As the ghostly form reaches for the elf, Dolamite releases a burst of radiance. The surrounding crowd seems stunned as they silently dissolve into mist.
(+2 with Stonecunning)
You spot something following the party out of the corner of your eye. You glimpse an elk with a pristine white coat and antlers that seem sharpened to red-stained points. However, when you turn to get a closer look, it disappears. When the group arrives at the clearing below, you recognize this as the same creature.
An hour or so outside of the village sees the grey skies darken slightly as a light snowfall begins. The journey becomes surreal as you witness strange occurrences. The first was disturbing antler and bone effigies along the trail. Later, you felt as if you might be travelling in circles as it seems something may have been subtly distorting the landscape. At one point, a pack of wolves to howl menacingly from all around you. They appear suddenly, feign charging the group, then retreat, and disappear entirely behind the trees.
A rocky clearing opens between the snow-laden trees, the oldest of which bear weathered slash marks and gashes as if they were scars from a terrible battle long ago. A frozen footpath winds in a circle around a rock outcropping, with a single, snowy tree residing on top. Atop the center outcropping, an elk with a pristine white coat and sharpened, red-tinged antlers grazes on moss.
To the southeast is a much smaller clearing, at the center of which stands a charred wooden spike driven into the ground. The earth around it is black and barren, as if the snow refuses to fall there. Just a few feet to the east stands a 4-foot tall carved stone post that bears several insriptions.
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”That elk has been following us! I saw it earlier and it vanished when I turned to get a better look. I don’t think it wants to bother us, as it’s had chances, I’d say.”
Survival
Perception
”Look at these arrowheads in the trees. They are the same ones we saw at the Coalbraid Longhouse! And look over here, to the southeast. This little clearing with the wooden spike at the center...the earth is black and barren. No snow is falling here either. Can anyone read that writing on the post?”
Touchy examines the area, feeling that there is indeed a heaviness tied to the area. Despite whatever superstitions may rule the town, something did happen here.
Without warning a blizzard starts to swirl around the area. Soon, lightning and thunder explode around the clearing. Over the gale force winds, a haunting voice is heard.
In a flourish of ice and snow steps a huddled woman of ancient years. After a few moments, the storm fades as suddenly as it started. She stares at you, slowly taking your measure. "Know that you have found the Jarlsblood Witch. Tell me why you have come to seek me out!"
While this 'woman' seems to exert a great deal of power, you suspect she is NOT actually the Jarlsblood Witch.
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"They're witches... they can live a long time." Touchy says, at Fahd's doubt.
"Bet she was quite the thing, a few decades back!" He adds, with a smile at the witch.
"Hey, we're not here to despoil anything..." He pauses for a moment, then corrects himself with a lascivious grin, "Well, not the land, anyway."
"We're just humping through the snow here, trying to find out what happened here, back during your supposed demise, so long ago." He glances over at the stake still embedded in the ground. "Nothing good, for sure."
"Well... unless that's your thing, I suppose."
With a laugh and a far less threatening voice, "Oh, a huldra can't have a little fun anymore? You mortals and your rigid thinking." She points at Touchy, "Except for that one, he just left of center I think." She then offers a nod to you all. "Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Olisarra." She nods toward the giant elk, "I see you have garnered the attention of Moss-on-South-Trees. Not really a friend of mine, but not an enemy either. 'Course he'll try ta kill ya if you go to pick a fight."
At the mention of the events surrounding King Alvard all those years ago, huldra’s eyes to glow red momentarily and upsets Olisarra. With emnity in her voice, she asks, "Do the people of Frostbreach still honor the “deal breaker of a king.” If you really want to know what happened with Kolvi and the king, I'll tell ya..."
She explains that the king pleaded with the creatures of the wild to help him hunt a linnorm that had appeared here. Moss-on-South-Trees heard his cries, and Olisarra helped broker a deal between the two to grant the king permission to wander the ijiraq’s lands, help in finding the dragon, and fortune in his fight against it. The king in turn promised future concessions that he never honored. When the warrior Kolvi set out into the forest, she showed proper respect to the local fey, yet the king taunted his past benefactors by daring to enter the ijiraq’s territory once more. The fey called down a terrible blizzard, and here Kolvi repelled the king and his companions, beheading the king with her sword.
I believe you but it is not me that must be convinced.
Olisarra smirks. “You think that the Ulfen people would trust the word of fey? No matter how intriguing I find your cultures, there is a gap in how we understand each other. To the people of Frostbreach, I am merely a capricious forest spirit and Moss-on-South-Trees is a malevolent elk.”
Olisarra shakes her head. “Moss-on-South-Trees does not speak. I understand its messages, if not always its motivations. Even its name is one I created based on how we met.”
She looks toward Touchy, "You seem to be able to sense something stirring in the land. Some in Frostbreach believe this area haunted. Some hauntings are merely my companion’s magic. However, there are unnatural things that linger here that I don’t understand. It is a curse that has lingered here ever since the traitorous king’s betrayal. If you wish to dispel the myth of the Jarlsblood Witch, you must also teach the people of Frostbreach that the fey do not deal with double-crossing humans.”
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"Lord Touchy, of Kravenkus." The dwarf responds, realizing he has not introduced himself. "We Taldan's know a thing or two about betrayal and backstabbing."
He grins, a slight hint of something darker in the expression. "But yes, the land here definitely has a feel to it... an echo of retribution that could only be seeded by the darkest of deeds, or the biggest of..." He cuts himself off, his grin widening, bushy eyebrows waggling slightly. "... nevermind."
He mutters a quick orison, asking Calistria for a bit of guidance in analyzing the area, as he glances around.
"Where did this so-called-King, and the warrior lady, get put to their apparent uneasy rests?" He adds, after he's done. "Such feelings of disquiet are often centered around places like that. If not this spot exactly, perhaps nearby?" He shrugs slightly.
"So what concessions did this so-called-King promise, that were never delivered, anyway?" He asks, a moment later, curious what all the fuss is about. "My goddess is well-versed in dealing with those who've been wronged. It'd be one of my many pleasures to help you along any such path." The grin softens slightly, the more familiar leer working its way in. "Of course, other paths have their advantages too. I'm sure if you were to return with us to Frostbreach, we could explore those as well."
"Hell, if Lord Touchy can make nice with the ice witches of Irrisen, I'm sure a little fey/ulfen bonding can't be too difficult... though perhaps a bit harder." He chortles, at his own joke.
“They are promises longsince broken by him and his people. The details are no longer important.”
“These woods have no witches to scare, and the sight was no way to remember a warrior like her. There are abandoned catacombs miles from here that the Ulfen people have forgotten, yet we have used them rarely to hide away that which need not be found or that which my companion would rather eat later. Both she and the king’s corpse lie there. If you wish to see them for yourself,” she trails off and looks to the ijiraq for a moment, “you could do so. I can provide you a token to see through the illusions that hide it. I warn you, though, we have not used it for several human generations, and those hills feel increasingly… troubled.”
After listening to your case, Olisarra seems as if she would be willing to follow you back to town. "However, we can go after to them abandoned catacombs to gather up any other evidence you can find. Here," she hands Touchy an antler, "This should allow you to see through Moss-on-South-Trees magic. He hid the entrance years ago. Come here and find me on your way back." She also provides you directions to find the site, which lies another 2 hours travel east of this area. The ijiraq bucks its head in disgust before meandering back into the forest. With more of a gentle flurry, snow again falls on the clearing. The huldra fades into the mist.
You find two talismans near the base of the effigy post.
The trek from the Snow Elk Wilds to the catacombs takes several hours at a steady pace and is uneventful. As the team approaches an inconspicuous hill, the fey antler token begins to glow with faint red light. The closer you bring the token to the hill, the brighter it glows. Once within about 50 feet, the token melts the illusion veiling the hill, revealing a long, rocky outcropping with several smaller stone mounds inscribed with weathered petroglyphs.
Worked stones partly seal a cave along the outcropping’s southern side, creating a formal entrance into the caverns beyond. All along the rock face jut pieces of bone or fossilized remains of some immense fanged creature, as though it were clinging to the cave.
At the entrance, the faint scent of decay mixes with the fresh air outside. Frozen grime covers much of this area. Two sets of rough-hewn stairs lead downward to the northeast and northwest, and the large central column bears a large inscription written in weathered Skald script.
perceptible roar is intermittently audible in the distance.
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"A talisman of warrior's courage. Anyone feeling a bit anxious and might need a bit of a boost?
"The bones of a linnorm!" As if the portents weren't already encouraging enough already.
"I really should do more training on foreign tongues. All these scripts just look like scribbles to me."
"OK, now I'm starting to feel a bit anxious!"
Thoriel casts a spell on herself and seems to become even more confident in an instant.
These halls contain numerous alcoves that hold human remains In many cases, the only remnants are the skulls carefully arranged on shelves. Several dozen other bodies were interred whole, and the perpetually chilly catacombs have dramatically slowed decomposition such that many of the bodies still have some skin and hair remaining.
Perception
(+2 with Stonecunning)
Initiative
While most of the party spots the figure hidden in the alcove, only the sharp eyed war-priest spots his ally also concealed by the shadows. However, before even the oread can shout out a warning, the creature streaks forward and claws at the sacred fist. Years of training allow Dolamite to dodge the blow.
Round 1 bold may act
RED
Fahd
Thoriel
Touchy
GREEN
Dolamite
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As some of the group start to circle around behind the undead attackers, Thoriel takes a different approach. "See you on the other side, guys!" Her sword starts sizzling with electrical sparks at the utterance of a short, sharp word in elvish.
Momentarily placing one hand on Dolamite's right shoulder, the agile elf then swings around him to be face to face with the monster for a second, before sliding down under the creatures legs in one fluid movement and slashing him with her electrified blade.
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"Oh, these things again." Touchy mutters, at the sight of the undead creatures. "They like to suck."
"Life energy, that is." He adds, after a pregnant pause.
Seeing Thoriel somehow get behind the nearer one, he lashes out with his whip, over the top of Dolomite.
, for damage plus Daze (if green, and it has less HD then me).
As Fahd starts telling him to follow, he grins slightly. "Oh... I love it when they take charge." He purrs, then turns to follow the human around the other side.
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As the group walks forwward Dolamite observes I would say the fashion, style and nature of the equipment suggests the age of the remains ranges here from 300 to 800 years old. But suddenly adds Fighting! Deeper in the cave!
Missed by the first attack and suddenly flanking his attacker Dolamite, calling on guidance from his god, swift casts Divine Favor and flurries.
The spelldancer practically vaults over the monk, running briefly upon the cavern wall. She lands behind the abomination before it even realizes she was on the move. The jolt of electricity sizzles into the ancient undead.
As he begins turning toward her, a loud <<CRACK>> echos throughout the labyrinth, snapping off the wight's ear.
Racing up from his hiding place, the second ravenous monster attempts to catch Thoriel unaware, but the elf deftly dances away from the blow.
The oread begins a series of blows, but the first is enough to destroy his opponent. However, his fist immediately aches. A quick look at his hand shows signs of frost burn.
Round 2 bold may act
Fahd
Thoriel
Touchy
GREEN
Dolamite
Assuring the way behind is clear the cleric joins the alchemist to encircle their remaining foe.
Round 2 continued bold may act
Fahd
Thoriel
Touchy
GREEN
Dolamite
With a brilliant series of thrusts, the magus ends the threat in less time than it takes to tell.
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"That wasn't so bad!" Touchy exclaims, giving Dolamite a playful swat on the behind.
"Neither is that." He adds, with a grin.
"I heard those combat sounds too. Off that way, I think?" He appears to be referencing the oread's comments from shortly before, as he points hesitantly down one of the tunnels.
Moving toward the sound of combat, the party comes to a fork. While certain the path on the left would bring the team closer to the combat, Dolamite notices something to the south .
This cave contains the skeletal remains of two unfortunate people. It is unclear how they arrived here, they froze to death shortly afterward, using their last hours to provide some record of what they had seen. One surface bears a clumsy inscription in Common carved with a discarded spear tip:
“Alvard knew the woods well. It’s where he hunted his linnorm, he said. We laid our ambush, but fey attacked. They shouted he betrayed them. Could see in his face he knew and was afraid. A screaming elk, ice for eyes. Kolvi. She was best with an axe, took away the king’s head. Can’t find our way back. Armor belongs in the family and dying.”
The writing becomes increasingly unsteady and illegible before trailing off midthought, and one of the two skeletons lies facedown underneath the inscription, still wearing a suit of chainmail that shows rust in only a few places.
The other skeleton still cradles a horn into which he has carved a last message with a discarded arrowhead:
“This horn was from a linnorm Alvard killed. He was a good warrior but fearful—always talked of the linnorm coming back. Jumped every time I blew the horn. Did he fear Kolvi being a king? Or did he fear the linnorm being back? He never was right after the hunt.”
The team makes way to a set of rough-hewn stairs. The sound of battle rages on gloom.