Sigma and Co.'s Reign of Winter

Game Master Justin Harrell 615

"Nay this just be telling us we be going the right way. These tracks be them going to ambush them." Feinmeir says pointing to the hooves leading to where the party came from. "And these be the ones we want to follow the rest of the way, I believe we be getting closer." He points to other tracks and then continues on.

In case of new tracking roll needed: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Connor looks over the hoof prints, trying to see if they are horse or deer before finally nodding in agreement with Feinmeir, "We must be getting closer to their base of operations."

Survival: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

looking closely at the hoofprints, you can tell they belong to a stag, and are fresh, no more than an hour old. You can follow the tracks or continue on.

Connor shakes his head, "Just a deer."

"Does it look like the right weight for a stag? Some people ride stags, and they'd be heavier."

You hear some soft rustling through the brush and a stag walks out towards you. Its coat is white and looks at the lot of you in turn.

"What brings you here to my kingdom?" you hear come from the stag.

bluff: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22

"Cool, a talking deer. Even better!" Demona approaches the stag carefully. "Good day, sir. We are travelers, and we noticed this strange cold and were curious. Are you the cause of the unnatural weather?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Sensing the motive: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

"I'd not believe it unless I be seeing it, we be here searching for a group of bandits." Feinmeir answers truthfully.

Connor is taken back for a moment by the talking deer. At this inopportune moment, his stomach suddenly growls as he stares down the walking venison steak, "What kingdom would that be, stag? One that harbors marauding bandits and angry fey? We seek a human woman kidnapped against her will."

Sense Motive: 1d20 ⇒ 7

Merisiel will look closely as she has a hard time with having a deer talk

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10 but then again magic and awaken animals do exit.

Crummy Sense Motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Arthrax has no use for talking animals, stags or otherwise, unless they want to entertain him as he cooks them up for dinner. He is inclined to just ignore the creature and carry on, real or no. The impetuous sorceress changes that however, and he finds himself approaching the creature with her, cold iron axe on his shoulder, feeling like a fool.

He hears the others'comments, Connor's in particular, and silently agrees. Quite a kingdom the creature kept, if such things roamed in it.

"Does a human king know all happenings in his kingdom at all times. This forest is my kingdom now and I do my best to protect it. The fey are guardians of such." The stag replies.

Connor pulls back his lips in a toothy smile at the stag, "Then we're in agreement. Out of our way, Stag Lord, and we'll be about our business. We seek those that use your kingdom for criminal pursuits and we mean no ill will to your more mundane subjects. If you herd your people from our path, it shall go all the quicker."

Arthrax notices some inconsistencies, particularly the one where ice loving little people and white deer aren't native to Taldor in summer, as far as he knew. His brow furrows as he processes the info, holding out a hand to restrain Demona from proceeding any closer to the questionable stag.

"Okay. I have now officially seen everything. If this deer starts to shoot lighting from its antlers and starts flying, I am officially done here," Ikkis says, half-jokingly. Half-jokingly, because part of him almost expects that to happen now that he's said it.

In anticipation that something is about to go horribly, horribly wrong, he does his best to survey the stag and his surroundings, but as in most things he does, he does so rather hurriedly and without proper concentration.

Perception: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (10) - 2 = 8
Sense Motive on Stag: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (3) - 2 = 1

"you shall do no such thing," The stag says in response to Connor. [b]"As i said, the fey are the guardians of my realm and will take care of these bandits."

bluff: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28

"Sorry but there be someone we're trying to retrieve from them bandits and I don't be thinking your fey can carry her." Feinmeir responded.

Worthless sense motive here we go. 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

"Besides, Your Highness, when the fey found out we wanted to rescue her, they tried to kill us!"

She pauses a moment. "Oh wait! I probably shouldn't have said that. Ummm...pretend you didn't hear!"

"If my knights have taken issue with your party, it is not without reason. I must ask you to leave my kingdom."

bluff: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

Arthrax rumbles deep in his chest, his irritation with this conversation growing. "The day I listen to a talking deer is the day I run back home to mommy and daddy. We have a woman to rescue, and will not be deterred. If your 'knights' wish to help, we will gladly receive them. If not, then buzz off."

Connor's stomach growls again as the stag continues to talk. Even in the cold air, sweat beads on the man's skin as he strains to contain something, "Enough talk. Step aside, Stag Lord. We have a job to do. Last warning." Anyone who happens to glance at Connor's face will note that it is starting to look a little strange. Was his five o'clock shadow that scraggly and thick before? Are his teeth really that long?

If the stag does anything but start to walk away in the next 5-10 seconds, Connor will be shifting into his Skinwalker form.

Demona casts detect magic and looks about for auras of sprite magic.

"I believe I will be walking right in to your kingdom and walking right out."

Pleasssssse Sense Motive: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
I give up this stag is unreadable

what can i say, i roll good for skills and poor for attacks

As Demona searches the stag for a magical aura, she sees a small, faint aura around the shoulderblades of the stag, though she's unsure if the aura is from the sprites or some other force.

I respect the fey in general Stag what do you supposed those winter touched fey are doing in your forest? are they also guardians of your forest?

Knowledge Arcana: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15 to identify the aura

You're unable to identify the spell

Before the stag can respond his ears twitch and looks away for a moment before walking off a few feet to nose aside snow and graze. You hear more speaking coming from the stag, but are unable to understand it.

at least i think you're unable to understand it. Does anyone speak sylvan?

Arthrax cocks his head at this puzzling development. First the stag demanded they leave his 'kingdom', now he felt the need for a mid-conversation snack. Hearing the strange language, the warrior rolls his eyes and dons his shield. He will start continuing down the path, trying to nudge Demona along beside him.

"Well if that's all, we'll be going then. Thanks for the warnings and all. Bye."

Demona will be taking that language next level, but she doesn't have it yet. She spends a few moments listening to the language, trying to puzzle out several of the sounds before Arthrax shoves her up the path.

Ikkis follows Arthrax, eager to get away from the creature.

No sylvan here even tough meri does speak a bunch of languages

Connor shakes his head like a wet dog before he starts walking past the stag with the others. A low growl is still creeping from his throat but it grows quieter the further they get from the deer.

Feinmeir follows the others watching the stag as they pass.

sorry, sorry. Been real busy the past couple weeks at work and been exhausted when i get home. Hopefully they'll be easier on me this week... hopefully

"I'm afraid i can't let you leave, The stag seems to say as it continue's to graze. "Orys... ORYS STOP THAT ALREADY!"

The stag looks up and turns its attention back on you. "I know of the bite your axe has. I won't have it biting me any time soon."

Ok, I need a little help with this spell. The "stag" is using reduce item on Arthrax's cold iron axe. Spell says that will negates (object) so does the axe make the will save or its wielder since it's being attended too...

The "axe" makes the save, using the wielder's total Will save bonus, so basically Iso makes the Will save.

Axe Will: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15

Just to help things along.

Arthrax turns back at the stag's proclamation. He starts to respond, then his gaze turns curious as the stag addresses someone else...who has yet to make an appearance, apparently. He shrugs, the stag had stated its intent, so he got ready to fight.

Connor stops dead in his tracks as the stag's voice tells them to stop. A shudder goes down the young man's back as his face seems to stretch with audible cracks and pops accompanying the transformation. He suddenly turns toward the stag, his face now some step between man and wolf as his lip curls up in a snarl that displays the mouth full of sharpened teeth, "Grrrr-you ha-snarl-d to not listen. Grrrr. Listen now. Rrrrun!"

The predator inside taking over, Connor plants his polearm into the snowy ground and unslings his axe as he starts prowling toward the stag.

Connor is transforming into his alternate form as a standard action. Gaining a bite attack as his trait this time. He is then using a move action to start toward the stag and change out for his greataxe while doing so.

"Ummmmm...what the hell, Connor?" Arthrax looks in revulsion at his companion's transformation. That seemed like something that probably should have been mentioned before now. Maybe just a friendly 'hey my face might shift and pop and crackle and grow fangs and stuff, but no worries, mate, it's all good'. Courtesies, that was it. The people in this party lacked simply courtesy!

ok, having trouble teying to get the map up cause i'm on my phone. Will try to get it up as soon as possible

At the stag's words the cold iron ax shrinks down to (i think) diminitive size in his hands. What was once just a stag standing before you now stands a stag with a dimunitive blue fae upon his crown, now visible as if some veil had been lifted from your eyes. "You might have frightened off my weaker cousins, but you won't find me as easy."
And just as soon as you've noticed the fae, he's disapeared again.

Round 1:
Ikkis
Merisiel
Arthrax
Baddies
Feinmeir
Demona
Connor

edit: what the fae looks like (minus the sickle i believe).

Arthrax groans as the magic shrinks the axe in his hand. He drops it, grabbing his steel battle axe from his back as he charges forward, bringing it down in a might arc for the stag itself.

Axe Charge: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Round 1

Currently no action (delay) for the moment for merisiel...

Spellcraft to identify that spell: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26

Assuming that's good enough, she shouts to Arthrax, "Toss it hard against a solid surface, and it'll grow back!"

Invisibility

Sorry, I meant the shrink item spell.

The sorceress calls out to him, but alas, she is too late. Maybe the dwarf would be able to react and pick up the axe and do as she said. He was already committed to his action, attempting to take the stag out from under the little bastard. He had had about enough of little pixie-things.

oh... well yeah, you already know the spell. Lol

Of course, just dropping it might work. The spell just says to toss the shrunk item onto a solid surface.

"It's just one thing after another, isn't it? Wait, where'd he go!?"

Ikkis once again raises his shield, unsure of where the next attack will be coming from.

Ikkis takes the total defense action, raising his AC to 25 again.

Snow's a soft surface though and its too little to sink in far.

Arthrax's axe cuts into the stag's shoulder. the beast's ears twitch and eyes go wild at the sudden rush of pain and scent of its own blood. It attempts to gore Arthrax before raising up on its hind legs, its forlegs thrashing about.

From the opposite side of Arthrax, the atomie appears again, its small rapier attempting to find a weakspot in his armor.

Round 1:
Ikkis
Merisiel
Arthrax
Baddies stag -5
Feinmeir
Demona
Connor

Demona moves wherever she has to to catch only the fey in her flame jet.

Fire Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4, Reflex save DC 14 for half damage or catch fire