Arrac approaches the skeleton and smashes it to pieces , however, it's freezing aura can be felt keenly... Arrac's familiarity with cold environments easily shrugs off the cold damage however.
R 1
Hassan
red
blue
Lanfried
Grawlic
Arrac
Green
Wassallissa
Newmark
Lanfried moves forward and whips a stone from his sling at the red enemy.
Grawlic, go get that one He points to green.
Grawlic darts forward and attacks Green.
After the bite Grawlic tries to bring the enemy down to the ground.
After Arrac comes down hard on his opponent Lanfried loose with his sling, both shatter their opponents bones, causing a a disruptive force of cold to *explode* from the remains of the skeletons. Fortunately no one is near the one Lanfried struck with his sling stone, however, Arrac's close proximity does not spare him completely from the effects of his adversary's death throes explode into a cascade of cold energy.
Lanfired then orders Grawlic to attack the green frozen undead shambler.. Grawlic bounds up taking a nasty bite tearing of several of the skeleton's ribs ...but, in the process the poor cat's noose and mouth are nearly frozen as the unnatural biting cold emitting from the undead hurts the luckless animal as it in turn damages the undead.
The green skeleton attacks the cat in front of it.
Newmark trudges forward to get a better look at what's going on in the battlefield.
R 1 / R 2
Hassan
Lanfried
Grawlic
Arrac
Green
Wassallissa
Newmark
Wassilissa moves closer to the enemy. As an arrow had a chance of going right through the spaces between the bones, she decides to do some magic. Pointing her finger in the direction of the skeleton a small fast light draws a line from her finger to the undead bones.
both Wassillissa and Hassan send bolts of energy towards the green skeleton Wassillissa nicks it Hassan misses it completely.
R 2
Hassan
Lanfried
Grawlic
Arrac
Green
Wassallissa
Newmark
Lanfried moves up in support of Grawlic as the cat continues its attack.
Grawlic bites at the enemy
After the failed bite he claws at the enemy
Arrac will move up as well.
Grawlic's fur continues to take on frost in close proximity to the frozen skeleton... the poor cat shivers uncontrollably as it's jaws snap on air and it's claws rake the just bare bone of the skeleton... doing no damage whatsoever to the undead... The freezing horror just manages to dodge Arrac's massive blow. The freezing skeleton drops it's nearly broken scimitar and attacks both Arrac and the cat.
The skeleton rakes it's hand across the Arrac's chest nearly reaching the big man's throat..fortunately the Northman pulls away before the undead rips his throats out.
Newmark, pushes forward through the snow.
R 2
Hassan
Lanfried
Grawlic
Arrac
Green
Wassallissa
Newmark
Wassilissa is glad, that Arrac and Grawlic keep that skeleton away from her. As she sees that the undead resists Arrac and Grawlic's attacks, she gives her magic another try.
Both Wassillissa and Arrac fire rays at the nimble undead freezing bag of bones..Wasssillissa's misses but Hassan's strikes home.. causing several of the bones on the skeleton, to make a loud sound..hover, the unnatural thing remains standing...
R 3
Hassan
Lanfried
Grawlic
Arrac
Green
Wassallissa
Newmark
Arrac takes a swing at the skeleton once again with his cold iron hammer. possibly trying to strike the ribs for some spooky music.
Arrac's hammer smashes the frozen skeleton to pieces igniting yet another blast of cold in the undead's creature's death throes.
Combat over.
As the shattered pieces of the skeleton drop to the ground, the area grows quiet again.. only a light wind blowing through the tops of the snow covered evergreens.
You check the gear of the undead and find nothing of real value. A quick scout of the area, reveals nothing of interest, as well.
Arrac sniffs as the icy wind erupts from the creature.
He rubs at his throat and speaks with a mildly hoarse voice.
Any of you have any healing magic? I think I may be getting a sore throat.
"Sorry, I don't." Wassilissa replies. She never did, but since she is throwing around magic too recently, she felt the need to clarify.
"I wonder what this increasing cold will lead to. And who else came with it to hinder us from finding out."
I have some limited healing magics.
You move deeper into the woods following a game trail that the bandit that ambushed you told you about.
Eventually, you reach an area.. where the rocks and snow along a ridge near the trail, seemed to be stained with a reddish brown (almost as if a huge rusty piece of metal was dripping stained water over the entire area). There are many tracks of both animal and humanionds that, cross the area.
Arrac stops and smells the air, trying to see if he can catch a hint of any metallic smell, but can't seem to find anything but the smell of pine and snow.
Wassilissa checks if Arrac correctly follows the tracks. It's not too hard in the snow. But as they reach that trampled place curiosity about the strange color in the snow takes over.
"Have you ever seen something like that?" She kneels down to inspect it closer.
Arrac leads the group at a steady pace, Hassan spots the rust spots, that indeed now appears to be blood. Hassan also spots what appears to be a frozen leg sticking halfway out of a snowbank. Meanwhile Wassillisa, investigates the tracks and determines the large animal tracks indicate that, a rare Giant Weasel might be in the area and that it could be injured.
"Oh s@%~." Wassilissa calls out, stands up and looks around nervously. "This might be from a fight with a giant weasel. Watch out, they are stealthy and fast."
"I hope we're lucky and it doesn't dare to attack a group. But if it's wounded and we stumble into it, it might get ugly."
On the walk Lanfried will use the wand that was provided to heal Grawlic up.
Hah, That sounds like quite the catch, Though if it was wounded, I to doubt it would actively attack us, unless we happen to run into it in a confined area... Unless they are particularly territorial?
Arrac looks around
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Newmark ambles over toward's the leg sticking out of the snow bank while looking wide eyed around for a gigantic marmot or something to attack...he points and says..Um...guys there's still a body attached to those legs...look here Says Newmark pointing at the snowbank, Poor sod is just covered in snow.. Newmark keeps a few paces from the body but seems to be studying the area.
Hm, I wonder what he was doing out here? Arrac will walk over to the body as well, before getting too close, he will draw out his Ranseur and pat the snow slowly around the body, starting from about 15ft away from it.
Wassilissa walk over and digs the body out with her hands. "You stab everything that jumps out?" she makes sure with Arrac.
Once the dead is freed from the snow she tries to find out what he died of.
Wassillissa thinks she recognizes the poor sod after digging him out..
This was some weeks ago, before the snow started falling heavy and the three new comers you now travel with..(Newmark, Hassan, and Arrac.) arrived.
Unfortunately for Dryden, the townsfolk of Heldren scoffed at his tale of giant critters in the woods. The townsfolk criticism must have only spurred Dryden to hunt down the beast, so he could make a trophy of it and prove everyone wrong. It seems a sad ending for someone you had admired. He had no surviving kin that you know of.
Wassillissa is quiet as she inspects the body. She pulls off several significant items off the man as she inspects his wounds. She nods in resigned acceptance as she determines indeed some giant animal had mauled this poor man. In a pile next to the man Wassillissa reverently lays a few of the man's former possessions. A Homemade pair of snowshoes, 5 arrows, a compound short bow that's been snapped in half, and a large hunter's knife .
Hassan is silent while all this transpires. He is alert however scaning the area for possible ambush or predators. In a nearby snowbank, not far from the body, Hassan spots the strap of of some type of leather satchel.
While Wassillissa digs the rest of the body out, Newmark intrested..cast detect magic on the frozen man's body, and discovers two of the arrows are magical.
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Noting Wassillissa's care with the frozen man's body Newmark is slightly hesitant to ask, Um I'm sorry to interrupt..did you know him? Newmark nods after receiving a reply from Wassillissa.
"I know this guy. The name is Dryden Kepp. Looks like he was killed by the people of mocking by the people of Heldren and his pride. He told of a giant white weael. And no one believed him."
"There on his neck is the proof he was right. Not that it will do him any good."
"From what I know about Kepp, the arrows are probably for hunting dangerous animals. Like bears or giant weasels. But my knowledge of that kind of magic is too basic to tell for sure."
Lanfried will look at the bite on the neck.
Any trail is likely long past being able to be followed, but keep an eye out for anything large and aggressive.
"That's a giant weasel bite. There is no mistaking that one." Wassilissa tells Lanfried.
Wassillissa tells the others who the frozen man was and cast detect magic and identifies the two magic arrows confirming that they are indeed +1 animal bane arrows. Hassan meanwhile retrieves the pack out of the snow bank and rifles through it finding; 3 days of trail rations, a hip flask full of strong applejack whiskey (you know it's strong because it isn't frozen like the the water in Dryden's waterskin), you also find a frozen but still intact journal.
While Wassillissa is identifying items and investigating the man's method of demise, Nemark says boldly (feeling a little left out)..Well no offense to your friend but I know what those shoes he fashioned are good for..and I've seen similar ones when I trained for a while in Irrisen. Since Lanfried and myself have the short legs it would benefit the whole group if we moved a bit faster. Newmark bends down and ustraps Dryden's snowshoes. Then Newmark takes a twig from the ground and breaks it in two one piece larger than the other.
He holds the twigs in a closed fist out to Lanfried, with only the ends showing. Longest straw gets the snoeshoes? offers Newmark.
Wassilissa takes the journal and bags it. "Once we get to a cozy place again and it thaws I'll take a look into it. Don't want to break it, as frozen as it is."
I say we leave him as he lays. He will benefit nature more by providing for the fungus and small creatures.
"It's not like we could dig a proper grave anyway. We got no tools and the soil is frozen. It's a shame." Wassilissa comments.
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Hassan says a few words of mourning for the man he did not know, telling him that the face of the Dawnflower will soon shine upon him once they can rid themselves (and the woods) of this infernal cold.
Hassan is well bundled in the magical cloak and does not feel the cold at all. He makes sure Wasilissa gets teh animal bane arrows. "If there is truly a great weasel about, these may come in quite handy."
With the gear from Kepp sorted and the proper words said, Hassan suggests it is time to continue moving on. "Keep a sharp eye out for this weasel." he says to all.
Always, let us move on. I'd rather not join his fate. Arrac says after everything useful is compiled.
Your group moves on...pushing through the game trails now covered with thick snow.. ...You pace slows as the temperature drops and the banks of snow grow ever thicker.
The forest grows quiet except for the occasional breeze through the trees.
"If the snow gets any thicker, we can build an igloo." Wassilissa comments while watching out for the weasel and the tracks in the snow.
Lanfried moves forward, looking for game sign.
As the area gets more quiet Lanfried gets more worried. He looks around, a strange feeling in his gut.