I believe that my companions and I will aid in the handling of this threat as you have described it, m'lady. I would ask that we be provided any assistance necessary from the council before heading into the teeth of the danger at the portal. In other words, is there some payment anticipated for our services? I would also like to hear what the Council seeks as an endgame to the threat.
When Arannis has finished looking around town, he goes to wait outside where the meeting is held, ready to act on whatever its resolution may be.
The council talks among themselves.At last something seems settled and Ionnia Teppen speaks to Vic "Very well, if you agree to handled this, we will supply you equipment you require.." She is cut off by an older man saying "within reason of course." She sighs, "Yes, within reason. We will cover up to 80 gp of equipment and can provide a modest fee of 150 gp for your services. do you agree?"
In the silence in between, as the offer hangs in the air, Lady Malassene speaks "If you agree , I will pay you 500 gold from my personal wealth upon your return."
Vic nods.
I assume this will sit well with my companions. I will agree on our behalf right now, pending final confirmation, after I speak with the group as a whole. May I have a moment to consult with those that you wish to engage?
Vic bows politely, and he backs out of the council chamber with a hop in his step.
By all means, carry on, I will just be a moment.
Vic steps outside the chamber and calls to Arannis and any others present.
Quickly, can we gather the others to the council chamber? We have a proposal for our services that I think everyone will agree upon. I would like to head back in together.
Arannis pops up from his sitting position by the door, face adorned with his usual bright smile.
"Certainly!" he says, hefting his staff with a little twirl. "I'll run and fetch everyone."
He trots energetically away to find the others.
Barl literally jumps (off of a bar stool) at the opportunity. "I'd have probably done it for free. Getting paid is even better! When do we leave?!"
Tursk steps away from his grim work to mull over the request.
"Yes, of course. I will be more than willing to take this on with the others."
Absolutely. It is what I get paid to do
The council accepts and asks that you leave in the morning. This give you tonight to see Helen on her way and buy any supplies you think you may need.
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The heroes, save Barl and Tursk, all carry Helen's funerary boat. They gently placed it into the icy-cold water. And stepped away. Barl stands next to a lit brazier, with a large, sacramental bow covered in Erastilan symbols in his hands. And next to him, looking grim and subdued is Tursk.
After a moment, Tursk finally speaks.
"The first gift we ever receive is family." The others repeated his words.
"I’ve only known Helen for a few weeks. She did not grow up here. This was not her home by birth. But by choice. When the call went out to aid our neighbors, she answered. She was under no obligation. No duty. She merely took it upon herself to help. And so I say, that while we did not grow up with her. That it makes her no less our family."
"The first gift we ever receive is family." The others repeated his words once again.
"And so we are burdened by her loss. But strengthened by her memory. Gods watch over Helen Gardamum and guide her to her final home."
By this point the boat had drifted into the center of the lake. Tursk looked to Barl, and gave a nearly imperceptible nod.
Barl lit the arrow in the brazier and drew back the bow, his powerful muscles making the longbow creak loudly in the solemnly quiet air. He held the shot for a long moment, judged the distance, and let the missile fly. It landed dead center. A perfect shot.
Erastil was pleased.
The boat went up in flames.
"Farewell, Helen. Til we meet again. Tell my wife, I miss her," Tursk said quietly.
You set out in the early morning light. A snow has covered the ground, ankle deep and your breath forums clouds in the air,well some of you anyhow. As you enter the woods the cold and the snow has deepened, its near knee deep as you trudge though the forest and toward the lodge. The going is slow as the snow and bitter cold fight you all the way, mores now falls and its hard to remember this should be summer.
It is well past midday when you make it to the lodge. It seems to be as you left it with no sign of fire or light from the inside. The question that is left to you, is do you lodge for the night here with so much daylight left or move on down the trail?
It is only mid-day. I say we move on to our task.
Kat nods. The cold had not really been bothering her that much..yet.. and Vic was right. There was little point in settling in here with so much light.
"I suggest we wait here, we can't know the next time we'll get good shelter. But if you would rather trudge on, then so be it. I can see the value in haste."
I say we move forward. Not that we are on a strict time limit, but if we wait, more trouble could be our way. Like, lets head out before we run into a few Yeti's, or better yet, head out before the next avalanche happens.
"Yep!" Barl pats Ulga. "Let's go smack a troll!!"
With the majority wanting to move forward, that is just what you do. You spend hours going deeper and deeper into the frozen forest, pushing across barely used trails and ever increasing wintry chills. within a few hours you come to a clearing. Dozens of bolder sized chunks of ice litter the clearing. At its center a strange hut sits upon tree trunks, overlooking the clearing.
Vic puts a finger to his lips and circles around to stealthily approach the hut from the side. He is ever-wary of traps as he advances.
Tursk stays put, trusting in Vic's scouting prowess. But his hand gripped his spear hard, all the same.
Vic moves far afield, trying to come at the hut from the side as the others wait. They do however see a small child walking though the field, dashing behind the bolder.
I will get to a spot where I can examine the child from a distance without being noticed, while looking for traps.
what kind of face do I see? Is he human, gnomish, not human at all? And do I spot any traps?
Barl hangs back, letting the rogues do their thing. He keeps his grip on Ulga tight though, the massive hammer held out in front of him defensively.
When the child runs past.
"Whoa." he whispers. "Did you all just see a kid run by?"
Seeing that his new companions seem to have a clear idea of what they want to do, Arannis waits patiently in place, smiling brightly.
After seeing the child, he says, "Hey, a kid! Kids are great!"
Vic will try to peer inside when he gets near the house.
Jack enter the field, looking for the girl, she seems to be a human child, maybe six or seven years of age. Blond headed with Ulfan features. The girl seem to react to Arannis's calls, and glances back at you "I'm sorry! Don't hurt me! I never meant to call you names!" The child screams.
Vic has crept closer, but the house is too high up and dark to get a good view from outside it seems.
Jack fires an arrow from his shortbow at the girl
And then says a sentence to justify his actions.
There is no way a girl like you can survive out here in the cold by yourself, and that house looks creepy. Obviously you are a fey, or supernatural. She wants to kill us when we are not looking, or she will call upon an army to kill us, which justifies shooting her from being hidden, which justifies shooting her first.
"NO!" Arannis shrieks, darting toward the location of the girl with a look of alarm on his face. "Are you stupid, Jack?!" he growls, "You're fey-blooded yourself and you're ready to kill someone just for maybe being the same?!"
Vic heads back towards the others and the scene beginning to develop with the child.
"Wha?" Kat looks from person, trying to make sense of what just happened before heading towards the fallen child.
"Wha?" Kat looks from person, trying to make sense of what just happened before heading towards the fallen child.
"Holy crap, you shot the kid?!" Barl follows the others forward to check on the child.
The girl screams as the arrow strikes her and falls behind one of the boulders. The violent act seems to have awakened something and a feeling of terror and unease seems to sweep across you all
If you fail this save the feeling of terror over takes you. You have no choice but to run randomly as all thoughts but escaping from the unknowable horror consume you.
Barl feels a sense of dread at the edges of his mind, but is able to overcome it. He pushes forward despite is mind telling him to flee.
"Little girl are you alright?"
Upon approaching the scene and seeing Jack down the child, Vic senses the terror and unease of the act, but he also recognizes that the assassin may simply be acting in his very nature, as absurd as that may be.
He rushes behind the boulder to aid the fallen child.
"Aaaaiiiieeeee!!!"
Arannis runs screaming out of the clearing, hands flailing over his head.
"Is she alright?" Kat asks as she comes up behind Vic and Barl.
Tursk feels fear grip him for a moment, but the thought of an innocent in danger banishes the panic. Instead he runs to the girl ready to cast healing.
"Are you alright, little girl?"
Whatever you do, don't approach the child until it is safe to do so. I may have unleashed something.
I scan the area for additional creatures
You see no girl, nor any spot of blood, although you do hear a hailing as if someone is in great pain, coming from the house. Your new elf companion seems to have fled into the woodland.
I will find my way up to the roof to sneak in through the chimney.
There is a door way and some small windows. The house itself is rather small, maybe one one you would guess. It lacks a chimney,not that Jack had any luck climbing those cold, icy stilts.
There is however a ladder that leads up to the doorway.
I noticed no traps. Shall we?
Vic climbs the ladder and peers inside.
Jack will follow Victor.
Vic alone can see into the hut, it seems to be a single room with only a chair to take up space. A child's doll sits on the chair. He sees nothing else in the hut.
Vic whispers to the others.
There is a doll in a chair, and that is all. I am heading in. Are you with me?
A cry inside the house earlier and now a doll? Obviously, this house is possessed by demonic spirits
Jack moves inside stabs the doll with his short sword
oh right
and then with his offhand attack knock over the chair with his left hand
I suggest someone set the house on fire, a burning hands will do.