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"It is reassuring that you are fine, Mr. Skagni. Certainly we would come to your aid and we will do anything to change the reputation that those frauds have made, tainting the name of Pathfinders".
As it should be, due to the nature of the gnomes, Rimble was very curious about what has behind the southern door. "Can you wait for us here, my friends?", he asks to the freed slaves, then the sorcerer gets close the door, on Antoniollus' back.
"Right, beyond Seytiko, will somebody check it with us?", he smiles to his fellows while asks.
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Fang places one hind claw on the mutant goblin and gives it a good shaking with his jaws. There's a loud cracking noise and the mutgob's body gives a few twitches and is still. Angus scratches Fang behind the ear as the dino begins to devour the dead gob. "GOOD BOY."
Angus, hearing discussion of the southern door, sighs and shoulders his scythe, marching over to join the others.
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"That's right," Theadric says as he takes a healing potion from the stash they had found, drinks it, and then throws the flask to the ground in a melodramatic fashion.
"We're the real deal!" he says as he prepares to kick down another door.
"Say," he asks Rimble. "How hard is it to learn how to use just a couple of fire spells? No one is ever willing to cast them for me, and I really need to have some more explosions for dramatic effect."
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Skagni nods profusely. "I'm glad you're here but OWW!" the man feels his broken index. "Sorry, the glorfan there decided to make an example out of me for talking too much. And I haven't eaten in days. Makes it a little hard to think. Maybe once we get out of here I can talk some more?"
Upon opening the door, the blast of cold from the room beyond is sharp and shocking. The room seems dimly lit by a soft blue light and the floor twinkles as though wet. In the south wall stands a tall, slim door made of a dark, bluish metal and carved with hundreds of runes and sigils. Looking up, the room disappears into a cold, cloudy haze.
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As the dwarf shivers and begins to pace inside the freezing room, a blast of cold ice shards rains down on him. Surprised, he doesn't manage to evade it.
A white dragon flutters down from the mist and screams something in draconic.
""You may have bound me, but you will never bind us all! DIE!"
Swift to act, the tiny dragon closes with Angus and tries to bite him!
for
Tiny Dragon (2 rounds to recharge ice breath)
Theadric, Angus[14/30]+Fang, Rogzul, Seytiko, Vires, Rimble
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"Sorry, the glorfan there decided to make an example out of me for talking too much. And I haven't eaten in days. Makes it a little hard to think. Maybe once we get out of here I can talk some more?"
"Certainly, my friend. We have a lot to talk yet", the gnome comforts him before explore the next room.
When he was preparing to enter there with Antoniollus, Angus anticipates and is surprised by a white dragon!
Despite the creature speaks some words, Rimble is unable to identify what it says, but he remembered of some traits of this kind of creature.
Due to this, Rimble casts a spell over the dragon, then flies through the cold room, passing by the dragon.
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Vires fills with holy magic show he charges the dragon with reckless abandon. His blade sparks as it drags against the ground. Vires slashed upwards as he got within reach of the beast...
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Vires and Rogzul's attacks are too wide to hit the little bugger.
Seytiko's thrown flask is not accurate enough and falls on Angus' head. The dragon, Angus, Rimble and Theadric are splashed with fire.
The dragon flies back and breathes out a cone of ice shards that engulf Angus, Rimble and Theadric!
damages!
Tiny Dragon (1 round to recharge ice breath) [12]
Theadric[29/30], Angus[8/30]+Fang, Rogzul, Seytiko, Vires, Rimble[15/16]
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Antoniollus maneuvered in the air and takes a bit of his body out from the direction of the dragon's breath, but it ends up exposing the gnome.
"Ouch!", Rimble exclaimed. "You should not have done that, young" and, once again, a cone of clashing colors springs forth from his hand in the little dragon's direction.
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Seytiko drops to the ground for rounds.
The dragon suffers from the full blast of the color spray but doesn't fall unconscious as the other victims of Rimble's spell did earlier.
The dragon is blinded and stunned for rounds, then stunned for 1 round.
However, thanks to his stunned condition, Angus and Fang manage to reach it and put an end to the fight!
With the dragon out of the way, you finally have a chance to observe the cold iron door at the end of the room. It radiates strong transmutation and enchantment magic. No matter your efforts the door is impossible to open or bypass. Perhaps you will see behind it in a later adventure...
A thorough search of the Lodge unearths a couple of letters written by Caggrigar. In one he mentions going to the Worldwound with his most reliable agents. In another he speaks of Melkorka Skur's mission to the Keep of the Huskarl King. A third, unfinished letter is addressed to someone called "The Spider". He says the Keep has some kind of incredible power that could be used not only to topple the Pathfinders in Absalom, but also help "The Spider" usurp control of the Shadow Lodge after the failure of "our illustrious leader."
Skagni himself is surprisingly upbeat despite his injuries. "Believe it or not, I know a few friends in town. This one goblin in particular, goes by the name Gumgum. He and his friends can give us a place to stay for a few weeks while we set up passage to get back to Trollheim." He nods to the tribesmen, who begin pillaging whatever weapons and armor they can.
"Once again, thank you. I'll take that chest off your hands." He kicks the chest. "Thanks for getting it here without damage. Whitethrone isn't exactly the friendliest city, but seeing so many races working together does inspire me... I can't hate this city, no matter how much it tries to make me."
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One of Skagni's contacts, a goblin named Gumgum, closes his store early and gives you a safe place to sleep for the night.
"The Ram Tribe men said they would begin the trip home as soon as they get some food in their belly. I urged them to sleep here for tonight, at least. Gumgum knows a cleric who will check them for disease and injury." Skagni shakes his head. "Gumgum said the cleric owed him. I wonder what he did." He shrugs. "I'm glad Goupil and Roscoe offered to help them out of the city before reporting on the damage the Shadow Lodge has done to our reputation out here."
"In the meantime, we have more important things to discuss- like the Keep of the Huscarl King. While I was stuck there, I heard the Shadow Lodge caught wind of a weapon called Jedrek's Shard. That belonged to Ranulf the Huscarl King. That 'shard' belonged to a giant he slew in his youth. Of course it was a piece of something much larger..."
"After serving the Taldor Emperor as a bodyguard, Ranulf moved up north. That was five centuries ago. Hopefully the Shadow Lodge hasn't found the ruins yet."
Skagni turns to you all. "Sorry about the long story. Had to catch you up to speed. I updated your map to lead you to the ruins. You should get up there and secure Jerdek's Shard before the Shadow Lodge does. Assume the worst, but hope for the best. Maybe the Shadow Lodge was wiped out."
Gumgum runs past you with a pot of broth. "You talk too much, Skags. Me bring broth. All rabbit. No rats this time!" Gumgum attempts to smile politely but it forms into a full rictus grin.
"You want stew? Put fire in your belly!" Gumgum waves a ladel of broth at the new Pathfinder in the room, a female gnome.
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Theadric, if it is possible, looks more excited than he has ever been. Though he has already said so multiple times, he had taken delivery of his new animal companion, a small roc. He had wanted one ever since a druid Pathfinder had allowed him to ride her animal companion, and he had placed his order. Riding Rimpble's pet had only filled him with anticipation.
His pet had been trained from birth to be around fire without problems. That was a prerequisite. The halfling had spent hours circling around in the air, diving and flying through obstacles. The two had already formed quite the bond. He had named the roc Seeker.
"I only have one question: when can we start!?" he says, a large smile splitting his face.
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"well this has been fun let's try and keep our heads tho when do we set off" vires ask as fathful hedgehog plays in the snow
-Posted with Wayfinder
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The Ulfen have a saying: “No blade is as sharp, no demon as cruel as the winds that walk their way down the Icestair.” At the border of Irrisen and the untamed wilds of the Realm of the Mammoth Lords, the meaning of those words becomes clear as the barren, snow-covered plains stretch to the horizon.
Four days’ travel now lies between the eastern edge of Irrisen and the shattered remains of the Huscarl King’s keep. To the east, sinuous snow drifts give way to rocky foothills from which pines and scrub brushes claw for life. In the distance, the massive creatures that give this land its name shuffle along at a ponderous speed, still impossibly huge even from far away. Skagni’s map marks a clear and straightforward path, but the snow makes for slow travel. The Shadow Lodge agents have a head start, but persistence through the harsh environment and adherence to the strict map may yet make it possible to catch them before they reach the Keep of the Huscarl King and gain access to the mighty weapon held within.
Knowledge (Local)
The denizens of the Realm of the Mammoth lords are Kellids, considered primitive by many in the Inner Sea, but respected for their hardiness.
Your route goes through the domain of a Kellid tribe called the Snowmask Clan. Unlike many of the other migratory Kellid tribes, this clan has never abandoned its territory.
The Kellids of the Snowmask Clan are cunning warriors, favoring ambush whenever possible. Their familiarity with the region allows them to use terrain and natural features to their advantage.
Among the Kellid tribes of the Realm of the Mammoth Lords, the Snowmask Clan is known for members’ appreciation of great stories. One of their hospitality rituals is sharing tales with any who would be their guests. Failing to participate in this custom is a grave o ense. Additionally, they rely on cave paintings to record the history of their tribe.
In addition to gaining this knowledge, you also receive the option of buying a scroll that provides translations to some of the more commonly used symbols and motifs among the Snowmask Clan. Scrawled onto the inner side of a long strip of mammoth pelt, this translation device costs 5 gp. While it may help in translating Kellid pictograms, it does not help a character speak or understand Hallit, the language of the Kellids.
Knowledge (History)
An Ulfen warrior once carved out a small “kingdom” for himself in the western regions of the Realm of the Mammoth Lords, earning loyalty from local Kellid tribes.
The Ulfen warrior Ranulf was known as the Huscarl King, as he had once served as one of the Emperor of Taldor’s personal guards. After he established his keep, it was attacked by a powerful white dragon who the Huscarl defeated in a battle so fierce that legends claim Ranulf’s beard was frozen during the fight. Despite ruling for almost 30 years after the battle, Ranulf died with no heir.
Ranulf was known for his flaming greataxe, Jedrek’s Shard. Rumors persist that it was buried with him at his death when his Kellid followers caused an avalanche to cover the keep under a mountain of ice, rock, and snow, but the retreat of a glacier has now made the tomb accessible again for those brave enough to venture through Snowmask territory.
While most assume that Ranulf’s decision to collapse the keep atop his grave was an egotistical plan to keep his fabled weapon out of the hands of others, some sages whisper that Ranulf’s reign was also a vigil. The great Ulfen’s keep was meant to protect not only his land, but all of the north from something that once dwelt deep beneath his castle; the avalanche that buried him and Jedrek’s Shard was also meant to stop others from exploring what lies beneath.
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Angus knows nothing of this place. In fact, he's pretty sure he's never been here, nor has he ever heard of this place. In fact, he begins to suspect he's a fictional construct of some mad-god, cursed to wander this barren snow covered landscape until a capricious fate finds him or his player forgets he exists....
It's existential despair up in here, up in here.