Nev points at the tail. "Hold on, there's some kind of animal over there."
The beast will move towards Llyr with its giant weasel legs!
getting poked by Nev's spear of Weasel Slaying, (not a real thing) it takes 9 damage and looks at Nev like "Seriously?!"
As the beast comes out from the snow, Grimkell is quick to react, he immediately starts yelling. Walking towards it, he bangs his sword on his shield, trying to intimidate the creature.
Elxurian moves up to the creature while drawing her Greatsword and attacks it, hitting with the flat of the blade...
!
Llyr had been trying to sneak around and trailblazer a safer route. Apparently, he chose poorly and leads the group directly to a giant weasel monster. Darting around the beast, Llyr uses Nev to his advantage and tries to run the beast through.
The beast growls at Llyr. Taking 23 damage, its white fur beginning to stain with blood.
Before it can even react to the stabs and pokes, Elx smacks it with the long end of her sword taking 15 NL damage.
The beast is unconscious.
Llyr cleans his blade on the snow and then his sleeve before returning it to his hip. "That was a bit surprising. Shall we continue? Don't want to be around here when it wakes up, might have to kill it then." If the party agrees, Llyr will resume circling around the magical trap area and continuing on their mission.
Grimkell spends a few moment staring at the beast, shocked that it fell so quickly.
"Truly, this group will do great things, there can be no doubts."
Turning to Llyr: "Impressive, it seems that our training was helpfull! As for it attacking us, I doubt it, it will take time for it to recover, and I am sure it will fear us now."
Grimkell follows Llyr, leaving 40' between the two of them and trying to spot magical emanations.
"It vould seem zhat zhe forest itself is taking up with zhe winter."
"Hey, I think this might be the weasel that hunter we found had been hunting," Lex comments, looking at it, before looking at Elxurian in confusion. "You really want to leave it alive? If this thing wanders near Heldren it could cause them all sorts of problems."
She leaves it up to the paladin, following Llyr through the heavy snow, glad that she hadn't needed to use up any of her precious spells for that.
The paladin does not stop on her tracks to wonder, having already taken the decision before the blow.
"Sorry Lex, but I don't play the game of If. The creature was probably hungry, that's all. It didn't kill anyone, as much as we know, and even if it did we're in the middle of the wild lands here. It's her environment, her home. Or so I think. If it wanders close to Heldren someone will scare it away, but I'll bet it will think twice before messing with humanoids again."
You all now enter Somir Valley, It is getting dark; the sun soon to be lost behind the horizon. The valley has plenty of sheltering trees and a plethora of places to camp.
"I suppose it is time to sleep under zhe stars once more." She says, pulling the cloak tighter, once more, looking to the others.
"Might as well," Lex says. "We've got to be close now, though. We really ought to double shift watches - two people awake while the others sleep. Llyr and Elxurian should probably take middle watch - I think the rest of us need interrupted rest, so first or last shift for us. I'll take first," She says, looking at her cute fluffy owl - Lowell's keen vision would do well for spotting any dangerous critters.
"What watch rotation do we want? I'm happy to keep guard during the coldest part of the night, as I'm not too bothered by the weather."
I'm fine with any watch, though those in the middle should have the best vision for darkness or at least low light situations. Fire or no Fire tonight?
"They know we are coming, and they won't attack us directly, it seems, so I believe a fire will make no difference, but might aid us in scaring away the wild animals. I'll take any watch you need."
"Not only that, sleeping without fire in wintery climate is dangerous, the chances that one of us will be sick, or won't wake up, are too high." says Grimkell barely hiding his chittering teeth.
"I will take the third watch."
The skald then proceeds to fortify the place with snow walls, building, for the second time, a convertible igloo.
"I'll take the first watch - and so will Lowell, won't you boy?" Lex tells her owl, grinning at the fluffy thing. "He's got good eyes for the dark."
The magus will set herself up for the first watch, her owl taking to the trees to roost and watch around them all.
Lex looks over at Karyne as they set up for the watch, frowning a bit and trying to think of a line of conversation that the two of them could have that wouldn't be rather awkward.
"...So, you're like, over a century old and all? That must be...interesting." She says, laughing a little. "I mean that, you were alive before Cheliax went devil crazy, and have probably seen a whole lot. I've got to ask, though - how does somebody from Irrisen end up all the way on the other side of Avistan? I mean...I guess you probably had the time for it. But you still have that horrid accent so you couldn't have been away for too long, probably?"
"My cousin finally released me from my familial duties. She vas looking for an excuse to be rid of me, as my ideas and advice vas not somezhing zhat most in Irrisen cared to hear. She gave me a small stipend for my travels and I vas allowed to go vhere I vished. I have traveled aimlessly for a few months until I found my vay here. Vhat brought you here?" She asks as she plays with a small spark, tossing it between her fingers.
"Honestly? I was heading my way towards Irrisen," Lex admitted. "My father's caravan was on the Qadiran border when I left around a month or so ago. It's still a long trip - It'll probably take me the better part of a year to get there, but...it's something that I've got to do."
She smiles a bit, pointing to her freckle dusted face. "Besides, put me anywhere that the sun bakes you and I turn as red as a cherry. I'll do much better in the north."
Chuckling at that, she flicks the spark into the fire. [b]"Vell, I believe I can understand zhat," she says as she pulls back her heavy cloak to reveal the extraordinarily pale skin beneath. It is almost blue she is so pale.
Before going to sleep, Grimkell takes out his lyre from his bag and walks over to Nev and sits next to him. He stares the oracle in the eyes, apparently battling between disgust and curiosity. Still staring, he begins to play a tune on his lyre. Surprisingly, the music seems tuned to Nev's emotions. Still playing, the Grimkell speaks to him:
"So, when we met you said that stories about you were true. What are those? Why would we have heard stories about you? You are from Irrisen too, right? What were you doing in a land controlled by witches? You were a consort before you were cursed?" says the skall quickly and without pauses, still staring.
As Eluxurian and Llyr shoot the breeze, they feel a strong breeze begin to creep up. You both notice a whirlwind approaching you. Right before this whirlwind takes you, Elux gets hit by three purple magic darts, taking 13 damage.
After the surprise round, the monsters go, then it will be your turn. Elux and Llyr can act on the surprise turn.
Karyne would be either near a fire or near her 'bodyguard' Nev. In that order.
Llyr's blade comes out in a flash as he rises to his feet, and he bellows loudly they are under attack, hoping the others wake quickly.
Elxurian dodges the whirlwind and tries to identify what she sees.
She draws her blade for now, since Llyr has already called out an alert.
The fire is taken out, too. As the noise and wind blows your gear around. At the last moment, both Llyr and Elx were able to dodge the oncoming vortex.
You see a little blue creature, oddly familiar, appear 15 feet behind Elx and Open her mouth, letting loose shards of ice and snow.
At the same time, the elemental flies to Llyr's left and attacks him, slamming his fists against the side of his head.
Then, out of nowhere, another twirly whirly thing comes at Lex, who is barely aware of what is going on. It brings both of its airy fists down on her, dealing 5 damage.
Karyne gets glittery purple in her face, taking 10 damage.
Elx! Lets flank this guy with the bad breath! Calls Llyr as he steps up, between the mephit and the elemental. He then holds his strike, waiting for the opportune time to thrust.
Grimkell wakes up with a start when Llyr calls out. Yet, with a fierce scream, the skald is quick to throw away his the furs covering him, to standd up and start encouraging the others while he reaches for his sword.
Lex is somewhat confused, but gets right to it as she infuses her staff with power once more, shouting as she strikes at the creature of air buffeting her in a defensive posture.