Ellien thinks they've continued to make a good impression on Two Houses, but his and Orla's efforts with Without Trace or Fail don't seem to be doing much to warm the team's heart. As Ellien looks around the poles, however, he notices a small rodent nibbling at some berries. A look around reveals no sign of berry bushes -- even if they would be in season at this time of year -- but the investigator recalls several of the members of Without Trace or Fail munching on similar snacks, along with dried fish and hardy grasses instead of partaking in the heartier meals most of the other competitors are enjoying each evening.
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"More food where all the longshanks are," Nurten replies to Elanna. "Like maybe the longshanks and their caribou. And why'd something that big get scared over some of them and a few little fires? Hope that Nankou guy's waiting for the winner at the end of the race. If he killed a dragon, this won't be too bad for him."
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As before, Sonna volunteers to take first watch. "I'm thinking we may want to get an early start tomorrow and try to push through to the end if possible. If I haven't lost track of time, tomorrow is day four. Seeing as we're here to make a good impression, I'd hate to finish late," he suggests to anyone whose made their way back to camp.
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"You may be right, Nurten. But that would mean it's just considering us as food. And I much prefer to be the hunter than the hunted.", she says with a wry smile then returns to her plate of food.
"I agree with you, Sonna. It looks that we are close to the lead of the race. There may be an other challenge tomorrow but we will should be done afterwards. We'll keep our eyes open and avoid the beast and we should be fine"
Pushing food around on her plate, she waits for Elien and Orla to come back : "Did you two get anything interesting ?"
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As Elien looks around the poles, however, he notices a small rodent nibbling at some berries. A look around reveals no sign of berry bushes -- even if they would be in season at this time of year -- but the investigator recalls several of the members of Without Trace or Fail munching on similar snacks, along with dried fish and hardy grasses instead of partaking in the heartier meals most of the other competitors are enjoying each evening.
Elien shoes away the small rodent with his boot. "I'm sorry to deprive you of your meal, little one," he apologizes, "But I may need a few of these as proof of a fair bit of mischief that took place here...something I'm sure you're equally familiar with as you sneak about our camp, no?" He then collects a few of the berries, depositing them in a small glass vial retrieved from his bandolier. Once satisfied he has enough to suitably illustrate his finding, he nods to the rodent and takes his leave, boots crunching across the ice as he makes his way back to camp.
Pushing food around on her plate, Elanna waits for Elien and Orla to come back : "Did you two get anything interesting ?"
Elien trudges into the light of the campfire by himself as he hears Elanna's question. "Sorry, I'm late," he offers, "After talking with Two Houses and Without Trace or Fail, I decided to revisit the scene of the crime, as it were, to see if there were any other clues I could piece together."
He sits down and helps himself to a plate and the shared meal. "I think it's fair to say Two Houses welcomes our presence and bears us no ill will," he shares between bites, "They even mentioned that the next phase of the race will undertake an ice-walking challenge of some kind. I assume it'll be a bit more complex than that, of course...much like the caribou challenge. But, bottom line, they were friendly...they shared information...and there doesn't seem to be any cause to suspect them of foul play."
"As for Without Trace or Fail," he continues, "They've been the singularly most consistent surly lot every time I've attempted to engage them...and that goes all the way back to our little sleigh ride from the lodge to the starting line. Tonight's discussion was just as unwelcome. They're standoffish...hostile...and go out of their way to insult or belittle our presence here as an affront to their sensibilities. I purposefully dropped a few comments about the extra obstacles in our challenges, playing them off as if we were enjoying them and simply thought the officials had included them for everyone...just to gauge their reaction to see if it elicited a response. We got nothing definitive back. Just a continually callous attitude toward us."
"But that said," Elien finishes, "I did find this..." He retrieves the vial of berries from his bandolier. "...by the sabotaged poles. There's nary a berry bush around here where these could have come from...but, there is one source in this campsite where we can find them. And it's the Without Trace or Fail team. I've noticed time and again that they don't partake in cooked meals as we have, consistently shunning such sustenance in favor of a more draconian lifestyle of dried fish, edible grasses, and...these distinctive berries. A couple of them have been munching on these from time to time. And, no doubt, one of them carelessly dropped a few by the poles when they were there." He passes the vial around the campfire for everyone to see, accepting it back when it returns.
"Now, I don't know that it's the definitive proof the race officials requested," he says, "But it's more than nothing. Someone could claim our competitors simply ate a quick snack before they vaulted the river ahead of us and accidentally dropped a few of these. That's why I think we just hold onto them for now. If other clues start to manifest, we should gather those as well, and then present the strongest possible case when we're ready."
"Outside of that, there's not much more I can offer on the mystery of the saboteurs. How about the rest of you? Anything new? What's the plan for tomorrow?"
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"Okay. So your idea is that it's them Without Trace of Fail that are playing with us. I think that makes sense. I agree with you and gathering more evidence to be sure about that before we do anything about it. But to be fair, I'm not completely on board with taking that to the race organizers. What I would really like to do is pay them back in kind... You know, a little night visit to drop a skunk in their tent...or something similar. But I wouldn't do anything before the end of the race. We promised to behave...", she sighs.
"But that's not for today. Anders has seen the beast, the caribou killer, we think. Just on the other side of the river. But it left before he could see what it was. So we keep our planned watch schedule, I guess, and watch out during the race tomorrow."
"And for the race, Sonna just proposed to start early, try to complete the next challenge, which could be the last one if the Two Houses are correct and then push for the finish line. I'm fine with that. We'll get a better idea of how far we are to the end when we get at the next checkpoint."
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"Ah...so the beast is still around. Well, that bodes ill." Elien chews his food thoughtfully for several moments, mentally puzzling over the problem.
"You know, most animals would be reluctant to approach such a large grouping of people, but I guess since we're traveling in teams of five or six, the instinct of a predator would be to try and pick off the weak or the lame, treating us like any other herd. But, honestly, I'm much more worried it might be more intelligent than a mere animal, in which case we're dealing with a monster instead. And, in that case, there's no telling what it might do out of conscious thought and true malice."
"As for the next leg of the race, I definitely agree on getting an early start," Elien says, "And if there's anything we can do to improve our footing for this 'ice-walking' Two Houses described, I think we'd best explore it. After all, it's not just about the challenge ahead. It'll also let us move better if that beast does come upon us."
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Walking on ice, walking on ice… Now that’s a thing we could do something about…. Elanna mumbles, considering Elien’s proposal.
She goes to her bag, opens the repair kit and lays out its contents, muttering over one piece or another. Then she raises her head: ”You know, there’s something we could do. I think... If we have the right material. I’m not sure it will help us move quicker but if we encounter ice, it may help some of us navigate it better.”
She upends her backpack and searches every pocket. ”Damn, I thought I had brought some... Okay, the idea I have is to make makeshift cleats. You know, the metal things some people put on their shoes to avoid slipping in mud or on ide. We don’t have any but I think we could make some by hammering some caltrops into a small shoe-size board and strapping that to our boots.”
She packs her belongings back. ”I thought I had some caltrops, but I can’t seem to find them. I must have forgotten to pack them. If we have any, then I suggest not to wear those cleats all day but only get them out for the challenge if needed.”
"So did anyone bring some, by chance?", she asks around.
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"I don't think we got anything too solid to be able to pin on those curmudgeons, and I'm not for sabotage while there's something stalkin' us all."
Orla hums to herself, checking out the stew on hand before Elanna's question.
"Why sure, Elanna. I got two sets of caltrops in my pack. They might come in useful. I recall our Initiation guide - Gavix, I think her halfling name is - talkin' about how they can be right useful."
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"I don't think we got anything too solid to be able to pin on those curmudgeons, and I'm not for sabotage while there's something stalkin' us all."
Orla hums to herself, checking out the stew on hand before Elanna's question.
"Why sure, Elanna. I got two sets of caltrops in my pack. They might come in useful. I recall our Initiation guide - Gavix, I think her halfling name is - talkin' about how they can be right useful."
"Thanks Orla, that's good thinking. That's just what we may end up needing. You know what, I'm going to prepare some wood soles before turning in so that we just have to put the caltrops in place at the last minute if we need them."
Elanna busies herself preparing some support for the caltrops before going to bed and taking a midnight watch.
The evening passes uneventfully, with no more visits from the beast or other teams. The final day of the race dawns clear and bright, letting you get an early start as you see the other teams hitting the trail.
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Nurten retrieves a set of caltrops, which look more like marbles with spikes haphazardly rammed through them. "These'd get the job done. I don't trust my shoes to keep 'em away, even with a second wood bottom. Someone else can wear the shoes that stab you. Thought I'd never see worse curses than in those vaults under Skyreach, and here we go."
Come the next day, the goblin has an almost laser-like focus on the race, eager to see it done. He tries his best to go fast without sliding, so as not to merit the new shoes.
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Sonna is very eager to get started on what is hopefully their last day of travel. As always, he trudges ahead, relying on his physical strength to make his way and leaving the finer details of trail finding to others. "You know, at this point, after all the build up, I think I'd welcome an encounter with this beast."
As much as he tries to hide it, Sonna is feeling the wear in his muscles from days of constant travel.
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Before starting, Elanna double-checks her weapons, restringing her bow and making sure her short-sword is not frozen into its scabbard.
As the Pathfinders race through the snow and woods, Elanna absentmindedly nods at her companion’s banter as she tries to stay focused both on the race and on the possible encounter with the beast Anders has seen the day before.
Despite Anders' accidentally following the wrong trail at first, Orla manages to get him on the right track and lead the group toward the next checkpoint. Clearly the cold, and snow, and stress are starting to get to you as you don't make as good time as you have in previous days, but even so you manage to be one of the first three teams to arrive at the checkpoint, along with Two Houses and Without Trace or Fail, and well ahead of Fangs of the Remorhaz, Wyrding Wayfinders and Bluetongue's Brawlers.
Among the tall drifts and dunes of snow and ice, a small hollow reveals signs of life. A large fire pit is encircled by tents and snow shelters as officials stand near the warmth of the blazing fire. Beyond the camp, a large sheet of exposed ice is marked by race banners. In the middle of the ice, a delicate ribbon lies partially frozen in the sheet.
Unlike previous days, you're expected to finish this challenge and then head for the home stretch, which is not too far away. A race official greets you and leads you to the challenge. He explains that this trial recounts the tale of Balgird’s brave survival on the open ice. While camping in the tundra, Balgird lost some precious equipment to the wind in the night. The following morning, he followed a trail of gear to discover one of his scrolls frozen in the ice. With great care, he moved across the thin sheet to where his scroll lay trapped. Balgird created a lens from a piece of the ice itself, focusing the sunlight on the ice to slowly melt it away from his scroll until he was able to free it.
The goal of this trial is to make it across the ice to the center and free the ribbon from the ice without damaging it. The official warns you that the ice is thin, so you'll have to go carefully, but the water below is not that deep, so your lives shouldn't actually be in any real danger.
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Elanna drops her pack and inspects the ice.
"Well, I'm not sure using cleats on such a thin layer is a good idea. But I could still try it if I walk very carefully. Can you hand me the caltrops, please Orla?"
Taking out the makeshift wooden soles, she hammers 6 spikes onto each of them for better balance then ties them under her boots.
"Okay, let's see if it works. Wish me luck"
She checks if she still has her thieves' tools, grabs a torch from her pack, lights it at one of the fires and carefully steps on the ice.
If she reaches the ribbon, she will slowly try to melt the ice around it with the torch, trying not to set fire to it. Once nearly free, she'll blow the torch out and pick the ribbon with her tools to insure not to break it.
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After the difficult trek to this final trial, Sonna is glad to be able to rest a few moments. He stares out at the ribbon on the frozen lake, considering how he would approach the challenge, but as he sees Elanna make her way onto the ice he starts cheering her on instead. "You can do this, Elanna!" Inwardly, he thanks Sarenrae for guiding him to such capable companions.
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"Huh. I was expecting a bigger trial for this ice-walking challenge," Elien notes when they arrive. With Elanna already preparing a pair of cleats with the caltops, he stands by to watch how she proceeds, hoping he might learn from her experience. Much like Sonna, he also encourages her, clapping along to her movements across the ice.
"You know," he says to the others, "If she's successful...and only one of us needs to secure a ribbon...maybe we just get it and keep going? We could make better speed that way and potentially overtake the other two teams ahead of us..."
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"Yeah, at a minimum, that ice is going to take awhile to melt for each person attempting the challenge. And that's time we could be using to push ahead...or catch-up, as it were..." He notes Elanna's progress across the ice with her torch wavering as she struggles to keep her balance. "Steady as she goes, Elanna! You've got this...!"
In a lower tone, for everyone else's benefit standing in wait, the investigator also says, "You know, if she doesn't succeed, one of us should be ready to quickly undertake it, as well, so we don't lose any time. Anders, if you want to give it a go, I'll see what I can do to prepare a pair of cleats for you like the ones she's using." He breaks out his pack and starts nailing some caltrops into another pair of wooden blocks.
As he works, he also glances around in case there's any potential sabotage they may have missed when they arrived.
"Hey, everyone!" he adds, "The same two teams arrived before us. So, there could be foul play again. Might be worth a look around to see if we notice anything out of the ordinary. Also, see if you can any clues we might be able to use as proof if you do spot something."
As Elien looks around, he realizes that water has recently been cast over the ice, polishing the surface to a smooth, glossy finish, likely even more slippery than it would otherwise have been. Fortunately, Elanna's makeshift crampons are more than up to the task, and she carefully makes her way across the frozen sheet. It groans a little under her weight, but fortunately doesn't crack as she approaches the ribbon. Once there, she carefully applies her torch, the meager heat it provides both melting the ice and warming her hands enough that she can hold it steady long enough to retrieve the ribbon!
task accomplished, you're free to leave and sprint for the finish!
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"Well done, Elanna!" Elien calls out as the half-elf makes her return across the ice with the ribbon in hand. "Be careful here!" he notes aloud for her, "The ice is newly formed here at the edge...much too smoothly and uniformly to have been natural accumulation. Instead, it seems someone tossed a bit of extra water across the surface to make it as slippery as possible. I daresay your idea with the caltrops...and Orla's handy preparation in carrying some...alleviated that problem before it even presented itself. But, do be careful coming across. We wouldn't want you to bruise anything with a sudden fall before we make our final dash to the finish line."
The investigator then packs away the additional crampons he was starting to manufacture for Anders, since they won't be needed. And he shoulders his pack, making ready to leave. Before they do, he calls over one of the race officials and points out the icy sabotage to them.
"This is the third time our group has encountered such an obstacle during these challenges," he explains, "I'm starting to believe someone really doesn't want us participating in the Balgirdtrek. And if it's not the organizers themselves...which I don't believe, so I'm not accusing you of it...then it's one of the other teams. I believe you would agree it could therefore only have been one of those which preceded us, yes?"
Elien reaches into his bandolier and retrieves the vial with the stored berries he found by the poles at the river. "I happened to discover these at the last challenge near the vaulting area. I'm sure you would agree they don't grow around here. Instead, I've seen only one other source of them. And it's the Without Trace or Fail team that's preceded us at every challenge. If anyone's been sabotaging the performance of their competitors, I believe it to be them. I bring it up not to create an advantage for us. Rather, I want you to know in case any of the other teams behind us run into this same obstacle. And, also, in the event that team continues to cheat in future years of the competition."
"With that, I've cleared my conscience in making sure this mystery is solved," Elien says, "We're going to finish the race. None of us care if we win. We just wanted the experience and hoped we could earn a bit of respect for the Pathfinders here in the north. However, we'd be very appreciative if you'd help us with that effort by keeping us out of any accusations leveled at the other team. I leave it in your hands to use this evidence and apply whatever ruling you see fit to enforce."
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"Thanks, Elien", she replies as she makes her way back with the ribbon. "I completely missed it."
She hops back onto the shore, removes her cleats and turn to Orla: "Thanks for bringing these, I owe you one bag of caltrops. I'll pay you back in beer once we reach the finish line. That was even more useful than I thought it would be."
The official looks very concerned at Ellien's words. "You make good points, but ... I can't just find someone responsible because of some berries. If you had some other evidence, maybe..."
The race official's nostrils flare, and his expression darkens as Elien points out the scrap of fabric that matches the outfits the rival team has worn.
"Well. This is unexpected," he says. "I'm very sorry this has happened. I will confer with my fellow race officials, but you may be sure that this will not go unremarked. This is not in the spirit of the race, and we will make sure Without Trace or Fail is punished for their actions. You have our apologies, Frostfur Friends."
As you get ready to leave the checkpoint and head for the finish line, you can see the officials conversing in hushed tones, the expressions on their face clearly unhappy. With little time to waste, however, you head out, hoping to finish off these four days with a victory for the Pathfinders.
You're making great time, the last miles slipping away beside you as you pass a frozen lake. You suddenly hear a roar, however, and realize that your previous fears were not in vain! The beast is attacking you! It charges out and swipes at Anders, claws drawing blood as the monster pulls him into its embrace!
Initiative
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"Anders, lookout...!!!" Elien calls, but it's clearly too late to warn him before the bear begins to savage their friend. He quickly uncoils a whip from his belt and looks for a vulnerable spot to distract the beast and make it let go of Anders. Time seems to slow down as he anticipates the bear raising its head before leaning down to bite at the ranger's throat.
"Let go of him, you monster!" Time speeds up again, and the whip snaps toward the bear's face as Elien tries to split its nose.
The snap echoes loudly across the frozen lake.
Ellien: 25
Elanna: 21
Nurlen: 21
Anders: 10
Orla: 18
Sonna: 17
The Beast!: 28
Ellien's whip provides plenty of sound, but doesn't seem to dent the beast's fury as it slashes against it, doing little more than creasing its fur. It's enough of a distraction, however, for Elanna to get herself in position, and she drives her blade home, drawing a roar of outrage from the creature.
As Nurlen tries to help, Anders struggles futilely to escape.
The creature blinks as Orla's spell washes over it , but roars its defiance, and throws Anders aside as if he were of no interest, its claws again ripping into him. . It hesitates as Sonna shows it visions of better behavior, but again roars and swipes weakly at Elanna as it retreats onto the ice.
Beast: 26, enfeebled 2 until end of its next turn.
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"Keep it way away! Don't care how!" Nurten fishes around for one of his baubles, which abruptly fires a ray of light at the creature.
In his haste, however, he slips slightly on the ice. He manages to find purchase, but is having comically little effect on the world even for one of his small stature.