It's a bit disappointing to be sure, but overall I'm just happy we got through the one adventure, as it was cut pretty close by the end. Regarding Havark, he definitely ended up coming into his own as they game went on (well, personality; the combat wasn't always there.) Honestly, I was a bit wary of him at first... he's very angsty, and it reminded me a lot of my sister's character that plays in my Carrion Crown game. She's not the keenest on social clues, so when combined with that character archetype, it can start to get disruptive at times. But the worst it ever was here was normal internet miscommunication stuff that happens, and it was really nice having such a driving force to push things forwards. So Kudos.
One other thing I wanted to ask is if you've got any specific feedback for me as a GM! It's cool if you don't but I'm always looking to do better (and PbP is definitely a different ballgame), so if anything occurs to you let me know so I may mind it as I consider and prepare for my next recruitment. Either way, once you've responded, I'll deactivate this campaign. Thanks again for playing!
Yup. Looks like he dropped the game he was GMing and everything else is inactive. I'll give him to Monday on the off-chance he's decided to keep to this game yet, but... well, to keep you informed, I'm none too interested in moving this game forward with only one player, so that'll be the end. I'll almost assuredly try to get a new game up and running a few months from now when things at home settle down (currently caught in the kitchen remodel that never ends), and I'll make sure to point you to the recruitment thread when that day arrives.
Ahh, I see you HAVE leveled Havark. Can you please post the summary so I know what's new? I've been waiting on that... but you guys are also free to move on any time.
Sure, so we'll use the process in Ultimate Charisma for recruiting followers and/or cohorts for as far that can be taken, and then you may hire further aid with a weekly wage per normal Pathfinder rules.
Should you pick among the local clans or go to Úlfarbölvunar, these areas are considered to be within your sphere of influence. If you reach out to your fey contacts, then your not be in your sphere of influence. Given Havark has the Lone Wolf perk, only Tyv will be able to recruit. I'll include a spoiler at the end with your reputation and leadership scores plus their modifiers, but for right now, know that Tyv's reputation is 14, so his leadership score is 10 in the sphere of influence, and 9 outside of it.
As such, you won't be able to recruit any followers if you go with fey contacts, but you're more likely to find a magical cohort there from first folk or shadow fey (from the campaign setting) races. In addition, I might throw in a custom creation or two following guidelines from RGG's Talented Bestiary to give you a little more variety.
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Regarding what to look for, Auvindri demands that these basics are covered: that you can provide your own food and water when it is scarce in the wild (create food and water will be out of the question as far as a cohort that can cast this, but water's the more important and you might be able to get creative for food solutions), and that you are adequately protected from the heat; Tyv will be given his evolutions, but Havark will need help either from someone capable of casting endure elements or bringing items suited to protecting him (whether its hot weather clothing or a magical item). He also wants you to take at least a couple people with you such that watches can be adequately covered at night.
Beyond that, the 'common' that you guys speak is the Northern Tongue; someone with language prowess either magical or mundane will be a boon to your group. In a similar vein, look at shoring up the holes in your skills: most notably, neither of you have ranks in knowledge skills and wouldn't be capable of doing research should the need arise.
Reputation and Leadership:
Havark
Level +5
Charisma Mod -2
Is successful +1
Fame 10+ +1
Leadership Score: 05
Leadership (sans fame) 04
Make a noteworthy historical discovery +1
Single handedly defeat a CR+4 opponent +4
Confirm two successive crits in one encounter +1
Complete a CR appropriate adventure +4[/b]
Fame/Prestige 14
It certainly is, though I've found it offset fairly nicely by decent all-day abilities and no CL-cap on spells. Certainly slow-burn on the 'ohhh shiny' factor though. And no worries about absences: the boards are still down more than they're not. Guess Paizo threw too much money into Starfinder and didn't have any left over for the servers. :-P
Ásdis snorts, and mutters something under her breath you don't quite catch. Havark and Tyv step out of the cabin into pine-fresh air, they consider their next move.
Where to from here? Continuing on with the plan to go to the desert, Hávardr's going to need all the able bodies they have available as the clan rebuilds its communities. So you can either visit some allied clans to recruit some companions, or travel to the relatively nearby town of Úlfarbölvunar. While the allied clans will not have as much to offer and in less variety, traveling to Úlfarbölvunar and back would only leave you with about a week to recruit provided you go by longship (and not enough time, otherwise). A third option, Tyv is assumed to have some kind of a connection to local fey communities. Combining the benefits of the previous two options, the downside is, naturally, the fickle nature of such beings who have little use for a wage paid in silver.
Else, if you'd rather not risk Auvindri's temper at with unmet requirements, you still know of the former human and dwarven capitals of the Vanguard Kingdoms as potential site to search for the curse's weakness. You'd just have to figure out, uhh, where they are. :-)
And of course, if you've got something specific you'd like to do with clan Hávardr yet (such as recruit Vebjørn) go right ahead. Otherwise, we'll can gloss over your goodbyes and departure.
Tyv, Ásdis, and Fiidulmamid step through the portal into the witch's cabin, and the master of the Boiling Tower closes the portal wordlessly behind them.
Ásdis stays quiet as she works through a gauntlet of conflicting emotions - first receding terror, then overwhelming relief, next disbelief... before she too settles on rage. She begins hurling insults at Havark, "Fífl! Hraumi you are, like all northmen, hiding behind the arrogance and ofermod and naming them virtues, obfuscating the truth that good thoughts... INTELLIGENT thoughts come once a generation to the lot of you. I am indebted to you to see this course broken, but don't gamble with my life as if it were some bit of hacksilver, you hellsborn vámr!
"And you," she says, brandishing her ire at Tyv, "does Ýrr Andetag the Breath-Stealer find his wit stolen in the face of danger? Oh! No... no, of course not, I see: the seelie courts found amongst their silver tongues one made of tin and banished you. How lucky am I to have met you, to see the slackness of your jaw sway in the breeze?"
She takes a deep breath, seats herself in her wooden chair, and states, "I am tired," as if she considers the conversation complete despite a face still drawn with anger. Fiidulmamid stands on the table next to her, tail whipping to and fro in agitation.
For meeting Auvindri and acquiring his aid (however reluctant he may have become by the end :-P ), you guys are awared 4800 XP, or 2400 XP each, which means you level up! Builds in the discussion, bitte. :-)
*checks to make sure he isn't contradicting himself* Yeah, this is more a request than attitude improvement so I'm going to rule no re-roll.
The massive steel blade sings as a rumble of thunder when the giant draws it, and he stays his hand to let Tyv finish. "Think you the first otherkin hiding sharp teeth behind soft words? He, the first to leap a crevasse without the judging the gap? Auvindri Against-The-Wind chooses to suffer few fools in this age... but you did not attack me, and that proof of wisdom has saved your lives. Yet I warn you: waste my time no further." He strikes the blade through the air, and its edge carves new aurora marks into the empty space, uttering in arcane tongue as he does. When finished, a new portal leads again to the inside of Ásdis's cabin. "Its challenges foreign to the North yet perhaps deadlier, the Stone Desert would waste your bones in a day's time. With the Spring's arrival, northmen will begin to gather for their raids, and so it is that you too will prepare for yours. Days in the desert are a blistering heat under oppressive sun, yet nights still know a chill. Food and water will be forever far from reach. Mind these truths as you collect allies and provisions.
"When three weeks have come and gone, I will await you at Ásdis's cabin. If I find your party has the strength to survive, and I am presented with a gift to my liking, I will send you on your way; if not, I will tell you as much and leave. If you arrive having ignored the instructions, know your lives and more to be forfeit in face of my wrath. If you do not arrive before sundown, your task is left wholly in your own hands, aided only by what you've learned here. In any outcome, once that day has passed, do not trouble me again." His posture relaxes, even though his eyes held that fury. Sucking in a large breath, he then bellowed. "ÁSDIS! IT IS TIME FOR YOU AND THE MEPHIT TO LEAVE!"
He points into the portal as the two return from the upper level with a measured but careful gait. "Now go."
"You did misunderstand." A flicker of light reflects from his scabbard as forearm muscles contract. Auvindri is freeing his weapon, and those slinking up the stairs begin to run.
Sorry about that. So yes, but recall what your goal is in seeing Auvindri, though; you wanted to break the curse over Rangfrid and the others from the tower permanently. When he brought up the wind lords, it was because they might help you do so; but then the idea occurred to Havark (IIRC, didn't page back so I could be mistaken) that you might recruit the Wind Lords to come fight Boreas in the North. His quote there was to be like 'here's how impossible of an idea that task is,' but it was taken as 'here's how you might accomplish that.' A comparable analogy is where Auvindri tells you that bringing the brothers north would require winning a game of tug-of-war against the moon, and then Havark responds by asking where he might find the rope. :-P Auvindri is neither friend to the Wind Lords, nor a particularly benevolent soul in general, so if he thought that idea was anything but a combination of an extreme gamble on an unfeasible goal, he'd have done it himself long ago.
That said, you guys are the heroes of this story, and I'm not telling you that it's outside of your grasp, but I will say this: in discussing this campaign's future, Tyv noted that an 'adventure path' style campaign in PbP format isn't to his taste, and you are both only level 4. Can you defeat and/or destroy a god? Sure, it's been done before, but if you're going to set that as a goal now, the campaign's going to revolve around that. To throw you guys off that trail, I was attempting (...and failing...) to make it clear in-character that destabilizing the Dominion of the Wind Lords would be very difficult, likely help Boreas in the short term, and would have to be done without any of Auvindri's help, most notably the teleportation magic that would otherwise take you there. It would be a huge time sink as well, meaning you couldn't accomplish both goals before winter struck again and the Ancient Hávardr clansmen become frozen once again.
"MY PLAN?! I dissuade you from the course, tell you that it is an errand for fools, and you dare insinuate that this is my plan?! Who would rule in the Wind Lords' stead as Boreas would, if not Boreas himself? If the Dominion is claimed in the North Wind's name, by his methods, then it would be no matter for him to assume that rulership in earnest. Then what, tiefling? Is it better to free Boreas from his concerns in the south that he may focus his efforts here?" His eyes begin to glow like white, molten steel while Ásdis, Authun, and Fiidulmamid start slinking towards the staircase.
Tyv still gets a chance to try to calm him, if he chooses, but advancing the conversation seemed apropos.
"And he will use you to his ends! Do you fancy yourself Wotan's chosen, or his son Loki? The goals of Boreas will not be advanced by my aid!" Auvindri grips the sword hilt at his waist tightly.
He's pissed - apparently, he'd disagree that ends justify the means, or at least as far as Boreas is concerned. Try Diplomacy or something else to smooth him over and we'll see how far his displeasure goes. :-P
Welcome back Tyv, sorry to hear about the overlong work week.
I'm also going to be a little slower to keep up on posting for a while, as I just co-launched a Kickstarter with Interjection Games. Which... alright, shamelessly self-promoting just a titch, if you use Hero Lab and would like to see Strange Magic incorporated into the software, check us out here. Wouldn't mind if you told your gaming buddies about it, too. ;-)
"Bold are the men raised in this land. Tell me then that I may provide the tools, how would you fracture this territory? I know little of what other enemies the Wind Lords may have, but if done in another's name, then another would draw their ire. Would you align yourself with Boreas against his brothers?" The question is measured: for Auvindri, there is a right and a wrong answer here.
Masks?
I hadn't looked much into it when this game started, but I think this is one of the coolest bits of the Midgard Campaign Setting, so here's the primer.
Gods once warred openly. When a southern god named Aten was on a thus-far successful path to kill all other gods and claim this power for his own, the World Serpent intervened, promising to leave the world of Midgard forever after untouched by the suns rays if he did not stop. Since then, the gods war through their followers, rather than directly with each other, and protecting themselves from deicide by the use of masks. With these masks, they assume multiple identities with varying and even conflicting portfolios... meaning their true motivations and strategies remain unknowable to the other gods, and almost certainly incomprehensible to mortals. Though there are probably 100+ gods throughout the world (encompassing multiple campaign setting books), the in-game religious scholars estimate that there are actually only about 30 separate deific entities. In the more developed parts of the world, the fact that gods use masks is pretty common knowledge.
Looking to the gods talked about in our game as examples, Wotan seems to rarely use masks: he does go by Allel, Az, and Gades the Titan in other parts of Midgard, but the portfolio of those gods are easily recognize as his, and most of Midgard knows him as Wotan. Despite that Wotan was the greatest enemy of Aten before the gods donned masks, more radical scholars make the dubious claim that they are one and the same now. Could it be true? And if so... who claimed whose name?
Boreas is believed by some to be a mask of Chernovog: a god of death and fire, there is no overlap between their portfolios except the joy found in instilling fear. They do have very similar goals, however. Others say he is an evil mask of Azuran, elemental god of the dragon-ruled Mharoti Empires. Azuran is in fact a deific embodiment of the four winds. A god of the four winds would certainly have reason to battle with elemental lords claiming the same. Perhaps Boreas didn't ascend at all, but found his core aspects and portfolio conveniently appropriated by a jealous Azuran.
However, given that the gods originated in the Northlands and neither of your characters hail from an urban environment, Havark & Tyv could well be ignorant of all of this. That's completely up to you.
Auvindri glowered, "I speak that you may listen! These wind lords, as ancient and immortal and powerful as they may be, they are not gods. They do not hide behind masks like the gods, and the tricks they provide cannot compare to rewards a priest receives for their devotion. There is wisdom in seeking their favor, yes, and I would not suggest it were it not so. For the Wind Lords are elder than all gods save the World Serpent Veles, and the depth of their familiarity with our enemy is unmatched by anything else in creation. But such is Boreas's power now that he wars with them there as he does with us in the North: it is imperative for you to understand that Boreas attacks them with split-attention, and still it is only through their combined efforts that they hold him at bay. And this? This is the view of the optimist, in which Boreas is rare like Wotan and uses no masks.
"For this, an attempt to bring them to the North will yield no fruit. Those lands belonged Chergui, Khamsin, and Shamal before the Aesir were born, and even when divine power was abundant across Midgard they not once tried to claim any for themselves. Such is their contentment with the Dominion. Only in the destruction of their lands, one irrevocable and unmistakable as the work of Boreas, would the brothers then set foot here to battle their brother."
Out of character, I want to make it clear that while the challenge may vary a bit between your options and might present different effects on the world should you fail, there's no wrong answer here. It's all about what interests you as players; any direction you take can lead you to a truly-broken curse. So don't overthink it, cuz I'm not going to lead you guys around for IRL just to be like "oh, well, the buried city was the wrong answer, so good job but you should have tried to meet the wind lords instead."
Don't know if it went without saying, but I'm saying it. :-P
Authun dazedly offers his piece at Tyv's prodding, still stunned by the giant's kiss and distracted from his former agian.. "Near as I know, there hasn't been the spare moment for such distractions. 'Gain, don't know what business of mine that'd be... Since recovering, she's seemed right as rain."
The giant seems to relax. "My determination, then, is there is no reason for my guests to be concerned. Remain vigilant, but it is now my suspicion that, whether accidental or deliberate, this is but a commonality found among the Boreas-touched."
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Havark wrote:
So are we to assault or quest to find aid against him from his brothers? I feel Wotan has little time for this in fighting among brothers. Where are the lands of the four winds?
"As his chosen, what Wotan has time for is indeed known to you, not I. A direct attack on Boreas would be foolish; foolish enough that even I could not commend such ofermod. The better strategy is take back his holdings piecemeal, and such is my reason to help you break this curse. In that, I know of three places where the answers you seek may lie.
"The first is the Dominion of the Wind Lords. In a strange land of heat and sun, you could seek the favor of the three brothers and their followers. None know better Boreas better than they, and they could offer insight or assistance with this and other powerful magics. Their disinterest in mortals combined with dangers unseen in the north means you risk much for no guarantee for success, but the rewards could extend well beyond a broken curse. What little I know of this land is that the wilderness is governed by bands of cruel, dog-faced humanoids known as gnolls, while the insular tribes of men carry the blood of spirits in their veins. The Wind Lords themselves rule from black towers atop mountains outside of Kal Azjer, the capital city of the 'jinnborn,' as these near-humans are known. Of these primordial lords, Chergui the East is the most likely to help a mortal.
"In the second path, you seek out the Library of Issedon." Authun startles. "The human capital of the Vanguard Kingdoms Authun once called home, Issedon lies beneath a glacial plain between your lands and mine. The plain above is overrun with elementals in service to the North Wind, but the glass smooth tunnels of remorhazes dot the surface; those could well be the first step to reach the city under the surface. Although the city was buried by the living glaciers it was not the first to fall, and so long as it has not been plundered, any collected knowledge would be found there, offering numerous defenses against Boreas even if not the secrets you seek. If what you've seen in the Íssvardr tower holds true across the path of living glaciers, expect many frights. Should the library fail you, the temples of the Aesir or halls of governance might serve you better.
"Finally, I've heard rumors concerning the volcano that once held Aurvang, a dwarven Vanguard city. When the glaciers came for the dwarves there, they released their home's magma into the streets, sacrificing themselves in a powerful blow to Boreas's forces. In recent times, a cult of raven-headed huginn has taken residence in and on Mount Auvang - but rather than their kind's penchant for trickery and thieving, they've gained a reputation for extreme violence and bloodlust. Survivors of their raids speak of horrid, fluting songs shrieked through ritualistically broken beaks when they descend, with lyrics naming their patron as alternately 'The Prophet,' 'Glom Argau,' and 'The Choking Ice.' Of particular note to you is those last two, for I believe the object of their worship is in fact a living glacier that was not destroyed, but trapped in Aurvang when the city fell. I do not know of any Glom Argau, but it follows naming conventions for living glaciers... and any trapped glacier would certainly be forced to contend with the sulfuric smoke that Mount Aurvang produces. A chance to speak with, examine, and experiment on a living glacier could almost certainly lead to a curse-breaking ritual with finality, and a living glacier claiming worshipers of its own must despise the North Wind for abandoning it. If too dangerous to be a true ally, freeing it and convincing it to attack Boreas would yet make it a powerful thorn in the god's side."
In his seat again moments ago, Auvindri slams his fist down again, but this time, his eyes twinkle with excitement."Tell me, I cannot bear it! Which of these tales would you have the skalds sing, Cursebreakers?"
Authun's anger remains palpable, but he restrains himself. "I... I 'aven't. I don't see what that-" he starts before Auvindri lifts him into the air and plants the northman's lips against his own. "Aghmfff. . . ! What?!"
Auvindri set him down gently, mildly puzzled. "Hmm, I felt no magic in that, nor do you radiate cold. Be calm, Authun; that will be the last of them, but the only person I could trust to kiss you was myself." He redirects his questions to the group as a whole. "Answer these questions with knowledge, not conjecture. Now the curse centered on the Vetrdís, yes? How was she once freed, and from thereon? Strange moods, illnesses, statements unbecoming of her character?"
What is the nature of the frights? How can we gird ourselves against their auras and illusions?
"Frights have stood with Boreas since his ascension; they are sent to sow fear and chaos in human settlements before his elementals arrive to obliterate the weakened communities. I've spent little precious time studying frights: my kind becomes frights only in rumor, and even fire giant youths are powerful enough to stand alone against a few before calling for aid. The mind of Auvindri has conjectured that a fright rises when a man loses his life to exposure only after losing his mind to fear. Understand, frights become common in the wake of living glaciers, and their presence demands a fear I'm not sure I've felt elsewhere.
"The best tool to upset a fright is its reflection - their visage reminds them of the fear they felt in death, and such is that pang that their very awareness crumbles as they relive that moment to the exclusions of all else. You are not protected from its appearance when a fright is enraptured so, but turning an enemy's weapon against them is wise strategy. Wards against their illusions demands the same as all other tricksters - a sharp wit that one trusts above their own senses."
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Tyv wrote:
What other minions of the north wind can we expect to face?
"Whether it be elemental, arcane beast, damned spirit or man of flesh and blood, the Boreas arms his warriors with three weapons - fear, frost and madness. Though be wary of the winter maidens, for those unseelie fey prey on the affections of men, freezing hearts before ruling them utterly. These women appear…" The giant shifts his attention completely to the rime-touched man. "Yes, they appear rather as Authun does! Tell me, have you kissed a single soul since your liberation?"
"What, you've gone mad an' mistaken me for a fainting maiden?" Authun balks.
Auvindri pounds an angry fist into the granite armrest and rises from his seat. "Answer the question, thrall!"
"Thrall?" He whirls towards Ásdis, his eyes shining with fiery-blue anger. "You sell my honor, my freedom, for what? Tales from the oversized bookworm?"
The giant doesn't relent, but instead takes a deliberate single step forward, "Yes, THRALL! I will learn much about Boreas from you, and you will do as I say until you've either taught me all your conceal, or you have died. Now answer the question!"
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You can either let this play out or get involved as you'd like. :-) Let me know which, and we'll move on to Havark's questions once this resolves.
Auvindri sat in the opposite corner from the seats he keeps for humanoids of an average-size. One-half of his face was brightly lit by a decorative lavafall placed against the single wall free from shelves of scroll cases and tomes. The tale, as told, has left its mark on the giant's heart, and his voice quieted, "Evident in the tale's retelling and the tale itself, you, Tyv, steer a crowd like an old helmsman married to his rudder stock. And Havark; I hear many blustering winds in this land, and I had thought the moniker 'Chosen of Wotan' among them. But I was mistaken: your spirit is alive with a flame I've not seen outside my own kin. Thank you both."
As the giant spoke, Authun began working on a braid of gossamer-white hair as a means of distraction, and Ásdis and Fiidumalmid browsed the library. "Northmen, listen to my words. I cannot tell you how to break the curse, but I can share with you what I know of Boreas, and of his enemies and weaknesses.
"Truly the greatest of The North Wind's enemies are his ancient brothers, the Wind Lords: Chergui the East, Shamal the West, and Khamsin the South. Once, these four immortals ruled a dominion with as much sand as this place has snow, and what happened beyond their borders concerned them little. But Boreas began to fear mortals, and when a fleet of refugees arrived at their shore, he smote them with freezing storms. His brothers intervened on the humans' behalf and cast their brother from their lands. He fled to the north, swearing vengeance not only against the remaining wind lords but against human gods too. The first step to revenge was infiltrating the pantheon of our lands. He succeeded at this, and was eventually reborn as a true god. Here, he calls the Queen of Nightmares, Winter Maiden Mara, his mother. Their relationship is to me unclear, but know this: where he is the threat of crushing snow, of frostbite and death lost in screaming winds and blowing ice, she is winter's quiet dangers - the food store run low, the stranger bringing disease, the wolf pack at just hidden forest's edge.
"Let me not misspeak: though the remaining Wind Lords do war with Boreas in their own lands to this day and they did defend humans from his wrath, they hold no particular love for mortals. If you ever encounter their servants or worse, themselves, you'd do wise to mind this truth. Boreas violated his brothers' trust when he acted against their wishes and without their approval, and it was this which led to his exile."
He broke here, conjuring forth a pitcher of steaming water for himself, and a smaller, cooler pitcher for his guests. "If you are to break the curse true, then you will do well know your enemy before acting against him. What else would you know of the North Wind before we discuss where to search for the curse's true destruction?"
He releases a rumbling laugh, "Chosen of Wotan? What an honor! Yes, an assault on the Tower of the North Wind is a charge I will one day lead, so Hope is as good a name as any." He threw open the trapdoor to the stairs again, and placed a massive foot on the first step. "But! Before I help you with your freezing curse, before I tell you of Boreas's three brothers and other secrets, I have a request: join me in my study, where I would hear, in full detail, of Boreas's savory, agonizing defeat at your hands." He nods, agreeing with himself on their behalf, and climbs the stairs downwards.
You can meet him downstairs and roll Diplomacy to wow him with the first chapter of the Curse-Breaker saga. :-)
He is not interested in the answers but in the shouted explaining, "This is the Bleak Expanse! The endless desert of snow where Boreas rules unchallenged!" He puffs his chest out. "Except, by Auvindri. It sits even north of the land of northmen, yet dwarfs their holdings in size." He points in a direction that's rather meaningless to those without a reference. "Walk that way for a thousand miles, and you will find the end of Midgard, a cliff where you can jump from the world into bottomless nothing!" A bit better this time, his guests can make out a jagged black mountain. It must be at least a hundred miles away given its minuscule size on the horizon, and yet it stretches easily into and through the clouds. "And that mountain, that is where Boreas himself lives! Yes, Auvindri Against-The-Wind built this tower with his own two hands, struck through the very heart of Boreas's territory and where it boils with my insatiable rage: where permafrost never gives way to earth, only more ice! You have met Boreas's greatest mortal enemy this day, Northmen. Only his brothers could hate him more than I! Can you answer your question now, Curse-Breaker?"
Authun regains some of his compsure but perhaps not enough, and Ásdis finishes the drought, color returned to her face. She gives a noisy grunt as she comes to her feet and begins walking towards the stairs. Fiidumalmid flapped in front to face the others, delivering a familiar intense stare but this time with a verbal warning, "Entertain the giant's braggadocio. He's an obnoxiously self-important creature, but I imagine you're about to be shown how this is importance is neither exaggerated nor misplaced."
Climbing up the stairs (which are a bit exhausting to climb given their size) brings them to another level: an unoccupied, unlit storeroom. The stairs continue higher to a hatch in the ceiling, and howling winds grow louder as they draw near.
They exit to the top of the tower - despite the wind, the air is rather warm with steam, and Auvindri gestures grandly to their surroundings. "Northmen! Do you know this land?" he asks. There's nothing except the tundra and the Boiling Tower for miles around (which, upon inspection, appears to garner its name from being the epicenter of a bubbling, steaming lake).
Authun nodded blankly, unable to pry his eyes from the giant for the moment. Auvindri fluidly sheathes his sword and reaches his arm forth in greeting. Upon closer inspection, glittery black ink tattoo adorns his dark flesh, shimmering in sync with the seams of the portal. "Well met. Do enter my home, as the portal won't be open forever."
As they each step forth onto the stone, he explains, "Her message was thorough, and I know of your intent, but first... Ásdis is weak from contacting me. Give her this; the dose is sized to ensure rejuvenation." He passes Havark the pitcher-sized flask bottle he had sitting in his belt, and began crossing the room towards a spiral staircase. "I might tell you that I will, but a stranger's words are worth a pittance. Follow me, and I will teach you enough that you may answer your own question." The giant then climbs the steps upward.
The witch shrugged at the first question, and to the second, "He's an enemy of Boreas, and that's. Anything else you can ask him yourself."
It is about fifteen minutes later when a terrifying crack is heard, originating from the top-left corner of the opposite wall. The tip of a large, shining blade pokes through the gap before running along the roof's seam to the other corner, leaving an aurora-like shimmering in its wake. Next, oversized, ashen-black hands reach through the aurora, grasping the ceiling and the wall and pulling them apart until the aurora washed over and overcame both. Then at once, a heat radiates though as it solidifies and becomes transparent, and Ásdis's cabin is now conjoined with a giant's magical laboratory where the ceiling and wall have gone missing. Overside desks, beaks and baubles adorn the chamber of dark sandstone, and in a further corner, a couple of young, snow-colored dragons are sleeping in an over-huge bird cage.
Then of course, there is the large man of ashen skin with his rune-adorned blade. His stature is that of an oversized dwarf, and he wears a scale armor that must thank similar, less fortunate dragons to its construction. His hair is finely combed, and he carries a couple braids in his long beard - somehow, despite that they seem completely made of fire. He leans on his sword, point stuck into the ground, and speaks, "Witch, it's been a long time." He looks to Authun, and then Tyv and Havark before nodding in approval. "Cursed, and Curse-Breakers, then? I am called Auvindri Against-The-Wind, and this is my home: the Boiling Tower."
"Well if it's my choice, then I'm in for another piece of pie," declares Authun. Helping himself, he points his fork at Tyv as he chews. "If I survive this, we're renegotiating my fee." As it is with bravery, Authun seems rather calm: that is, were it not for the slight shiver in that extended utensil, one wouldn't think him afraid at all. The mephit breaks its stare once the conversation wraps, shaking its head in annoyance as it finishes its task and settles in next to Ásdis's feet.
The ritual takes nearly an hour from start to finish. Upon completion, the blood in the chalice lazily rises into the air before it evaporates into a mist, which then snakes its way out of the cabin at an absurd speed. Ásdis collapses, and as she turns to sit against the wall, one can see much of the color has drained from her face. Her voice is hoarse compared to how it out to be, but her demeanor is no less coarse as she softly pats the ground. "Sit along this wall with me. For your safety." Authun raises an eyebrow but then joins her along the wall.
Tyv rolls his eyes and leans back in his chair. Really Havark, threatening unarmed women now? Authun here is only ambulatory at all because Asdis gave us the means to break the curse - or partially break it as the case may be. So by my reckoning that gives her more claim to his soul than you have. And come on, its not like he's doing much with it anyway.
As he lectures, green motes of light rise up from nowhere and begin to float about him like lazy fireflies. Tyv shoos them away with a wave of his hand and they flit this way and that throughout the house. He rolls out of his chair and moves to the door. You heard the part where I said the curse was only partially broken right? So if the two of you gut Asdis now Boreas will walk the land unopposed and all of you will die - no storm, no shadow, no standing, just dead. So why don't you both just sit back down, have another piece of pie and wait for this friend. Tyv gives a crooked smile. I mean, how bad could it be? Maybe its an ice princess, or another Vetrdiss that needs kissing.
Diplomacy to improve Authun's attitude and do as he's told.: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22
Authun considers Tyv's words, a moment entranced by the bound souls, then turns to the tiefling. "Ehh... Havark, who do you think the friend is? Could we take 'em? If the fates say I was freed to die in some battle, that's one thing... waited a long time for the fields of Valhalla as it is. Some... some devil come to eat my soul though? No, not worth it. Rather freeze for eternity."
It is at this time that Fiidumalmid flies in through the window, a small bundle of herbs and twigs in its arms. The ice mephit stares intensely at the three but says nothing as it places these around the cabin in accordance with an unfathomable organization scheme.
Gentleman, let's move it to discussion. Take a deep breath, figure out what you want to next, we can rewind a little bit as needed. If you guys need to hash things out player-to-player as well as character-to-character, do that too; I'll offer my own input on request.
Authun pauses for a moment, surprised that he was not attacked and rather stunned by conflicting emotions. Ásdis slightly shakes her head, but otherwise says nothing as she is wholly engrossed in the ritual.
Want to make sure Tyv has a chance to add something before Authun goes through with his next course of action.
Sure that's alright. Yeah you don't know why you're here, you just know it has something to do with the curse not being completely broken.
Authun responds to Tyv, "Hnn, well that's not what we agreed to Curse-Breaker... it'll cost you."
Given Havark's impatience however, Ásdis drops the pretense. "Have it your way, fellblood. Here's what's going to happen: I'm going to kill this bird and use its soul to contact a powerful friend. This ritual will take nearly an hour, and I must not be interrupted." Authun's eyes widen and go to his scabbard. "If anyone could tell you how to break the Freezing Curse true, it is this friend. He will demand a price for this, and I intend to offer Authun here as payment. Do not kill him, do not let him leave." Authun's jaw drops as Ásdis casually walks over to the bound ahlinni and slices its throat, collecting its blood in the ornate chalice. The northman draws for his blade.
Ásdis levels a steady glare Havark's way. "Hollow bones. Thick, warm coat of feathers. The bird doesn't weigh much; and neither does the table." She then sighs. "Ehhnn. Have it your way. Authun, be a sweet and set the bird up on the table as a favor to me. Havark, pluck the birds." The man nods slowly, avoiding eye contact with either. Meanwhile, the wild-witch quaffs a few magic mixtures and collects a number of relics from around her home, including a sharp blade and an opulent chalice from a lock box (of which Authun certainly takes notice). She sets these near the ahlinni before helping with the meal preparation.
...
Bellies full by meal's end, Ásdis has exhausted her repertoire of pleasant conversation, and Authun returns the borrowed tableware. He scratches his scalp in an awkward tic. "You are too hospitable, Ásdis, really. But err... well, Tyv, I accompanied you and Havark to your friend as asked. Woods don't seem so dangerous after all, so all the same to you, I'll take my payment and be on my way."
Ásdis sets the bowl and spoon down in a pile of junk behind Tyv, and delivers a secret, painful jab underneath the fey's shoulder blade on the second pass. "Oh, but I've so enjoyed getting to know you, Authun? Won't you stay?"
Authun forces a grin. "Sure, sure..." He lugs the bird inside and pulls it off to the side.
Ásdis gathers a spare bowl and spoon, and rather uncharacteristically offers it to Authun with a smile. "Please. My home isn't much, but sit." That much was true - while her hut wasn't so small, it was quite cluttered, leaving more piles to sit on then places to stand. "Havark, if you don't mind, tilt the wood table in the corner, and hang the ahlinni's bindings from the raised edge. Now Ýrr, where's this lunch you've offered us?"
Correct, you cannot. As for binding the bird, I feel like it's a full-round action.
2000 XP, or 1000 XP each
A flurry of blades rends a few score of birds in a breath, and the rest of the flock disperses. Unsure of what do with Ásdis, Authun follows behind Tyv and helps him tie the rope tight. The mephit had disappeared somewhere in the chaos, but could now be seen bringing an herbal paste to its master, and it delicately runs a dipped claws along the scratches plagueing her eyes. The wounds contract, and Ásdis stands up. "Thank you, Fiidulmamid. Now don't tarry you three, the sooner we begin the ritual, the sooner we find answers. Bring the ahlinni within my home."
"Ritual? What's she going on about? An' what's that ice devil?" Authun asks, hesitantly. The ahlinni awakens behind them... but the rope seems strong enough to hold it quietly and still.
Ugh, boards have been a mess. Looks like they're back to normal.
GM Dice:
Swarm Reflex vs DC 16:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26 Authun Longsword vs AC 14:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22 |1d8 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4 Swarm:1d6 ⇒ 6 Ásdis Sickle vs AC 14:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Had the Fate's named this as Ásdis's last day? The multitude of attacks should have easily dispatched of the gathering of common birds, and yet they twist and weave and continue their assault, only Authun's blade slicing four of them. Then the laughing call of the ahlinni stops, and the birds let up on Ásdis to harrass Havark instead.
Havark takes 6 damage from the swarm.
Ásdis calls out, "It'll heal quickly: bind it's wings and beak before it recovers." She begins to grasp for her implements in the snow, yet covering her bloodied eyes.
Round 5
Tyv
Havark
Authun
Bird Swarm
Ásdis :: Blinded
Ahlinni :: Unconscious; Improved cover while in the cage
Rather impressively displaying the futility of man against nature, the birds rather deftly avoid the orb of bramble-energy and swings of sickle and sword, continuing to tear at the witch's flesh as they do so. "The bluster of men has saved nary a life, Ýrr: stop these twice-damned birds!" The ahlinni continues to peck furiously at its cage, growing closer to freedom but not yet achieving it.
East side of the cage is now at 7 hp.
Round 4
Tyv
Havark
Authun
Bird Swarm
Ásdis :: Blinded
Ahlinni :: Improved cover while in the cage
Authun Longsword vs AC 14:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16 |1d8 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8 Ásdis Reflex vs DC 11:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2 Swarm:1d6 ⇒ 1 Ásdis Sickle vs AC 14:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15 Total Concealment (50% miss chance):1d100 ⇒ 32 Ahlinni Bite:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27 |1d8 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
His soulblade catching against the cage, Havark fails to strike the creature. Which is the first time Havark has failed to strike ANYTHING in how long?
Authun swings at the birds with his sword, clipping a few in the cleave of his blade. Ásdis cries out - her hand covers her eyes, and a trickle of blood seeps between her fingers. She drops her carving tool in favor of a sickle, swinging blindly to no effect. In the midst of this, the ahinni violently pecks at the side of its cage again, cracking much of barrier. What's more, it looks like it's starting to shake off the blow that Tyv dealt it.
East side of the cage is now at 11 hp.
Round 3
Tyv
Havark
Authun
Bird Swarm
Ásdis :: Blinded
Ahlinni :: Improved cover while in the cage
Erm, I'll assume Tyv'll spend the turn moving closer (unless you can hit ~90' away for reasons I don't know about), and then take the above action.
GM Dice:
Ásdis Concentration vs DC 11:1d20 + 10 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 10 + 4 = 18 Ásdis Craft (calligraphy) vs DC 22:1d20 + 15 ⇒ (1) + 15 = 16 Asdis Frost Blast:3d6 ⇒ (4, 2, 2) = 8 Ásdis Reflex vs DC 11:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14 Swarm Reflex vs DC 15:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16 Swarm:1d6 ⇒ 3
Havark Fortitude vs DC 13:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19
"Err, right!" shouts Authun as runs down to her.
The birds scratch and peck as she lets off an expanding arc of white frost, cursing as she does, "Damn sloppy craft!" They part around it as it reaches out slowly, and only a handful of birds fall frozen stiff.
The ahlinni breathes a cone of gas at Havark when he approaches, and the tiefling feels a little light-headed and giddy; despite this, he keeps his wits about him.
..
.
..
Round 2
Tyv manages to slip the projectile between the cage's lattice and it knocks the monstrous bird off balance as it ricochets off its breast. It turns to chortle maniacally at its assailant. Another two whallops like that would probably knock the beast out.
Round 2 Tyv
Havark
Authun
Bird Swarm
Ásdis
Ahlinni :: Improved cover while in the cage.
The three set off and have a... fairly uneventful journey. Authun probes with conversational questions, asking Tyv and Havark of their pasts, who they are off to see, and such forth; he neither prods too far nor takes any of the answers to heart.
As they approach the Ásdis however, things get a bit odder. Laughter can be heard emanating from the direction of her house along with a cacophony of chirping and screaming birds - at one point on their hustle there, they hear a woman shout "Aha! Got you!" as well. Coming into sight, the witch is seen swatting at a swarm of birds (a random selection of various local species), fumbling with her rune-carving implement while her mephit familiar grapples with two ravens at her feet. Some fifty feet away is the source of the laughter - a dwarf-sized, angry bird with vibrant blue, green, and yellow plumage. Its straight-pointed beak is easily as long as its body, and its wings end with vicious claws. It's trapped within a magical barrier of latticed water, giggling and scratching at the walls.
Ásdis shouts, "The ahlinni's called the birds, but take it alive!"
Round 1
Tyv
Havark
Authun
Bird Swarm
Ásdis
Ahlinni
Map up on Roll 20 - the ice cage surrounding the Ahlinni has 35 hp and 0 hardness on the north, west, and south sides. The east side has already been damaged and is at 31 hp.
Authun played into the wink, looking mildly offended, "I had but to test your wit personally, Curse-Breaker! Guarding fools carries a much higher risk, costs more coin, and no stain on your honor my father raised a skeptic in me! Of course five gold will be fine, no need to involve the good lady." He reflects for a moment, likely considering how long his family's been dead, and then nods.
Authun turn sslowly with an eyebrow sharply raised. "Well I've never known a coin to lie... BAHAHAHAHA!" he barks in loud laughter, but he regains his composure at the light glinting betwixt Tyv's fingers. "Pardon, pardon, just a bit of fun now. A man of my tastes, carrying genuine gold! Well, you're right; cornered animals are the most vicious, of course, and you'll need strength like mine by your side. Let's say twenty coin and we go see your friend?" He moistens as Tyv is given the moment to think.
