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Ostog Oakfeller, a powerfully built man in his early fifties, stands up and growls. "Hey! No fair trying intruding-" but then he sees the shovel handle. "What is this?" He peers at it and sees the family crest. "Who stole our shovel?" He mumbles. Savan persists and reveals a hunting knife. "And our- our knives? Are you- are you asserting we did something suspicious? Feels more like someone is setting us up. Probably the Varki..."
"Okay, it will take me about 10 minutes to focus." Lumna's thoughts ring in Itka's head. "Are you ready?" You settle aboard the ship and begin your efforts to recover and heal. Narcela and the scholars get aboard the ship with you, although their focus is on Narcela as well as Bremix. Both have fallen quiet, trying to stabilize their breathing, and the scholars are checking on their health.
"Hey! If you're done, I got to reset these ribbons." Dahila eventually wanders your way. "The other teams need a chance to catch up to you. Head back to the checkpoint, we'll make the final push soon."
Isaku and Doc Bloodhsanks quickly revive Itka. Jakoby is busy cursing Erastil when her aim suddenly steadies, guided by an invisible hand. It critically cuts through the dream, destroying it. Itka
Itka
Round 4 [/ooc]
Doc Bloodshanks aims carefully, hitting the remaining dream twice. Due to its incorporeal nature, only his critical bomb seems to do any long lasting damage. Argoni's bottle does the trick, throwing off its balance and overwhelming its resistance to shock it. Demoistride continues to gallop through the clouds, whinnying through the dark atmosphere. Aslynn will hear about your trespass... But more importantly, the faded dream lurches towards its closest target. Itka realizes she is wide open to attack.
The dream wraps its tentacles around Itka, felling her and filling her mind with an eternal nightmare.
GM Screen:
Isaku isn't certain if these dreams have weaknesses. Shooting them seems to work, though. Jakoby takes aim but the horse is too quick.
BakBat hurls one ball of flame, slightly burning Demiostride.
Itka grumbles and gets a bit closer to the remaining dream, who seems oblivious to her magicks.
Isaku tries to give Itka a heads up, but realizes he blasted that living dream back to its own nightmare.
Isaku
Despite his burns, Doc Bloodshanks throws his vials at one of the dreams. They both miss, and their incorporeal nature resists the splash effects entirely. Isaku is a bit more successful. Gritting his teeth through the flames, he takes aim and shoots the fiery horse. Breathing heavily to adjust with his wounds, the horse rethinks its strategy and begins to flee. It gallops off of the Sky Dock into the darkness beyond, probably to warn his master of the impressive resistance he encountered. The animated dreams don't seem to care. One of them, surrounded by Jakoby and Ro, is more interested in spreading nightmares. Tendrils lash out.
The other continues to flail at Isaku.
With skill and determination, Yohann and Mira are able to pull the ribbons out with ease. Elara slips and thuds onto the ice flow, forming a crack. She is still determined and makes it across. Despite the setback, she simply yanks the ribbon out as if it wasn't frozen. "I think that's a new record?" Dahila compares some of her notes as Elara returns. "Maybe faceplanting is the secret. Oh well, we'll count that for double." With your team's duty complete, it's time to return to the checkpoint. But something seemed so... odd about the snow. Perception DC 16: Carefully scanning the snow, you see a broken shovel handle. Did someone heap additional snow onto the lake? You notice the Storval family symbol on the handle. It's the same symbol that is on Gruen's cloak. Why would a member of the Without Trace or Fail team be out here?
Lumna's attacks require a Will Save and 1 or 2 actions to trigger. Lumna can also spend your reaction to grant Electricity or Mental Resistance. Lumna can teleport multiple people back to the Manor with 2 charges, although you are next to an interplanetary ship. Decisions, decisions!
Don't forget, >Lumna can help< deal damage and also provide a good night's rest + Daily Preparations.
Doc Bloodshanks, Isaku
Doc Bloodshanks
Before Your Turn Begins
Jakoby and Ro are so focused on defense they are unable to land a blow. BakBat likes it hot, but not that hot. The flames critically burn him and singe his favorite hat! He takes his revenge on the two animated dreams, burning them both. Their incorporeal nature resists some of the damage. Itka chooses to retreat, flipping the horse off. Does he even understand what Itka is saying? Argoni can't get a good bead on his intended target. And he can't get a good aim on the other target either. The electricity splashes but the dream's incorporeal nature seems to ignore the minor damage.
Purrlock returns with another ribbon intact. Dahila looks at the rest of the team. "If you're sitting this one out, tell me. Otherwise there are plenty more ribbons for the taking."
Jakoby, Ro, BakBat, Doc Bloodshanks, Itka, Isaku
Doc Bloodshanks
Before Your Turn Begins
Isaku aims and shoots, landing a solid but not critical hit. He gives Doc Bloodshanks a heads up, and the Doctor zaps the horse. The horse blazes with flame, dashing through and burning as many targets as he can, dealing damage. The horse enters Itka's Bane...
The horse wants to bite either Isaku or Itka...
The Elite Dream points.
And Doc Bloodshanks sees a vision of his own death. Probably one of those so-called "Deities" trying to force their divine filth upon him! His mind is wracked with pain as he takes damage. The other dream tries to lash out at Isaku.
Isaku is Concealed by the smoke and the dream is unable to find him.
Happy New Year's everyone. If anyone wants to bot Doc Bloodshanks or Isaku, go for it. Otherwise we will wait until Monday before I delay them.
Katniss almost faceplants into the ice, but she maintains her balance and reaches the ribbon, slowly pulling it out. "Well, that's one point for you." Dahlia observes the ribbon for any damage. "There are other ribbons in the ice, if anyone else wants to try..."
Itka and Jakoby get a Hero Point. Hopefully you don't need them...
Mira and Savan get a Hero Point.
The team quickly blasts through the fog, pushing their way to the checkpoint. The Fangs of the Rhemoraz are busy setting up their tent when the team arrives. Beyond the camp, a large sheet of exposed ice is marked by race banners. In the middle of the ice, a delicate ribbon lies partially frozen in the sheet. ”Story time. Balgrid lost a bunch of gear overnight, due to ferocious winds. The next morning he discovered a scroll half-frozen in the water. He took a piece of ice and focused it against the sun. The rays pierced the lake’s surface and he was able to reach in and get his scroll. I wonder if it was magical or a letter from his momma.” ”Your mission is to go across this frozen pond and get the ribbon in the middle without damaging it. Hint: smashing the ice or using fire spells will probably ruin the ribbon and end your challenge. You need to maintain your balance while walking across the ice, so you don’t fall in. Feel free to try as many times as you want, as long as you don’t damage the ribbon and you don’t fall in too many times.”
Anyone who gets on the ice can open: Anyone attempting to move across the ice must now treat it as uneven terrain and takes a –1 circumstance penalty on checks to Balance on the ice and a –1 circumstance penalty on checks to free the ribbon. You can take extra time to clear the ice; this negates the uneven terrain and the penalties to their checks, but costs you 1 Progress Point due to lost time.
I have 2 more Hero Points to hand out. Please nominate the PCs you'd like to give a Hero Point to. We'll take this finale slowly as I expect people to be on vacation.
GM Screen:
Dahila sits up with alarm. "It's a bear?" She motions to some of the officials, who quickly pick up their tools and weapons before heading off in the direction Elara pointed out. "We'll try to keep an eye out for it. I want our racers to get some rest. Tomorrow is the last day." You wake up, peek out the tent and see thick fog blanketing the region. Dahila is yelling at the other tents to wake them up when she sees you emerge. "Good, one less team I need to poke. We weren't able to find the bear, but we did see its tracks - massive. Be careful out there on the way to the next checkpoint."
Doc Bloodshanks, Isaku
Before Your Turn Begins
BakBat focuses on helping Jakoby move quickly.
Jakoby changes tactics. Calling upon Old Deadeye, her lance cutting into Deimostride and its holy blessing cutting into his hide!
It's Hero Point, so you gotta use it before I give the results...
Looks like Erastil is "can choose holy" and you'd like to choose Holy. Go for it. I have no idea how holy/unholy affects your weapons, I'll have to look it up some more. Divine Lance definitely will do holy damage since it has the Sanctified trait.
You know Deimostride is a fiend, and fiends are vulnerable to Holy damage.
Doc Bloodshanks, Jakoby, Argoni, Isaku
Jakoby
Before Your Turn Begins
GM Screen:
Argoni focuses a bit and remembers something about Deimostride. He can trample, he resists 15 Fire damage, and the cloud of smoke is nauseating. Isaku notes Deimostride is a fiendish creature, inherently Unholy in nature.
Isaku finds a spot and shoots the horse once, telling Doc Bloodshanks how to take full advantage of the horse's weakpoint. Doc Bloodshanks slams a vial of intense cold into Deimostride's face. It slows the horse down but it doesn't deal additional damage or anything like that. The horse takes a moment to rearrange his hindside to recover from Argoni's dirty trick. The smoke turns nauseous as the horse figrues out who to mangle first.
The larger elite dream hovers into the smoke before unleashing a haunting laugh. It casts Fear, but it can't see BakBat very well and he is unaffected.
The smaller dream continues to lash out.
Sigrun stands up next. "We're glad to have new competition this year! Neighbors from the Varki are killin' it! We Bluetongues have a lot to learn from you!" Runa blushes in embarrassment while Marbin begins flexing his arms. "And we got these Power Rangers from Angel Grove or something? No wait, Chileax. No wait, from all over the world, yeah? We got to show them some Ulfen hospitality, eh?" The other Bluetongues cheer her on while the other teams clap in appreciation. Even the Without Trace or Fail team get the message. Dahila breaks a small smile. "That's what I'm talking about. Win or lose, we're all in this together. Anyone else have something to say?" Perception DC 12: Just outside of the checkpoint perimeter you notice a four-legged animal over 10 feet tall, at the tree line. As soon as you see it, it flees into the woods.
Make a DC 18 Nature check to see if you can identify it. You can read the spoiler below if you make the check. Spoiler:
This is the same bear that killed the caribou at the caribou crossing event.
GM Screen:
The horse trots out to survey the area. His hooves burst into flame and he dashes across the docks, covering everyone in smoke and ash. The heat is so intense almost everyone is burned. He snorts in Argoni's direction. The stronger faded dream flies up towards Jakoby. An arm wreathed in tentacles reaches out and she finds her perceptions scrambling. The weaker one sweeps around the battlefield and finds BakBat's mind oh so tasty...
Doc dives for cover and tries to focus on the fiery horse covered in smoke. But nothing comes to mind. This is a very unique creature. He does realize the smoke exudes about 20 feet away from it and creates a field of concealment.
GM Screen:
Argoni studies the dreams. The remains of nightmares given incorporeal form. While he doesn't recognize any weaknesses, he knows they are very resistant to non magical damage. They also resist any damage that is not force, ghost touch or void.
This strange space vaguely resembles a dock, but with metal piers jutting into the shadow beyond the castle walls. What looks like a sailing vessel is tied to one pier. Its two masts are angled backward at a steep angle, making the raised sails look more like a covering canopy than something intended to catch the wind. The ship's name is marked in blood-red writing: the Gale's Claw. The ceiling here is 30 feet high to accommodate the ship. As you enter the chamber, you hear a horrid pulse. A blast of dark clouds emerge from the ship's deck, and an equine creature made of shadow rears up on his hind legs. Living dreams crawl off of the deck behind it and laugh. "Oh, we'll have so much fun feasting on your comatose minds." You hear Narcela gasp. "Deimostride! Aslynn's prized horse... Try to stop it from escaping. I'll keep the scholars safe." She calls to the scholars telling them to hide. Initiative:
2 more Hero Points are up for grabs. Please nominate who should get them.
As the sun starts to set, the officials light up the central bonfire and it practically glows with flame. Dahila calls out all the teams to sit down. Bluetongue's Brawlers show up immediately to warm themselves up from a chilly river swim. Eventually the other teams arrive. All of you are able to find some seats. "A big thanks to Olin from Fangs of the Rhemoraz for the fish stew." Dahila calls out as officials serve soup and pass it on to each of you. "Hopefully our reproduction is good enough." He nods in approval. Dahila continues. "Tomorrow will end the Balgridtrek. One more event to deal with, a dash to the finish line, and then warmth." She exhales as Faegrim Axebringer raises a mug. "Not now, sis. Every hour's a drinking hour in your mind." Faegrim shrugs and drinks up. "Usually after the River Crossing, I like to ask the teams what brings them here. Why haul your ass for four days? You could be hunting for food, or marking a shipping route, or just staying home and staying warm. What gets you up in the morning besides my lovely voice?" Ostog stands up. "Without Trace or Fail has competed every year. We know the strength of practice. We practice a strict diet that helps us with mental strength and fortitude. One day a linnorm king will ask for our services, and we will be up to the task. Unlike some of you, we're not tourists looking for a thrill or outsiders trying to upend tradition." He glances at the Power Rangers and the Fangs of the Rhemoraz. "This is the peak of Ulfen strength." Dahila manages not to roll her eyes. "Lovely. Thank you. Please, please be seated." She looks at your team. "Alright, how about you? What brings you out here?"
One of the Varki greets Savan. "We were able to cross without trouble. Ylva and Marbin wanted to swim but Olin bribed them with fish stew if they stuck to the heart of the challenge." They chuckle. "My apologies for not introducing myself. I am Runa. I hope the contest hasn't been too much for you. It looks like we are doing well, much better than the locals..." They sigh. "It feels like resentment is inevitable. The Bluetongue's Brawlers don't seem to care they are in dead last, but I do wonder about Without Trace or Fail. They've done nothing but scowl at us since we joined." Savan finds the Fangs of the Rhemoraz are already Friendly. Another conversation like that may make them Helpful. Purrlock finds a jittery official to share some brandy with.
Purrlock shares his knowledge with the team.
You return to the Safe Space once again. Bremix is, for once, quiet. He doesn't say anything as you announce your plans. Dinetrie stretches. "Good. Let's head to the Sky Dock, yeah? We follow you." She turns to Narcela. "Thanks for everything, by the way. You gotta come with us, alright?" Narcela gives you a nervous glance but turns back to Dinetrie and nods. "I'll do what I can. Give me about 20 minutes to clear out the Sky Dock." You bring the scholars with you to the Sky Dock. Bremix remains silent, focusing on his own breathing. Narcela goes ahead, talks to the few guards there and they gladly take her offer on a short lunch break. "Well, that was easy!" Venruth chuckles. "Could you secure the Gale's Claw? Then we'll gladly join you."
"We'll escort your horse across the bridge-" Dahila stops talking as Kabayo leaps across the river. "Or that..." The rest of the team uses the poles to vault across the river. Mira calls upon an ancient power and feels particularly energized, clearing the river and some extra distance. "I... think that's a new record?" Dahila mumbles. "Very impressive. We'll give you some bonus credit." You return to the camp to see the officials are building and maintaining a large campfire in the center to keep everything relatively warm. They also have a series of benches built. "We'll be hosting a meal in the evening." One of the officials speaks. "Rest up until then."
Savan and Yohann, can you add your tokens to the slides?
”Okay, take a deep breath and let’s talk about the race. This is the Whitegold river. Balgrid chased the linnorm across it. He wasn’t dumb enough to try to swim through the freezing river, of course. He cut down a tree and used it like a pole vault. He just leapt across the river in one shot and continued the chase.” ”The Whitegold river is about 15 feet deep, flows from North to South. Your goal is to cross it. I’d suggest against swimming, since you need to grab the edge of the other bank- it’s frozen over and we are close to the edge of a cascade. ” She shrugs. ”That hasn’t stopped other teams before!” She laughs and looks to the sky, waiting for its response. ”So instead I suggest one of these poles.” She gestures to a collection of 15 foot poles. ”Each of you can use one to vault across the river. All of you need to try.” Dahlia takes a step back. ”You’re halfway there, keep going’.”
- With a pole, you can make an Acrobatics or Athletics check to vault it.
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