"A moment," says Cynehelm.
Stepping aside, he lights a candle and chants softly, a prayer to the Sun goddess for aid. Moments later, the room is filled with a soft glow and a distant chanting. A large creature strides forth from the glow. She is a beautiful elf from the waist up, a coiled serpent from the waist down.
"Welcome, Lady, to the mortal world," says Cynehelm.
"I am Cynehelm, a servant of mighty Sarenrae. This poor creature speaks a language we do not understand. Can we beg you please to serve as our translator?"
After summoning th angle you are easily able to talk to the doll. She will gladly give you the story of her imprisonment. Had you rescued her first she would also have told you if the shadow trap and the glass window trap.
"Have you seen Baba Yaga recently? Would you have us leave you here or accompany us in our travels?"
It has been some time since I have seen Baba Yaga. I heard a rumor that she has been missing but I don’t know that. No one here tells me anything anymore. My mistress is gone from this world and I don’t have anyone to take care of or to take care of me. I will gladly go to another place than here. Though until that happens I am content to stay in the Hir and clean this place out. Just leave me food and water and I will be happy!
"Little one, you are welcome to stay if you feel safe, but I would be happy to take you along otherwise. We will have to figure out the limitations in communciation. What do you call the language you speak?"
Have you ever seen some fellow who went by the name Raspution? We're trying to hunt him down.
I speak Russian. Why don’t you all speak Russian if you are here?
I know that name but have never met him. Everyone who has lived in Russia knows that name. Some say he is nothing but a con man while others say he is a genius and yet others say a sorcerer. He is more than just a simple man, that much is known.
"We speak the Common tongue of our world. I have never heard of the Russian language. Where is it you think we are? Baba Yaga's hut has taken us many places that are not familiar to us, perhaps this is yet another such place."
The doll looks at you quizzically. We are in Russia where my mistress and I were until Baba Yaga rook me captive and imprisoned me here.
Considering she hasn't been out of the room much, I don't think she is aware of what has happened.
"And where in all of creation is Russia?" asks Cynehelm. "It sounds vaguely Iobarian, but I never heard of it. Is it on one of the other planets? Or some other plane?"
This is the third planet from the sun, call Earth. How do you guys not know this?
The doll before you is Vasalisa's doll! One ofBaba Yaga's best known embarrassments
came at the hands of a young girl named Vasilisa, who
with her hardworking magic doll performed impossible
tasks for Baba Yaga to avoid being eaten. After escaping
from the Dancing Hut, Vasilisa went on to defeat her cruel
stepmother and stepsisters with the aid of a magical skull
she earned from her labors, and as a woman she earned
a forgotten tsar's hand in marriage. Baba Yaga, never
forgetful of the girl's trickery, snatched the doll away from
the tsarina after her death, and for centuries since has
tortured it here.
"Earth. Never heard of it. How do we know if we're there? Let's find a door to the outside."
The door was located where the coffin man was found. He will still let you out.
The PCs exit the Dancin Hut on a crisp and cold morning
to the smell of burning cinders and a haze in the air from
recent fires. Like a nesting hen, Baba Yaga's hut sits squat
and low on a hilltop overlooking a wide, ice-choked river.
Below the hut's high perch lies a devastated village, burned
to the ground; the churned mud, black piles of charred
timber, and splashes of bright crimson blood among the
ruins contrast with the heavy white snowdrifts blanketing
the ground.
The sun and moon are slightly different from
those of Golarion, and the stars and constellations in the
night sky are unlike anything the PCs have ever seen before.
Although it is still autumn, an early winter has come to
this area of Earth, the land's normal weather patterns
disrupted by the energies of Rasputin's works. Snow
covers the ground, and the average temperature during the
day is around 20° F, dropping to 10° or even 0° F at night.
TROOPS
The troop subtype represents an organized group
of trained soldiers that act as a unit, rather than as
individuals. A troop is something of an abstraction, in
that the component creatures that make up the troop are
mostly irrelevant; only the troop as a whole matters for the
purposes of combat. A troop is similar to a swarm, but is
normally composed of Small or Medium creatures. Large
groups ofTiny or smaller creatures should use the normal
swarm rules.
Troop Subtype: A troop is a collection of creatures that
acts as a single creature, similar to a swarm, but typically
as part of a military unit. A troop has the characteristics
ofits type, except as noted here. A troop has a single pool
of Hit Dice and hit points, a single initiative modifier, a
single speed, and a single Armor Class. A troop makes
saving throws as a single creature.
A single troop occupies a 20-foot-by-20-foot square, equal
in size to a Gargantuan creature, though the actual size
category of the troop is the same as that of the component
creatures. The area occupied by a troop is completely
shapeable, though the troop must remain in contiguous
squares to accurately reflect the teamwork of trained
military units. A troop has a reach equal to that of the
component creatures based on size or armament. A troop
can move through squares occupied by enemies and vice
versa without impediment, although the troop provokes
an attack of opportunity if it does so. A troop can move
through any area large enough for its component creatures.
The exact number of a troop's component creatures
varies, but in general, a troop of Small or Medium creatures
consists of approximately 12 to 30 creatures. Larger
creatures can form troops, but the area occupied by such a
troop should increase proportionally according to the size
of the component creatures.
Troop Traits: A troop is not subject to flanking, but it is
subject to critical hits and sneak attacks if its component
creatures are subject to such attacks. Reducing a troop
to o hit points or fewer causes it to break up, effectively
destroying the troop, though the damage taken until that
point does not degrade its ability to attack or resist attack.
A troop is never staggered or reduced to a dying state by
damage. Also, a troop cannot be tripped, grappled, or bull
rushed, except by area effects that include such effects. A
troop can grapple an opponent.
A troop is immune to any spell or effect that targets
a specific number of creatures (including single-target
spells such as disintegrate and multiple target spells such
as haste), though it is affected by spells or effects that
target an area or a nonspecific number of creatures (such
as fireball or mass hold monster). A troop takes half again
as much damage (+50%) from spells or effects that affect
an area. If a troop is rendered unconscious by means of
nonlethal damage, it disperses and does not reform until
its hit points exceed its nonlethal damage.
Troop Attack: Creatures with the troop subtype don't
make standard melee attacks. Instead, they deal automatic
damage to any creature within reach or whose space they
occupy at the end of their move, with no attack roll needed.
A troop's stat block has "troop" in its Melee entry with no
attack bonus given. The amount of damage a troop deals is
based on its Hit Dice, as shown in the table on page 313 of
the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary.
Unless stated otherwise, a troop's attacks are nonmagical.
Damage reduction sufficient to reduce a troop attack's
damage to o or other special abilities can give a creature
immunity (or at least resistance) to the troop's attacks. Some
troops also have other special attacks in addition to normal
damage. Troops threaten all creatures within their reach
or within their area, and attempt attacks of opportunity as
normal with their troop attack.
Because of the chaos of combat, spellcasting or
concentrating on spells within the area of a troop or
within its reach requires a caster level check (DC 20 + spell
level). Using skills that involve patience and concentration
requires a successful DC 20 Will save.
Below the hill, a rutted, muddy road winds
between still-smoldering charred cottages,
fi re-blackened craters mar the pristine snow-
covered landscape. Crows squawk from perches
atop a strange, gigantic metal wagon with
spoked wheels mired among the smoking ruins.
Hm...Let's circle around and try to din where we need to go.
Also Baub how high up are you with overland flight?[/ooc]
Jetro moves along the tree line.
Duardlara does her best impression of a ghost, fading into the terrain while she observes the village below.
She tucks Migger within the habit she wears and pulls the hood up. When she turns to Cynehelm, he notices that her eyes have changed to a piercing icy blue. She whispers, "I will circle the village to the right looking for anything alive below. If you or the others are seen, I will come to your aid. If I am seen... then they will be chasing a ghost."
Hugging the tree line Duardlara moves as silently as a ghost as she gets closer to the village. On the opposite side Jetro and Baub move to the southeastern set of trees. With Baub only a scant couple of feet up his perspective is not altered from the rest and doesn’t notice anything different than any one else. Helgash also moves southward while Cynehelm defends the Hut.
Jetro keeps moving.
Cynehelm follows Helgash and Jetro, trying to remain both quiet and observant.
20,40,60
Much to the surprise of the company of soldiers Baub makes his way to the front of the building that they ae hiding in and behind. Shouting and cursing takes place as they grab their weapons and begin to take aim at Baub.
Cynehelm
Jetro
Duardlara
Baub
Troop 1
Troop 2
Tank
|
Baub sees the soldiers and not knowing who these soldiers are supporting, decides not to turn them to ash but to notify the others. He turns back to the treeline he saw Helgash and Jetro heading for and moves in that direction. As soon as he finds someone, at least Helgash, he will whisper that there are soldiers in the building and then move to pass on the information.
Baub you make it back to Jetro who is at the edge of the woods. The soldiers don’t notice you at all but there is a chance to notice Jetro, Helgash or Cynehelm.
Perception
Duardlara continues to move stealthily, keeping an ear out for indications that her friends have been spotted, and studies the strange wagon before her.
The soldiers definitely hear and see Helgash cussing at how close he is in the tree line. Bringing guns up they look for other threats.
Duardlara the metal carriage before you is large enough that at least 4 medium size people could fit inside of it. Arrow slots in the metal allow for creatures to look out of the carriage but hard to see in. The wheels rest a foot deep in frozen mud but with the size of it it may not be stuck. Currently you have seen no motion or noise from the horseless carriage and for all intents and purposes it looks like nothing more than a crazy statue at this point.
Duardlara maintains her hopefully hidden position and observes the odd device to see if someone lies within.
Cynhelm casts tongues and stays still for now.
Jetro moves into the trees