Gathering yourselves together, you take your leave of Nadya and the dogs and make your way through the double doors that grant access to the tower itself. Heavy and made of wood, the doors are studded with icicles that protrude towards you horizontally in a most unwelcoming display. Further, above the doors on the eaves, icicles dangle ominously. Fortunately, the doors are unlocked and the icicles are decorations only.
You push through them and find yourselves at the head of a short, fifteen foot corridor. The first thing you notice is that it is uncharacteristically warm within, an you can see wisps of steam creating a haze across your vision. Fifteen feet ahead, where the hallway gives way to a larger chamber, a pool of water sits atop a dais, bubbling and obviously the source of the steam. Between you and the pool a duo of pike-wielding, helmeted, humanoid ice sculptures stand against the icy walls, flanking the corridor. Beyond the pool of water you can see two closed wooden doors.
Kronek looks suspiciously at the sculptures. "Home of the witches. Does danger come from the steam or statues?" He makes sure he has the spear ready for battle, slapping the palm of his hand with the shaft of the weapon.
"Geedra find magic. Wait, big human." Geedra tries to detect magic in the room to warn her compatriots of unknown danger.
While Geedra looks around for magical auras, Cara examines the area for traps or other dangers.
As you reach out in attempts to discern any mystical auras in the area, you can sense a dim aura that seems to permeate everything that your spell covers. It is not an aura palpable enough to register as a school of magic nor an ongoing effect, but something present nonetheless, humming along distantly in the backdrop. You assume that magic was used to create this entire tower and that it still infuses the structure. Regardless, you sense nothing magical about the statues in particular.
The hallway is simple enough to investigate visually and you do not pick up on any traps in the immediate area. The statues are beautiful in their eerie coldness, obviously carved and meticulously fashioned by someone with great artistic skill. You are rather confident that they are just statues, however, with no traps to be had hidden around or within them.
"I'm somewhat sure those statues are just statues and the area is trap free, although these adversaries are cunning so there may be something that I missed." Cara shares with group.
"Whole place am made by magic. Strong caster built building with magic stuff. Not want find that mage!"
"Probably not, but we're committed now. Keep watching those things and let them have it if they get the jump on me. I'm headed for the doors." Kronek moves up to the statues and then puts on a burst of speed, leaping past them in hopes of catching them by surprise if they animate.
Asgrid follows behind Cara and Kronek, with Grugkt lurking beside. She's wary of the statues animating too, and after all this trouble with ice creatures it would be just like the witches to guard their domain with something made of heat and steam. "Let's get out of here. Should we be coming up on one of those magic gateways soon?"
Kronek breaks into a dash past the statues, making a leap as he nears them to clear the hallway and get the drop on them should they animate. Fortunately, the statues are merely statues, and simply stare ahead with their icy glares. Having made it out of the hallway, you can see now that the room with with basin is actually a larger entrance hall that runs perpendicular to the one with the statues in it. Six thin pillars of ice surround the dais on which the pool sits, glistening dark blue. Two the left and right, you can see a total of four huge mirrors hanging on the walls, well fogged by the steam in the room. You count a total of 8 doors in this hall, not including the one you came in - two directly across the basin from you, and three each down on the left and right sides of the hall.
As Kronek lands his jump near the basin and takes in the area, Asgrid and the others follow up behind him after seeing that no threat is posed by the statues. As you all move, however, the water in the basin begins bubbling furiously, and suddenly a shower of water erupts from the pool as a shape emerges. Vaguely humanoid and comprised of bubbling, churning water, the fluid creature raises one of its appendages towards the ceiling, and you can see the water in the pool follow its command, surging up and into one of the icy pillars surrounding the basin. You see now that the pillars are hollow, and the water rushes up through them, disappearing into the floor above.
After performing this action, the creature gives you a blank look, dark pools in its front suggesting a face of some sort. After it gazes at you for a moment, it slowly recedes back into the basin, staring at you all the time.
Kronek relaxes when the statues fail to animate, but then tenses again as the creature emerges from the basin. He barely restrains himself from attacking. "Not a battle we need. I don't know if it has alerted someone, but I think we should keep moving. Left door straight ahead?"
Geedra nods in agreement at the door selection. "Fine. Water man am worry Geedra."
Deciding to ignore the watery creature for you, you cautiously move across the hall and Kronek moves up to the left door directly across the basin. Once you are all gathered up behind him he opens the door where a lived-in, musky scent is the first thing to greet you. At first glance you see that it is some sort of barracks or sleeping quarters from the beds lining the curving wall. You have little time to investigate further, however, as a group of armed soldiers spring up from their positions around a table, alarmed to see you there. Four men shout out as they reach for their weapons, while a redheaded woman in a cape and helm much like the sergeant you fought in Waldsby calls out orders.
"Intruders! To arms!" She also calls out another word as you all prepare for battle, in a strange, gurgling language. Whether or not you can understand it, you can hear the basin behind you bubbling furiously again....
Initiative:
Soldiers: 18
Water Creature: 13
Init
Cara instinctively draws her bow and fires an arrow at the guard she can see.
Barely getting the jump on the guards, Kronek rages and rushes to attack the first guard that is still on his feet.
Asgrid is still puzzling just what kind of creature is in the basin when Kronek opens one of the doors and chaos erupts. Peering over everyone's shoulders she's not sure what's ahead in that room, but she glances back to see the basin bubbling furiously again. "Let's not wait around for the welcome committee. Everybody in!" She tries to usher everyone into the barracks room, with Grugkt barrelling in behind.
Asgrid HP 24/24 AC 18 with ice armor (AC20 if it's really, really cold)
Grugkt HP 11/11
Spells Cast
Oracle
1) cure lt wounds x4
Summoner
1) lesser rejuvenate eidolon x2
Items Used so far
6 charges from wand of magic weapon (18 charges remaining)
divine scroll of endure elements
1 crossbow bolt
Cara's elven reflexes grant her the first strike in this close-quarters battle. Fluidly she sets an arrow into the string of her bow and lets fly, sending it neatly into the lead guard's chest. He grunts out, staggering back, and the blood that wells up from beneath his furs and the links of his chainmail show that it bit deep.
He keeps his footing, however. until kronek sweeps into the room and runs a boar spear through his torso, inches beneath the arrow. He drops dead.
The other guards look hesitantly at one another but the woman behind them pushes them forward. "A quick death is a fine alternative to what the Mistress will do to you if this tower's overrun!" Her words strike a chord with her men and they swallow hard before painting icy resolve on their features. One of them steps up to attack kronek, but the bloodrager easily knocks his blade aside with the haft of the spear.
One of the other guards opens the southern door to the room, and a moment later he and the third man comes wheeling about behind Asgrid. One swipes at the dwarf with his own blade, but it bounces helplessly off of the oracle's conjured ice armor. He looks on in shock. The other isn't able to get close enough for a strike.
The woman commanding this group moves forward to attack Kronek as well. Obviously better trained than her men, her blade slides past Kronek's defenses and delivers a nasty wound to the kellid's chest.
In the basin behind you, the bubbles coalesce once more into the humanoid figure. With a rolling gurgle it swings out a semi-solid appendage at Cara, its nearest target. Rather than attempt to bash her, the watery arm attempts to coil around her like a snake, but the ranger's alacrity allows her to wriggle free.
Iniative:
Cara: 24
Kronek: 19
Soldiers: 18
Water Creature: 13
Geedra: 4
Asgrid: 4
Longsword:
Longsword:
CMB:
Longsword:
"Eeep!" Cara exclaims as the watery creature tries to grab her. With little confidence in her acrobatics skills, and nowhere safe nearby to fire her bow, the ranger moves her bow to her offhand, draws her longsword, and attempts to strike the creature in the water.
Geedra pulls an alchemist's fire and tosses it at the elemental, before Cara moves to engage it.
RTA
Damage
With the two warriors creeping up behind her, Asgrid indeed rethinks her strategy. She yells a dwarven battle cry (though it comes out as Aklo gibberish) and swings wildly with her pick. She may not be hitting anything, but hopefully the wild swings will keep them at arm's length and who knows? She might actually connect with one of them.
Asgrid HP 24/24 AC 20 with ice armor
Spells Cast
Oracle
1) cure lt wounds x4
Summoner
1) lesser rejuvenate eidolon x2
Items Used so far
6 charges from wand of magic weapon (18 charges remaining)
divine scroll of endure elements
1 crossbow bolt
Grugkt seems alarmed at the sight of the two warriors threatening Asgrid "Agrigah!" The eidolon leaps forward and tries to fell one of the guards with a wallop that tries to connect underneath the man's chin and send him sprawling.
Grugkt HP 11/11
Seeing the water beast arise from the basin, Geedra quickly reacts to its presence by hurling a flask of alchemist fire at. Just as Cara dances away from the liquid tendrils, the flask smashes apart on its semisolid form, blasting it off in a small explosion of hissing steam.
Asgrid and Grugkt set upon the guards who wheeled about to flank the group, threatening them with furry fist and sharpened pick. Though neither of them make solid connections with their chosen weapons, the two guards are put onto the defensive.
Gliding in as a follow up to the fiery blast, Cara maneuvers her bow into one hand while sliding blade from sheathe with the other. In a fluid motion she sweeps the edge of a longsword through a piece of the creature. It is a strange sensation, like pushing the blade through thick mud instead of water. A gurgle that you can decipher as pain escapes the amorphous beast, and dark waters churn deeper in its body. It must be angry.
Deciding the woman is the greatest threat, Kronek faces her down. In spite of his wound, he braces himself and thrusts the spear toward her torso.
For once, Kronek is met with some resistance. The commander turns aside the bloodrager's spear thrust, immediately countering with a one-two strike with her blade and spiked shield. Kronek is able to use the haft of his spear to parry the blade, but the shield comes hard into his chest. His armor blunts much of the blow, but the spikes manage to bite down into some skin.
The soldiers engaging Grugkt and Asgrid each take their own sword swings on their respective opponents. Grugkt knocks the blade away from him with a hairy fist, while the one aimed for Asgrid bounces helplessly off of her ice armor.
The watery guardian ripples in motion, a surge of water one more forming an arm that flows outward in a rush to bludgeon Cara. The blow connects, nearly knocking the wind out of the elf as the water blasts against her torso.
Taking only a split second to recover her breath after the water creature's blow, Cara attempts to retaliate with another slash of her sword.
Geedra throws another alchemist's fire at the elemental, seeing that it had been effective.
RTA
Damage
Possible crit
Damage
Seeing he is in for a tough fight, Kronek shrugs off the puncture from the shield and tries to stab the woman again.
Geedra hurls another flask of alchemist fire at the water elemental. Once more the strike is true, shattering on its semisolid form in a rushing hiss of steam and the gurgling rumble of the creature's voice.
Asgrid and Grugkt continue exchanging blows with the two other guards. Asgrid misses her mark again, the guard stepping out of the way of her heavy pick, which chips a bit of ice from a nearby pillar. Grugkt, however, lands a direct hit with his big, furry fist, smashing the foe so hard in the throat that Kronek can hear the man's neck snap from the other room. The man drops like a dropped sack of turnips.
Cara follows up Geedra's bomb with another accurate swipe of her longsword, dragging another ambiguous wound across the elemental's form. The waters that comprise it seem to be churning a bit less vehemently now.
Kronek doubles his efforts against the commander of this group, pulled the spear back again and delivering another forceful thrust. She goes to parry the strike again, but the strength behind it manages to push past her defenses, opening a ragged gash in her side.
Staggering back a step from the pain of her injury, the woman musters quickly and steps forward again to deliver a double-strike to Kronek with her sword and shield. Her sword opens another gash in the kellid, but her shield fails to score a solid hit.
The guard squaring off against Asgrid looks hesitantly at Grugkt, his eyes falling on his fallen comrade. He decides against fighting both the dwarf and the eidolon, turns tail and runs back through the entry hall.
The elemental tires of being slashed, and once again tries to grapple Cara.
Cara makes an opportunity attack against the elemental as it tries to grab her, then tries to slash it again if it still remains a threat.
Kronek narrows his eyes as the commander remains standing seeing a fiercer fight than the other guard. He wipes away more blood and then shifts his hand back to the spear to thrust it into her again.
Asgrid watches the retreating form of the guard, until her attention is grabbed by the elemental and the sounds of furious fighting in the next room. She rummages quickly through her pack for a flask of alchemist's fire. [b] "Grugkt, go help Kronek and Cara!" Then she lobs a flask at the elemental, her shoulders slumping as it arcs and falls short.
Grugkt meanshile lopes around the corner where the guards had tried to sneak up on them. Seeing Kronek, he tries a running uppercut against the commander.
Asgrid HP 24/24 AC 20 with ice armor
Grugkt HP 11/11
Spells Cast
Oracle
1) cure lt wounds x4
Summoner
1) lesser rejuvenate eidolon x2
Items Used so far
6 charges from wand of magic weapon (18 charges remaining)
divine scroll of endure elements
1 crossbow bolt
]
Geedra throws another alchemist's fire at the elemental, sort of worried it would strike Cara, but not having any other way to affect the elemental.
RTA
Damage
Miss direction
Cara tries to slash at the water elemental as it surges its liquid appendages around her but can't quite land a solid hit. The water coils tightly around her.
Geedra's fire continues to do its work, and she launches another flask of bottle flame at the elemental, but this one sails past and lands in the pool.
Asgrid joins in on the barrage, but her own flask also falls short, shattering on the basin. A rush of flame scorches the stone but unfortunately not much else.
Grugkt wheels about through the barracks chamber to help Kronek dispatch the remaining guard, but she hears him coming. A slam attack is caught by the edge of a shield.
While grappled, Cara attempts to drive her longsword into the elemental again, but the confines of its grip prove too difficult a position to get in a proper strike.
As the commander moves to deflect Grugkt's blow, she leaves herself open. Kronek thrusts his spear again, and it bites deep into the woman's side. She lets out a scream of pain that quickly fades to silence as she keels over on a nearby bed.
The water elemental backs up into the pool - dragging Cara with it! He pulls the elf over the edge of the basin and into the water. Despite the situation, the water is pleasantly hot and grants a warmth you haven't felt in what seems like ages. You're still above the water, fighting the elemental's pull, but it seems apparent that the creature's plan isn't to have you above it for long.
Cara: 24
Kronek: 19
Water Creature: 13
Geedra: 4
Asgrid: 4
Cara focuses herself on defeating the huggy elemental, slashing at it again with her longsword.
Hearing the splash, Kronek races back toward the pool of water and leaps onto the edge to get a good angle at the elemental. He stabs down into the water.
Geedra throws another alchemist's fire at the elemental, with no useful spells left for the time being.
RTA
Damage
Miss direction
Another flask of flames smashes into the water elemental, forcing it to groan out in something akin to pain once more. Cara follows up by using its moment of agony to re-position her longsword and drive it into the watery form grappling her. The stab pulls a long moan from the elemental and Cara can flee its grip slacken and fall away. The watery brute cascades into the pool and vanishes, seemingly defeated.
"What did human woman say for place to rest? Big human am beat up bad!"
"Yes, I think a rest would be in order." Cara readily agrees with Geedra.
"Hurt and exhausted." Kronek is gasping for air after the hard fight and takes a little while to compose himself. "I wish I could keep going, but I do think we need to rest. Let's see if we can find a defensible location back by Nadya before we push further into the tower."
"I don't remember seeing anything back that way that we could hole up in. Won't they just bar the tower against us?" She moves over to Geedra to check she hasn't been crushed by the water elemental.
Indeed, Nadya told you that she would secure the courtyard of the tower as a station to recuperate of you so desire. If you choose to exit this main hall, you find her having cleared away some of the corpses of the last battle there, particularly that of the troll. The dogs are lounging in the snow, eating some bit of food that she found in the kennels. You notice a new corpse currently being disposed of as well, and recognize him as the man that had fled Asgrid and Grugkt in the latest battle. He has a fresh axe wound on him.
"Sounded like you all made quite the entrance," she says. "It has been a long morning, and you all look a bit worse for wear. Didn't think it'd be long before you'd be back for a spot of rest. I was investigating the are a bit more and one of the kennels is filled with wood, so we could barricade the door from our side...and having the courtyard, we have control of the ice gate, so we shouldn't have to worry about anyone getting in easily."
"I do not require very much rest, I'll be happy to take up watch for most of the evening and night. Thank you for clearing this area for us, Nadya." Cara says as she looks the courtyard over for any potential issues that might crop up later.
Geedra nods in appreciation. She was magicked out and anywhere halfway defensible was better than plodding ahead. Once a watch was determined, so kicked back and went straight to sleep, curled in a ball. Fox snuck through the area and cuddled up beside her after the goblin drifted off.
Upon reaching the courtyard, Asgrid wearily lays down her axe and roots in her pack for her healing kit. She checks everyone's wounds and attempts to patch them as best as she can, though she admits her efforts are superficial at best. At this stage she advises that getting what rest the group can will be the best medicine.
Glancing over at Grugkt, she sees the eidolon trying to curl up to sleep in a corner alongside Fox and Geedra. His furry bulk threatened to smother the little fox and goblin.
Asgrid HP 24/24
Grugkt HP 11/11
Spells Cast
Oracle
1) cure lt wounds x4
Summoner
1) lesser rejuvenate eidolon x2
Here's the loot you uncover from the fallen guards and the barracks you stormed:
4 medium longswords
1 masterwork cold iron longsword
5 medium chain shirts
4 medium light steel shields
1 medium spiked light steel shields
5 medium daggers
32 crossbow bolts
1 medium masterwork light crossbow
74 GP
The female fighter also holds a strange glassy blue orb that is cool to the touch. It emanates with both abjuration and conjuration magic.
As you return to the courtyard and find spaces to bed down and get some much-needed and much-earned rest, Nadya vows to watch over you while you sleep and will be sure to wake you if need be. You use wood and other wreckage to barricade the interior door from your side, making it more difficult for any of the other towers' inhabitants to exit. You make sure to do the same with the access doors atop the walls as well. Though it is still quite cold in the tower's courtyard, the walls at least shield you from the wind.
Fortunately, your rest is mostly undisturbed. You are unable to do anything about the many ravens that fly above the courtyard and around the tower, constantly spying on your position. Their caws permeate the night and even as you sleep your dreams are serenaded by their calls.
At one other point, Nadya rouses Kronek from his sleep with a finger over her lips to indicate silence. She points to the barricaded door, which shows some signs of minor movement, as if someone were pushing on it from the other side. It goes on for about ten minutes before becoming still and silent again. There are no other disturbances and several hours later it becomes slightly less dark and dim, indicating daylight, and you all rise from sleep.
Cara claims the masterwork cold iron longsword, "You never know when I'll be forced into a melee situation again."
She then looks to Asgrid, "I am still somewhat injured, could you please try to use your healer's kit on me?"
"After that, I shall be ready to press on."
Spellcraft four potions
Spellcraft three
"Four potions am Cure Light Wounds. All group take a potion. Other three am Endure Elements. Geedra am not need, so rest take those three."
Spellcraft Orb