The Crow gives a short laugh and it cocks it head in Caladrel's direction, "Manners? To an old crow like me? Ha! Well, I shall reward your courtesy then. My name is Mabs, Mabs the Witchcrow. As to the importance of the bauble?..." It gives a short pause in thought, It's importance is what anyone assigns it. It isn't touched by magic, but could be very valuable in the right hands. I simply want the bauble and none of the other tawdry things therein, you can keep those if you want."
It scratches the branch that it's perched on and starts to groom itself, still keeping an eye in your direction.
"Rohkar though... I only know that he uses dark magic and that he recently became in league with winter. He was here earlier with some bandits and winter-touched Fae.... Dragged a woman away kicking and screaming he did. Was talking with a Mephit as to what to do with her.... He seems to have also set up in a cabin further in the woods. Besides that, I don't know much else about him."
Mabs then looks in Raseri's direction after her remark.
"Would her life be worth the pretty trinket? I think not. Though it was hers, she left it. I found it first and would have already had it if not for the children of death." Mabs bristles slightly and puffs up her feathers. After a few moments, she calms down and smooths out her feathers.
"I have your thanks though for getting rid of them for me..." She Seems to bashfully bow her head in that acknowledgement. She kicks some snow down off the tree in what seems like sorrowful resignation.
"Would you, kindly, be able to show us the way to this cabin?"
Caladrel approaches the carriage where the crow is expecting the bauble to be, and looks around for what he thinks the item might be, as well as anything else of note.
"Shall we recover this item you are fascinated with?"
Grandma Mable looks at the crow in surprise.
"What have you done to earn this bauble. It seems to me we have done all the work you could not. I believe we have earned this bauble for which you speak! Unless you have more useful information for us?"
Sevante listens to the rest of the group and the crow, and adds a few words to the end of Mable's speech.
"We might be willing to give you this bauble, and a few other shiny items as well, if you can show us where Rohkar and the Mephit took the woman. There's little risk and noone here would object to giving it to you. Otherwise you might have to deal with our tame Ulfen over there... and she doesn't look happy." During this speech, Sevante slowly edges closer to the tree line so that by the time he mentions Raseri he's out of earshot.
Mags huffs and bristles at Mable's remark, turning to her,
"You wouldn't have known the shiny was there if I hadn't come along to claim it. Granted you did defeat the children of death, but sooner or later they would have been made into statues like that fellow over there."
Mabs points in the direction of the ice statue with that remark.
"And have I not already given you "useful information?" Have I not earned that bauble for my patience?"
When Sevante pipes in, Mabs calms down again and listen's to his proposal,"... That sounds fair enough to me... but I only want the shiny... and, by the sound of it, I'm not the only one that has to deal with your "tame" friend, " Mabs says as she glances at Raseri.
Her patience worn thin already, Raseri decides to let the others bicker with the crow. She, instead, begins looking for a trail to follow.
You indeed find a trail that moves past the ice statue and moves further into the woods. As you get closer to the ice statue, you notice something quite odd about it. Then it hits you... The statue used to be a man. This poor fellow seems to be wearing the same mercenary gear that the zombies were wearing along with the company's insignia. You notice that bits and pieces of his body are broken off and seemingly scattered around him. However, besides the apparent damage to the corpse, his breastplate still seems to be intact and his sword, still grasped by his severed arm, is nearby.
Raseri says a prayer for the dead and pries the sword loose before sticking it into the ground in front of him. There'd be time to deal with the dead later. Now she needed to fulfill an oath.
Let them squabble with the bird. They'll catch up eventually.
Caladrel's voice is a bit muffled as he tries to talk with his head buried in the carriage. "yes. the information you provided is helpful. This place is a mess, could you describe the bauble you want me to get? Out of curiosity, what do you want the shiny thing for?"
Ice mephits (which can be safely assumed that the one in question is one) are commonly found on the Plane of Air. These mephits are cruel and aloof.
"It's a ring.... Though I don't intend to do much of anything with it. Momentary value hold no allure for my kind, but we are collectors of objects of importance... and shiny things. I do like shiny things," Mabs says almost dreamily.
"A-ha! Is THIS what you were after?" Caladrel emerges from the carriage and holds the signet ring up in the air.
"One more question before i give it to you; the ring was inside a box and under the seat. How did you know it was there?"
"I was one of the new arrivals to this land, I came through... I came through..." Mags becomes silent for a minute and looks slightly distressed (for a bird anyway).
"... I can't remember.. Hmm.. that's odd... Well I happened upon the carriages before they were attacked and was curious so I came in for a closer look. I saw the shiny with the lady, the light reflecting off of it with pretty colors. When the carriages were attacked, I hid myself and saw the lady get taken by them, but she didn't have the shiny. I thought to myself that she must have put it somewhere in the carriage... but then that awful man made the children of death and locked them in the carriage..."
She pauses again and looks more deep in thought and starts to mumble to herself, "Why can't I remember how I got here... I remember Irrisen... and then I was here... missed a whole day..." Mags now looks in deep thought and is more than a little bit distressed.
Raseri carefully opens it.
Raseri looks for a way to trigger the trap without injuring herself.
A spiked log comes out of nowhere and strikes you in the side, gouging wounds into your flesh. After swinging for a few moments the log settles.
Raseri doesn't even have time to curse as she tries to dodge the vicious trap. An explosive gasp of pain is knocked from her lungs when the log catches her in the shoulder, sending her to the ground and spilling her blood onto the snow.
"Shoulda looked better." she says weakly as she holds the nasty set of wounds. Shakily, the ulfen woman gets up and carefully makes her way to the chest and slowly opens it.
Grandma Mable walks over to Caladrel. What else was in the bag. Maybe it will take something else besides her signet ring. That ring has more value then just the gold and can be mis-used. Lets see if we can convince it to take something else. Grandma whispers
You slowly open the chest and immediately see that its empty. Before becoming disappointed however you see something slightly sticking from out underneath the chest, not quite buried. It looks like the tip of a pommel of a sword or a dagger.
"What's this?" Raseri asks before moving the chest and seeing what's underneath.
whispering to Mable, "I personal don't care about the signet ring. Our focus is on saving Lady Argentea Malassene. If the cost to do so is an heirloom finger trinket, so be it. If it converns you though, feel free to try and barter with Mags using the rest of the contents of this box." Caladrel hands the jewelry box to Mable. "I intend to honor my verbal agreement with the creature, as Mags has fulfilled everything I've asked of her."
When you remove the chest you see a few more things underneath it, sticking out of the snow and seemingly scattered about. As you dig out each item, you realize that the bandits must have buried some of the spoils that they got from the Lady's carriages. The bandits "secret" cache contains five sets of leather armor, three sets of studded leather armor, a masterwork chain shirt, two light wooden shields, seven longswords, two spears, a masterwork dagger, and three light crossbows with a total of 25 bolts.
Grandma looks at the crow and smile.
"Are you sure it is the ring you want?" she looks into the box again.
"Such beautiful necklaces and you want this simple ring? Are you sure thats what you want?" grandma says as she holds up the most shinny necklace she finds.
Grandma looks at the others expectantly.
Varian will look at the ring in question. hmm.
If Varian detects no magical aura from the ring he would have followed after Raseri, leaving the talking to others.
"The old lady is right, the necklaces are bigger... easier to carry... and shine with many sparlies instead of this dull ring."
Ignorant of the two leaving the area, Sevante focuses on the bird and his colleagues, suggestions. He quickly realizes Mable's intent about taking interest off the ring.
"This sapphire is definitely worth more and catches the light better. Best of all though it stays shiny; the ring will tarnish and lose it's shine, whereas this will stay shiny forever... Would you he willing to show us where they took the lady? She might be willing to give you all of those shiny items. You would have saved her life after all."
@ Varian: You don't detect magic on the ring and head off after Raseri.
@ Everyone Else (who didn't go ahead):
Mags stops rambling to herself and cocks her head in your direction, "Why are you trying to get me to change my mind? I already told you what I want.... And I already answered all of your questions... Didn't you say that? (Apparently she has better hearing than you took her for and was paying more attention than you thought she was)
"I did say that the only use I have for it was to add it to my collection. Did you think I lied?" Mags seems deeply saddened by this and bows her head in a hurt manner. Then she looks up at all of you.
"I will take you to her... but all I want is the shiny."
so you seem rather distrustful of magic. Is it all magic? Or just that of witches? You also performed much more admirably against those undead than I, did you teach yourself? Varian makes a bit of small talk as they wander on ahead.
--------------------------------------
you OK? Anything in it? I'd imagine not, this being a site of looting and banditry though.
"Does any one else have anything to say or should I give it the shinny?"
"Fine, it's a deal. I'll kep the ring in the open and you take us where she was taken and it is yours. Now lets go."
"Let me answer that with a question for you. What do you know of the Ulfen? Of the Lands of the Linnorm Kings?"
Mabs perks up and looks delighted to finally bring a conclusion to the discussion, "Alright then, lets go. Keep up with me young'uns." Mabs takes off from her perch and flies in the direction that Raseri and Varian went.
When you guys follow, you find Raseri and Varian having a conversation next to an empty chest, with weapons and armor heaped next to it. A tripped, spiked log trap hangs nearby with fresh blood dripping into the snow. Though Raseri appears to be injured, she is currently changing into a new set of armor. Mabs alights on the empty chest and looks at the hanging log trap and then at Raseri's wounds.
"Seems to have tagged ya good there.... You alright hun?" Mabs previous demeanor seems to have completely evaporated upon seeing your wounds. She seems to be genuinely concerned and her tone has no hint of her previous mocking one, though you still remember what she tried to do during the battle.
Clearly not as much as I should, or would like. I know a little bit, but my home is not particularly close to your land. Varian makes his way over too look around after Raseri finished changing.
Hm, leave it to bandits to leave their "loot" behind. Not much here I'd use, but, I find this dagger looks quite ornate. I'll also take those bolts for my crossbow here, If that's fine by you. Good find I say!
Varian gives Raseri a friendly clap on the back, at his own risk.
As Grandma arrives she quickly cast a spell a the box.
"Oh did you find something dear?"
"Irrisen used to belong to the Ulfen. Baba Yaga came and took it from us with witchcraft and by allying with monsters. Winter wolves, trolls, fey consumed by darkness, all of them answered her call and drove us back. Winter consumed the land even though it was summer, much like this. Worst of all was the magic. Magic that could change a man's heart, his mind, and control his very spirit," Raseri's eyes are dark as she tells Varian what every child learned in the cold north, "People call us barbarians, savages, and superstitious fools, but the worst we can do is kill your body. A witch can kill your spirit, can turn you against your shield-mates and your kin. Any mage can, and I haven't seen much difference between those of Irrisen and those of Cheliax and Taldor."
"My people may not be the most goodly, but at least we are honest," she says before pulling her coat back on.
When the others arrive she nods to the pile of gear.
"Take what you want, I already claimed what I need."
As Sevante approaches the chest and the sprung trap, he grimaces.
Giving the woman a hard look he comments in Skald, "Jag hoppas att detta visar varför vandrar iväg själv är en dålig idé. Jag kunde ha tagit hand om det åt dig."
Done with his admonition, he switches to Taldane. "You're feeling okay, right? Nothing broken or debilitating? We can stop and rest if you need..."
After looking over the pile of gear in the snow he picks out a studded leather shirt and a crossbow. Switching out his leather armor he comments, "It's a shame there weren't any bolts with these crossbows..."
I see,that is indeed quite a tale, though not all magic is used for evil.
Varian looks to Sevante,
There was some, I took them for mine, however if you need some we can split it.
A wide grin spreads across Raseri's face as she answers Sevante.
"Ég held að eina sem þetta sýnir er að ég þarf að passa fæturna betur."
"What do you take me for? Some spoiled princess? I've had worse," she scoffs, her eyes bright and that grin on her face.
"Humph... That ain't fooling anyone Hun. Have one of your fellows help ya with that." Mabs says, looking Raseri over from her perch. She then turns to Varian, "You to young'un. I think I heard you crack a rib or two when the "child" punched you."
If anyone asks or wonders why Mabs is suddenly concerned about them:
Grandma look surprised at Rasri condition!
"Oh my oh my what ever have you gotten yourself into! Let me look at that dear, and no fussing!"
Sevante smiles and shakes his head with Raseri's Skaldic sentence. No point in arguing with her on that.
"Princess? no. I do take you for someone who might get injured and then do something stupid with it. I've seen and heard of enough people who've had less and not lived because of it. I want to hear stories about you for years to come, but if you say so... alright." Sevante responds to her scoff.
"I just need a few, I can pick up my own bolts in town." Sevante informs Varian, but, seeing the trickle of blood staining the snow below the magus, Sevante scowls and tries to drag Varian to Grandma. "Looks like this one needs your special touch as well. Gods, I'm working with masochists..."
Me? well yes, I suppose he got me, though I don't think cracked ribs is quite right, more like, exceptionally bruised and battered. But I'll be ok if we don't have any healing. Also, Sevante there were 25 Bolts, I took them but if you want we can easily split them.
Varian offers some bolts to Sevante.
Raseri glowers at the crow before submitting to Grandma Mable's ministrations. She also takes Sevante's slight scolding stoically until his last sentence.
"Um, I hope this doesn't lower your opinion of my intelligence, but what's a 'masochist?'"
"If everyone is satisfied and patched up, Mab's would be so kind as to lead the way?
Grandma tsk tsk Varian
"Here let me fix that for you dear. I heard about wands that can help with this but for now you will just have to deal with my poor skills"
"I bet one of your amazing cookies would help take his mind off the pain."
Varian smiles, I wouldn't say poor ma'am. I feel better than I did this morning now. Thank you. He smiles and nods at the others.
"Alright then! Follow me young'uns," Mabs says as she takes off and flies down the trail, flitting from tree to tree.
As you go deeper into the into the Border Wood, you notice the snow becoming increasingly deeper. A windswept gully carves a path through a tree-covered ridge next to the barely visible trail. A soft cascade of snow falls from an overhead branch, hissing softly as it strikes the ground.
Mabs is always steps ahead of you, but always keeping in sight of you on a tree up ahead. The trail is getting harder and harder to see, but Mabs seems to know where to go.
Suddenly the snow, about 10ft to Varian left, explodes and a white draconian creature leaps at him.
The Creature barely misses Varian as it chomps on air.
Start of initiative:
Current Initiative order:
Tatzylwyrm, Caladrel, Sevante, Mabs, Varian, Raseri, Mable.
Round 1
The Wyrm tries to chomp on Varian again...
And succeeds biting into his shoulder and proceeds to wrap him in it's coils.
Round 1
Standard: Hex (evil eye) Tatzylwyrm. -2 Attack
Move: Cackle. +1 round to Evil Eye
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Caladrel raises a hand and points a finger at Tatzylwyrm. As he chants in a strange language, his eyes intensify with a yellow glow for a moment, then fade back to blue.
"மர்ம, சக்திவாய்ந்த ஒன்று ... என் எதிரி இடையூறாக சாதகமாக" என்று வேண்டிக்கொண்டார்."
Caladrel smiles contently as he knows, his patron has granted his request