Stroud continues his attack!!!
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Stroud, Shanee, Tithon, and Xerexis close distance on the remaining rider. Myhm gets close enough for a swing with his axe, but somehow doesn't connect.
Troxell burns the rider with acid while his rhinoceros tramples through brambles to get close.
INITIATIVE
Effects: bardic courage, prayer 5/9, haste 4/9
Stroud 65/65
Shanee 50/68
Tithon ?/?
Xerexis 38/60
Myhm 57/127 *Fly 1 rnd
Teena 34/56 *Resist cold 10, Fly 5 min
Troxell 48/63 *Resist cold 10, Wild Shape
Cold Rider (blue -13 *confused 4/9)
Teena delays, seeing no way to get her lighting bolt through cleanly.
Teena holds off for fear of blasting allies with lightning.
The rider turns its glaive on Myhm, the cold blade cutting into his giant arm.
INITIATIVE
Effects: prayer 6/9, haste 5/9
Stroud 65/65
Shanee 50/68
Tithon ?/?
Xerexis 38/60
Myhm 45(*Rage 63)/127(*Rage 145)
Teena 34/56 *Resist cold 10, Fly 5 min
Troxell 48/63 *Resist cold 10, Wild Shape
Cold Rider (blue -13 *confused 5/9)
Myhm continues to hack away in full fury at the cold rider.
With the last enemy adjacent to it, the summoned, fiery woolly rhino attempts to gore the cold rider with its horn.
Troxell remains in his position above and fires another acid dart at the enemy.
Stroud stabs low and high!!!
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Ganging up on the last rider, the group quickly takes him down. Like the other riders, his horse fades away and his body melts into a puddle, leaving nothing behind.
In the aftermath of the battle Xerexis casts a few healing spells on the injured.
STATUS
Stroud 65/65
Shanee 65/68
Xerexis 66/68
Myhm 110/127
Teena 56/56 *Resist cold 10, Fly 5 min
Troxell 63/63 *Resist cold 10, Wild Shape
Teena didn't say anything. The black riders were dispatched much easier than she expected. Either they were weakening for some reason or her group had gotten much stronger, either way it seemed to be a good thing for the group.
Remaining in air elemental form for now, Troxell points to the cavern, "Once everyone is ready, let us pass over to the other realm."
Shanee wades into the lake and discovers that the archer's scimitar has survived her death. Made from blue tinted steel, it has a blackened leather grip and sylvan runes along blade. He also finds a wristcuff made from white-scaled hide.
A sylvan scimitar. This +3 scimitar , when used outdoors in a temperate climate, grants its wielder the use of the Cleave feat and deals an extra 1d6 points of damage.
These are bracers of natural armor +2.
Stroud looks at the Scimitar in awe.
"I would give my soul for such a blade," he says forgetting for a moment that others are present.
Spellcraft
Spellcraft
"The bracers are bracers of natural armor +2. They'll make it tougher for enemies to strike you. The blade is plenty powerful, but I can't quite crack it's abilities."
Troxell takes a moment to scrutinize the blade. "No clue."
Taking the sword and bracer, the group navigates the briars of Candlemere Island and enters the ruined tower. There, Troxell incants the words circling the base and activates the portal to the First World.
Once again you find yourselves in the vibrant, over-saturated lands beyond the mortal realm. The wisps of the area are either not present, or lurking about unseen. Outside the mirror image tower on this side of the portal is the forested path leading off to parts unknown.
"How do we activate the grimoire? Seems as if we are where we need to be. The longer we wait, the more chance there is a cold rider or something else finds us..."
Activating the grimoire is easy now that you have the passkey. Xerexis speaks the words and the grimoire lights up again, the signal stronger here than it was in the mortal world. However, there is another, new problem.
"We may need some help..." Xerexis mutters. "The grimoire can track this signal easily on a world that has been scanned by the Ark, and adheres to natural laws. This signal shows a vast terrain of forests and mountains, but it cannot give us a relative position. Probably because the First World is not a planet. Traveling here does not work in analog.. meaning straight lines. Regions are separated by magic and the will of the local powers. We need someone who can recognize the area around the Ark."
Though he doesn't say it, Xerexis is talking about the only place in the First World that you have any experience with. A place where almost anything can be found, for the right price.
The Witchmarket.
"So, what you are inferring is that we have to return to the Witchmarket. Terrific, I cannot foresee anything going wrong there." Troxell says with a grimace as he pinches the bridge of his nose, "Now if only I could recall how we got there in the first time."
Teena just shakes her head. The witchmarket was where all her troubles originally began. Her one eye still gleamed from the stone that was placed in her socket, after her own eye was taken in her Faustian bargain. "I'm not making any deals this time," she whispered.
"I have a slight of idea of the way, but then again a hag stole my knowledge of geography last time I was here so that is not perhaps the best way. We should attempt to find a guide again." Troxell advises the group.
Heading off down the road, the group silently prays to whichever god will listen that a friendly local can be found to guide the way. Though many have traveled this path before when last you came to the First World it may as well be the first time you've been here - very little looks familiar. Landmarks are sometimes noted, but not in the same place or order, or condition. It's as if seasons have passed in a land made of puzzle pieces that shift at random. Strange creatures and a few fey lurk among the forest, but they avoid your group, or use fey magic to hinder your progress and sow confusion. None of their tricks are lethal, but neither are they in any way helpful.
On the second day you come across a small man sitting on a tree stump on the side of the road. He wears a fine coat of red and gold, has disheveled auburn hair and pointed ears, and carries a gnarled shillelagh across his lap. Drinking from a large bottle, he watches you approach with startling green eyes set in a mirthful ruddy face. As you near, he raises the bottle in greeting.
"Oy! G'day friends!"
Leprechauns are small, fun-loving tricksters. They are most commonly found in forests and share the close connection with nature that is possessed by most fey creatures. Leprechauns love playing tricks on unknowing passersby—almost as much as they love a fine bottle of wine and a plateful of hot food in their bellies. They often steal something of worth from adventurers just to provoke a chase. Using their ability to disappear at will to its full potential, they wait until their victims appear to be about to give up the chase before reappearing once more to let the chase resume. They are not greedy creatures, and eventually drop what they've stolen, slipping away while their angry pursuers claim the lost property. The exception is gold—leprechauns love gold and often hoard it in secret, hidden places. It is rumored that a person who finds a gold coin in the forest and returns it to the leprechaun that dropped it will be granted a wish as a reward. Unfortunately, these rumors are false—likely perpetuated by the leprechauns themselves in order to trick others into bringing them gold.
Leprechauns prefer not to kill other creatures unless the ones attacking them are malicious or known enemies of the forest or fey. They often use their powers to befuddle and annoy evil folk, tricking creatures such as goblins and orcs into thinking a forest is haunted.
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As the group approaches a leprechaun, Troxell decides to stand back and let Shanee handle the negotiations. The grave expression on his face, however, suggests he expects this to go badly.
Teena also holds her tongue. She knows the negotiations in the place don't normally go well. Maybe Shanee will have better luck than the group did last time.
"New? Ye don't say!" The leprechaun grins like a huckster ready to start selling snake oil. "I don't see many first timers in the First World, so this be a treat fer me and me curiosity's beating me natural instincts. So, before ye decide to steal me gold, and I decide to fleece ye o' yers, what brings ye here?"
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"Well I'm new some of my friends here have been here before."
Shanee gestures to the rest of the group.
"We are looking for a guide though. Someone that know how to get around reliably and I'm sure we could come up with some sort of payment for them."
"But once again I get ahead of myself. Proper introductions should come first.
holding out his hand in a friendly manner
"My name is Shanee"
"Stroud Zayiin of Marascar here."
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"Shanee, is it? Well, call me Bourbo O'Shatnick" The leprechaun hops from his seat and performs a little bow. Looking up at Stroud, he asks, "Mary Scar? Any relation to Old Molly Scar?"
Teena nods and croaks out, "He's right. We need a guide to the market. We have business to contract there."
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Troxell remains quiet and stoic in the back, unwilling to share any unnecessary details with the citizens of this realm. His paranoia does lead him to look around for any trouble while the others do the negotiations.
Bourbo looks at Teena, his head titling side to side, staring at her mismatched eyes. "Do ye mean the Witchmarket? Aye, I could be takin ye there. If ye could see it in yer heart t' do me a favor first. I could use some big folk to help me recover some gold owed t' me."
"We can help you try to recover gold. That's fine. We have to get to the damned witchmarket after, though. If we help you, you guide us..."
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Bourbo lights a long pipe and draws a breath of green smoke. "It's a she, not a he. And she's a hag. She owes me 5000 gold, and isn't prone to sweet talkin. I've tried me lucky charms on her, to no avail, but ye kin try if ye want. Get me gold and I'll get ye to the Witchmarket."
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"I've never carried much gold. Don't think I can help but his debt. Unless one of you is flush with gold, let's go get this damned hag and be done with it."
"Either plan sounds good to me. I have a ring worth 500 gold pieces if that would help. If it does come down to a fight though, would anyone mind if I held onto that magic scimitar? I do not know what a hag is or how dangerous they are. I'm sure though that I could use a better sword against such a creature."
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"I do not have 5000 gold pieces. Likely he'll want us to deal with the hag regardless since it's the principle of the issue. If you want to use your own gold though, don't let me stop you." Troxell offers after a moment, then replies to Stroud's question, "I have no issues with you keep that sword."
Bourbo waits as you discuss your options, then pipes in when it seems you might have made a decision. "It appears ye cannae cover the debt, and truth be told the gold is only half what I feel is due, but nontheless, I assume we have a deal?"
Teena sticks out her hand to shake that of the leprechaun. "Sounds like we do indeed. We will get you that gold, and you will get us to the Witchmarket. No funny business, alright?"