Maximus shrugs, it was worth a try. While he's rather surprised and somewhat upset at the lack of snowshoes, he'll settle for some sort of heavy coat and maybe some pants.
"How much for a heavy coat and pants.." Maximus pauses "And toss in a pair of boots and gloves, too while you're at it!"
The shopkeeper rings you up for 8 gp.
Maximus hands the shopkeeper the 8 gp, takes his purchases, and goes.
Meanwhile...
Skylar has gathered sticks, and is staring at them contemplatively. She begins to stack them, and maybe. Just maybe make something.
"We should see if we can make snowshoes."
Unfortunately, Skylar doesn't seem to be able to string the shoes in a way that would distribute her weight properly on unpacked snow.
Irritated, she takes her bundle of sticks and sighs, "We're not all ungodly tall and unable to make it so snow doesn't slow us down. Stoney."
Uret successfully makes a pair of snowshoes after about an hour's work.
"Well... at least I got kindling." The kid seems rather satisfied with that. At least they're optimistic, in their own special snowflake way.
Knowing snowshoes would not work for her tail, she watches SKylar try to make her's. When it becomes evident to Choso that SKylar will not succeed, she goes to make another pair for her. Might as well, it isn't like she can make snowshoes for herself.
Barring any further unforeseen equipment forays, you make it back before it's too dark to see in the forest. You may need to bed down soon enough, however, as the sky is already starting to turn into shades of pink and orange. You realize that if this were a natural winter, the sun would've set by now.
Skylar give a nervous stare before looking back at the group. She winces at Choso and is now tensed and alert as the sun begins to fall. <"Shouldn't we make camp?">
Chozo stops and thinks. She is not enjoying being leader. She is fine making decisions with Skylar, but making decisions FOR everyone else? This is way too much responsibility. What if she makes the wrong decision? She frowns slightly as she tries to hide her discomfort, muttering in Aboleth to herself.
She then takes a deep breath and pauses for a moment to collect herself. If she can help it the others will not know about the lack of confidence she has in her own leadership. If those under the leader figure out the leader is falling apart.... Choso can only assume the group will fall apart as well, as nobody seems to get along with each other. "Lets find an area to make camp, one that is preferably not filled with corpses."
Almost cutting off the conversation, the lot of you come across a chest half buried in the snow. It would seem as though you've also entered a small clearing within the wood. The sky seems to be darkening, threatening night within a couple hours.
Skylar stares at it before then stating, "Holy s+%* guys, snow buried treasure!" She looks at the ground and around first though, and checks for traps.
You find that the chest is, indeed, connected to a trap. This one in particular is rigged with some string connected to a very large log that's precariously perched over the half submerged treasure.
"Oh lookie there." Skylar points it out to everyone else, and then move to disable it.
"Oh lookie there." Skylar points it out to everyone else, and then move to disable it.
Seems as though Skylar's having some trouble with the device. It's not quite undone, from what you can best gather. Fortunately, not much time is wasted in the attempt.
rounds
Less than a minute passes in total.
Skylar steps back in thought before looking up and down it. She frowns and sighs. Unless someone else wants a go at it, she's not about to risk it all for a box. But the temptation is there as she eyes it.
Luckily for Choso, the chest and trap interrupted everything going on. Her worries are immediately no longer on being leader and now rest solely upon the fact that SKylar could have easily been killed trying to disable that trap. Once she is sure Skylar is finished she rushes up to her and embraces her in a hug. A tight hug.
"Dammit Skylar. You shouldn't be rushing in trying to disable traps like that. What if you had set it off? You could have been killed!" She sighs before continuing. "You had me worried.
Skylar looks up in the hug and squirms for a moment, then frowns but relaxes, "Have a little bit of faith in me here Choso, ain't like I haven't been doing this for years..." She reaches up and hugs her mentor never the less though hoping that the merfolk will calm.
"I know you've been doing it for years, Skylar... I just worry about you. ... Sorry." She lets go, calming down a bit. She looks back at the trap, still not disabled. "How about sometime you teach me a bit on how to do this sort of thing? That way I can at least try to help?" She gives a hopeful smile to the teenager.
"Sure!" She's actually quite eager to show the merfolk something of her craft. Skylar wouldn't mind one bit sharing her skill and knowledge on the matter.
Skylar steps forward though to give it another try. "Let me just make sure no one else can get hurt here..."
Skylar feels like she's almost got it, but the string snaps back into ready position.
rounds
"Yup! I'm not f&@*in' with this thing anymore." The kid steps back and shakes her head. "Not worth it, not to mention I'd rather not try for a third time."
"Let's get moving and if it's still here on the way back, maybe then I'll deal with it."
Maximus rubs his chin, "Hmm..." He squints a bit at the trap. If he knew how this was built, maybe... Just maybe "Everyone... Get a safe amount of space back. This could turn bad."
To see how the trap is built.
Max is unable to discern the complexities of the trap. However, the rest of the group seems to be moving forward. Only a little more than a minute has passed since they've entered the clearing. Ahead, the path becomes more densely populated with trees.
Out of the blue, a great white snake looking thing bursts from above and strikes at Choso!
The beast strikes and attempts to wrap the mage up in her coils!
Choso is grappled by the creature!
Initiative: 23