"Alasandro! I'm glad you're back. Climbing you say? Where is the portal?"
"The gate is on top of a mountain, from what I remember. Welcome back Alasandro."
"The Scourge Mountains to be precise. We're looking for the delightfully named Crone's Finger. That's where the fey portal to Winter's Heart is. Only accessible in times of deepest cold, which would be why I've never found it before. I'm sure it will be guarded - from the little I could discover about Koliada that you don't already know, she has a penchant for icy creatures."
Pacing happily around the room and fiddling constantly with the items he finds on Valthrun's tables, Alasandro sounds more as though he's planning a jolly picnic than the end of an earth-threatening evil.
"Ah, old friend -- and welcome again! Our dear Lam Thovir encountered a moral dilemma; he's gone to sort himself out. But I assure you is quite healthy.
"And we will be, given a good night's rest. I feel my bones are not up to scaling a mountain at this time."
"Sleep if you must. I'm sorry to hear about Lam, but he's always been cautious of his mortal soul - it goes with his trade. Do you still remember that ritual you once had that let us endure heat and cold?"
Exchanging a few quiet words (and a small diamond) with Valthrun, Alasandro picks up a scroll.
"Fey portal. We'll need this."
I can perform the Shadow walk ritual it won't get us there instantly but it will allow us to travel 5 times faster. Also the Phantom Steed ritual can provide us with mounts that can ignore rough terrain or even fly. Using both we could reach our destination in one or two days.
I can perform the Shadow walk ritual it won't get us there instantly but it will allow us to travel 5 times faster. Also the Phantom Steed ritual can provide us with mounts that can ignore rough terrain or even fly. Using both we could reach our destination in one or two days.
OK forget the Phantom Steeds and use Overland Flight and Shadow Walk we can get to the mountain in about 3 hours.
The weather is as unforgiving as you knew it would be. Here on the outskirts of reality, where the fey and the material touch, you would expect no less. Through the biting wind, blowing snow in vicious spirals around your faces, you at last glimpse your goal.
On the icy outcrop you seek stands the monolith circle which will lead you to Winter's Heart, the chill home of Koliada herself.
Less promisingly, a selection of her creatures wait, bored with their vigil and ready to battle anyone foolish enough to interfere with the schemes of their mistress.
Four icy fey flit and wrestle among themselves, occasionally taking clumsily to the air, but dangerously fast on the treacherous ground. Three ice trolls, each armed with a maul of solid ice watch indifferently standing among rubble which you realise is more difficult to traverse than you'd imagine due to their size. On the edge of the strange outcropping, near an ice horn, stands yet another fey. She wields a staff and watches closely, a picture of concentration.
INIT= 24
Rev:
Prior to performing this ritual, you fashion a crude clay replica of a small, inorganic object you possess that weighs no more than 2 pounds, such as a key. When you complete this ritual, the crude replica transforms into an exact copy of the original. It performs identically to the original in all mundane ways and is not recognizable as a fake, even by someone using the Arcana skill. A copy of a magic item is nonmagical.
Once the duration expires, the object reverts to its original crude clay form.
He keeps trying until he can get one that will last a week (Arcana 41+)
Lurean - 16
Theren raises his sword and points it at the fey with a staff. "You. Erathis has judged you, and you have been found wanting. Now, accept your punishment." Theren then charges across the ice, attempting to run her through.
Theren leaps towards Colzath, his blade shimmering in the air and just misses her.
The trolls advance, mauls held high.
T1 slams into Tavar.
Troll 1 (AC) v Tavar. On hit target takes 15 ongoing cold damage (se) (1d20+32=40, 2d8+10=13).
T2 clouts Lurean.
Troll 2 (AC) v Lurean. On hit target takes 15 ongoing cold damage (se) (1d20+32=44, 2d8+10=19).
T3 lumbers up to Alasandro.
T3 v Alasandro (1d20+32=48, 2d8+10=21).
Colzath looks at Theren and deliberately leans towards the horn, sounding a long, calling note to the valley below. She shifts away, a half-smile touching her lips and a look of greedy expectation on her face.
Theren leaps towards Colzath, his blade shimmering in the air and just misses her.
Alasandro smiles gently and drops curses on T1 and T3. Moving swiftly to the edge of the chasm, he sends eldritch power streaking into the nearest troll. Shaking himself like a dog, he steams as the cold damage leaves him.
Eldritch Blast (ref) v T3 (1d20+23=39, 2d10+10=29, 3d8=9).
Save v ongoing cold (1d20+1=14).
At will power; Cast Divine Armor, close burst 3, myself and all allies in burst gain +2 to AC and resist 5 all damage until the end of the encounter. Effecting Li'remean and Genryu.
Move action; shift to N4
Standard action; Activate Ring of Fireblazing centered on N5, close blast 3, Charisma vs. Reflex
Attack vs T2
Attack vs T3
Attack vs I1
Damage = and ongoing 10 fire damage
If attacks misses deal half damage and ongoing 5 Fire damage.
Save = and saves vs ongoing damage
Tavar sets wards of shielding around those of him companions he can reach and unleashes a firestorm among the trolls. Even the nearest iceling melts a little in the onslaught.
The icelings advance.
I1 launches itself between Theren and Alasandro, raking at the pair with arctic claws. The long nails slide off Theren's armour, but Alasandro isn't so lucky.
Slick Assault. If hits both targets, can shift 5 as a free action. I1 v Alasandro and Theren (1d20+28=47, 2d8+4=10, 1d20+28=29, 2d8+4=12).
Flame continues to crackle around the creature.
The other icelings move with incredible swiftness to surround Tavar and Lurean, icy claws gleaming as they dig eagerly at the pair. I3 hits both targets and slides swiftly out of range.
Claws (AC) v Tavar (1d20+28=43, 2d8+4=14).
I3 Slick Assault (AC) v Tavar and Lurean (1d20+30=42, 2d8+4=11, 1d20+30=40, 2d8+4=13).
I4 Slick Assault (AC) v Tavar and Lurean (1d20+30=32, 2d8+4=10, 1d20+30=32, 2d8+4=13)
Genryu's maul misses the troll, but the reverberations still send a shock wave through the monster.
Lavender attempts a new spell he has been honing, but not yet put into practice, gambling much on his insight into the ice creatures' inability to see through his shadows.
Lavender can congratulate himself on study time well spent as he expertly shapes the snowflakes into a whirling, dizzying blanket, distracting the nearest trolls and icelings from their purpose and harrying their line of sight.
T3, already under attack, is bloodied by the distracting shards.
Lurean steps toward the wounded troll and enchants his blade for a mighty stroke.