Lucetta wakes with a start, yet despite the dark hour she feels more alive than ever, perhaps a byproduct of the stuff of shadows infusing her blood. She hops to her feet and immediately brings magic to hand, casting her hands outwards towards the nearest elemental, seeking to target as many of the enemy as possible without affecting the crew or the party.
The small ice demon completely surprises the sleeping Arthur and its icy attack bites deep into his back. The cold threatens to draing away his life energy but Arthur wills it bacl. Rolling away and jumping to his feet, he draws his blade, letting the sheet fall to the deck. He swings the longsword using both hands at the small creature before him, alas his attack is to high.
, Using one villain point are the roll (+4)
Round 1: Initiative 7
Albrέkt's eyes snap open from his death-like slumber as the alert goes up. He sits up, allowing his graven vision to take in the scene...
:
... then rises with a rictus smile as he is unhampered by the accursed sun's bane.
The lumbering wretch hefts his scythe but reaches a gnarled hand to burn the nearest ice demon with fiendish flame;
"Eis daemons?! Feh. Nothing ist kälter zhan der dead..."
:
:
"Ice elementals!" Kaynen hisses upon spotting their ambushers while quickly standing. He quickly adds, "Use fire!"
He barely wastes a moment before he begins to hum softly to himself, selecting a child's lullaby as he unstraps and hurls a tiny flask in one fluid motion.
for
Seeing enemies abound, she does not waste time, trusting her superior vision and the ability to see in the darkness, she shoots the one that looks like to be the enemy’s leader, or the stronger looking one.
One of the elementals is out of the fight, but the other shakes off the spell.
Albrekt, Kaynan and Ember drop two of the creatures.
The remaining upright elemental attacks,
There is a mad cackle from the top of the mast and a trio of glowing orbs come whizzing out of the snowy darkness to strike Ember,
AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 16 (–1 Dex, +6natural, +1 size)
hp 13/13 x2
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +0
Immune cold, elemental traits
Weaknesses vulnerable to fire
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft., burrow (ice and snow only) 20 ft., swim 60 ft.
Melee slam +4 (1d4+1 plus 1d3 cold)
Special Attacks numbing cold (DC 12)
Numbing Cold (Su) When an ice elemental deals cold damage to a creature, that creature must succeed on a Fortitude save or be staggered for 1 round.
Round 1: Initiative 7
With two foes downed, the unholy warrior maintains his rictus grin as he nods toward the mast:
"Somevun deal vith ze pest above us Ja?"
before bringing his war scythe to bear on another elemental:
"Komm eis daemon. Time to die..."
:
:
Round 2
Another icy wound scars Arthurs body and while he once again manages to hold the chilling energy at bay it must have affected his aim as it once again is off, this time to short.
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Hearing the cackling from above and seeing the rain of magic, Lucetta frowns. Throwing her hands to the sides and placing one gently against some rigging, she suddenly rises upwards at a rapid pace.
Lucetta steels herself for whatever she'll find at the top of the mast.
Kaynen continues whistling as he lobs another bomb at an ice elemental, imaginging it to be a Mitran priest.
for
Abrekt drops the remaining standing elemental and Kaynen, Arthur and Ember quickly dispatch the disabled one.
Lucetta floats upwards towards the mast and sees a small humanoid creature with thin, leathery wings, small horns. It smiles mischieviously and blows a cone of freezing ice and snow into her face.
XP 800
N Small outsider (varies)
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +6
DEFENSE
AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge, +3 natural, +1 size)
hp 19 (3d10+3); fast healing 2
Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +3
DR 5/magic
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (average)
Melee 2 claws +5 (1d3+1)
Special Attacks breath weapon (15-foot cone, effect based on type, Reflex DC 13 for half)
As the last elemental drops before him Arthur curses himself for his poor performance. Seeing Lucetta float up the mast and the creature attacking her, he rushes to his belongings finding and readying his longbow.
Lucetta snarls as the bolt of ice slams in to her, though she turns her head at the last moment the freezing deluge leaves her with gritted teeth.
My turn!
she continues to rise upwards, and when she is close enough she throws her hand towards the creature, another burst of bright colors flashing from her hand across its face
Round 3
As Lucretta unleashes a spectrum of hostility, Albrέkt moves toward where the creature may land, scythe readied with a crooked smile...
"Komm little one. Death ist but der beginning..."
Kaynen glances up at the mephit but never loses his crooked smile.
"A mephit! We'll need to bring a lot of hurt onto it quickly before it heals!"
Kaynen begins to hum louder so that his allies may do their part as he begins to reach for another vial at his belt.
Ember uses her bow to attack once more, but it misses badly the target.
"Don't let anyone of them alive!"
Lucetta looses a burst of bright lights into the little beast's face and it stiffens , its tight grip on mast loosens and it drops away, the strong wind and motion of the ship causing it to land in the icy sea with a splash.
At last, the Frosthamar arrives at the ice-choked entrance to the River Taiga. Kargeld proves himself a worthy captain, nimbly sailing the heavily laden craft through fields of floating jagged ice. He barks orders in Norspik and his sailors scramble to comply. Again and again he turns the boat at just the right moment to pass between the broken shards calved from ancient glaciers.
Finally, after nerve-wracking hours of this, the boat pushes through the dangerous headwaters of the Taiga into the clear water of this almost uncharted mighty river.Beyond the headwaters is a land of savage wonders. The Taiga winds through a great northern forest that to the best of anyone’s knowledge has no name.
After miles and miles of picturesque pine trees frosted with new fallen snow, the ship comes to a great mountain range. This river flows through a great rift in the mountains that looks as if some impossible huge primordial giant smashed a pass through the grey slate.
Following the river, you are now returning to the south, though this appears to have no effect on lessening the intense cold. The river flow out from the great interior sea of Talingarde – Lake Tarik as it is known. To the south of that lake sits your ultimate destination, the Watch Wall. But your first stop rests on the northern bank in a wide wooded valley filled with the rising smokes of uncountable cook fires - the camp of Sakkarot Fire-Axe.
As you approach you can see that thousands of bugbears are already assembled and they are not alone. The occasional polar bear lumbers around the camp untended. Fur-clad goblins scamper here and there, laughing with frenetic glee. You even catch sight of a few hill giants lumbering at the camp’s fringes.
There is only one place to dock the boat – a crudely made pier that juts into the river. Your approach has not gone unnoticed and several bugbears (4) await your arrival on the pier.
On the deck of the Frosthamer Albrέkt finishes buckling up his heavy armour. He sets his helm upon his lank haired head and hefts his scythe;
"In minn tongue ve call Bugbears "Popanz"... Es means "bogeyman" or "puppet". Ve prefer ze latter Ja?"
The fell knight contemptuously spits overboard as they approach the dock.
When the creature plunges into the sea Arthur lowers the bow he just grabbed. "What was this?" he asks scouting for more enemies? When he realizes that there are none he takes care of his wounds and weapons.
Struggling to keep his food down Arthur manages to compliment Odenkrik just before he heaves the consumed breakfast into the waters.
"It is beautiful," Arthur remarks on this more peaceful sail through the forests.
Never again, he promises himself and follows Albrekt's example beginning to done his armour. Arthur can't help but smile at the remarks and adds: "It would be nice, but I fear it is more first." Once completed he joins his companions ready to fight should the need arise.
Kaynen drinks in the sight of the bugbear army, his smile growing broader with each noteworthy addition that he observes, whether it be bear or giant.
Smirking at Lucetta, he cannot resist commenting.
"You know, it's bigger than I expected. This army might just do..."
Kaynen formally salutes the bugbears before the ship even reaches the pier, his long hair adrift in the wind and bellows out a grand greeting.
"Greetings friend bugbears! We come to meet with Fire-Axe and serve as your personal siege weapons."
Kaynen pats his hip where several freshly-brewed bombs await deployment.
"And we just can't wait to get started!"
Gripping his sword and shield tightly Arthur looks to Kaynen and asks: "Do they understand us? If they do should we taunt them?"
Ember raises her hand with a flourish, a dark fog misting around her.
"I am sick of being on this damn boat. Get your leader and GET OFF MY PIER." Ember yells across the water as she heads to the railing of the boat.
"If you don't I will have my fun, for it has been far too long since I've had playthings." With the end of her speech, Ember raises her hand, the unholy flame of Asmodeus burning bright.
Reaching out with one hand the black mist travel up her arm and slowly meanders across the water towards the awaiting bugbears on the pier. It slowly encircles the closest one.
"So shall we play?" Ember ask with a maniacal chuckle.
The bugbear shakes of the worst of the mental suggestions.
One of the bugbears gives you a vicious grin and barks out in broken common, "You stupid. We eat you then take weapons. You die now."
23 Ember
13 Arthur
10 Bugbears
5 Lucetta
4 Kaynen
3 Albrekt
AC 16, touch 11, flat-footed 15 (+2 armor, +1 Dex, +3 natural) CMD 16
hp 16/16, 16/16, 16/16, 16/16
Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee great club +5 (1d10+3) Ranged javelin +3 (1d6+3)
"So, die." she says with a maniacal chuckle, loosing her bow and attacking one the nearest bugbear.
Stupid idea, Arthur tells himself as he disembark the ship to place himself in harm's way once again. "You shouldn't have taunted them," he grumbles as the cape and armour he stole once more engages in the deadly tangle with a bugbear. Holding his ground Arthur remain vigilant and raises his blade ready to strike any enemy that approaches.
Ember injures on and Arthurs deals another a vicious wound and the four lumber down the pier to fall upon him
The two that crowd in on him, fail to connect. The other two throw javelins at Ember
, but both arc out over the water.
AC 16, touch 11, flat-footed 15 (+2 armor, +1 Dex, +3 natural) CMD 16
hp 5/16, 4/16, 16/16, 16/16
Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee great club +5 (1d10+3) Ranged javelin +3 (1d6+3)
Round 1
Albrέkt moves to support his fellow Knot-warrior in Arthur. As he approaches the bugbear , the anti-paladin leers at his foe with a hungry look;
"I wunder what euer blut tastes like Popanz? Let us finder out Ja?"
:
Before bringing his scythe to bear:
:
:
Kaynen frowns ever briefly from his perch on the vessel, feeling as if his concert were suddenly and brutally cut short.
Rubbing his chin, he wonders if the bugbear just lack the capacity to appreciate fine music as he begins to whistle the score to a proper Asmodean dirge.
Lucetta imperiously addresses the bugbears
Stupidity is telling your opponent your plan...
she steps out to the side and brings her arcane might to bear, a blast of colors washing over the bugbears.
Under her breath she hums along with Kainen, her arms moving like a conductors as she enjoys herself thoroughly.
Laughting and stepping forward, but still behind the warriors, Ember shoots once more the bugbears.
"Yes, come, let me kill you all." she yells to everyone else present.
Albrekt cuts one of the bugbears down, its limp body tumbling into the water. Another looks dumbly at the arrow that sprouts from its chest before slumping to the pier,
The two remaining bugbears drop their weapons and sway stunned as Lucetta's spell washes over them.
What follows is a bloody one sided affair as Arthur slowly cuts his way through the bugbears attacking to the grim tune of Kaynen's performance. One bugbear is dealt another gaping wound with his sword and two paces later another has its skull pierced by the spikes on his shield. Bloodstains are everywhere as the determined man positions himself for the counter charge of the onlookers. "I can't hold all of them," he grimly states to his knot standing behind him hoping for them to quash the situation before it arises.
Kaynen takes a few steps ahead, expecting to meet other forces dispatched to their position, planning to deliver a few choice words as to their requirements to be properly met when they arrive again in the future.
Lucetta stands off to the side of the pier, watching the reaction of the other bugbears and making sure nothing is sneaking up on the rest of the party whilst they finish the creatures off.
Round 2
As Arthur wades in, Albrέkt pauses to stoop at his cloven foes corpse and sticks an armoured finger into the goblinoid's death wound.
The fell warrior licks his finger clean, spider trails of blood matting his beard as he mulls its taste.
"Mmm. Stronger tang than mesch... but nicht as sveet as elfe..."
He then hefts his scythe and lumbers toward the combatants...
Ember looks at the scene before her and takes another shot. But trusting in their eminent victory, she misses and misses bad her target.
After being stuck on that ship for so long, you relish the chance to stretch your muscles with a little of the good old ultra violence. Your orgiastic slaughter of the bugbears draws a crowd of savages, though after your display of prowess none seem inclined to try their luck against you, yet.
A few start to work themselves up to charge, but there is a commotion at the rear of the massed crowd and you soon see a massive black-furred bugbear approaching. In his hands is a massive battle axe wreathed in flames that he lashes out with at those too slow to move out of his way. As he steps out onto the edge of the pier, he calls out in flawless, unaccented common, "Who sent you?"
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Ember chuckles to herself. "Cardinal Thorn sent us, Sakkarot Fire-Axe." She states, making it clear she is aware of who he is.
"We have your supplies." She continues, with what could possibly be construed as a grin on her face. Walking onto the pier she points to the dead bugbears "We remove the ones that failed to listen to my simple instructions. Now let us go talk of war." Ember cruely adds pointing at the group of bugbears that had laid in wait on the pier for them.
Well done. Hopefully the rumours of that entrance will populate through this crowd, I have no interest in fighting an army right now.
Arthur eases his stance a fraction when their large black saviour arrives. Letting the others talk, he lowers his beloved sword and shield a little, ready should they be betrayed. When Ember speaks his remembers a little from their conversation with the cardinal and relaxes a little more, this is an important ally.
Lucetta is happy to let Ember take the lead, though she stands ready, appraising the flaming-weapon and its wielder. Her gaze passes across the army at Fire-axe's back, and she is glad the knot made such an entrance.
If these creatures respect might, the knot might just be in with a chance.
Albrέkt just stoically stands watching, his beard and scythe laced with bugbear blood...
The bugbear nods, “Then you are welcome here.”
He turns to the somewhat stunned throng of bugbears who were getting ready to storm the boat and eat the occupants. “These humans are my guests. I will deal with anyone who harms them. They are our allies!”
He walks over to the boat and rips open one of the crates revealing finely made axes with in. He tosses one to a nearby bugbear warrior who until this time only had a crude club to wield. “Behold, they bring us steel!”
A terrifying chorus of growls and cheers erupts from the monstrous assembly and the boat is unloaded. Sakkarot’s lieutenants see that each case is distributed and soon you witness a visible transformation in the camp. Where once there were a thousand bugbear savages, now there are a thousand bugbear soldiers each with new weapons and shields adorned with the emblem of the fire axe.
That evening, Sakkarot holds a feast in honor of the weapons shipment and their allies. The feast is a brutal, savage affair with bugbears fighting each other and all manner of other monsters in attendance. The highlight of the party is when a great shaggy dire boar recently captured from the northern woods is brought in shackles. One ton of angry pig is led in by a dozen bugbears who drag the beast before the Chieftain where Sakkarot beheads wounded animal in one mighty stroke with his fire axe. The beast is then spitted and roasted in a great open pit.
Eventually the raucous bestial festivities of the bugbear tribes die down and Sakkarot summons you into his private tent and dismisses his many followers with a deep growl.
Now alone, he asks you with genuine curiosity, “You are traitors to your own kind. You must know that. When Balentyne falls and my horde pours through its shattered gates, we will slaughter the Talireans by the thousands. Yet I see no regret in your eyes. Tell me, how can this be so?"
Waving a hand around to encompass their luxurious surroundings, Lucetta smiles at the bugbear
Sakkarot you have honored us with this feast, it is our pleasure to do the bidding of the Cardinal, but also to serve an ally well
she hoists her drinking vessel in a toast, then leans in slightly to answer his question
By 'our kind', you presume perhaps that all Talireans are loyal to the common good? Let me wipe the veil from your mind, we are not those who bite the hand that fed us, we are those that were mistreated, and seek vengeance and revenge upon those who judged us with no understanding. The Talireans place Mitra, and Mitran doctrine, above all else, leaving no room for those left outside of the church's light/
She gestures at the rest of the knot, Ember, Arthur, Albrέkt and Kaynen.
Each of us here has a tale to tell that leaves no remorse or regret in our hearts, we are dedicated to the cause of our master. Today that cause is war, Balentyne as the anvil the Talireans hide upon, and you as the hammer!
She shouts, uncharacteristically coarse for her normal ladylike manners, but sinking fully in to the culture she finds herself immersed in.
Albrέkt smiles his cracked tooth rictus at Sakkarot and Lucretta's words, before adding his own whispered wisdom;
Der Pallid Prinzessin tells us zat "The grave opens to us all. We hasten the living on their inevitable path". Serving zhis Knoten und Kardinal Thorn allows me to be ein instrument of such phantastisch transition... und to vitness der deeds of zhose who vould machen likewise!"
The armoured wretch maintains his death-grin as he too raises his drinking goblet in a toast;
"Der Hammer!"
Und der arm zhat zwings it "Great Popanz"...
As many times before Arthur remained quiet as the others spoke. Sakkarots question stirred something within him. At first he contemplated why the bugbear had any interest in them. That concern was however almost immediately pushed aside by the question itself. Did he really want to see thousands of Talireans slaughtered. No he did not want, he needed to, it was the only way to be with his wife and children again. An unpleasant option clawed its way into his conscience, or have his revenge. A single tear formed and dropped, he continued to remain quiet.
The articulate brute nods and pulls aside his great breastplate. You can see that the Asmodean holy symbol has been branded into his skin. "We all have our masters to serve."
“Tomorrow you must depart this camp. It will never be truly safe for you here. Over the next week, more tribes will rally to my banner. I will promise them blood and give them steel. Then at last I will be ready to march. A week after that, I will be poised to strike. I will move my horde to the valley just north of Balentyne. There we will wait for your signal. Fire this rocket into the air. Within the hour, we will attack. Make sure that the way is ready. If the fortress is not weakened, my horde will smash to pieces against it."
"After we gather, my horde will be idle and start to grow anxious. I can hold them together for another two weeks. After that, I expect desertions and squabbling. Get your work done before then. You have one month to infiltrate and destroy Balentyne.”
“Can you do this thing? In one month can you break the Watch Wall?”
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Kaynen allows himself to submit to the exhiliration and dulled judgements that accompany merriment and drink at the feast.
He flushes and takes on a distant gaze as the question is posed about why they would fight against Talireans.
"It... musssht be done!"
He sloshes his drink a bit to accent his point.
"The peoplesh... they are forshed... to worship Mitra! There ishh no freedom, no chansh for the artsh to blosshom when every painting, every shhong mushtt commemorate thish one god!"
The half-elf continues his tirades throughout the night, explaining how every last temple will be destroyed and he will bring balance to the Forshhh...
As the topic of timelines and destroying Balentyne is posed, Kaynen has achieved a level of sobriety once again. He continues to wear his trademark smile, but it's clear it's an effort to do so.
"Yes, ugh... "
The half-elf rubs his temples.
"Rubble will remain where the wall once stood..."
At Sakkarot's request, the armoured wretch nods slowly;
"Ja. In vun monat der grave aus Balentyne vill be dug... Dann you und your wilde kin will füllen it vith der carcasses of its personen!"
Affirming his companion's words Arthur nods thinking It will be done.