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With the site picked over and with little else to do, you proceed to follow the trail into the woods. As it enters the full expanse of the Border Wood, the trail passes through a small clearing among the taller trees before continuing uphill and out of sight. A large chest lies half buried in the snow, apparently dropped or discarded by those who hastily passed this way.
Amongst the smashed wreckage, you find equally smashed chests and boxes. If there was any treasure, it was taken by the bandits. However, they did leave behind several well-made courtier's clothing sets, along with several of the handmaiden's dresses. One might be able to make a small profit from them.
Lorenzo's inspection of the sword reveals that it is a masterwork long sword. Though still partially frozen, it would still be an effective weapon. What next? The smashed carriage has not been closely inspected yet, and the trail behind the frozen statue-corpse clearly marks the path the bandits have taken. They made no effort to hide their trail.
Although Lorenzo fails to notice anything, though when Ayla takes a peek inside the carriage, she finds a small box, obviously missed by the bandits. Inside is Lady Argentea's signet ring, along with a pair of earrings, a set of pearl-inlaid bracelets, several gold and silver necklaces, and a sapphire pendant. No one manages to see Shozole creepin'.
The icy blast squarely hits the zombie, and it finally topples in a mangled heap alongside the other.
DM stuff:
A=13 -dead
B=10 The force of the bolt squarely strikes the zombie, knocking it to the ground. It twitches, then lays still.
The first zombie tries a wild flailing swing at the cleric who sliced him earlier...
...However, his flailing attack fails to even touch the cleric. The second zombie shambles forward to slam the druid who struck him earlier...
And connects!
DM Stuff:
A=8 B=10 Although Elain's spear flew true, the impact seemed to do nothing to slow the zombie. Ayla's flames caught both of the zombies, though the second one seemed to have been somewhat protected by the one in front of him. Though smoldering, they are somehow still up.
The blow is a solid one, cleaving a large gash around the zombie's torso. However, it is not enough to bring the undead abomination down.
That's becauce you're a creeper. Duh.
Well, that shouldn't be a problem. One of my friends here has rolled up a rogue type! So getting a fifth replacement was... Remarkably easy.
All right, I pose to the group a question: with Ireza gone, do you want to continue as a 4-man party, or do you want to recruit another fifth member? I leave it up to you to decide.
Ayla's missile batters the zombie, but not enough to bring it down. With the half elf standing right in a direct path, the first zombie made a shambling charge, arms flailing to strike her...
...and somehow managed to miss. The second zombie shambles along after the first one, though it is unable to do much beyond shamble and groan.
Identification: ZOMBIES!
Zombies are undead created by foul invokers such as necromancers. Mindless, they either act under the control of their creator, or if the control is broken, they will simply hunt for the closest living thing, which they will do their best to devour. They have DR 5/slashing
Lorenzo has little trouble prying the spear from the door, only to find a pair of zombies inside! Moaning at the sight of delicious, fresh living meat, they stagger and stumble awkwardly from the carriage.
Initiative (feel free to peek):
Group A, you are up!
The thumping and scraping makes no change in its sense of urgency as Lorenzo goes to open the carriage door. It looks like it may take you a few moments to pull the spear from the door. Try as you might, you are not able to see inside the carriage.
The layout of the site is easy to assess. The bandits did nothing to hide their tracks. The corpses of guards and handmaidens alike lay scattered about, pierced by icy needle-like shards. The bodies have been stripped of all their valuables... ...all save for the captain. Thought to have been an ice statue at first glance, Elain discovers that the captain of Lady Argentea's guards has been frozen in a block of ice in a crude mockery of a statue or work of art. Something has had a few shots at the frozen man, as several large chunks have been carved from him, and his right arm lays on the ground by his feet. The fallen arm is clutching an obviously fine sword. Behind him is a break in the foliage. As the bandits made no attempt to hide the ambush, they made an equal lack of effort to cover their tracks. Even a half-blind idiot could follow the trail of churned snow and broken branches. In regards to the two carriages, one has been smashed nearly to tinder. The other one, a fanciful ornate piece emblazoned in Taldan heraldry, is in far better condition. A spear has been wedged in the handles of the door. Behind the locked door, you can hear muffled scraping and thumping. Something is inside.
Despite the grievous nature of his wounds, the mercenary who survived the bandit attacks and the local village woodsmen are able to piece together and weave a somewhat crude, but clear set of directions to where the ambush of Lady Argentea Malassene occurred: South. The journey begins easily enough. Much of it is taken along the road that weaves towards the Border Wood. While the day begins with the expected heat of midsummer, the further south you go (and closer tot he woods you get) the air turns noticeably colder. Small patches of snow become commonplace.
After taking a turn, you see that the road ahead is littered with debris and the corpses of slain humans and horses. A carriage stands in the roadway, its team of horses missing or cut free, while another overturned carriage lies sprawled and broken next to the tree line. To the south, more bodies have fallen around what appears to be a statue of ice. A snowy trail leads deeper into the forest.
Before you all head off, you realize a few things: First and foremost, with the wildly changing weather, you have no idea how cold it might get out in the wilderness. A warm change of clothes is most likely a good idea. Also, for hunting bandits, a well-armed party would be a good idea. Besides the manacles and clothes on her back, Red is conspicuously lacking in any forms of arms or armament.
Ayla's inspection reveals little else. The manacles are little more than heavy lumps of iron. Magic detection shows that the manacles are enchanted.
If you settle down for dinner, the Silver Stoat's meal is a simple, but filling stew. As promised, some blankets are thrown on the ground near the hearth as the crowd thins out, providing a decent place to sleep for the night. Kale wakes you up early the next morning. Breakfast is also simple fare. For those who go to the smith's, Isker offers a hearty greeting and attempts to use a wax mold to copy the manacle's keys, but his attempts end in failure despite his skilled efforts. The manacles remain in place, but they do not seem to be bothering Red enough to be a major worry. It is now mid-morning. There are multiple rumors that have caught your interest. What path do you wish to pursue?
As Ireza inspects the massively heavy slabs of metal that make up the manacles, you find that even with your most careful and thorough efforts do nothing to jimmy the locks open. Whoever chained Red up wanted to make sure that she would never get out. The locks are of an exceptionally complex design, and something deep in the pit of your stomach tells you that they are most likely reinforced with magic as well.
"Oh?" Kale quirks an eyebrow. "News and gossip are always welcome 'round here."
Kale smiles apologetically at Lorenzo's inquiry for rooms. "I apologize, but this is only a simple tavern. Travelers aren't very common here in town. I can offer a warm comfortable spot by the hearth tonight, though, if you wish..."
"Uh..." Xanthippe interjects. "It's just across the street and around the bend." She points to the visible edge of a large, low building. "See? You can see it form here."
The closest thing that comes to Ireza's mind is the recent news of the boy that took ill after falling into Wishbone Creek whilst chasing a "talking white stag." Of a missing girl, there's been no word. Such a thing would not go unnoticed long in a town as small and quiet as Heldren. Isker waits until Red reluctantly detaches herself from the young man's shirt before kneeling down and taking one manacled wrist in his large, surprisingly gentle hands. "Hmm..." He frowns. "Unfortunately, they're beyond my skill to break. Not without harming her in the process, at the least, and that will not do." He turned them over and over, frowning in concentration. "I could try to make a copy of the key, however. I'll need to gather some supplies first. Why not stay the night at the Silver Stoat? They'll keep you warm and fed for the night while I get the things I need."
From what Elain can recall, stags are not terribly uncommon in the forest. A white one, however, is certainly a rarity. Such a creature should expect a short life expectancy in Taldor, where snows only pop up in the winter... and even then winters do not guarantee snow. Talking stags, though? That's just weird.
Xanthippe shot Lorenzo a slightly questioning look, but his charm was enough to win her over. "Fair enough. Lemme take a look." She goes over to inspect the manacles, frowning. "Relax. I'm not gonna hurt ya. No key?" She blandly asks, motioning to the key holes. "Eh, guess if you had it, there'd be no manacles. Never seen manacles this big before. Don't think I can break them; one moment." She scurries off into the house, re-emerging a minute later with her father. Isker strides over to the small knot of people, crossing his burly arms and staring down at the girl with a frown. "Let me have a look, girl." ----- Kale, the kindly woman who runs the tavern with her husband, seems to be a wealth of information when Ayla begins to question her. She says that lately, an old farmer by the name of Dansby has been complaining loudly and often that someone has been stealing whatever crops of his that haven't already been killed off by icy frosts. She then mentions something about a local boy taking ill after falling into an icy creek nearby--- Wishbone Creek, to be precise. She clucks her tongue in sympathy, shaking her head "Poor thing. Says he saw a white stag and tried to follow it. He even said he heard it talking! Though, if you ask me, that may be the fever telling that part of the tale." Another pause, then she sighs. "I imagine you've heard about that whole mess with lady Argentea. Attacked in the Border Wood by bandits! Imagine! I thought the High Sentinels were supposed to be keeping those bandits in the Border Wood in check. They usually do well enough, but if bandits are bold enough to attack a noblewoman's carriage! Imagine! I'd give them a stern talking to if I could. I don't pay my taxes so they can lounge about..." Elain learns nothing of interest from the farmers gathered beyond the fact that the weather has been astoundingly unusual-- probably the coldest summer ever!
Upon noticing the manacles bound about the girl's wrists, Xanthippe gave the pair a strange look. "Manacles?" A pause. "Why?" she asked, suspicion lacing and drawing out the question.
Xanthippe catches Lorenzo's wave out of the corner of her eye. Curious, she sets aside her tools and steps to the edge of the forge, half-returning the smile. "Gettin' late, stranger. What'cha be needing?"
The town blacksmith is not a difficult place to find. Any townsfolk is quick to point out the hammer and anvil sign of Isker's Smithy, situated right near the town's sizable square. While Isker and his wife and son are inside the adjoining house, his daughter Xanthippe is to be found by the forge, neatly beginning to stow the tools away for the night. Inside the tavern, the various townsfolk and farmers are beginning to stream in. The Silver Stoat is the only tavern in town, and the influx of its usual nightly patrons is beginning to show. It is a comfortable and cheerful place, and the place always seems to be buzzing with local boasts, stories, and more importantly: rumors.
The first post is up! Yaaaaaay! Feel free to go wild~ A few other things while I think of them: I won't be handing out exp as per the norm. Instead I'm just going to declare at certain points in time when y'all can level. And as for posting, I'm going to request that y'all please try to keep to the standard formats of the boards. "Bold for speech," and I like to think in italics.. There is also codes and formats for OOC, spoilers, and dice. It's all easy stuff.
PART 1: The Snows of Summer The sleepy village of Heldren has rarely seen so much excitement or concern. Hunters from the nearby Border Wood speak of unnaturally cold weather at the height of summer that descended on the forest just days ago. Heavy snow followed, and those who returned spoke of an uneasy presence in the woods, as well as new, dangerous predators. No one knows what this event means, but the town’s soothsayer, Old Mother Theodora, claims dark times lie ahead. As if in proof of that dire prophecy, a badly wounded mercenary arrived in town yesterday, claiming to be a bodyguard of Lady Argentea Malassene. He told the village council that the noblewoman’s escort came under attack by bandits and strange, wintry creatures near the edge of the Border Wood. He alone escaped, and Lady Argentea was dragged away into the forest. Now the townsfolk cast fearful eyes toward the snowy forest, worried what else might emerge to threaten their peaceful village.
All right! Here begins the OOC/discussion/etc area of our up-and coming Reign of Winter campaign! Huzzah! Joy! Fanfare! Now, before we begin, a few rules and junk on character creation. Yes, I know the Player's Guide is not out just quite yet, but the word is soon. And have no fear! Paizo's Player Guides are FREE! I know that everyone is going in with different amounts of experience in Golarion and the nations within, but the Player's Guide will give you a good basic view of the region and whatnot. If there are any questions not detailed in this post, you all know where to find me. CHARACTER CREATION RULES Stats: 20 point buy. Races: I am not strict on this. Play whatever you want! My only request is a heads up should you choose one of the less common races. Alternate traits and such are allowed. A custom race from the race builder will need my approval beforehand, though. Classes: Anything goes. Same with archetypes. Starting Gold: Class average. Traits: Two traits. One must be from the Player's Guide... when it comes out. I only enforce this because they almost always help tie players into the campaign. Equipments: Again, pretty much anything goes. However, for more exotic gear (ie anything blatantly Asian or specific to regions that are not in the immediate vicinity of the game), I will request a plausible explanation as to how it came to be in your possession. Notes may be subject to change, depending on what questions and info I may receive. |
