The rush of wind comes to a sudden stop as the Wind Walk ends, setting you down lightly at your destination. The rough foothills of the Storval Plateau give way to an intimidating site: the massive peaks of the Kodar Mountains tower above you. The Kazaron tumbles out of the heights in a 500' waterfall, signaling your first obstacle: ascending the falls to follow the river.
If there's nothing at the bottom of the falls, why not come out of the spell at the top of the falls? Otherwise, Communal Air Walk.
Even with the aid of the spell, the 'climb' is strenuous. The full width of the falls is narrow, maybe 40' at most over it's length. The water has carved a narrow pass through the rock of the mountains. As you ascend you are assaulted by the noise of it. If this part of the Plateau weren't so barren, the falls may even be beautiful.
Finally, heavily winded, you reach the top. The Storval Plateau stretches away for many miles below you, a gray and desolate sight. Behind you, the river runs deep and fast the narrow gorge. Sheer rock face rises on either side, another 500' straight up. A ledge of rock leads deeper into the mountains along the river. Just wide enough for two to go abreast, the ledge goes as far as the gorge, the end of which can't be seen from here.
"Well, it looks like our path is laid out for us." Tomaru suggests going single file rather than two abreast.
Thordak - Tomaru - Lym - Praxim - Rexil
Nodding, "Good. Makes things easier." The dwarf then leads the way, his longaxe in hand.
Lym, it should be noted, is not very badly winded. After all, she's cast Overland Flight on herself and has just genteelly hovered along behind the rest of the group, keeping an eye out for threats and not at all smirking behind her veil, no sir!
Praxim tried not to let the strain of the climb shown as he scans about for ambushed by evil creatures.
You begin the climb out of the gorge, along the river ledge. Several miles pass, and the opening so far away steadily grows larger. The perpetual twilight under the cliffs begins to lighten ever so slightly as well.
You begin to realize the wisdom of Thordak's mountain training, and the time you spent acclimatizing in Castle Lym. It makes an impossible trek become merely difficult.
Hours later, you climb out of the gorge into a wide (relatively) valley. The Kazaron continues to rumble along to your left, but the path seems to deviate away from the riverside as it winds through the valley.
The peaks of the Kodars are all around, imposing in their height. A frigid wind blows hard from the North, biting and forcing its way through any gap in your winter gear.
Toamru casts Endure Elements on himself each day. He can likewise protect two others, probably Lym and Thordak.
Let's go with Thordak's roll. Tomaru can help, though.
Praxim has a fully charged wand of endure elements that they can use. He at least puts it on himself and Rexil.
Angling his head a bit in an attempt to ward off some of the cold air, "Ahhhhh ya gotta love it! Nothin' beats a fine altitude and a good brisk wind!" he yells so as to be heard over the wind, grinning at it all.
Praxim is too busy looking for enemies to notice much else of help.
And Rexil is just enjoying being back out of the warm cloying wetlands to notice anything either!
"Except for a fine library and a mug of tea," Lym mutters.
The wind continues to blast down the length of the valley, bringing with it snow and frigid cold. For two days you make your way along the river, always climbing, always battling the elements. It takes all of the dwarf's skill to keep you from freezing to death each night.
Thordak figures you have passed the 4,000' mark some time into your third day when you spot a grey blotch against the wind swept side of a cliff along the valley wall. A two-story cabin, nearly invisible in the snow, sits 60' up on the cliff. A heavy wooden structure descends from cabin down to the valley floor. Next to the structure is a mound of black stones of some sort.
As they trudge along in the snow and cold, Thordak halts and points toward the cabin. "Do you lot see that cabin?! Who in the blazes would live in a place out in the middle of Torag knows where?! Well, whether they like it or not, they're about ta get visitors!" the dwarf vows, heading straight for the structure.
"It's two stories. Whoever it is really wants to live there." Tomaru follows his dwarven friend to the cabin.
During the trek, Lym does her part to make sure the party doesn't freeze every night; she casts Secure shelter every night, giving the party a safe, warm place to sleep.
When the group reaches the two-storey structure, the Wizard casts a suspicious look at the pale of black stones. "Anyone got any idea what those are supposed to be?" she asks.
The cabin is built of split logs cemented with a rough mortar. The roof is of a shake shingle. The cabin itself is decades old, covered with lichen that gives it a strange organic look.
There is a square structure and a small shed built of the same split logs and mortar, just now visible as you get close. The structure goes from the valley floor up to the cliff edge. Heavy doors lead into both the shed and the structure.
The pile of black 'rocks' appears to be mine tailings, cast off from the ore before it was moved elsewhere.
As you contemplate these new discoveries, a long howl rolls down the valley. It is a mournful, dawn-out shriek not unlike that of a dying elk. But like no elk you have ever heard.
"An Outsider of some sort," Lym warns. "And by the sound of it, I'd say it isn't one of the pleasant ones."
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”It never is,” Praxim mutters as he bonds with his bow, making it +5 outsider bane.
"Either we stay out here and pick a fight, or we try to hide inside," Lym says. "We might trip alarms either way. So, what do we do? Keeping in mind I've prepared both Teleport and Plane shift, so we can haul out anytime."
With his longaxe in hand and looking off in the distance, "I say we go inside. If it's somethin' that wants ta fight us then it can come get us in there." Thordak then continues on toward the cabin, preparing to make his way inside.
Almost invisible against the rock wall of the cliff, and lost in the blowing snow, is the form a of a lone pine tree next to the tailings pile. It stands scraggly and forlorn, a lone guardian of this place.
The heavy door leads into the ground level of the cabin, but it is locked...
"Come on," Lym tells the others -- and casts Knock on the locked door.
The snow has drifted against the door of the cabin. A 3' drift forces you to push your way through so Lym can unlock the door. The wind blown snow swirls around this close to the cliff wall forcing your eyes down to avoid the stinging ice.
So it is that your first hint of danger comes from the sound of wood creaking and the shuffle of a massive body moving closer. You look up to find the lone pine tree looming over you, one huge branch upraised to strike!
The 40' tree swings an almost-equally long arm in a broad arc, striking Thordak in the side and sending him flying!
Thordak tumbles through the snow, coming to rest 10' from where he was struck. A sharp pain in his side causes him to look down at his wound. To his horror, a spiky fungus is rapidly growing there, tearing at his flesh!
The tree stands 20' away from you in the deep snow. Two long arms protrude from it's sides, massive 'branches' that wave menacingly. A gaping maw opens in it's trunk, revealing rows of bone-like teeth.
Trusting to his Snap Shot ability, Praxim clicks his heels to activate his new boots of speed, and begins firing arrows.
His AC is now 34 for the round due to haste. The wind is really messing with his aim.
Roaring in pain as he goes flying, the dwarf works to gather himself as he notices the weird fungus tearing at him. With a look of panic about him, "I'M BEIN' TORN APART!!! WHAT THE BLAZES?!?! HOW DO I STOP IT?!?!" The dwarf grimaces in pain, finding himself unable to do anything currently but wonder if he'll even still be alive within the next moment or two.
.
Everyone, don't forget your bonuses from Heroe's Feast. As though it matters, but Praxim's shots would all be at +1 to hit.
Tomaru uses Dimension Door to put the rest of us just behind Thordak. "I'd heard that trees were the natural enemies of dwarves, Thordak, but I didn't believe it until just now."
Thordak brushes and scrapes furiously at the fungus growing from his skin, tearing away the worst of it.
The Horror Tree takes two great strides forward, this time bringing a great limb crashing down on Rexil. The blow smashes his shoulder, forcing him to a knee. The rotten fungus begins to sprout all along the giant's neck and shoulder.
Three of Praxim's arrows land with a sick 'thunk' into the side of the monstrosity, but if it feels any pain, it doesn't show it...
Forgot to ask, how far away is the cabin? Is the door open? Tomaru would like to teleport us all into the cabin for cover. The door and any windows can be used to target the tree as necessary.
Otherwise
Tomaru will take a step back, that tree can hit from 20' away after all, then cast Wall of Stone (reflex dc 22) to try and trap it. He'll leave a pair of 5' windows in it, one on our side and one on the other side, to target the plant creature.
Rexil tears the fungus from his skin in disgust and waves his club, urging the thing to stay focused on him.
He also stays close to Tomaru in case the thing hits him again.
Praxim activates smite evil, his bow and arrows light up the storm with a holy light.
The first arrow to hit does an extra 15 damage if this thing is undead (or really well-disguised dragon). If this thing is an outsider, Praxim does a whole host more stuff for me to roll.
184 total if Ac 34 hits, 199 if undead, etc
9b]"Digusting!"[/b] Lym exclaims - and she sends sizzling, blazing death towards the horror tree before floating backwards.
Forgot to note that Tomaru has Agile Feet
Managing to remove the worst part of the fungus, he looks over at Tomaru incredulously. "What are ya daft?! Trees aren't dwarfs natural enemies!" He then looks toward the wood guardian, "But this one here sure knows how ta piss me off!!!" And with that the dwarf explodes in a rage and doubles in size. Still far smaller than the tree, Thordak unloads a barrage of attacks against the thing.
Late bump, check Discussion Tab
Tomaru uses Dimension Door to put the rest of us just behind Thordak. "I'd heard that trees were the natural enemies of dwarves, Thordak, but I didn't believe it until just now."
The Horror Tree writhes in agony as holy arrows, raging axes, and bolts of fire tear into it. Throwing it's unnaturally long arms into the air, it staggers backward. Two steps, three, then it heels over; toppling a section of Tomaru's stone wall with a crash, and landing in the pile of of tailings.
Slowly, the massive undead tree begins to change before your eyes. As you watch in amazement, arsenic poison pours from it's wounds in steaming rivulets onto the snow. It's claws shrink, and the visage of hate reverts to that of a kindly old treant.
Whatever happened here, the shepherd of the forest is finally at peace.
Praxim sighs as the treant creature topples over. "Does anybody know the funerary rites of treants?" he asks. "I'm really hoping it isn't a dug grave. Poor fellow."
"Not a clue, but I imagine it involves slowly returning to nature," Lym says. "Let's hurry and get inside before the next proble shows up."
"Such an optimist as always. Perhaps that was the last problem, Xin-Shalast will appear over the next rise, and we'll find it completely empty except for the things we need, which will be helpfully laid out on displays, surrounded by piles of random gems, and big signs that read, 'Take me!' in six languages."
"Actually, I guess the signs would make the piles of gems look awfully suspicious, given that this is the City of Greed."
Managing to remove the worst part of the fungus, he looks over at Tomaru incredulously. "What are ya daft?! Trees aren't dwarfs natural enemies!"
Tomaru turns to Thordak, "If that's true, then why do you carry such a big axe? I mean, why not a warhammer or something? Is it because they don't cut trees down as well as axes do?"
What are the funery rites of Treants?
Looking at the healer incredulously, "Oh I don't know, because it cuts better?" he responds with obvious sarcasm. "Hello! Is anyone in there?!" he says mockingly. "Warhammers don't cut lad. Axes do. Fairly simply logic, lad. Pretty sure there's a book about it somewhere that you could read," he says with a huff, acting as if it's pretty self-explanatory.
"Precisely! You need a weapon that works against your most hated foe. One that cuts a tree better than any other. Elves don't use axes, because they love trees. Your denials show the truth of how you feel, my friend." Tomaru starts leading him to the cabin.
"Can we please discuss this inside? That Outsider could be zeroing in on the sound of battle, and it did NOT sound friendly!"
The lock to this door is corroded, but still strong. Lym's Knock spell makes short work of it, and it clatters to the frozen earth.
This 10'x 15' room has a bare plank floor. A wide double door stands to the east, and next to it a shabby curtain closes off another opening. A heavy iron lock seals the double doors. The room’s dry boards still appear to be stout, having successfully remained sealed from the elements over the years.
Beyond the curtain is a small, barren chamber. A wood-frame cot rests against the far wall with a rough, straw-tick mattress and a threadbare blanket. A pair of old work boots, crusted with the dried remains of old mud, still sits under the cot.