"Nor should we forget Beeswax! I remember how sore my lips were last winter. What a terrible experience!"
The half-orc stands, long grey-and-blue robes falling to the floor. He hefts a large axe and a pack onto his shoulder, offering a helpful hand to the Lady Storm.
Sparhawk follows Seamus to the store, purchasing a heavy fur-lined cloak with hood, fleece boots and brigga, a heavy overcoat to wear underneath his tabard, and a bearskin blanket. He stows it in a sack for now, seeing as how the weather has not yet turned in town, and ties the blanket into a bundle with his bedroll, which he straps to the underside of his backpack.
He pays what little coin he has left to his name, counts out his rations and grunts, muttering to the nearest party member, "Well neighbor, if this job doesn't pay well I may be begging for a living."
"Heh. Don't count the gold until its in your hand." Sarathress replies, acquiring a fur-lined overcoat, a length of rope, and a ten foot pole. "There's... heh heh... an appreciative noble at the end of this task."
Sparhawk grunts, "In my experience, friend, nobles are always appreciative only while they need to be."
Paletress shrugs while rolling up a newly acquired scarf. "Mayhap. Heh, grateful farmers who might lose their next harvest, ungrateful nobles with their backs to the wall, or bandits with bounties on their heads and stolen goods in their camps. Don't count the gold until its in your hand, heh heh heh, but keep an eye on the angles."
as Seamus is picking out his new wool coat, linen shirt, wool cap, heavy cloak, thick pants and boots he asks the shop owner "Where might we be able to purchase an good strong mule and perchance a crossbow?" as he listens to the shop keeper he removes eight gold pieces from his pouch to pay for the clothing.
As soon as an opportunity presents itself, Caan declares vaguely to the shop: "I would like to purchase some warm clothes, a warm blanket, and most importantly, Beeswax. Oh, and a tent if you have one. As big as it gets!"
"I do have that old pavillion tent from the fair a couple of years back I can let you have for 50 gold Caan. It isn't real warm, but it is roomy," says the store's proprietor Vivialla Steranus. "You know who might have some beeswax, Tessaraea at Willowbark Apothecary." She piles on a blanket and set of winter clothes. She also puts in a few sweets she knows Caan likes. "That'll be 58 and 5 Caan."
"The same tent that young Desmond hurled up all over? Caan bursts out a deep booming belly laugh.
"You're too good to me, Vivialla. As always, may Groetus save you for last." the half-orc smiles genuinely as he pops one of the sweets into his mouth and hands over most of his coin.
"Now then," says Caan, still smiling as he rounds on the party: "Who will go in on a pot of Beeswax with me? Rest assured, if it is as frosty as it was last year, your lips will be grateful."
"I've still got some coin left since my... heh heh... eventful departure from the south. I'll drop some for the wax.
Testing the strength of the pole, she added: "I want it in separate containers, though. Heh. I don't know where you've been."
Seamus turns to his new compatriots, "Shall we head over to the livery and rent a pack horse, and then go to the armor and purchase a crossbow? I would rather let the horse do the packing and have a crossbow ready for a fight!" Once everyone is done with there purchases at the general store Seamus heads to the livery to rent a horse.
Sophia Imirras offers horses (and a single pony) for hire or sale, as well as stabling and grooming. Royal couriers on their way to or from Demgazi or Zimar often change horses here. None of Sophia's horses are combat trained. Sophia also has two carts, a wagon, and a carriage for hire. A traveling noble gave her the carriage as a reward when she managed to calm the newly broken stallion he was riding before it could trample him. Both luxurious and ostentatious, the carriage sees most of its use at village weddings .
|
listening to the music and the conversation, taking it all in and making notes in my journal, my ears perk up at the sound of the council talking about "adventure", "forest", and "strange cold magic", I am curious as to what kind of magic it would take to maintain a winter storm in the middle of summer, so I definitely want to go to study this place and learn it secrets
its a pleasure to meet all of you, I don't mean to be anti social, but I am shy outside of my own people and don't have much to say, I tend to withdraw into my books in a crowd, but Hegwig is always game for fun. I do on the other hand want to go with all of you and study this phenomena. I do think we should get equipment, but its not as much a burden to me to be in the cold, but caution is wise.
Standing up, she follows everyone over to the store and buys a winter outfit and any other blankets and supplies. When paletress ask for her gear in a certain color.....
Why I think I can fix that for you, what colors do you want it, I have a spell that will change it permanently, but only once, I can do it for everyone if they like. The spell has other uses too, like cleaning. Also, don't forget food, hunting is great, but there wont be any breads or cheese. Here, I will make your cloak white with gold trim, Mine will be white with violet trim, make all the rest a solid white.
|
|
how much for the carriage hire, it could double as a place to stay as it is insulated and enclosed, second choice would be the wagon, but we would need it covered and would need to put a wood burning pot in the center to keep it warm, a pot belly stove would work to, I am thinking something like a gypsy wagon setup.
as the quiet elf, with the chatty owl, introduces herself, Seamus smile and bows " a pleasure m'lady
Putting the winter cloths on over his pick-pockets outfit and his soft leather boots, before leaving the general store, being reminded by Autumn to get food Seamus returns to the counter and asks for twenty days rations, paying the 10 gp for them. As they were leaving, Seamus heard Autumn mention about changing the color of the clothing he asks here "Truly, you can change the color of the cloth itself? That is amazing, could make mine white with a little grey so it would match the woods?"
Seamus watches and listens as Sophia Imirras describes the horses and carriages that she has to rent, finally Seamus asks her "what we are really looking for is something that we can use to carry our gear as we get into the woods where it is said to be snowing. I believe a wagon would work, or just a pack animal. If the beast is trained to keep its head in combat that would be even better. How much to rent a horse with a pack saddle and a blanket to stay warm, Oh and about 20 days of food, just in case?" turning to Autumn and the rest of the party, thinking for a moment he says "I am happy to chip in for a carriage or a wagon or just a pack animal, my only concern is if we need to go off of the road to follow a trail, or gods forbid, the snow gets so deep that it is impassible for the wheels of a vehicle."
"Excellent. I will see what I can do, friend Paletress! Is there anything else anyone would like from the Apothecary?" After taking any orders (and payment, if they think it will come to more than a silver or two) Caan sets off to visit Tessaraea.
Seamus thinks for a moment, then answers, "No Caan I can't think of anything I may need from the Apothecary, will you mind if I try some of the beeswax, I've never used it before for skin care. Shall we meet you at the town square?"
"That sounds perfect! I can gather the rest of my things from there. Anyone else? Going once..."
Sparhawk shakes his head at Caan. He also looks darkly at the mention of the livery. "Would give my right arm for my war horse. Had to leave him a month back due to some... Difficulties travelling."
A well-tended garden sits in front of this equally neat house, the home of Tessaraea Willowbark, Heldren's resident apothecary. Tessaraea sells a variety of herbs and all of the special substances and items listed in the Core Rulebook, as well as a potion of resist energy (cold) and a surprisingly large stockpile of alchemist's fire.
"Hello!" announces Caan, just in case the bell over the door did not suffice: "I would like to purchase two tins of your finest beeswax, for winter is coming; or rather, I will be going to it! ...and I would be ready!"
Having no spending money remaining, Sparhawk waits for the others to finish their purchases, using his cloth and whetstone on his estoc, a rather large rapier.
At the full-elf's question, Paletress thinks for a moment then shrugs. "If you can do it at need, it would be better to wait... heh heh... until we actually find any snow. It is an unnatural chill we face, this may not necessarily come with snowdrifts until we get further in."
At Caan's question, she raises her voice to be heard over the activity. "Oil! If we don't have any, we need some!"
After hearing Sparhawk's comment about leaving his horse behind, she pats him on the back sympathetically. "Look on the bright side, heh. You only left your horse. I left three bodies and an angry smuggling ring in my wake! Not, heh heh, something easily repaired with money I fear."
Sparhawk looks angry, "Faran was the best warhorse to walk these lands. Replacing him will be next to impossible."
Sparhawk goes to speak to the mercenary while waiting idly for the others, "So, neighbor, what is your story?"
Yuln Oerstag is at the Willowbark Apothecary, where the wounded bodyguard is recovering. Wrapped in bandages, the Ulfen mercenary's nose, fingers, and toes have taken on a black hue from serious frostbite, and he is still heavily wounded. Despite the best efforts of Elder Safander, Heldren's village priest, it will take some time before Yuln is hale and hearty enough to travel again, much less wield a weapon. Despite his obvious pain, however, he waves you closer to speak with you.
"Would that I could go with you," he says. "My ancestors would ridicule my lack of valor for fleeing rather than fighting to the end. But I faced enemies that even the greatest warriors in the Linnorm Kingdoms have faltered against, though I think I slew at least one of them before they dragged Lady Argentea away."
"Sparhawk! Decided you needed some beeswax after all, eh? I don't blame you!" Caan greets Sparhawk just outside of the apothecary, surprised to learn he isn't after beeswax at all. "Oh. The mercenary? In here? Then I will join you gladly!"
As Caan approaches the mercenary with Sparhawk, he lets out an involuntary gasp. "Oblivion be... Those are grave wounds on a brave man. Tell me, Yuln: what manner of foe were they?"
"We thought they were just bandits at first-outlaws who hide like wolves in the forest. They were no match for us. But then came the cold fey of the north. They appeared among us and the battle turned quickly. My people speak of the winter-touched all the time, but I never expected to meet them this far south."
"Fey? Here? My friend, you must be a great warrior indeed to survive!"
Caan kneels by the man's bedside, placing a hand on his bandaged arm, mumbling: "Groetus be with us, after and ever after."
The cleric then turns to Sparhawk, looking troubled. "Fey will be a problem. Do we have any cold iron?"
"Here, you can borrow my cold iron long sword to free Lady Argentea. Put it to good use."
He will relate to the story of Baba Yaga:
Exactly 1,400 years ago, a powerful witch from another world named Baba Yaga arrived on Golarion with her Dancing Hut, a formidable artifact that can travel between worlds and even between the planes . In a quick, brutal conflict known as the Winter War, the self-proclaimed Queen of Witches conquered the eastern Linnorm Kingdoms of Raemerrund and the Djurstor Confederacy and founded a new nation locked in eternal winter-the land of lrrisen. After installing her daughter Jadwiga on the throne as Irris en's first queen, Baba Yaga departed in her Dancing Hut, but she returned to Irrisen exactly 100 years later to replace Jadwiga with a new daughter, Morgannan, taking the former queen and the first generation of her descendants with her when she left again. Baba Yaga has continued this tradition every 100 years for the last 14 centuries, resulting in a succession of 14 queens of Irrisen.
Caan nods graciously, passing the longsword to Sparhawk. "I know just the hands to swing it, too."
"You believe this has to do with Baba Yaga? But why?"
Sparhawk hefts the longsword, patting the man gently, "I'll put it to good use for you when we get there."
He hangs hit beside his flail on his pack then flips a dagger into his hand, offering it to Caan. "This is solid iron. With the sword, one of you others can keep this, just in case."
"It is time for her to appear and the cold is a sign, but it has never been this far south before. So are the winter-touched. Look for a black rider."
"A Black rider? That will be a simple task! Thank you, Yuln. Rest easy now."
Caan stands, straightening his lopsided pack.
Paletress accepts the blade and straps it to her belt, keeping quiet to allow those who can handle the chatty arts better their space. Considering words too much makes her nervous, which makes her start to laugh, which makes everybody else nervous, which makes her self-conscious, which makes her more nervous. A diabolical cycle of shattered nerves and terrified laughter that does nothing to aid anyone.
She really hopes the party has that cart ready. Trying to be as prepared as possible apparently causes sore shoulders.
So pondering what Sophia had available and at what costs, and taking into consideration where they were going, Seamus decides, "While a carriage with living quarters would be a lovely idea, it would drain my purse fairly quickly, while a cart would be much more affordable and if weather did get bad enough or the trail thin enough, we could abandon the cart and come back and get it when we returned, So Sophia with that in mind, I would like to rent a horse pulled cart, and a pack saddle lets plan on 20 days, I could I purchase 20 days of feed for the horse also?" Seamus then reaches into his pouch and removes 21 gp. and pays it to Sophia telling her. "I will go to the armory and pick a few items and then be back."
While Sofia prepares the horse cart Seamus goes to the armory and borrows two crossbows and four quivers of quarrels he then returns to Sophia and collecting the horse cart leads it to the square to await the team.
Near the forest, the temperature grows noticeably colder. The road ahead is littered with debris and the corpses of slain humans and horses. A carriage stands in the roadway, its team of horses missing or cut free, while another overturned carriage lies sprawled and broken next to the tree line. To the
south, more bodies have fallen around what appears to be a statue of ice. A snowy trail leads deeper into the forest.
after tossing his pack and other gear in the cart and carrying a loaded crossbow, Seamus follows the team to the woods. Coming to the scene of the ambush, Seamus takes the horses leadrope and tying it to a nearby tree tells the horse, "Stay", then asking the team, "Shall we take a look about? I;m not good at following tracks but I maybe able to find something." Seamus then begins to carefully look about, first checking the corpes for clews, and then inspecting the statue of ice and finally looking inside the upright carriage and finally in the overturned carriage.