Map of Heldren
Map of Windswept Gully
The group prepares Scrolls, some Mending for Mia’s torn pants, and Endure Elements for Kriemhild. The group leaves behind the makeshift camp site. How many more of these will they have to make along the way.
At the windswept gully the group is more cautious based on the encounter the previous day. The group looks and see no signs of a trap, or anyone or thing lurking deeper in the woods.
Mia continues to show her boldness as she approaches the figure to see if there is warmth coming from its mouth on the blade. The blade doesn’t fog up. It only collects falling snow.
Horn begins to growl and that is when Mia catches sight of a reflection off her blade higher up the tree. Something that was hidden and blended in. Sapphire blue eyes flicker at first when a large white reptile creature leaps out from the snow-covered limbs above. Six feet in length, its dragon like head is filled with sharp teeth. It’s two arms ending in grasping claws and the rest of its body snakes out around the tree as it bites out with its gaping maw that is spewing a cloud of blue vapor.
This creature is a Tatzlwyrm, but not one that you are used to. This creature is known as an Arctic Tatzlwyrm and you think that its normal poisonous bite has a different effect.
Feel free to ask 1 question beyond beating the DC 12 check. (17-22-27-32)
As it lunges in to bite Mia, she can feel the vapors starting to freeze her hair. Fortunately, the creatures bite doesn’t land.
Iniative: Round 1
Krokod
Kessir
Mia
Creature
Linge
Kriemhild
"Tatzlwyrm? Wait, arctic Tatzlwyrm.... what is that doing this far south? It's bite is venomous... I think."
He lines up with the wyrm, but tries to keep at least ten feet between it and himself, then flame gathers into his right hand, coalescing as if he were plucking summer light from the winter all around them, then he hurls it! Such violent magic has caused his previous burnished looking eye effect to positively blaze while his hair writhes with reds and yellows.
Mia's eyes grow wide as the strange, draconic beast lunges for her from it's perch in the tree. She barely manages to step aside and avoid it's bite and the frigid breath it exhales as she drops the dagger. Krokod calling out the nature of the beast, a tatzlwyrm, does nothing to bring any recollections to her mind, but the situation does stir up memories better left forgotten. Feral instinct takes over as panic begins to set in. The sound of ripping cloth sounds from under the tree as the glove of her left hand is shredded by the claws growing form her fingertips. Her left eye, the blue one, turns steely gray while the right shines blood-red. Her vision tunnels as she focuses on the serpent before her, and a voice in her head screams for her to kill it.
Fraendi nicks the thing, distracting it while she lunges in close with her clawed hand aiming for its neck. While she doesn't get as much purchase as she could have wished in a saner state of mind, she still wounds it and its blood covers her hand and soaks into the tattered remains of her glove.
Before even Mia can react, Horn launches himself into the fight, aiming for the creature's throat.
Map of Heldren
Map of Windswept Gully
Bear moves up in a rage to the creature that has attacked out at Mia. Teeth ready to taste flesh.
With the Tatzlwyrm lashing out at Mia, she takes the opportunity to have Frændi taste blood. Frændi is followed up by claws that have grown out of Mia’s flesh. Both draw blood from the creature. If it was concerned about Horn, it no longer knows he exist.
Krokod’s ray of fire that cuts through the falling snow sends a heat wave that everyone can feel and is welcomed. But it quickly fades as the blast strikes the Tatzlwyrm as Krokod makes everyone aware of it.
This blast leaves the creature burnt and with weeping wounds. Those who are hunters would typically see an animal with these kinds of wounds flee to its den. This Tatzlwyrm is different, it looks as if it will fight to the death.
Iniative: Round 1
Krokod
Kessir
Mia
Creature
Linge
Kriemhild
“I knew it wasn’t going to be that easy!” Kessir cursed as he took a quick step forward. “Talk later. Put it down now,” he thought.
Kessir took aim, doing his best to avoid burying an arrow in Mia’s back…were those claws?
Distracted, Kessir loosed the arrow somewhere other than his intended target.
Map of Heldren
Map of Windswept Gully
Kessir’s arrow shoots wide and sinks into the snowbank beyond the creature and his friend. This gives time for that tatzlwyrm an opportunity to strike. It’s bite misses Mia as Horn lunges for its throat and brings the wyrm to the ground.
With everyone’s blood still pumping and on edge due to a creature you have never seen before, you look around. Are there more? Where did this Artic Tatzlwyrm as Krokod called it come from. But nothing. Only movement is the falling of the snow.
Checking out the fallen corpse it reveals a man that none of you have seen before. You do notice puncture wounds in its torso that would roughly be the spacing of this creature’s maw. He is almost completely frozen in that area. Mia felt the freezing from the vapors when it lunged out, now she knows what would have happened if the bite landed.
The man has general traveling gear on him. Leather armor that is beyond saving. A longsword, and a sling with a pouch of 5 bullets, and a coin purse. With 1 GP, 7 SP, 12 CP.
"Since when could I do it that strongly?" Krokod stares at his hand, still trailing heat, then glances at Mia's hands too, "And since when did you have claws?" He asks Mia.
An aside to Horn "What do you do? Shed your fur and turn into a frost giant when the moon is full?"
Weeee Mia! Claw sisters! Nice f~#@ing hit! Clawfists!
Kriemhild enthusiastically pats Mia on her back and offers her a hamsized bro fist.
“Good job team,” Kessir said. His words came out harsh and he made no effort to hide the anger in his tone.
Kessir stalked through the snow and began looking for any sign of where the arrow had entered the snow. “Though, we’re not really a team, are we? What, with all the secrets we’re keeping from each other, huh? ‘Cause apparently I didn’t imagine what Curseborn just did.” Kessir regretted saying it before the name had even finished leaving his lips. There was the lightest of pause in his movement as if he had something else to say but had decided against it. Instead, with no luck finding the arrow’s entry point, Kessir started sweeping the butt of his spear through the snow hoping to feel something click against the wood. After a few seconds of that, still with no luck, Kessir threw the spear to the ground. An action he immediately regretted as the weapon sank, horizontally, into the snow. “Dammit!” He shouted and reached into the snow to retrieve the spear.
It’s okay to be mad. It’s not okay to throw a tantrum,” Kessir muttered the words his parents often said to him.
He turned to face the others though he did not look directly at Mia or Krokod. When he spoke again, his words came out slowly as he attempted to keep his temper in check. “We’re two days into this trek, and it’s lookin’ like things are only going to get harder from here. Anyone have any other tricks or whatnot that can help us? Is someone else going to grow claws the next time we get attacked? Maybe hurl another stream of fire past our heads? I have a couple of minor spells and my gear. That’s it.”
Krokod starts to take the rebukes with shame, but then 'Curseborn' slips out of Kessir's mouth , and now HE's Angry
"Her name is MIA, you jackass and given not many of us have a happy family history here, you should know better than to call her that..." His eyes flicker but he clamps down on the other dozen things he wants to call Kessir, "Look, I get you're angry, I get you're feeling ashamed... if the shame is about not making the hit, we all miss now and then. If it's about saying that to Mia? Well, then you should be!"
A breath then, "As for ... surprises? I didn't know I could a blast of flame that big. Most of the times it's a little scorching ray at most. I used my magic to get here alive... and then I used it for cooking and some cleaning. One time someone tried to steal silverware and I heated it up and they dropped it, but that's about what I got That I KNOW of. If I develop any other uses for my magic you'll be among the next to know."
Krokod mmphs and stews a bit. He was thinking of saying more but then, he IS hiding things. Not the magic, but the history of it. And some old wounds he is not ready to reopen yet.
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I wouldnt be surprised if I descent from something powerful and probably not that friendly, but Oi think we know that! And I somehow think its likely that Oi will find something stronk to roide at some point!
Kriemhild states her "sekrits".
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Mia flinches as if Kessir had slapped her. Curseborn, the name that had haunted her until the night she ran out into the cold, had found her again, and this time on the lips of someone she respected, someone she liked. She shakes as she tries to keep her composure, but this wound is too deep, stings too much. She tears up as she turns and runs down the trail. She doesn't want to be around anyone else, not now.
Mia doesn't slow until she's out of sight and earshot of the others. She keeps walking for a few more minutes before leaning against a tree and sliding down it's trunk. Tears stream down her face as she grimaces in pain. The claws shrink back into her fingers, and the pain of the change causes her hand to shake. She blinks and her eyes change back to their normal green and blue color. She lays Fraendi on her knees and jerkily traces a rune in the air with her fingertips before barking out a harsh word of arcane power. Wind swirls and dances across the blade of the sword and her left hand, leaving them both clean of the drying and freezing blood on them. She picks up the blade and looks at it before hugging her knees and burying her head in them. The sobs shake her body, but she doesn't make a sound.
Crying out loud is a luxury of those whose births were not cursed.
Mia feels to ham sized hands holding her shoulders with surprising tenderness.
You did good Mia, you did great, no shame in winning, no dishonor in fighting with all you got. Curseborn? Who gives a f+!# because I f~%%ing dont. You need a nickname though... How about Southpaw? I think it suits you, evoking a fair bit of caring and warmth roight? That why you used it, to protect us? Also, if I am not totally wrong Southpaw used to be a fighting style, you like, use both a blade and a claw or fist! And there are different variants, depending on what extra natural weapon you got going!
A supportive world salad comes out.
Also, collect one free hug!
Kriemhild grabs her in a fairly tender Half-Orc-who-wrestles-bear-for-fun-hug.
"What do you do? Shed your fur and turn into a frost giant when the moon is full?"
Horn lifts up his head, and his big, black eyes lock up with Krokod's, staring at him placidly, before he goes back to chewing on the wyrm's neck. He shakes the creature's body around -either to play or to make sure it's really dead, it's hard to tell. Red blood stains his white fur around his mouth and down his neck.
To give herself a sense of purpose after spending the whole battle basically frozen in place with fear, Linge moves to the man's corpse, patting Horn's head on the way. She quietly whispers a prayer to wish his spirit peace in the great beyond, thanking him for leaving behind earthly possessions that might help others survive in this dangerous environment. She pockets the bullets, and is about to show the group the purse when Kessir has a fit of rage. It's so unlike him that, for a moment, she's speechless. Even Horn stops munching on his new prey to stare, his gaze going from one group member to another, uncomprehending.
Krokod begins shouting as well, while Kriemhild strides off to comfort Mia, and she gets the sense it'd be useless to add fuel to the fire. She can keep her own complaints about the group's secrets for later -and Mia seemed genuinely upset. "That was uncalled for," she says softly when Kessir makes eye contact with her. "She wasn't in her normal state."
Horn lifts up his head, and his big, black eyes lock up with Krokod's, staring at him placidly, before he goes back to chewing on the wyrm's neck. He shakes the creature's body around -either to play or to make sure it's really dead, it's hard to tell. Red blood stains his white fur around his mouth and down his neck.
Krokod is good with either. Long as the bear is on their side.
But then... a lot happened ...
*********
Then Mia breaks and runs away... and Kriemhild goes after her. Krokod feels a shiver You never run into the cold, not deeper. Never deeper. He swallows.
"That was uncalled for," she says softly when Kessir makes eye contact with her. "She wasn't in her normal state."
A grateful look to Linge, and he says "I'm going after them." And he does.
Perhaps to see magic, perhaps to see Kriemhild doing her cheer up hug!
Krokod catches up in time to see... Mia doing magic. Or perhaps revoking the magic already cast? Yes, that is magic. What sort ? He...
He can remember the old witch telling his sister and he 'Power has a voice; a scream, a howl, a whisper. What tongue accompanies it tells one so much of the spell's nature, it's strength.' then his sister had asked what it told of the Witch casting it... and the Elder had chuckled 'Look not at the spell, but at who is mistress after the spell is cast. A true winter witch dominates her lessers with even a humble cantrip'
I remember the lessons, I tried to forget... if I must remember, remember she knew much of magic, but so little of what is good. She's not like Mia or my other friends at all.
Then any grim thoughts are scattered as Kriemhild hugs the stuffing out of Mia, and Krokod smiles a bit.
"She's right. You did good."
I'm pretty sure you beat the DC for recognizing a prestidigitation spell. ;)
Mia sniffles as she listens to Kriemhild. The woman who'd earned the moniker of Xanthippe's Dragon isn't wrong, she sees. The words do a lot to soothe the hurt Kessir's barbed tongue had inflicted when he called her Curseborn, but not nearly as much as the surprise bear hug does.
"Whoa! Krie! I can't breathe," Mia gasps as arms that could a bear into a headlock nearly crush her ribs into powder. She breathes a sigh of relief as her friend lets go, then returns the hug.
"Thanks. I needed that," she says just before Krokod speaks up.
Looking up, and looking for all the world like a startled rabbit, she begins to blush. "K-Krokod?! H-how long have you been there," she asks.
"Not too long" He assures gently even as he identifies the cantrip "Looks like ours is a magical generation, huh? No shame in that, it's all in how we use it. And you used yours to help save our lives. Thank you."
When Krokod mentions being a magical generation, Mia stiffens and pales at least until it seems like he's talking about the claws she grew.
"Oh, I panicked," Mia admits as she blushes more. "I don't know if it is magic. It hurts every time they come out or go away."
Kriemhild feels Mia shuddering as she recalls memories of Galvinius performing cruel experiments on her to see just how badly it hurt for her to show those claws.
"I was trying to keep myself alive just as much as I was keeping y'all from getting hurt."
When Mia bolted down the trail every fiber of Kessir’s being screamed to go after her. What was she thinking, running blind into the forest? Let alone, one currently experiencing a magical winter? “No, if anything happens, it’s your fault,” Kessir told himself. Frozen in place, Kessir could only watch as Kriemhild and Krokod took off after Mia.
"That was uncalled for," she says softly when Kessir makes eye contact with her. "She wasn't in her normal state."
Kessir’s eyes flicked away and he slipped the bow back over his shoulder and said, “I know. I just…”
“Had a little panic attack after seeing two women grow claws because I can’t be bothered to deal with my own sh*t so, instead I just lash out,” he wanted to say. Instead, he simply offered “I need us all to be on the same page if we want to make it back to Heldren safely.”
“We should catch up,” Kessir said. He started off after the others before adding, “Krokod had the wrong idea. I’ve probably missed more shots than not. But...you saw the way she looked at me.”
Some snow had landed on Kessir’s face and had begun to melt, hiding the streaks that had already formed.
** spoiler omitted **
"Oh, I panicked," Mia admits as she blushes more. "I don't know if it is magic. It hurts every time they come out or go away."
Kriemhild feels Mia shuddering as she recalls memories of Galvinius performing cruel experiments on her to see just how badly it hurt for her to show those claws.
"I was trying to keep myself alive just as much as I was keeping y'all from getting hurt."
"Well good, you SHOULD try to stay alive. We like you. The world would be a lot worse without Mia in it." He says sincerely. "Kriemhild shot off after you like a goat going down hill so she knows what I'm talking about."
"I-I guess I was being pretty stupid," Mia says as she realizes she ran off on her own. "Thanks for coming for me," she adds as she squeezes Kriemhild before getting up and sheathing Fraendi. She helps Kriemhild to her feet before walking over to Krokod and hesitating for a moment. She steels her nerves and gives the fire mage a hug.
"Thanks," she says again, softly.
She lets go after a moment and turns so she can see both Kriemhild and Krokod.
"We should probably get back to the others," she says. "I know we're out here on a mission, but I'd hate to waste that, what did you call it? A tatzlwyrm? Anyway, I'd hate to waste it's hide. Hopefully Horn hasn't shredded it too much."
She helps Kriemhild to her feet before walking over to Krokod and hesitating for a moment. She steels her nerves and gives the fire mage a hug.
"Thanks," she says again, softly.
Krokod is surprised by the hug , but decides it's quite nice, and returns it gently, "You're welcome. We're there for you." A nod to Kriemhild at that too.
When the hug ends he smiles and steps back.
"We should probably get back to the others," she says. "I know we're out here on a mission, but I'd hate to waste that, what did you call it? A tatzlwyrm? Anyway, I'd hate to waste it's hide. Hopefully Horn hasn't shredded it too much."
"Oh good point. I think he was tearing into it when I left." A nod and he moves with them, very much relieved they're getting back together.
Then he says "It was actually an arctic tatzlwyrm. They're not supposed to be this far south. Something odd about that. I didn't think that ice fairies would or could summon them but then there is a lot I don't know about."
"To be fair, there's a lot of a lot to not know," Mia says with a laugh. "Well, if he's ruined the hide, maybe we can salvage the horns and bones. Still, it'd be a shame. I could have made something nice with it."
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Linge lets Kessir walk off to calm himself down on his own. She doesn't really know what to say -never really knew what to say whenever there was a conflict, even as a little girl, when she could hear her parents arguing at night and had to pretend to sleep.
That doesn't mean she's not left feeling terribly frustrated, and quite pissed off. She could get his worried about everyone keeping secrets -hell, she felt the same- but to lash out like this just because of a few loose arrows... "Those men and their Gods," she mutters to herself through gritted teeth.
Something soft and a bit heavy falls on her boot. She looks down to see Horn staring at her hopefully, sitting next to the carcass of the wyrm he has dragged to Linge. The dead eyes of the creature are turned to the sky. Its head rests on the druidess's foot.
"Oh no," she takes a step back hurriedly. "I mean, yes, but no..." She sighs. Horn shifts from foot to foot, and nudges her hand with his wet nose until she pets his head. Despite herself, she feels a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "You don't like conflicts either, don't you? I should have brought something to clean all that blood from you..."
With some half-melted snow and a torn piece of cloth from an old shirt, she does her best to restore Horn's fur to its immaculate state. Whenever she gets too close to his mouth, he shakes his head. "Stop squirming! Stay! I never could teach you how to stay... And you didn't even get your honey biscuit for hunting down that thing. By the Faith, I'm bad at this. Here."
Freshly clean, Horn munches down on his biscuit contentedly, and Linge takes deep breaths in, forcing herself to calm down. Animals were so much simpler than humans -so much more soothing. They only needed a mate, a safe place where they could live and roam without the threats of predators, and a steady supply of food to be happy. They were scared of immediate threats to their survival, and not much more. Humans could have all of the above, and still make up their own fears -still be displeased with their lives. It was exhausting.
Her trail of thoughts is interrupted by the return of Kriemhild and Krokod with Mia, who seems to feel a bit better, although her eyes are still red. Linge smiles sweetly at her, and walks to Kessir, trying to put himself in his shoes. True alterity, like animals, or another person, could never be understood if you started comparing it to your own perspective, judging it only in the ways it looked and didn't look like yourself. A hunter needed his bow.
"There will be many other fights," she says to Kessir. "Against things you've never trained against before. But only one opportunity to apologise to Mia. She was only defending herself."
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Kessir took a few more steps through the snow while Linge made an attempt at cleaning Horn’s fur but he stopped only a dozen or so paces from Linge and her bear. “Probably best if we stay put anyhow,” he said, more to himself than to Linge.
He watched for a time as Linge wrestled with Horn. The bear lost the fight, in the end. Mostly.
Then the crunching of snow drew Kessir’s attention back toward the trail.
"There will be many other fights," she says to Kessir. "Against things you've never trained against before. But only one opportunity to apologise to Mia. She was only defending herself."
Kessir nodded in response but forced himself to look Mia in the eyes.
“Mia…I’m…” the words got stuck behind a lump in his throat. “I’m, uh…I…” Kessir shifted from foot to foot. “I think one of you should take over as our group’s leader. I’m clearly not the right fit.”
“Coward,” he thought.
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Everyone except Kessir catches Linge rolling her eyes and sighing in annoyance, but she says nothing.
Mia shifts uncomfortably as Kessir makes his admission. She doesn't know what he was going to say to her, though she gets the feeling that it wasn't what Linge wanted him to say from the way she rolls her eyes. At least he wasn't calling her Curseborn. Names have power, and that one is potent indeed.
"If you say so," Mia says after a moment. Her gaze falls to the tatzlwyrm corpse, not able to keep looking Kessir in the eyes. "I don't think I'm the one who should be deciding that, though."
After another moment, she looks to Linge.
"Could you do what you did to my pants to my glove, please," she asks as she holds up her left hand and shows the shredded fingertips of her glove.
A glove that is remarkably free of bloodstains.
Krokod stood back, letting Kessir apologize and....
“Mia…I’m…” the words got stuck behind a lump in his throat. “I’m, uh…I…” Kessir shifted from foot to foot. “I think one of you should take over as our group’s leader. I’m clearly not the right fit.”
Linge's eyes may roll, but Krokod's jaw drops, "What kind of weird apology was THAT? Kessir, just tell her you're sorry and you won't say that again and hope she forgives you sooner rather than later."
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Kessir tensed and shot Krokod a look before quickly deflating.
“You’re right, of course,” Kessir said. “I’m sorry, Mia. I crossed a line. One that I’m not sure if I can ever, uh, un…cross?” Kessir pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Agh! Why are words so hard to use?” “This is why I don’t deal with people. Look, I’m sorry, okay? I screwed up and I feel like sh*t and I know how I feel doesn’t matter right now because you’re the one who was hurt but I need you to know that I will never say that again and you don’t have to accept my apology but I’m putting it out there anyway and can we please just back to figuring out what’s going on out here?”
Mia nibbles her bottom lip, unsure of how to respond to this side of Kessir. After a moment, she looks up and looks him in the eye.
"Kessir, I accept your apology," she says stiffly, "and I forgive you. Just remember that words and names have power."
She looks to the tatzlwyrm again and adds, "'Though, if you really want to make it up to me, how quickly can you skin, dehorn, and debone that thing?"
Map of Heldren
Map of Windswept Gully
I found a few different post talking about this. From what I have read I am going to go with a DC 10 + HD Survival check. Since this is something that you can fail and you can’t exactly retry I am going to say you must roll. Failure by 5+ the skin is ruined.
This would be to skin it. From there it would fall into taxidermy or tanning profession checks to do something with the skin.
The high energy and emotion from the battle quickly explodes to frustration within the party. The omission of truth about people’s abilities, plus frustration of battle, left Kessir frustrated. The Inquisitor left words slip out that he might wish hasn’t spilled out.
After Krokod & Kriemhild rallies Mia back to the group apologies were given and accepted.
Looking at the corpse of the tatzlwyrm, you believe that there is a lot of flesh there that could be used. Mia has desires to retain the skin, horn, and bones. Before Kessir & Mia begin to work you realize that you are about a couple hours away from midday.
While the group is waiting, those who might be looking around realize that though the tracks of those they were following have been blown away in this area. You do make out the difference between the trees and where they stand and where the trail begins.
Random
"We should keep after them don't you think?" Krokod inquires. Feeling nervous again "Damsel in distress and all that?"
Mia looks to Krokod and then down at her feet, guilt written over her face.
"C-could we do something to keep animals from scavanging it, at least," she asks.
"Here, let's carry it. It shouldn't decay or rot much in this cold anyway" He suggests
"A-alright," Mia says before she tries to pick the corpse up.
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"Well, we could put it on the mule I guess?" krokod cohnsiders, then in a lower voice to Mia "Do you even want to be leader?"
Mia changes course at Krokod's suggestion, and then looks at him like he has two heads at his whispered quesiton.
"Leader? Me," she squeaks incredulously. "I'm not leader, just a bowyer and another sword."
Linge seems increasingly nervous as Krokod and Mia discuss skinning the wyrm. She scans her surroundings worriedly, noting the snow slowly erasing the tracks. "In a few hours, there might be no trail," she chimes in. "Even for Horn."
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"Leader? Me," she squeaks incredulously. "I'm not leader, just a bowyer and another sword."
A smile, "I think you're not 'just' anything and I mean that in the good way but thought I'd ask." Kessir could be a good leader if he can keep his temper down. Me? I... I talk a good game, but that doesn't make a good leader. Mmm maybe Horn should be leader. Everyone loves Horn and he seems pretty calm.
Linge seems increasingly nervous as Krokod and Mia discuss skinning the wyrm. She scans her surroundings worriedly, noting the snow slowly erasing the tracks. "In a few hours, there might be no trail," she chimes in. "Even for Horn."
"You're right... we're getting this loaded and..ready to go." He assures her.
Map of Heldren
Map of Windswept Gully
The conversation about continuing moves to preserving the tatzlwyrn to be field dressed later. The party attempts to lift it the dead beast and quickly realize it would be a bear to carry in this weather. The creature weighs over 400 lbs.
Linge, and anyone else with knowledge of beast of burden, know that 400 lbs would be too much for the mule to carry. But, it can easily drag the carcass. You also believe that you could bury the creature and it would be perfectly preserved if this winter blast continues.
It dawns on you that today is the 3rd of Erastus, Archerfeast. Today, in a typical year, there would be many games of skill and chance, a feast, ale, and also a time of the year where many of the young people ask permission to marry the daughters of those in town.
Part of you is yearning to go home, but you are charged with this duty.
Though you can’t see the sun through the snow falling overhead, your stomachs tell you that it is approaching midday. You continue to follow faint tracks that were from the previous day. You are fortunate that those who took the Lady, also took several of her horses and they are leaving a trampled down trail that has since filled in.
There is a moment where the group is caught off guard. Because of the snow, most of the woodland smells have been buried. That is until now. The party is quickly overtaken by the scent of pine sap. Not one overly familiar to those native of Heldren, but a smell common enough for those who came from villages further to the north.
That is when you hear creaking and snapping wood, and you freeze, and your heart stops as just at the edge of you vision you see something large moving. There are several of them. It could be your eyes playing tricks on you, but it looks as if several of the trees come to life.
You cannot believe your eyes as you have recalled hearing stories of these creatures. Frost Firs are typically found in much colder claimants and higher in mountains, but here they are in the Border Woods of Taldor.
You know these creatures of cousins to the ancient treants, but hold much disdain to anyone that intrudes upon their forested realms.
Random
Mia's eyes grow wide as she sees the walking trees. She looks to the others and tries to motion for them to hide, hoping the trees will just pass them by if they don't draw attention to themselves.
Walking trees! What madness is happening in the deep woods, she wonders to herself as she ducks behind a tree. She doesn't know what these things are nor why they are here, but she is certain that neither Fraendi, her sword, nor her bow will be of much use against walking trees.
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Linge doesn't see a solution to the wyrm problem beyond suggesting either they bury it in the snow, or have the mule drag it.
She spots the moving trees as well, and immediately recalls one of her mother's stories. The taiga coming alive to sneer at those who would defile it...
How frustrating it was that she never explicitly taught her about the dangers of Irrisen. It might have served her better.
Mia runs to take cover behind a tree, but Linge somehow doubts it's of much use at this point.
Question 1: Are they evil-aligned?
Question 2: What language do they speak?
Without detecting evil you will not be able to know if these specific ones are evil, but they are typically evil.
Frost Firs speak both Sylvan and Treant.
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Kessir had been rubbing his hands together when the discussion on what to do with the creature landed on “not right now” and his stiff fingers were thankful for it.
“Linge is right. Skinning and dressing this thing will take too much time. Let’s just bury it under the snow and pick it up on the way back, we’re already dealing with the snow slowing us down.” Kessir said.
Kessir nodded to Mia, all past arguments suddenly put to the side, and ducked behind a tree.
Kessir eyed the walking pines, “Treants? No…Frost Firs!
More creatures from the colder regions of Golarion.
Not willing to risk one of the things overhearing him speaking, Kessir slipped his bow from his shoulder and hoped the others understood the meaning.
When the trees seem to move, Krokod is glad he's back further but still he hides behind a tree. He gives a confused shrug. He has NO idea what these are.
Seeing Kessir unlimber his bow, Mia follows suit and nocks an arrow. She doubts it's going to do much to those walking trees, but if he thinks they are a threat, then it'd be wise to heed his warning.
Map of Heldren
Map of Windswept Gully
These trees on the edge of your vision continue to move past and out of your sight. As they get further away the smell of sap begins to fade as does the sound of wood creaking and snapping. Whatever those were, you have never seen them before in the Border Woods. Whatever is happening is more than just a weather anomaly.
Once you can no longer hear, smell, or see the trees you would get the feeling that it is safe. They were just passing through and either weren’t looking closely or didn’t see you all.
As you continue to follow the trail the day passes midday, and your stomachs begin to let you know it. You come to a portion where the tree branches begin to hang lower than the rest. The snow is beginning to weigh down the tree branches, but you also begin to see that there is something hanging from the lowest of branches.
About 20-feet out you see what looks like feathered bundles and strange fetishes hanging from those branches. They are all swaying and shifting in the wind. Looking around, you see that they are all over this part of the woods.
You see that these feather bundles are made up of frozen corpses of crows. They are wrapped in leather that are held in place by tiny pins.
Kriemhild mostly just stays between the trees and the party.
Oi, Anyone knos what these are? I kind of predict dumb fey shenanigians