“Fire seems to be effective!” Malden calls as the first tree is felled.
Cursing loudly as her snowball flies wide, she rejects closing on the remaining tree, and instead points at it, once more speaking softly to herself. A small icicle flies forth from her outstretched finger, aimed towards the trunk.
Gaelin responds to the blow from the tree with another swing of his blade.
"My flint and tinder will be a little slow, I fear," Alikai gasps, raising her bow.
Tristan continues his attack, focusing intently on the tree's movements.
dagger attack
dagger damage
Sahsara will drop her bow and draw her rapier while she runs to a flanking position.
Initiatives Fir Frolic rd2
Animate firs: 14 [Gaelin hit]
Ecaterina: 8 [hit]
Alikai: 6 [miss]
Sahsara:6 [miss]
Tristan: 4 [hit]
Gaelin 4 [miss]
Jeydavu: 4 [pending]
Malden: 3 [pending]
A flurry of blows go towards the animate tree, some hitting, some not. The fir still stands, Although Tristan's blow took a branch off
Jeydavu strikes again with his scimitar. ,
Initiatives Fir Frolic rd2
Animate firs: 14 [Gaelin hit]
Ecaterina: 8 [hit]
Alikai: 6 [miss]
Sahsara:6 [miss]
Jeydavu: 4+1(c)=5[hit]
Tristan: 4 [hit]
Gaelin 4 [miss]
Malden: 3 [pending]
Jeydavu's scimitar cleaves another large branch off the frisky frost fir. A gout of sap dribbles down its craggy bark
Malden hangs back, waiting for an opening, or to see if his companions can fell the second tree. Seeing Gaelin's blade bounce off the tree's thick bark without damaging it, he at last darts forward, fans his hands out in front of him and calls, "Sarenrae, grant me flame!".
A wave of fire erupts from Malden's fingers and races up the remaining branches of the animate tree. The fir dances around as the flames turn it into a torch. It collapses, and burns atop a snowbank, hissing
“Firewood,” announces Malden, flashing a grin with his very white teeth. The grin soon fades though. “Who is wounded?” he asks. “Gather close, and I will implore Sarenrae for her blessing of healing.”
"I am unhurt." answers Jeydavu. "I will try to pick up the trail again while you help the others," he continues.
"With the scuffle from tree fight, I'm having difficulty picking up the tracks. Perhaps you may have better luck Alikai." says Jedyavu with some frustration in his voice. He then retrieves Chtonthoth.
Alikai limps to Malden's side. "Ribs bashed in by a tree," she gasps, "I'll never live it down. Thank you for the healing, Malden, and for being on fire!"
Once healed up, she joins Jeydavu in the search for tracks, waving Sahsara over to help decipher the signs.
"I've been smacked in the jaw by a tree limb before. At least this time I can honestly say it was the tree that was moving." Gaelin sheaths his sword and shakes out his limbs.
Alikai picks up the ermine's spoor and they head down the narrow trail again. They have gotten about halfway to the valley floor when the trail shows some signs of disturbance, the snow being ripped up at some earlier point and being snowed over again
Malden gathers Alikai and Gaelin (and anyone else who might be wounded) in close and calls on Sarenrae’s benevolence to heal them.
"Thanks, hot stuff." Alikai straightens and flexes after the healing is complete, waving off more for thr time being. Once the kinks are worked out, she heads back to the ermine trail.
"What happened here?" she muses, searching the area around the disturbance for clues.
Alikai sees the classic bear trap shape sticking out of the center of the disturbed area. It is covered in fresh snow, but still recognizable. It is sprung, both leaves clamped together.
"The beast must be about. Be wary," cautions Malden.
Ecaterina looks around at Alikai and Malden's warning. "Should we be spreading out to search for the beast, or pushing forward and wait for it to come to us?"
Alikai examines the trap more closely to see if any fur or blood is evident on the jaws. Whatever the case, since it is already sprung and probably belongs to the dead hunter, she pulls up the stake and takes it with her. "Might come in handy."
"I'm for following the trail while looking out for traps, moving will keep the blood flowing."
if I need survival to follow tracks
Alikai discovers the trap has been wrenched somewhat, and might be hard to set. there is blood and a bit of white fur on the teeth
Sahsara discovers two set bear traps along the route, well hidden.
The ermine's trail leads down into the valley below
"Keep an eye out for more traps," Gaelin says. "They failed to catch their intended prey, but I don't know that any of us should count on being so lucky." He continues with the others along the beast's trail.
The party continues on down the path towards the icy valley below. The ermine's spoor is still readable, but the snow has covered the most recent marks, indicating that it has not been up this far for a while.
after about a half-hour walking the narrow trail, the path opens into a clearing. Ahead a dozen boulder-sized chunks of ice stud the ground like huge frozen menhirs. Beyond them on a snow-covered hill is a bizarre hut that sits far above ground on four carven tree trunks. The poles are fashioned to resemble giant chicken legs.The hut itself has a steep oddly-shaped roof and those familiar with Irrisen recognize its construction as similar to the houses of that country.
“Laureth’s diary!” Malden exclaims softly, gazing in wonder at the hut. “The journal, please.”
The priest quickly thumbs through the journal, hurriedly re-reading the entry that mentioned such a hut. “Be alert for apparitions, faces in ice and strange looking dolls,” he mutters.
Gazing into the clearing, Ecaterina is at first worried about the hut's appearance, but then relaxes a little upon seeing that the legs are simple carvings. "Thankfully, this is not the hut of my great, great, great, well you get the idea, grandmother. As Malden has pointed out though, we should not let our guard down. Just the appearance of this hut, is cause for concern. It is clearly from my homeland, and the carved legs can be no mere coincidence."
As Malden begins to walk towards the hut, he suddenly seems to notice the frozen menhir-like icy boulders. He stops before passing between them, looking at them carefully. .
"Hey Ecaterina, do all huts in Irrisen have fake chicken feet, or would this stand out even there?"
Sahsara will accompany the others.
+ 4 for hidden objects or details of conversation + 1 for traps.
Alikai lags behind, letting the others check for magic. She keeps an eye out around them for giant ermines or other nasties, arrow on the string and head on a swivel.
Jeydavu pauses to cast resistance on himself and Chtonthoth before proceeding. "This is not a good sign. Whether it be witches or not, clearly someone wants to make the appearance of an Irrisen connection. Let's be wary."
He moves forward to follow Malden and Ecaterina and looks for magical auras and danger.
As Malden begins to walk towards the hut, he suddenly seems to notice the frozen menhir-like icy boulders. He stops before passing between them, looking at them carefully. [dice=Perception]1d20 + 6.
Malden (and Jeydavu) detect a faint aura of magic blanketing the entrance to the clearing
Everyone DC 15 perception and above:
Perception
Tristan tries not to look too closely at the boulders as he nears them, one hand unconsciously rising to the necklace tucked beneath his shirt. "There is something unnatural to these boulders...I would beware letting your gaze linger on them for long," he warns the others.
Malden (and Jeydavu) detect a faint aura of magic blanketing the entrance to the clearing
As Malden begins to walk towards the hut, he suddenly seems to notice the frozen menhir-like icy boulders. He stops before passing between them, looking at them carefully. [dice=Perception]1d20 + 6.
"No," Ecaterina says in response to Sahsara's question, "this is a very specific choice of decoration for this hut to have. I can't say that it's significance bodes well. Hopefully it will just be a coincidence."
As Malden and Jeydavu seem to be inspecting the strange menhir-like objects, Ecaterina instead focuses on the hut.
His sword drawn, Gaelin steps carefully through the clearing. "An unnatural winter that some have indicated points to the witches of Irrisen, and now this. I cannot help but think that the answer lies within this hut."
He slowly approaches the structure, looking to see if it is occupied,
"Beware, there is magic around here. I'll tell you what kind very soon."
"Be careful, friends. Something is unnatural about that ice. And that house... those aren't really chicken legs."
[dice=spellcraft]1d20+5
"Beware, there is magic around here. I'll tell you what kind very soon."
It is abjuration magic. Jeydavu has a feeling it might be an Alarm spell.
[dice=Perception]1d20+5
His sword drawn, Gaelin steps carefully through the clearing. "An unnatural winter that some have indicated points to the witches of Irrisen, and now this. I cannot help but think that the answer lies within this hut."
He slowly approaches the structure, looking to see if it is occupied,
Gaelin tries to approach a bit closer to take a look at the hut. It seems difficult to get a good look through the blowing snow and the tall ice blocks. Suddenly, a small figure materializes close to him. It is a young girl, her blonde hair, style of dress, and fair features mark her as an Irriseni. She speaks
"No I want to go home!"
[dice=Perception Check]1d20 + 1
"No," Ecaterina says in response to Sahsara's question, "this is a very specific choice of decoration for this hut to have. I can't say that it's significance bodes well. Hopefully it will just be a coincidence."
As Malden and Jeydavu seem to be inspecting the strange menhir-like objects, Ecaterina instead focuses on the hut.
The snow that the wind is blowing through makes it hard to see the hut, other than a vague outline if peaked roof and chicken-leg-carved pillars.
Jeydavu calls out to the others, "Beware, a magical alarm is here. We must proceed assuming that our presence is known." He tightens his grip on his scimitar and moves forward to join Gaelin, bringing Chtonthoth with him.
Ecaterina steps toward the little girl and kneels. wary for a trap, but not wanting to appear so, she reaches out a hand towards the young girl and tries to comfort her.
"I know how you feel young one, I too am far from our homeland and wish to return. Are you being kept here against your will? What is this place?"
