Tiferet staying prudently away from the traps' sharp metal teeth as the nimble half-elf disarms them, but once she's done, she helps doing the heavy lifting and loads them on Lily's back.
Taking a visual clue from Inire, she realizes how terrified the placid mare must be to step into that aerial maelstrom, bred and raised as she was into the warm fields of southern Taldor. She lays a soothing hand on her forehead and whispers kind words in Celestial into her ears as she gently leads her toward the Portal, and then out of this world, and into another.
Nothing could have prepared her for the experience that follows. She feels as if she was frozen into a block of ice, and then thawed again, only in another time, in another place; yet, the chill remains – not the physical one, to which she is all but impervious to, no: the kind that sticks into the very fibres of your being. She gasps, and just as she's drawing her first, deep breath of Irriseni air, the force of the push combined with the uneven terrains causes her to slip and tumble a dozen feet down the snowy hill.
Quickly getting back on her feet, the first thing she hears is a muffled sound of creatures moving right at the bottom of the hill. Apparently, Eirikr has heard that too, as he is currently moving in its direction.
Glad that somebody more experienced with animals cares about Lily. And while impatience is hardly an elven vice, she burns with anticipation as she wants to get over with the passing through the portal. It certainly was demons's vice, but that could be said about any vice. She trains herself in patience, and tries to recall her lessons as Inire disarms the traps.
When the time to pass has come she briefly closes her eyes. You have no idea what's beyond there. Don't plan, but be observant and mindful. The others need you at your best. she tells herself and then passes through without any further hesitation.
_____________________________
The cold and the wind, even though not entirely unexpected, is a shock on the other side. She draws the cloth mask tight in front of her faces and forces herself make room for those following behind her in a way that they create a perimeter, mindful of possible further traps. Nathara notices Tiferet stumble but forces herself to focus on the formation rather than her sister.
Upon Eirikr's warning she prepares her bow, nocking a cold iron arrow to the string. "Vosi" she says, with her voice dampened by the mask, "anything unusual here? You get along with this environment best of us..."
She hopes the poor Lily who does not understand anything of this will get along, but Nathara has to worry about whatever the two handsome wolves have sensed right now. Her red eyes pierce the wind and forest in the direction in which he moves.
Axe in hand, Tiferet comes striding through the snow trying her best to close the distance between her and Eirikr. Her hair is covered in white clumps, freezing the tip of her locks in crystal-like patterns as they slide and fall down, with others managing to trickle down her shoulders and find a way under her armour, soaking the linen tunic underneath; yet such a thing seems of little concern to her. She stands right beside Eirikr and Ashen as the pair descends the frozen slope to investigate the commotion.
The party carefully descends from the hilltop, taking their time to make their way down the snowy slope. As they reach the bottom, the source of the commotion quickly becomes apparent. A group of Ulfen men and women are backed against a line of carts, weapons hesitantly raised against a pair of giant praying mantises. The insects seems angry and wild, hissing and menacing the travelers. One woman seems to be better armed and is standing just in front of the rest of the traveling party, with an ax in one hand and a razor sharp pick in the other.
As a portion of the group splits off to go figure out what's going on down the hill, Inire frowns, she looks at the gateway for just a moment, longer, then draws Scribe as she follows after, splitting off to the treeline to come back in with some degree of cover.
The mantises seem focused on their future meal and don't seem to notice the new figures approaching through the trees. The snow and wind help to muffle their passing, burying the sound of footsteps.
Giant bugs. Of course. Well, it could be worse, Eirikr thinks; back in the Shudderwood there were all sorts fo giant spiders, and with giant spiders you'd always have to deal with giant spiderwebs, and those are impossible to get out of your hair. Or to get out of in the first place.
Eirikr waits for the rest of the party to reach him, then lets divine power flow out from himself into the others.
"They're native to warmer areas than here... so the portal is working both ways, maybe." Inire whispers to her allies. "Be careful, they lunge."
+1 if trap or surprise
Nathara falls into her spell dance and follows the others. She swaps her bow for the sword during the approach as she sees what's going on.
The mantises close in on the group of locals, hissing and rubbing their arms together as they prepare to attack.
As usual, her own weight coupled with all the steel she's wearing make Tiferet sink deeply into the snow, to the point most of her efforts at keeping a brisk pace are wasted on raising a veritable cloud of white dust with every stride she takes rather than propelling her forward.
This is why I took this with me, I guess she thinks as she draws a vial out of her pouch and quickly imbibes its milky content.
She has known of its effects beforehand, at least theoretically, but to find herself being able to run on the snow as if it were solid ground still exhilarates her – indeed, she feels a pang of envy for Inire who's able to do it all the time. Catching up with Eirikr, she accepts his blessing and listens to Inire's findings. "Must have come here the same way we did. We must save those people – we wouldn't want to give them the impression nasty giant bugs are the only thing the South has..." she whispers back.
Monitoring the situation, she advances alongside the two hunters, man and wolf. As soon as the locals come under attack, she fills the air with her song and throws herself at the insectoid threat, hoping to divert its attention from the easier prey.
Evelyn moves up with Tiferet slowing down if needed to make sure Eve stays behind the armored warrior while she focuses her mental powers upon the giant bug.
Eve finds that the mantis's mind is too simple and empty to respond to her powers. It acts only on pure instinct.
Morgraine follows after the others, her eyes widening slightly at the sight of the giant bug-like creatures. How did they get here? Not through our portal, surely. Is there another so near?
She takes position behind Eirikr as she studies the creatures.
The party slowly closes in on the pair of insects, shifting through the snow as quietly as possible. Unfortunately, Nathara steps on a buried tree branch, causing a loud snap to echo through the trees. The nearest mantis turns toward the unexpected noise and hisses as more potential food moves toward it. The other Ulfens see help arriving and quickly move back behind their wagons, taking defensive positions and bunkering down.
Initiative
Inire
Nathara
Ulfen Woman
Tiferet
Mantis #1
Evelyn
Eirikr
Morgraine
Vosi
Mantis #2
Combat begins! Inire is up!
Inire charges in from the side, hoping to enable a flanking position for one of the others, easily sliding across the snow, she aims to draw the blade across the underside of one of the creatures arms... though the anatomy isn't like anything she's fought before, wasting much of her grace.
Mouse charges toward the first mantis, easily leaping over the giant insect's bladed arms as it tries to swipe at her and slashing into its thick carapace.
Nathara is up!
Nathara is so thunderstruck by the noise she creates, that she not only looses her outer but also her inner balance. When Inire is hurt however, a blaze of fury runs through her. Calling upon that power they'd inherited and that in the most spectuacular way.
Without a further sound, with the grace of a dancer, she lets her thighs thrust her into the air, higher than she over did before. Like a vengeance from the sky she thrusts her sword at the insect.
Nathara charges into the fray, leaping into the air and avoiding the effort of trying to charge through the snow by charging through the air instead. Her blade whips over her head and cleaves into the already injured mantis, impacting the thing hard enough to crack its exoskeleton.
The Ulfen woman looks on in shock as the party appears from nowhere, but then immediately leaps in to help, both her weapons arcing through the air toward the injured creature and leaving another slash across its body.
Tiferet is up!
Tiferet lunges at the mantis but a heartbeat after Nathara. With her feet barely touching the snow, she's able to keep pace with her nimbler sister for once; as the pair comes in range of their foe, the two women suddenly split, Tiferet charging right into the mantis' hungry maws while Nathara jumps to seemingly impossible heights, fuelled by a power which is clearly more than simply human.
So this is what we've become now she thinks in awe as she channels more power than she's ever felt before into her weapon, striking upward at her foe's carapace just as Nathara's sword skewers it from above.
________________________________________________________________
Tiferet's axe swings through the air, a silvery haze forming around the blade as it bites into the beasts carapace. The mantis howls in pain as the mist eats away at its very skin, then it crumples over, falling motionless on the snow.
Evelyn is up!
If able to reach her Evelyn would move behind Inire and implant Misdirection with the touch of her hand.
The mesmerist can trigger this trick when the subject makes an attack or uses a spell that requires an attack roll. The mesmerist attempts a Bluff check to feint against a single target of the subject's attack. Unlike a normal feint, this ability can be used on non-melee attacks. If the feint succeeds, the target of the attack is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC against the triggering attack.
As the first mantis falls to Tiferet's ax, Eirikr and Ashen turn towards the surviving insect; Eirikr can feel Tiferet's song pounding in his head, urging him on towards battle and bloodshed. As they charge towards it, the air around Eirikr seems to shimmer, and a pair of silvery horns appear on his head. Ashen darts around the beast as Eirikr runs directly towards it with a snarl, his spear drawn and ready to strike.
As the mantis's claw reaches out to slash at him, time seems to slow--Eirikr can see the insect reaching out for him but he can tell exactly where it's aiming--twisting to avoid the creature's strike seems almost as simple as avoiding the blow of the monster's smaller kin. As the arm sails past him, he bites at it with his teeth--grimacing at the taste, giant bugs being no more tasty then the little ones, it seems. He spins back towards the creature and thrusts his spear towards its thorax with all his might, and then brings his teeth and horns to try to finish it off.
The beast lashes out at Eirikr with it's clawed arm and catches him across his shoulder despite his best effort to ward off the attack. The serrated edge digs deep into his skin and catches him in place, trapping him in the beast's claws. Eirikr howls as he thrashes against the beast, his spear tearing at the thing's chest with incredible force and rending it in half.
Combat ends!
The woman chuckles, panting slightly as the last animal falls. "Thank you all," she says in accented Common. "I have no idea what you're doing out here, but I'm grateful."
Eirikr wipes the blood of off his chest, magic pouring from his fingers into the wounds as he does. He gives the mantis a swift kick as he does, and then he surreptitiously tries to scrape the taste of the insect off his tongue. Why did everything he bit into have to taste so bad?
He turns around as the women approaches them. Her accent is--familiar, somehow, though he can't exactly place it; other than Morgraine, he'd never met someone from Irrisen until now. He recalls Morgraine telling them of the customs of the land--the most common language was Skald. He grins to himself, his mind going back to the times he'd gotten to lie his way out of trouble in Ustalav--this could be fun.
"I am Eirikr Thundersblood... he says, stuttering at first, his words coming out a bit more Ustalavic than he had intended; it'd been so long since he'd spoken Skald, he was a bit rusty. He thinks back to the way his father talked when he spoke to him in the language--the way he spoke seems right, somehow--his father's words sounded like the way this woman was talking. He closes his eyes and steadies himself, thinking of Morgraine's instructions before continuing. "... bodyguard of the Lady Morgraine of House Tashanna*; we were accompanying her to Whitethrone when the Lady, in her wisdom, directed us to travel through the woods. You are merchants, I take it?"
*Or whatever noble house Morgraine would've told us to say
It was over before it had even begun. Such, apparently, was the measure of their newfound power. Tiferet pulls her axe out of the beast's carcass and stares silently at her companions, uncertain about the best course of action. They had woven an elaborate story to make sure they would not raise too many eyebrows in Irrisen – and yet, such cover was meant for the Jadwigas and their allies, and those people, this woman, hardly look the part. So, she decides to thread carefully, even though the simple fact the woman addressed them in Common means she's already figured out they're probably not quite from around here – wherever here is.
"Think nothing of it" she modestly replies in Skald. "Travellers should have each others' backs, especially in the wilderness."
Almost unconsciously, her gaze settles on every component of the group before returning to the woman; and in so doing, she feels some of her power still lingering within her, as if sustaining her very presence, and making it stronger.
"We are indeed directed to Whitethrone." Tiferet says, elaborating on Eirikr's words. His Skald is surprisingly good. Didn't know they speak it in Ustalav. "Though I'm afraid our peregrinations have led us astray. I take it we are walking through the holdings of the Lady Nazhena Vasiliovna, right?"
Inire chews on her lip, expressive face showing surprise at her allies'... skill and ferocity, her eyes slightly widened, but when the woman speaks she doesn't respond, sticking with common.
"We could see if their meat is edible. Insects are eaten in some places. It might be better once dried out with a fire... and we do have an excellent cook with us."
She takes a moment to clean her blade with fresh snow and then dry it with her cloth, before returning Scribe to her sheath. As the others begin to talk about who and what they are, she plays with her ravens, instead.
Nathara is a little surprised that it all was over so quickly. "Show off." she whispers to Eirikr with a wink after he impales the giant mantis. She, too, cleans the insect secretions of her blade with snow, dries it and puts it back into its sheath... whatever sheath is currently not in use amongst her weapons.
She only recently learned Skald and has trouble following him when he addresses the strange woman. She seems pretty nice but Nathara rather makes sure her mask covers her face properly stay behind Tiferet's side.
The flora and fauna out here in Irrisen surprises her. How can anything survive in such an enternal winter? Plants should not be able to grow under the constant snow, and everything in the ecosystem depends on it, mediately or immediately. Giant insects are even more strange...
The woman frowns and looks past the warriors to the spell caster behind them. She responds in her own language now, seeing as most of the group seems to speak Skald. "I see... yes, Lady Vasiliovna is the ruler of this land. But your clothing is... not anything I've seen in Irrisen before. And you aren't properly equipped for long distance travel in the snow either. You could pass if you had more local garb I suppose." She laughs. "Well, I'm not about to nose into the business of my saviors if they're not willing to share. But if you need somewhere to stay, it's only a few hours on to the village and we'd be happy to help you at least get to shelter." Suddenly she stops and laughs again. "I should introduce myself first I suppose. Nadya Petska." She offers a hand to the nearest of the travelers.
Even though she realizes it can't be seen Nathara smiles behind her mask. "Nathara Darkblade, pleased to meet you." she answers in skald with a remarkably elegant curtsey considering the amount of equipment she carries.
"It appears we are both fortunate to have met each other in this case." She speaks with a thick accent but her attitude is friendly.
Tiferet looks at her own sandaled feet and realizes how thin their disguise actually is. Indeed, we are strangers in a stranger land. Still, be it luck or fate, their first encounter has actually turned out quite amiable.
"Tiferet Odinsdottir" she says, shaking the hand offered her. "And... yes. We are indeed newcomers to Irrisen" she adds lowering her voice, while noticeably switching to Common. If she is about to spill the beans, the fewer people understands her, the better... at least until they get a better hunch of the situation.
"We hail from the same place those beasts came" she conspiratorially says, pointing at their fallen foes. "Thousands of miles from here, from warmer places... supposedly."
"Furs and rags are all the rage in Whitethrone, I'm pretty sure," says Eirikr, deciding to stick to the lie against all odds. "I don't know what those two are talking about. I've never stepped foot outside of Irrisen."
"I have a feeling that there's a very long story behind that," Nadya says. "But that can wait. We're carrying plenty of clothing and food, so we can get you better equipped at least. Consider it a small reward for our lives." The rest of the caravan quickly gets to work getting the wagons, well more sleds really, moving again.
Nathara looks around for Vosi to see whether he's alright - she isn't sure whether the Ulfen... traders or hunters have noticed him yet.
"You seemed to be able to defend yourself pretty well, however. You travel this realm? Or do you belong to that village?" She asks, again in common as she sets in motion. It was shockingly cold at first but her body seems to adapt to it and along with the furs and her "natural" immunity it appears like this would not become a problem for her.
"There is something we need to finish first, however. Something really important." She says as she remembers that they promised to close the portal. There is no need for more beasts to stumble through it. Let alone for the winter itself or the creatures of evil that reside within it.
"Yes, we're all from the village not far from here," Nadya says. "I'm a trader, so I usually supply the village shops with things from other nearby villages or from trade caravans. We're making a bit of an extra run."
"Make way" says Tiferet, welcoming the offer of food (the idea of eating mantis – even one cooked by such expert hands as Eve's – not really whetting her appetite) but cherishing even more the chance of getting their hands on more appropriate clothing as well as information on their whereabouts, as precious a currency as there could be for veritable fishes out of water as they are.
Meeting friendly traders just outside the Portal. Perhaps Nathara's right. Perhaps Desna really smiles on us she thinks as she starts making her strenuous way through the snow and back to the top of the hill in order to fetch Lily. She misses the potion's effects already.
Inire nods to Nathara, slipping quietly away to return to what she had been doing before the attack on mantis had ensued.
Inire and Nathara head back up the hill, stumbling through the snow a bit as they make their way back to the portal. They examine the area around it, but the quickly realize that something is strange. There doesn't seem to be anything around the portal at all.
Nathara does try to not make it to obvious, but she uses her claws for help as she climbs the steep hill. She casts detect magic after trying to examine it more closely with her mundane sight. First she shields her eyes and only blinks carefully into the blinding pyre of magical power.
Then she exhales sharply in frustration. "The magic of the portal is not anchored in this place. It is projected. This is... unexpected."
She never heard of anything like that before. The degree of control to even consider anything like this was beyond her imagination. "Short of trying to build a primitive rock frame around it I have no idea what to do about it. The stream that supports the portal cannot be easily interrupted."
"Simple solution... fill it with snow. If we pile enough snow in, it should overflow and cover it up, which should seal it on the other side." She says, chewing on her lip. "It wouldn't work on this side, since it's not surrounded like the other side. But it'd take a lot of snow."
"Might work – temporarily, at least. But even if no-one were to undo our work, this thing has been blowing enough snow to cover the whole Border Wood already" Tiferet says thoughtfully. "We need to find the source."
While the others go to examine the portal, Eirikr waits in the snow with the merchants. He briefly examines the dead mantis, considering taking its antennae or arm as a trophy, but he decides against it. He's glad at the merchant's offer of food--having tasted the mantis first hand he's doubtful that even Evelyn could improve it.
His interest in the mantis waning, he turns to the woman who seems to be the leader of the other travelers. "Nadya," he says, not really speaking to her, his eyes focused on the snow. The name was--familiar--and his memory turned to the ghost they had encountered back in the Border Woods. He looks up at her--he can't place it, exactly, but he thinks he sees some of that little girl in the face of this woman. His mouth opens, and he starts to say something, but he stops himself. "Did the accent give us away? I've never really met anyone from Irrisen before."
"If we were strong enough... we could shove a tree through. That would at least lessen the amount of flow, right? Like... a rickety door?"