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Huang Tong tries to clear his head.
HT's rage focuses his will as he sees ice crystals forming on his beautiful brass scales.
He spits another fireball at the remaining snake. "I am a DRAGON! I am named after my uncle, the famous Pathfinder Adventurer Jinlong Dragonkin! You would do well to fear me!!"
for
He pulls out his healing potion and prepares to drink it.
Nikma's strike fells the remaining snake, but Hadrimos is still chilled to the bone.
Round 5-6 - bolded may go
Red
Huang Tong (-19 HP)
Hadrimos (-18 HP, 1d6 persistent cold)
Nikma (-2 HP)
Gwen
Green
Lan (-2 HP)
Blue
Hadrimos finally manages to get warm, and Huang Tong heals some of the party's wounds.
Huang Tong (-15 HP)
Hadrimos (-18 HP)
Lan (-2 HP)
Beneath the overhang is a row of open jars used to collect snow melt for drinking water. The liquid that passed over the icicle snake has been altered in composition and fermented into 2 moderate frost vials.
Discovering the destination of the goblins is quite easy—the rascals were so excited over a successful heist and chaos-inducing rampage that they didn’t bother covering their tracks. It didn't seem like they were planning to destroy the models, or they would have done so anyway, so you should be able to rest of you so choose.
After resting, the Pathfinders follow the tracks. A couple hours of travel through the Hoarwood leads them to a clearing.
The ring that edges this clearing is marked by a gruesome spectacle; trees stripped of needles and garnished with thorny vines that impale scores of dead crows like a natural iron maiden. The group of chattering winter goblins crowd the center of the clearing, gathered around a sizable wooden structure and all but climbing over each other to get closer.
A loud crack that sounds like a log splitting disperses the cluster back to a reasonable distance, allowing for a proper look.
The desiccated remains of a tree stump have been hollowed out and shaped into a twisted facsimile of a throne, complete with a soaring back and wide arms that make it too large for its occupant: a human-shaped plant, no larger than a forearm, woven with gnarled branches and pine needles encrusted with frost. It twirls a piece of sapling in what passes for its hands, capped with red berries like rubies on a scepter, the very image of a tiny wicker king. Its featureless head tilts downward, gazing at the train models pilfered from Queen Anastasia’s estate.
As the Pathfinders approach, the mob of goblins falls uncharacteristically silent, eyes darting between the intruders and plant. The fey turns their eyeless face to the trespassers, somehow twisting their featureless countenance into something resembling haughty curiosity. In a voice that sounds like frosted branches snapping underfoot, they ask, “What humanoids dare impose upon our court?”
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"My name is Lan and these are my fellow pathfinders who I'm sure will introduce themselves. We would not even be here if these servents of yours did not steal some porperty that was not theirs
Lan motions to the trains
"Those tranis were crafted by artisans and were put on display for all to see and we would like them back."
Nikma recognizes the Wicker King as a twigjack, a fey with the plant and wood subtypes. They can fire a cone of wooden splinters at enemies.
"Artisans?" the Wicker King roars. "Destructors! The Hoarwood is mine, and we will not allow these 'trains' to pass through, destroying all in their path. Such an assault on Our kingdom will not stand!
"Champions," it then calls out to the goblins, "who will step forward to defend your king?"
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"Hey goblins, listen. YOu don't want to hang out with this grumpy Ole fey there was a group od hobgoblins back at the castle that seemed very interested in meeting with you I'm sure the hobgoblina would help you get up to some fun. Way more fun then some mean Ole tree that yells all the time" Lan also removes his shield at raises in case this fey decides to attack.
Calling the group you are trying to influence 'gobbos' may not have been the ideal strategy, but Gwen does successfully point out that they don't really need the Wicker King as badly as he needs them. They step away, content to wait to see who winds this fight and then join that side.
"You dare?!" the twigjack screams as his minions abandon him. "Very well, then. You shall see who is the true power here!" He touches a talisman around his neck and says subvocalizes, and the birds impaled upon the brambles begin to pull themselves free and take flight.
Round 1 - bolded may go
Hadrimos
Rimesnap
Black
Nikma
Huang Tong
Lan
Gwen
Purple
Hadrimos starts counting punching crows. He connects twice.
It's not entirely clear how one can make a flock of undead birds woozy, but the monk manages it.
Rimesnap moves forward and fires two shards of wood at the Pathfinders, one at Hadrimos and the other at Lan.
plus 1d6 persistent cold
"You doubt my powers? You shall see what the king of this forest can truly do!"
plus 1d6 persistent cold
The flock to the south flies into the midst of the Pathfinders and begins pecking at them.
Round 1 - bolded may go
Hadrimos (-20 HP, 1d6 persistent cold)
Rimesnap
Black
Nikma (Reflex save)
Huang Tong (Reflex save)
Lan
Gwen (Reflex save)
Purple (-9 HP, stunned 1)
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Gwen shrieks as the birds peck at her. "Get out of my hair!" She steps away from the flock of birds and tugs hard on her scarf, nearly pulling it away from her neck. She gives the birds a murderous and hungry look, and with a flick of her hand, stones scatter upward, striking several of them. Something about the snow glare makes her bared teeth look sharp.
Nikma avoids the worst of the birds before hacking at Rimesnap. It's not quite chopping down a tree, but the blade still works well.
Huang Tong is being thoroughly pecked, but still manages to conjure a small fireball within the flock.
Lan also moves toward the twigjack and cuts into the wood with his sword. The king falls to the ground, imprecations failing the fey at the last.
Gwen gets out of the way of most of the birds and calls up a shower of stones upon them. They are quick, but cannot all avoid the cone of rocks.
The flock to the north shakes off its stun and flies over Hadrimos, but doesn't seem to have the energy to attack.
Round 2 - bolded may go
Hadrimos (-20 HP, 1d6 persistent cold)
Rimesnap
Black (-17 HP)
Nikma (-2 HP)
Huang Tong (-5 HP)
Lan
Gwen (-2 HP)
Purple (-9 HP)
Hadrimos keeps punching birds. The exercise warms him up. The workout doesn't go as well for the flock, who look more like an attempted murder at this point.
The group in the south moves slightly and pecks some more.
Round 2 - bolded may go
Hadrimos (-21 HP)
Rimesnap
Black (-17 HP)
Nikma (-2 HP)
Huang Tong (-5 HP, Reflex save)
Lan
Gwen (-2 HP, Reflex save)
Purple (-19 HP)
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Nikma isn't sure if he can slash through a murder of crows, but he will try...
You swiftly assess your prey and apply what you know. As part of the action used to Hunt your Prey, you can attempt a check to Recall Knowledge about your prey. When you critically succeed at identifying your hunted prey with Recall Knowledge, you note a weakness in the creature’s defenses. You and allies you tell gain a +1 circumstance bonus to your next attack roll against that prey. You can give bonuses from Monster Hunter only once per day against a particular creature.
These are zombie crow flocks, undead animals with the swarm trait. They are weak against area and splash damage and vitality energy.
Huang Tong is a dragon! He breathes fire! Enough fire to disperse this flock.
Nikma moves to the murder trying to murder Hadrimos and swings her sword, but the blade moves between the birds harmlessly.
Gwen's barrage of rocks knocks a number of crows out of the sky, and the others beat a hasty retreat.
The Pathfinders are free to recover the train models and question any remaining goblins. The winter goblins are sufficiently impressed with the Pathfinders’ strength and agree to tell them what little they know. They say that Rimesnap asked them to “play a game with the longshanks” and steal the train models. The fey phrased the raid as a good bit of fun, and so the goblins never meant any harm or violence. The goblin leader recalls a stranger speaking with Rimesnap about a week ago, but thinks all medium humanoids look the same and doesn’t remember further details. With the models recovered, the goblins ask to return with the Pathfinders so they can apologize and explain themselves to Anastasia.
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Gwen gives HT a high five. "Rhaegal and Jinlong would have loved to see that!"
Once they have the goblins under control, she shakes her head. "You don't have to convince us. It's Queen Anastasia that you have to apologize to. But she seems fair and you didn't fight us. She might be willing to grant you mercy. Which is way better than others would give you. Just don't make her mad."
With the winter goblin leaders in tow, the Pathfinders have an uneventful walk back to Anastasia’s estate where masses of servants are already busy repairing the mild damage done by the goblin’s raid. Their faces are a mix of exasperation and nervousness upon seeing the group again, but they’re persuaded by Calix to go back to their duties.
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Lan Will take the time to Lay on Hands and heal everybody back to full before the meeting with the queen. "We don't want to go with lots of cuts and bruises, while I think the queen would understand it seems...I don't know...uncivilized?" (Lan will respect the wishes of any who don't want to be healed.)
The dromaar aide escorts the party back to the council chamber where Anastasia and the representatives are still assembled. The atmosphere is quieter, though no less charged, with Matriarch Szvetneera standing clearly on one side of the table facing the others.
“The fact remains, Your Majesty,” Matriarch Szvetneera continues, her face awash with smug confidence, “your servant and his pet Pathfinders have not returned, and we are unable to proceed with this endeavor. There are obviously traitors among this assembly, and given that the representative from Oprak is both unaffected and known to frequent with goblins, the culprit is apparent.”
“I have a name and rank, Matriarch,” Lieutenant Surkzin responds. “If you would accuse me of a misdeed, please be kind enough to address me by them.” Szvetneera’s Ulfen guards snap their hands to their weapons as the tension in the room increases.
As the Pathfinders enter the room with the winter goblin leaders, one of them points to Matriarch Szvetneera, shouting “That’s the longshanks that was talkin’ with King Rimesnap!”
Amid the gasps from the assembled representatives, Szvetneera lets out a frustrated groan and yells back “That useless piece of firewood failed?” She motions to her guards, who spring into action to attack. The rest of the representatives usher Queen Anastasia and Calix out of the room, where they can be heard fighting among more witchguards in the hall.
The guards move forward, blocking the doorway, and hacking at the Pathfinders in the vanguard.
These warriors seem to know what they are doing.
Round 1 - bolded may go
Red
Green
Lan (-28 HP)
Hadrimos (-20 HP)
Szvetneera
Huang Tong
Gwen
Nikma