Sputtering and coughing out cold water, Arsiel steels himself to climb out of the frigid water.
Shaking his head above water, he plants his gauntlets in the ice and begins to climb out of the icy slush.
Grasping Garland's outstretched hand, Arsiel thanks her, Appreciate it, thanks for coming back. Next time we should use some rope maybe?"
Arsiel pulls himself up and out enough to grab Garland's hand, and she forcefully tugs him onto the icy surface. Gathering yourselves together, you continue along the path - a bit colder and perhaps a few levels more frustrated. You see nothing of the vile little fey that had gotten you to this point, but after about another ten minutes, you see the legs and feet of a frozen corpse jutting from a pile of snow at the base of the trees on the north side of the western-headed path.
The corpse brings back images of the battle field from the day before. "Not again." Garland rushes over to the pair of legs and looks it over, trying to ascertain anything she can.
Ahh wait!Arsiel cries out as he sees Garland hurry to the corpse, It might be a trap...
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"That could have been us. These things are nasty."
Ques shakes his head in disbelief.
"Reminds me of that wacko Paladin that wandered through town a few months ago, looking for something evil to vanquish. And by vanquish I mean murder in cold blood. Kinda wish he were here now."
"Arsiel is right. They probably trapped the corpse. When you think about it, it's just the sort of thing the Little Buggers would go for."
Ana, scared by recent events, traps, tricks, natural collapses snd pretty much everything, nods with Arsiel. She hangs back, unstoppers some liquor and offers it to the fetchling.
"This'll warm your insides!"
Garland's initial view shows that this man is quite dead. She shows care in searching around the body for a trap of any type - mechanical or magical. Finding note apparent, she brushes the snow off the body and sees that this old man is quite gone from this world. His garb is that of a farmer, but near his body you find a quite well-made composite longbow, 12 arrows, a dagger, and masterwork handaxe. Also near him is a pouch with 14 gold, 25 silver, and 18 copper pieces. There doesn't seem to be much else of note about the old man.
Ana has seen this fellow before - this is old man Dansby, a local farmer. You remember hearing of him complaining of someone stealing crops from his fields. He was a former soldier of Taldor. He does have surviving relatives, including two young sons.
Bending the bow to test it’s grain after being in the snow, Arsiel considers it testing the draw as well, Yea, Ques, I can teach you to use it, but it might take a lot of effort for you to learn it well. This might help us for now, it’s better than what I’m carrying, although the draw is a little light.
Looking over the body of the farmer, any idea what happened to him? Arsiel asks as he straightens from the body looking around the area for any sign of ambush.
Dansby's body shows signs of blunt trauma - bruising and obviously broken bones. There are also some spots that show intense frostbite that is fairly localized - it's safe to assume that the elementals you just dispatched did this.
"I know we need to move on, but what should we do about poor Dansby? I've seen him around, but honestly, I don't know much about him. Any idea on his faith? Should we do anything special for him?"
”Old man Dansby. You’re rigt Gar. He has a couple boys - we can let them know here he met his...end.” the young woman frowns, tears threatening to well up and over her eyelids.
”We take his gear. Use it if we have to. Make a marker here, or cairn or something.”
Ana looks around for rocks.
Taking a deep pull off the bottle Ana handed him, Arsiel says You may need this more than I. Thanks though, took the edge off being so damn wet. Let’s dig him a quick grave and mark it so we can come back.
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At the suggestion of digging a grave, Ques looks at Grey but quickly realizes that he is not likely to be of much help, being nothing but head, tail, and smokey tentacles.
"Well, OK, but I don;t have a shovel and the ground is frozen. I like Ana's idea of a cairn better. If we can find the rocks, and move them, in spite of the fact that everything is frozen. But, you know, if the weather holds the body should be fine right where it is and the family would probably prefer to have it buried somewhere they can visit more easily."
Arsiel quickly sets to work finding rocks and covering the poor farmer with them, as he finishes, he asks Does anyone want to say anything for him?
Grey watches with intense interest, then lets out an odd wheeze that sounds like a sigh. Young Ques...why are you crushing this poor man under a mountain of stone? He watches with interest, trying to puzzle it out.
You have to dig in the snow for stone, but you fine enough to cover old man Dansby, and say a few words. It's hard work, and takes some time, though.
Ana works feverishly, acutely aware that what brought this old man low might do for her too.
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Young Ques...why are you crushing this poor man under a mountain of stone?
Ques is not at all surprised by the question, having done a little research on his abilities. He's no expert, but he has become familiar with the different planes. And he is intimately acquainted with a curious mind.
"Ah, Grey. Our world is not as your plane of existence. There is a cycle to life here. When the living die, they decompose back into the foundational material from which the body is made. As the process of decay occurs various Bad Things can happen, among them diseases, very bad smells, and the occasional production of an undead monster as we have witnessed, though that normally only occurs with magical help from some source. The most immediate concern is the smell. It is truly horrific to those of us with a nose. But the organisms that feed on the dead body quickly get out of control and come after the living, causing diseases and more death. Various cultures have various means of avoiding these complications including burning the body, burying the body, and disposing of the body at sea. Interestingly it often becomes a religious experience and not just a practical one, partly because it is very difficult for us to deal with death emotionally."
Grey is silent for a moment, as if considering...especially the emotional aspect, you imagine. I see....how strange. Should we return then and put rocks on the other beasts we have slain?
The presence of more death and the general chill gets through Garland's thick skin. "We need to get out of here."
Looking at Garland's shivers Arsiel quickly agrees, "Yes we should keep moving along. Let's finish this and hopefully rescue the woman."
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Grey is silent for a moment, as if considering...especially the emotional aspect, you imagine. I see....how strange. Should we return then and put rocks on the other beasts we have slain?
As they start moving along, Ques is distracted by Grey's question, though he is nowhere near certain about his response this time. "Excellent question. I don't know if a single body is as dangerous. Or if the organisms that attack a dead human body are more likely to cause harm to living humans than an animal carcass. Or maybe it is just because of the emotional aspect, but society is not as concerned with animal carcasses. I'm not sure what farmers do if a bunch of their cattle die. I don't think they can sell them for meat, or at least they shouldn't because of the chance that the meat would carry dangerous organisms. But I'm really not sure. People do bury pets though. Again, because of the emotional attachment."
I see. Grey clearly didn't, but it seemed he needed to reflect upon this before formulating his own opinion. I will lead the way, then, stay safe young Ques.
You continue along the trail and soon fined that it begins to climb a ridgeline to the south beneath the snow laden trees. The prints of boots and horses mar the freshly fallen snow on the trail here, and Arsiel can tell that this area is a bit more well-traveled.
Ana holds a hand up to halt the group.
”Wait! I hear voices up ahead.” she whispers.
The ganzi frowns, concentrating.
”They’re arguing. In Common.”
She looks to the group. ”Who wants to scout it out? I’m so tired of being ambushed - maybe we can do the ambushing...”
Garland holds out a hand to stop Ques, "Before you go, let me give you a little bit of protection." She weaves her fingers in a now common fashion, says a few words and sends motes of energy through Ques.
Holding up his hand and speaking quietly, Easy Ques, I appreciate your eagerness, but perhaps Grey or I should be the ones to peer over this rise and see who is there? I've got some training in moving quietly in the woods, and Grey seems well suited.
If the young fetchling is undeterred, Arsiel will at least accompany him, with an arrow nocked.
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Ques looks like he is going to go anyway but then he hesitates.
I wonder if the little buggers do ventriloquism or voices. I bet they do. This could be another one of their traps. And just like that he swings from overconfidence to complete suspicion.
"Uh, maybe you're right. You can take a look first. Just in case."
Arsiel is able to get quite a bit closer, using the small rise as a wall, in essence, that he can sneak up to. He's not able to get close enough to see over the rise, before the voices rise in volume.
I tol' ya...stupid little s*&#s are bad news...the way they look at ya...makes me cold all over. Why the hell should we listen to them!
'Cause Rohkar said so, that's why...ain't he ain't steered us wrong before!
It seems to be getting more heated.
Arsiel will motion at the rest to stay put and creep up to see what's happening between the two or more on the other side of the range.
Anadorita stays put, keeping Arsiel in her sights, looking down the length of her crossbow quarrel.
Arsiel approaches and crests the rise to see the two men, and another. The two are arguing amongst themselves, seemingly lost in their disagreement, but the third...well, he just happens to have turned away from the two in disgust. He, instead, is facing right towards Arsiel, and jumps with a start and puts a hand to the hilt of a sword at his side.
Who's there?
The other two stop, and put their hands to the bows, strung, on their backs.
From down the rise, the rest of you see Arsiel get atop the ridge, crouched low as he pushes through the snow. As he gets to the top, you see him freeze, and can hear the call from the man down below.
Arsiel motions for the others to stay quiet but come up closer, and stands, calling out to the men below, Greetings lads, wasn't expecting to find anyone out here at all this afternoon. Damn cold keeping everyone inside this time of year.[b]"
Pondering the three men, and not directly pointing the arrow toward them, "[b]Don't suppose you know much about what's going on out here do ya? Seems to be some shenanigans about with the fae and all this cold. " He says directly looking at the man with the sword. Arsiel doesn't relax his grip on the bow or arrow, ready to draw and fire at a moment's notice should the men get ideas.
Ana sees the stealth attempt heading south fast, so she attempts to skirt around to get a clear shot at any possible adversaries...
[+2 Dex, -1 ACP]
The man with his hilt on his sword doesn't seem to loosen his grip, or pull the blade. Well, we were just wondering the same thing...see, we're rangers, out of the High Sentinel Lodge. We were wonderin' the same thing...just why we came out here to check it out.
Now, I think you should be on your way, an' leave this to the trained professionals. Wouldn't want you to get hurt.
As Ana approaches, one of her snowshoes makes the slightest slip in the snow, and though she catches herself, a puff of snow goes up, a few dozen feet to Arsiel's right. It catches the eye of one of the bow-wielders, and his cranes his neck as if to look over the rise.
Seeing the archer look past him, Arsiel shrugs and calls out, Come on up everyone, they at least are willing to talk...
Arsiel accepts their story so far, and continues: Interesting that, well, we're here investigating too. See, we've been sent out from Heldren to see what's going on, and I've been tracking a party of ambushers out here for a few hours now. Do you happen to know anything about an ambush and who carried it out? Or why we're knees deep in snow when it should be warm out?
After hearing Arsiel call them out, Garland cautiously moves forward. Having heard the whole conversation, but not really knowing what the High Sentinel Lodge is, she is not sure if they could be telling the truth. "Please, lower your weapons. We are just lost out here and have been set upon by wicked fey. The least we can do is stand against them together."
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Ques motions Grey to stay back, assuming the worst, reaction wise, from the 'sentinals'. He moves up, tripping and struggling in the snow but staying at least 15' away from any other party member, not wanting to get caught in another color spray. That really hurt.
"Man am I glad to see a friendly face out here. Those little buggers have tormented us for miles. They even sicced some ice elementals on us. what have they done to you? Was that frozen guy a ways back one of yours?"
The man with the sword chuckles and moves his hand away from the hilt. He certainly seems a bit taken aback as more and more of you appear. Uh, yeah...I hear ya', and that's why we're out here too. Don't know of any frozen guy, but there's a few of us out right now. Back there you say? He squints off in the way from which you'd come. We'll send someone over to check it out. For now, I think you folks need to get out of this dangerous cold! Our lodge isn't far from here, why don't you come with us and at least get a bowl of soup and warm your feet by the fire?
The man seems quite genuine. His pal's eyes moved from where Ana was to watch Garland and Ques top the rise.
"Uh-huh. I ain't moving a squidgeameter until I know you ain't...fey...or an invisible stag pretending to be a soldier...or a snowman or some other damn thing. We been shot at, set upon, trapped, sic'd at by a tattelwyrm...trapped by a chest....zombies....snow." Ana trails off, her thread losing momentum.
"Tell ya what. You tell me the name of the tavern in Heldren and I won't shoot you between the ears." Ana aims at the genuine-seeming soldier.
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Ques is rather shocked by Anna's belligerence.
"Wow, Anna. That seems a bit extreme. I know we have been through the wringer, but threatening to kill someone because they don't know the name of a tavern seems a bit extreme to me. Still... It would go a long way towards quieting our nerves if you did know, mister."
Ana blinks. She lowers the crossbow.
"I'm just trying to see if he's a local or a... dread frost sprite or ice demon."
She asks the man again.
"So. Genuine or fake? Who owns the 'Stoat?"
Garland is definitely taken aback by Ana's reaction. She was pretty close to accepting the offer until Ana brought up all the things they have encountered so far.