any robbers boss. Nobody would be out in THAT weather." The ex bandit replies.
Seeing the creatures, Mr. Whiskers rushes forward through the snow and casts his Burning Hands spell, causing a cone of fire to envelope the two creatures.
"Melt, foul creatures!"
'I did not get to kill the little bastard in the cage, I will kill these two.' As Mister whiskers finishes his spell, Einar steps in front of him, to protect him from the larger fey, That song, it brings the light' Shuddering from the burning light, Einar begins to rage thrusting with his Glaive.
"Thank you Cadence and Einar!" Mr. Whiskers says, obviously relieved to have someone between him and the creatures he just tried to melt.
The elementals avoid the worst of the blast, though they seem to melt really well. Einar tries to strike one of the elementals, but finds his glaive boucing off ice.
The elementals drop Swiftfoot's body onto the ground. It lands on the snow with a soft thud, Swiftfoot's head twisted at an unatural angle. As the elementals close in with him, Einar shatters one of them with his glaive.
The other attacks Einar with its fists, and lands a solid uppercut on Einar's chin.
Crummock moves up and tries to stab at the remaining ice elemental.
Crummock slips on a patch of slippery snow, nearly slipping and falling and his blow ends up striking the snow next to the elemental.
No random encounters after this!
Near Swiftfoot, almost imperceptible on the snow, Einar spots a familiar mop of white hair. On closer inspection, the party finds a miniscule, white-skinned humanoid, with dragonfly wings on its back.It looks like the life has been squeezed out of this one, as it flops limply like a rag doll, all its bones having being crushed. There is a bent needle clutched in its right hand.
Cadence recognises the creature as an Atomie. They are resistant to damage except by cold iron, can speak to animals, and can even turn invisible.
Crummock dusts off his hands.
"Right then. Let's be gettin' back to town. The sooner we do, the sooner we can re-group, an' see if we can sort-out what, precisely, is happening with the Unseelie around here."
Cadence shatters the last one.
Mr. Whiskers looks down at the Atomie and says "I hope we weren't the reason it was killed. It may be that the invading winter touched are going after all the native fey."
While Einar is dressing out the stag, Mr. Whiskers builds a small rock cairn and sets the tiny fey in it. "May you find your way back to the first world and be at peace."
Wiping his hands off, he returns the shovel to Accapella's pack and makes sure everyone is ready to move on again.