Heal thanks Geedra for the healing and endure elements potions as she examines Cara's wounds closely. "I can't do much more than bind them for now. Let's take another look first thing in the morning."
With dawn but a glimmer Asgrid rises and spends some time in prayer. She's not normally the praying sort, and not a devotee of any faith in particular, but given the situation she feels a desire for some divine guidance. Some help would be good too. As she does she gazes up at the high walls of the tower.
After Asgrid treats Cara's wounds, she looks a little better, but still not quite 100%, "Thank you Asgrid, that should be sufficient for now. You should save your magical resources for the challenges within."
Asgrid nods assent with Cara, even if she doesn't entirely agree. "I think we'll all need to be on our toes tomorrow. I'm going to put this healing potion on my belt. If I fall tomorrow, take it."
Asgrid stomps off to find where Grugkt had gotten to.
Let's do it.
You arise in the morning, rested and healed. Only a minor disturbance occurred at the door during the night, but that doesn't make you feel like your night was spent unwatched. Be it by the ravens or some other means, you cannot shake the feeling that someone is constantly watching you from behind.
You take stock of your supplies and gear up, and go back to the double doors to begin another foray into the tower. You spend some time removing your barricade enough to get the doors open and push back into the main hall.
Making your way down the entry, nothing looks to have changed. The statues still stand sentinel where the hall gives way to the room with the pool of water, which still sends muggy wisps of steam into the atmosphere around you. When you pass between the statues and into the larger room, however, you see that the corpses of those you had slain are gone - but a new stock of warriors have risen to the defense of the tower! They were ready for you, waiting, and launch an attack! Cara's sharpened instincts grant her a split second insight to the ambush, and she acts just as the enemies do.
Five guards dressed in the chain shirts and blue cloaks that have shown to be the Pale Tower standard lie in wait. Two of them across the room let fly with crossbow bolts aimed towards Kronek and Grugkt. One skitters off of the wall near Grugkt's right arm, but the one shot at Kronek splits open a gash in his thigh. Two other guards take up defensive positions in between the edge of the basin and the walls, while the fifth and closest enemy hurls a glass flask of blue liquid at Kronek that shatters squarely against his chest. A clinging blue flame pours out over him in a sudden surge, and spindles of it trail off all around. Fortunately, Kronek's heavy furs and leathers seem to take the brunt of the concoction.
Map
Initiative:
Guards: 19
Kronek Perception:
Cara Perception:
Geedra Perception:
Asgrid Perception:
Grugkt Perception:
Init:
Crossbow v Grugkt:
Crossbow v kronek:
Crit:
Flask:
"I'm surprised they waited for us." Cara notes sardonically as she fires an arrow at the closest guard to the northwest.
After the guards attack with bolts and liquid ice, Cara fires another arrow at the same guard.
Initiative
Geedra casts Aggressive Thundercloud, and a small gathering of clouds appears on top of the left most archer (the one to the north beside his buddy).
Damage
DC 16 Reflex to avoid damage.
Asgrid is used to sensation of being watched, from those months when she had been trying to keep Grugkt at bay. When she feels that familiar itch between her shoulder blades, she casts her attention this way and that, alert but unsure whether her imagination was playing tricks on her. She tells Grugkt to be on his guard, and the eidolon keeps a wary eye as well, sniffing the air. After a few minutes casting looks over her shoulder, she concludes it's her imagination.
Against the Pale Tower guards, Asgrid takes a defensive stance as she tosses a flask of alchemist's fire at the nearest warrior, while Grugkt goes on the offensive. He lopes around the fountain in the other direction, leaping at another guard.
Asgrid HP 24/23
Grugkt HP 11/11
Surprise Round:
Cara snaps an arrow off at the closest guard, wounding him as he throws his flask of ice.
Round 1:
Geedra invokes her witchcraft, gesturing towards one the archers. The warm steam in the room coalesces above his head, quickening to a nebulous grey. The crossbowman seems to notice the sudden shade, glancing upwards just in timer to see a streak of electricity crash down on him with a crack. He crumples as the blue-white light dances across his armor and flesh, down and out.
Cara fires another arrow at the same target her first one found, but this time the guard flings himself out of its path at the last moment.
The remaining archer jumps a step away from his fallen comrade out of surprise and fear, but manages to fumble a new bolt into his crossbow and fire it at Grugkt, but the projectile goes wide.
The other guards are hesitant as to whether or not to stand firm or press the attack. The guard on the right side of the room decides to hold you off from the archers, but the one to the left ducks down to the left portion of the hallway. A moment later, you hear his voice:
The final guard who had thrown the ice flask takes up sword and shield now, readying himself for the attack.
Grugkt leaps from his position in the hallway to attach the guard to the right, but the defender manages to block the blow with his shield. Asgrid, encased in her icy armor, moves with her eidolon, spinning to throw a flask of fire at the other guard. The flask goes low spinning between his legs, and shatters on the floor behind him. A small rush of flames dances around his ankles, however, and he shouts out in shock.
Map
Initiative:
Geedra: 21
Cara: 20
Guards: 19
Kronek: 18
Asgrid: 16
Geedra rolls her small lightning storm to the next guard, trying to fry him before reinforcements arrived.
Damage
Dc 16 Reflex to avoid damage.
Cara steps 5 feet to the northwest for a clearer shot, and fires two arrows at the remaining guard at the far west on the other side of the pool.
Grugkt continues to lay in to the Furless with the shield. Actually, this one's not quite as furless, wrapped up as he is. With his claws he tries to rip into the man's armor and clothing and flesh.
Asgrid moves forward, standing shoulder to shoulder beside Grugkt and the fountain. While the eidolon tries to flay the flesh from the warrior, Asgrid reaches forward with her wintry touch to try to freeze him solid.
Asgrid HP 24/23
Grugkt HP 11/11
Wintry Touch 1/6
Items used
1 flask/alchemist's fire
Round 1:
Kronek stabs forward at the ice-chucking guard with his boar spear, but the man manages to get out of the way of the thrust.
Round 2:
Geedr'a thundercloud rolls over to the next archer, and a streak of crackling electricity descends upon him. He too fails to escape the blast, and the lightning crashes down into him. This blast isn't as forceful as the last, though, and the guard stays on his feet.
Cara steps out from behind Kronek and lets loose an arrow at the same guard that was just struck with electricity. The projectile bounds into his side and brings him to the ground.
The two remaining guards attack, one stepping forward to slice at Kronek and the other going after Grugkt. Kronek parries the blade with his spear, but Grugkt is slashed by his opponent. A gash opens up on the eidolon's fur.
Kronek takes a step back to the vacant spot left by Cara and stabs with the spear again. This time the guard is not so lucky and takes the point square in the chest. He falls hard.
Grugkt counterattacks the guard that slashed at him with his claws. The guard deflects the first with his shield, but the second tears a shred in armor and flesh and he lets out a shout. Thrown off balance, Asgrid steps in, her hand limned in an icy blue light. She grasps onto the man's side and sends a surge of supernatural cold into him. He shouts out again, cut short by his fall.
The guard who fled to the other part of the hallway and shouted in Skald is gone.
Spear:
Damage:
Ref:
Spear:
Damage:
Once the battle is over, Cara performs a quick search of the area.
Looking a bit impatient to finish things, she suggests, "We should continue moving unless we need to pause to heal."
The corpses of the new enemies yield much of the same as the previous foes:
4 longswords, 4 light crossbows, 4 suits of chain shirt, 4 light steel shields, as well as 2 flasks of liquid ice (cold damage version of alchemist's fire), and 21 gp.
Searching the room to the right of the barracks where you encountered the first group of soldiers reveals another bunkroom filled with beds and personal effects. You find extra clothing, blankets, combs and brushes, hats, and the like in the footlockers in this room, as well as 3 daggers. The doors on the east side of the room lead to stairwells that open up to the top of the ice wall that surrounds the courtyard.
All that remains are the two strange patches of shimmering ice at the north and south ends of the room - certainly the magical keystones of transportation that Hatch spoke of.
Geedra scans all the objects with Detect Magic, making sure the goodies were taken. She takes one of the liquid ices for later use.
Asgrid takes note of Cara's warning as she takes a brief pause to look around. Her gaze is drawn to the two patches of shimmering ice at each end of the room, and she moves towards the southern keystone. "I heard one of the guards shouting out in Skald. He said one of the pass phrases for activating this. They'll know we're coming."
Asgrid would be happy to take one of the flasks of liquid ice, to add to her arsenal.
Grugkt meanwhile heads over to the northern keystone. His fur is a bit bloody where he was slashed by one of the guards. He sniffs at the keystone as well as any nearby doorways to other areas of this floor of the tower. Then he turns to call out to the rest of the group.
Asgrid HP 24/23
Grugkt HP 11/8
With a grim look, Cara stands by with bow ready as Asgrid attempts to work out the activation sequence of the keystone teleportation device.
Kronek guzzles down the healing potion that Geedra handed out in the morning. "Better. They might know we're coming, but so far we seem to be the better fighters. Let's keep them on their heels."
If Geedra's healing potion doesn't seem to be enough to suitably heal Kronek, Cara offers one of her own.
Between the knowledge given to you by Hatch, hearing the guard utilize the keystone during the fight, and investigating the area now, you are easily able to ascertain how the magic works. Once you are standing on the shimmering tiles of ice, simply saying aloud the command phrase will transport anyone on the tiles to the location that the magic is keyed to. With some magical detection and spellcraft, however, Asgrid is also able to ascertain that the teleportation is not altogether instant - those being transported will be frozen in a block of ice for several seconds before the magic whisks them to the next room.
Geedra is also able to figure out that the orb taken off of the commander of this floor serves as a key to the teleporter, and by using the orb the command phrase for the teleporter need not be known nor spoken
Geedra informs the others about the teleportation device. "Group want try out device? Geedra am sure how it work. Am kind of slow for teleporter, though."
Asgrid looks on in concern as Kronek quaffs two healing potions. She checks that his wounds have healed, and if not completely, she offers to summon healing magic.
The dwarf also relates what she's discerned of the teleportation keystones. As she does so she glances over at Geedra, looking to see if the goblin had come to the same conclusions with her own investigations. "Before we move on, I say we finish searching this floor, make sure there's nothing here that's going to sneak up on us or that we've missed anything that could help us upstairs."
Grugkt growls. He really seems impatient to go up the north keystone.
"Very well, it would be prudent to be cautious." Cara agrees, and begins to quickly check each room if the others follow along with her.
Geedra nods and follows the others in looking around that level.
Aid another perception
You make a concerted effort in searching the ground floor of the tower for any supplies or surprises. For the most part you have already unearthed anything worth finding, and there are no more yields in the southern barracks nor the room with the hot spring. Searching the stairwells leading up to the ramparts turns up some discarded arrows but not much more. In the north bunkroom, however, a more thorough search of the beds and footlockers reveals a few valuables. Under one cot you find a small pouch containing 3 blue quartz. In a footlocker, wrapped up in an old hat, is a fine looking ivory carving of a dog. Stuffed under one sleeping pallet is a silvered dagger with a silver-accented hilt. In another footlocker you find a tanglefoot bag and a set of ebbony-wood dice.
Geedra will cast Detect Magic as she avoids looking too carefully at the dog statue.
Asgrid has a look at the dog statue as well, entranced with its craftsmanship. "What a great find! Glad to see there's nothing here that's going to sneak up on us. Ready to move on up?"
"Yes, let us get this over with."
Nothing that you uncover radiates any magical auras when viewed with detect magic.
Having secured the lower floor, you gather to ascend to the next level. Investigating the magical panel of ice that serves as the teleportation location, you see that it is a glassy, patterned tile of striated, crystalline ice that gives off a soft blue light. Knowing the command phrase, one of you speaks it aloud to activate the magic.
"A gathering within the hall, take us one, take us all."
Nothing happens for a moment, but then you all realize it has suddenly gotten colder. A moment later, ice encases your feet and crawls swiftly up your bodies, freezing you from the ground up. Before you even have time to protest, you are all encased in blocks of ice, but still conscious and aware. Then, the world beyond shifts like a painting being torn, and reforms differently as the ice melts off of you as quickly as it came.
A crescent-shaped dining table occupies the Y-shaped chamber you now find yourselves in. Two large mirrors on the north and south walls give the illusion of an even larger space. Twenty feet overhead, an immense chandelier of ice crystals hangs from the ceiling. To the east, rounded steps access a short hallway, flanked by twin ice sculptures of dryads holding tree limbs, forming an elaborate archway. Translucent, glasslike double doors are set in the north and south walls.
Across the room from you, standing beneath the arch, is a familiar figure. You recognize Mierul - the strange half-fey minstrel who came across your camp with Nadya during your first night in Irrisen! She has a wicked smile on her sharp, delicate features, and clutches a blade of blue fire. Next to her stands the guard that had fled through the teleporter in your last fight.
"Hello, dears," she says. "I truly did hope we would meet again someday. Unfortunately for you, it is under such circumstances. We cannot allow you to run amok through this place. Surrender now and I will ensure that you are treated well...ah, but no, we all know that isn't going to happen. It would make for a very poor story." She laughs as she slashes the air with her fiery sword and the guard next to her readies blade and shield.
Init.
"I believe you are mistaken, you should be the ones surrendering. Then your story will not end with your death today." Cara retorts to the half fey creature.
"Grugkt, introduce that guy to your fist." The fuzzy eidolon, eager to comply, leaps over the table and reaches forward to rip the guard's arm off.
Asgrid meanwhile summons an orb of glistening acid and hurls it at Mierul.
Asgrid HP 24/23
Grugkt HP 11/8
Mierul sneers at Cara's retort. "But all the players are not yet on stage!" With that, Cara and Kronek both suddenly feel sharp, stabbing pains as two tiny fey creatures - just like the one you fought at the winter portal in the Border Wood - flicker into visibility, retracting icicle like rapiers from the flesh of their targets, now licked red by blood.
Meirul takes up a chilling song that is at the same time shrill and beautiful, a true serenade of a dark winter. The fey and their human ally seem to be bolstered. The pale tower guard takes up a defensive position in front of the forlarren, protecting her.
Map
Atomies: 17
Meirul & Guard: 16
Cara: 9
Geedra: 7
Asgrid: 7
Kronek: 4
Kronek:
Init:
Init:
Rapier vs Cara:
Rapier vs Kronek:
Kronek Fort:
Fighting off the sudden chill to her system, Cara fires two cold iron arrows at the Atomie that attacked her. Distracted by the creature's proximity, she has difficulty in her aim.
Geedra begins with her Fortune hex on Kronek, knowing the big Guy's steel would be more effective than her magicks for the time being.
Suddenly confronted by the wintry fey, Cara swiftly fires off two close-quarters arrows at it. The tiny creature dances out of the way, however, sneering as it does so.
Geedra's eyes sweep across the scene and focus on Kronek. She gestures towards the bloodrager and, with a word or two, conveys to him her hex of good fortune.
Grugkt leaps from the group across the table, setting his sights on the guard in front of Meirul. The guard is prepared for the attack, his shield coming up to repel the blow. Asgrid follows up by generating and flinging an orb of acid at the bard, but it too careens into her protector's shield.
Kronek lashes out against his fey assailant with his battleaxe. It looks as though his strike is going to go wide, but at the last second it shifts to find its mark. The blade slams into the atomie, and despite its resistance to weapons not forged of cold iron, the thing screams out in agony. It seems to be barely holding on.
The atomie near Cara stabs at her again, taking advantage of the fact that she can't get a quick shot in as he gets close enough to attack her. His rapier finds its mark, but the needle-like blade only deals 2 point of damage.
The atomie just struck by Kronek goes into a full retreat, withdrawing away from him and flees up the stairs, behind Meirul.
The guard attacks Grugkt, bolstered by Meirul's song. His longsword bites into the eidolon, dealing 3 damage.
Meirul continues to sing, and flourishes as she does so, gesturing towards Kronek. The bloodrager suddenly grabs the side of his head, shaking it before regaining his composure.
Kronek HP: 20/38
Geedra cackles to keep her Fortune hex on Kronek, and adds Cara to the mix with a Fortune hex of her own.
Shrugging off the cold rush to her system once again, Cara fires two more Cold Iron Arrows at the Atomie attacking her.
These little fey are pests. There must be something I can do to help! Asgrid wonders. She turns towards the one whizzing about Kronek's head and tries to catch it with another acid orb.
Meanwhile, battered and wounded Grugkt fights on. He keeps trying to reach around the guard's shield.
Full attack
Asgrid HP 24/23
Grugkt HP 11/5
Cara continues her assault on the atomie nearest her. Calling on the luck granted to her by Geedra's hex, her shot strikes true, the cold iron arrow proving its worth against the wintry fey. The sprite howls out in shock of pain as the cold-forged projectile opens a wound. He dives out of the way of her second arrow, however, hissing in rage.
Just as she places her fortune on Cara, Geedra lets out a cackling laugh, extending the one she placed on Kronek.
Asgrid continues to have a difficult time directing her acid ray, her shot going wide of all enemies.
Grugkt fares better against his adversary. Though one of his claws is blocked by the shield, is second slips past the guard's defenses and rakes a bloody wound in the man.
Kronek leaps across the table, calling up his bloodrage and drawing his spear. He thrusts and punches the tip of the spear into the guard as he staggers from grugkt's blow, bringing the man down hard and exposing Meirul.
The atomie harrasing Cara continues, egged on by his ire at her cold iron strike. His rapier glances off of her armor, however.
The wounded Atomie mutters and gestures towards Kronek, but the bloodrager narrows his eyes and shakes off whatever effect was trying to take hold.
Meirul looks cross. She takes up a steely look on her face, cold and spiteful. She steps forward past he rslain guard and makes a single, graceful strike on Grugkt, dragging her ice-fire blade across the shaggy yeti. The blade sears his fur and flesh and it travels across him, drawing a groan of pain from the eidolon.
Map
Atomies: 17
Meirul & Guard: 16
Cara: 9
Geedra: 7
Asgrid: 7
Kronek: 4
Damage:
Sighing with exasperation, Cara again attempts to eliminate the atomie attacking her with two cold iron arrows.
Geedra cackles to keep both Forune hexes going, and also adds Grukt to her complex weave of magical favoritism. She had become quite fond of the feeling of controlling all of her teammates and carrying them to greater heights.
Asgrid watches with horror as Meirul slashes into Grugkt with her ice-fire blade. The dwarf heaves herself onto the table and reaches across to lay a hand on Grugkt. Arcane energy surges into the eidolon; she can only hope it will protect him in this dangerous fight.
Asgrid HP 24/23
Grugkt HP 11/6 (with effects of spell - that blade really hurt him)