Brag sends Shadow up and out to scout for the remorhaz.
Brag joins Thurl and Arbaro in looking for the missing lantern pieces and enemies.
Lem catches his breath as the others look for lanterns and danger. After a few minutes Lem joins the search.
The top of the lantern yields little more of note. There are scratch marks around the lantern's pole, as if some beast had removed the lantern.
As you are watching, Shadow hoots a wary hoot. From the trees to the east the remorhaz scuttles toward you. An immense, centipede-like beast of blue and red radiates extreme heat. The snow sizzles and melts around the creature, its multi-faceted eyes scanning the hill. The chitinous plates along its back clink as the creature spots you.
Arbaro and Roccavisk are up.
Round 1 | HP: 55/55 | Judgements 1/1 | Spells 5/5 | Perfect Strike 0/3 | Gravity Bow Wand charges 23 | True Strike 1/1 | Blood Scarab 1/1
"Uh, guys, do you think it would observe the ancient ritual of the pre-fight donut?"
Perfect Strike
After Arbaro hits with one of his arrows, Roccavisk casts acid arrow and leaps down the hill.
Round 1
The remorhaz chitters and with startling speed rushes at Roccavisk. The massive insect splays its mandibles and devours Roccavisk.
The remorhaz lifts Roccavisk off the ground and shakes her in the air.
Party is up.
Str 22, Dex 13, Con 21, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 10
N Huge magical beast
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +16
AC 20, touch 9, flat-footed 19 (+1 Dex, +11 natural, –2 size)
hp 94 (9d10+45)
Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +4
Immune fire, cold
Speed 30 ft., burrow 20 ft.
Melee bite +13 (3d6+9 plus grab)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks heat, swallow whole (2d6+9 plus 8d6 fire, AC 15, hp 9)
Feats Awesome Blow, Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Perception +16
Languages Giant (cannot speak)
ECOLOGY
Environment cold deserts and glaciers
Organization solitary
Treasure none
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Heat (Su) An enraged remorhaz generates heat so intense that anything touching its body takes 8d6 points of fire damage. Creatures striking a remorhaz with natural attacks or unarmed strikes are subject to this damage, but creatures striking with melee weapons are not. The heat can melt or burn weapons; any weapon that strikes a remorhaz is allowed a DC 19 Fortitude save to avoid taking damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Round 1 | HP 22/35 | Advice 15/17 | Awaken Divinity 5/6 | Ki Pool 8/10 | AC: +4 (Mage Armor)
Thurl yells in shock at the appearance of the huge beast and says, "Strike true my friends, its armor is strong."
Thurl moves to the edge of the small hill they are on toward the Remorhaz and touches Lem on the shoulder, a brief glow where they touch.
Round 1 | HP 49/49 | Lay on Hands 6/6 | Smite Evil 2/2 | Arrows 38/40 | Spells 2/2
Brag screams at the grasping of Roccavisk, "NO!"" And, five foot steps toward the monster grasping Roccavisk.
He attacks in the usual manner - rapidly at point blank range with bow and arrow.
Adamantine Longbow Point-Blank (+1), Rapid-Shot Attack, Thurl (+2)
Crit confirm:
One confirmed, one unconfirmed.
Critical Damage (3x):
Damage | Arrow, Regular (1/3 full): 8 + 6 + 2 = 16
Damage, Regular - 1st arrow:
Damage, Regular - 3rd arrow:
Total Damage: 67
All three arrows strike home - Thwap, Thump, Thwap! One buries deep into the monster with only the feathers still showing.
round 1
Rage 14/16
AC 18 vs larger
Lem enter's a rage and uses a Ki to gain movement charging the remorhaz
Lem shouts to the world, "Remor haz it, he's dead"
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"Lem, relax, friend. You've splattered the remorhaz all over the snow."
Placing a hand on his shoulder, "You're intimidating me! Take a deep breath and let the rage go."
"Now, who needs healed?"
Lem takes adeep breath, "Sometimes I get carried away"
"Well, at least we found the thing, or it found us in this case."
Arbaro checks the surrounding area for things of interest, snapping off a mandible of the creature.
"I'll take this back to Sleepy. I know she'll believe us but the others might not unless we have some kind of trophy."
Arbaro goes back to the yeti corpses and checks them as well, then skins them for use later. Maybe they'll make good coats for the kids at the Swinging Lantern.
Thurl goes to check on Roccavisk and see if she's alright. While helping tend to her, he says, "Anyone know if Remorhaz' travel in pairs? Didn't Ahm mention that the half orc had killed hatchlings. There might be some sort of breeding pair about."
Brag goes with Thurl to check on Roccavisk. "For a second there, I thought you were going to be swallowed whole. I'm glad you are well. Let me heal you."
Brag uses a wand of CLWs to heal Roccavisk.
Brag notices another claw wound on Roccavisk from the Yeti. "You're still injured. Why did you say anything? That means Lem and Thurl also need healing from the claws of the Yetis."
"Now we are all whole again."
"Oh yeah, I forgot I got hurt there..."
"Oh yeah, I forgot I got hurt there..."
"Well, it was just a few minutes ago. The rage has barely worn off."
The rest of the area only shows signs of the one remorhaz. The missing lantern, you soon realize, was in your possession the whole time. In the cave of the white dragon Viburnulum, he had stolen the lantern and snuck it away in his home. Reattaching the lantern is easy work. Around the area the lantern pole rests is a stick of Incense of Meditation.
"Sorry to interrupt the festivities, group, but I think we've got a problem."
Arbaro gestures to where the eyes just disappeared.
"I just saw a pair of yeti eyes disappear when they saw that I saw them. I'm going to investigate. I don't want to leave a yeti cub up here to die."
Arbaro moves quickly to the spot and attempts to track the yeti, noting the size of the prints relative to the dead yeti.
"Hey, Thurl, you like to meditate don't you? Here's a stick of incense for your next period of meditation. Although ... I'm not sure why it would be here in this place. I wonder if our Tiefling friend might have dropped it? He will be happy, at least to know that the remorhaz is no more."
"Shadow, seek the yeti," pointing to the spot Ararbo noticed.
Brag goes with Arbaro pulling up his hood.
Lem having heard of a potential new threat readies Quaker, and his shield, prepared for battle.
After being sure that Roccavisk is ok and accepting Bragoleb’s healing graciously, Thurl pulls the lantern sheepishly from his pack and says, ”I had forgotten that was there.”. Thurl then examines the incense and says, ”I might be interested in this, I am always seeking help in my meditations.”
The incense is from the lantern pole, as a way for travelers to meditate on their way to the Swaying Lantern. It is not out of place.
Arbaro tracks the footsteps over the rocky cliff face, with Shadow shadowing him close behind. The feet are not of a child; in fact, they make wider and deeper footprints than the other yetis. As Arbaro rounds the cliffs, he spots a buffer yeti staring at him from a meadow in the pine trees. He wears a belt, something the other yetis did not have. The same red eyes stare at the party, but do not notice Arbaro.
Shadow shadowing
Arbaro takes off his hood and cloak, then jumps down to the beti (buff yeti).
"Hello there."
The yeti is startled by your words and raises his fists in defense. In that moment you can see the callouses on his knuckles and know that this yeti is used to battle.
Brag hears the yeti speak in Aklo and repeats the words in polyglot for the group to hear.
"Who are you? Why are you intruding on Qaishan territory? You Swaying Lanternists know that the deep snow is our land."
Thurl looks up when Arbaro mentions the Yeti and remains alert until Arbaro confronts the creature and sighs in relief when it doesn't attack and neither do Arbaro or the others. When Bragoleb repeats the defensive words, Thurl runs through all his languages in rapid succession trying to find an easy way to communicate saying, "We mean no harm to you." When his attempts are unsuccessful, Thurl tries gestures and body movements to get his point across and even tries getting out his small slate board to draw pictures to aid him, muttering imprecations at himself for not having prepared himself for what languages might be needed in the area.
Brag wracks his brain trying to remember anything he can about yetis and this yeti's behavior,
and anything about the geographical surroundings as related to yetis.
Brag knows almost nothing about yetis.
"He seems nervous but I'm not getting anything else from him."
Arbaro checks to see if this is a trap or ambush.
Arbaro also Detects Magic.
"He's nervous? Is he hiding something? Why would this big bruiser be nervous?"
Well, no one is attacking, but this doesn't seem like it's going to turn out well...
Lem looks at the Yeti warily, hangs his shield on his back and pulls out some durable rations and tosses it at the yeti's feet. Quaker rests over one shoulder with a ready grip on it.
Lem pulls out some more rations and starts eating.
Well, if food doesn't work I don't know what will.
Brag drops his hood and drops his stealthy presentation. He joins Lem in the feast and offers the yeti some sweets he picked up from the Swaying Lantern compound.
The yeti says, "I will not be swayed by sweet treats. Leave and no harm will come to you. It's too cold for your kind, the snow is thicker than your heads."
Brag recounts the big yeti's words to the party while picking up his offered treats. He never takes his eyes off the yeti.
In a low whisper to Lem, "It may be time to intimidate our new friend, if Thurl can't come up with a way to communicate."
Brag slowly prepares his longbow and an arrow, without nocking it to the string.
Lem looks around confused, ”what did he say? If food won’t sway him I’m not sure what will.”
"Is that a challenge big guy? I can withstand colder temperatures than this." Arbaro gestures around him.
"This. This is a warm summer day, made for drinking dandelion tea."
"What is the coldest place around here? I'll challenge you to a duration test of the elements!"
The yeti raises an eyebrow at Arbaro before nodding. "Step back here," he says, "To the heart of ice." In the deep packed snow is a crack. Here, the snow is not covering pine roots, rocks, or soil, but is over a thick pack of ice from a glacier. The yeti uncovers the crack in the ice, brushing off the snow, and points to it.
"Inside here is something colder than the Crown of the World."
The yeti shoves his fists into the hole, and he struggles around, clearly digging for something inside. A chilly, icy smoke drifts up from the hole. After a minute or two he pulls his hand up, unscathed, but clutching a rock of ice that glows white and blue with magical energy. Snowflakes slough off the rock, conjuring snow.
He tosses the rock in his hands lightly before extending his hand to Arbaro . "Hold this," he says, "And I will let you stay here in our Qaishan lands. If not, you must leave the snowfallen lands and never touch them, as per our agreement with the Swaying Lantern."
Thurl says to Arbaro, ”Wow, that must be connected to an Outer Plane to be that cold. It looks awfully cold. Do you think you can handle it? I could probably figure out how it works and hold it if you would like me to, it shouldn’t be to hard.”
Lem ponders how destructible the stone might be...
uncertain about the properties of such an item, Lem's visage is fierce with furrowed brow in concentration.
Lem shrugs and keeps munching on the rations.
"Looks like Arbaro is going to do this. Anything we can do to help him?"
Arbaro reaches his hand out to take the Snowball.
The cold ice burns Arbaro. The yeti smiles.
"Leave now," the yeti says, and opens his hand to take the chunk back.
As he watches, Thurl focuses his Ki toward Arbaro as he grabs the stone.
"Hold on, maybe I wasn't the best person in our group to deal with this. Anyone else want a turn?"
Arbaro holds up the Snowball for anyone in the group to take a turn.
Thurl moves forward and says, "If you hold it just so, and focus your attention at these points, you can safely handle it." as he focuses his Ki toward the stone and grabs it, disarming it.
"Its quite simple actually, maybe I could show you how?" Thurl becomes very excited at the idea of showing someone else how to work with the object and demonstrates exactly where to grab it, turning slowly to show everyone else, almost forgetting about the Yeti.
Brag says to Thurl, "Great job, just what we needed. But, you could've save Arbaro a little pain and humiliation, had you just done that to begin with."
Catching Lem's eye, Brag rolls his eyes at Thurl's over enthusiastic willingness to teach. He's pleased at his friends willingness, but thinks he's a bit too excited and distracted.
"Now what, yeti? It looks like we're he for the duration."
Panic covers the yeti's face as he watches Thurl undo the item's magical cold.
"I didn't know it could do that," he says.
The yeti extends his hand toward Thurl, being more aggressive in his request for the item back. "Return the heart of ice. The deal was for the oread to hold it, not you, fellow monk."
He looks around nervously, eyes darting between the pine trees and the object in Thurl's hand, growing impatient. "Give it here."
Lem grows wary about the increasing aggression from the yeti.
Lem stops eating and readies Quaker for action.