"Everybody stay still" exclaims Kurn to the party. He then calls loudly "in the name of Krakis show yourself, we come in peace!"
Diplomacy Check
Yes Stefnir will cast Endure elements as soon as he makes contact with her.
"here Anya let me help you to resist the freezing temperatures".
Ragnar coils his rope again, looking at Helga with a worried expression.
"Thungz, Kuhn. Cuhn 'ou huhlf Huhl-guh? Shuh tuhk th' wuhst uhf uht."
Ragnar coils his rope again, looking at Helga with a worried expression.
"Thungz, Kuhn. Cuhn 'ou huhlf Huhl-guh? Shuh tuhk th' wuhst uhf uht."
Anya, seemingly not overly bothered by the frigid water, pushes off the priests touch saying "Bah! That's what I get for trying to help a Druid! Save your magics for those that need them tree hugger."
Sense Motive DC10
Despite her offensive and ungrateful words, the angry barbarian is not a very good actress and so one can see the grateful look and receding panic fade from her eyes now she's been rescued from a pit she likely wouldn't have been able to escape from on her own
Seeing her unconscious sister her fury erupts again however as she rushes to the bard's side shouting "Helga! What have you fools allowed to happen to her! Quickly YOU Druid, YOU Cleric, don't just stand there with your mouths agape! Heal her!" Despite her ire, her touch is gentle as she kneels on the ice and cradles her sister's head on her still wet lap.
Saorise looks up at the things floating above them. "Jorgen, have you ever seen or heard of such things before as part of your training?"
Knowledge Arcana
Knowledge Nature
PROFESSION wITCHhUNTER
|
Jorgen
|
|
Looking down the cave system from where Helga fell, Anya and the rest can see the ship decking stretches for about forty feet or so, although the light deteriorates towards a shadowy end. The wooden flooring is frosted and icy with many small cracks and fissures where the ice has split the wood. The sharp icicles and angular walls of the cave hide many corners as well.
But everyone can see the broken mast, with a humanoid figure trapped in the ice block, that sits in the middle of the decking. The block must be about seven foot high and four foot wide around the wooden mast.
Saorise looks up at the things floating above them. "Jorgen, have you ever seen or heard of such things before as part of your training?"
Jorgen stared hard at the creatures.
"Storm elementals. Literal children of Krakis. Must be guarding something."
He glances over his shoulder at Kurn.
"Well looks like your move."
Kurn holds his arms up "Krakis! Let you divine power help my friends"
"All of you stay here, or the guardians may attack you" says Kurn to the whole party.
Kurn moves toward the ice block slowly with his hands visible and holding his Holy Symbol in full view "Krakis, help your servant to understand"
Ari stays where he is, his shield raised and his mace ready to strike out at any foe coming too close.
Ragnar frowns, but keeps his thoughts to himself. He does stick to the front of the waiting group, however, peering in at the broken mast and it's frozen figure.
Perception:
"Ow ... that hurt," Helga feels strength flooding her and struggles to her feet. "Anya, are you injured? I was worried for you." Helga makes no mention of Anya's own outburst. Picking up her bow and arrow she re-notches it and stands ready.
"Kurn, there is something else down there, beyond or behind the mast, though I could not see it clearly."
Anya, looking fully hale and hearty, has a brief flash of relief pass over her features before her standard scowl replaces it. As her sister rises Anya herself stands up and answers "You're barely alive yet you ask about me? Foolish girl! Well should you worry about yourself for if you pull a stunt like that and fright me so again I'll kill you myself! Now stay behind and stay Safe!"
Assuming her commands will be obeyed the barbarian unhitches her spear and moves to stand by Ragnar. Her bare arm brushes against his a moment longer than accident would account for and the broken voiced man barely hears her whispered but genuine "Thank you."
Ragnar shrugs, craning his neck slightly to look Anya in the eye.
"Nuh puhbllmm. Kuhn's tuh thunk, thuh.", he says quietly,"Uhs yuh suztuh uhll ruht?"
Kurn stops walking when he hears the voice. "We mean you no harm, we landed here by accident in the storm. I am Kurn, servant of Krakis and these are my companions. May I ask who you are and why you are here in this iceberg? I will withdraw so you can see I am no threat to you". Kurn starts to walk slowly backwards towards the party, glancing back to watch his step as he goes.
Saorise stands back next to Jorgen. After her attacks did nothing to what she now knows are Storm Elementals, she is feeling a little vulnerable and is happy for Jorgen's protective closeness. She listens intently to the exchange going on between Kurn and the disembodied voice, while looking down the icy deck towards the frozen figure displayed upon it.
|
|
"Its nice to have someone to talk to. Nice to be asked my name. Must be fifty years or more since I killed him and his pets are no accompany are they. Oh no. Yes you can come here and talk. I will wait. Watch the wood, its old and might break and that would be a shame. For you."
There is a strange creaking noise from the voice at the end.
"No names. No. No names. Just remember that you came here of your own free will and you can leave too. Yes, you can. By Frigga's Ice Krieg Scharnfors!"
The storm outside sends another howling whistle down the ice tunnels.
Kurn moves back to the party and says quietly "does anybody know what he's on about? I think we need to have a closer look, but I suggest that we have a plan and not just go charging in". Kurn glances at Anya and smiles.
Helga thinks a moment, looking at the frozen ship and his reference to the Ice Krieg Scharnfors, and tries to recall what it may be the unknown one speaks of.
Knowledge (history):
Jorgen stands resolutely and gives Kurn a nod. Surprisingly he glances over his shoulder and flashes Saorise a brief smile.
Ragnar scratches his beard, considering. He speaks slowly, trying to be as clear as possible.
"Uh thuhnk huh's cruh-zy 'n luhn'ly.", Ragnar makes a circular motion with one finger around his ear to sign 'crazy'," Suhm-uhn kuhp hum tuhkin' whull th' ruhst svruhd uht 'ruhnd th' muhst. Uhf whuh svuhd uht, luhss luhkluh tuh cruhkh th' uhce 'n whul huh's tuhkin' wuh cuhn s'rruhnd hum. Juz' kuhp hum tuhkin'."
Anya answers Kurn's smile with a threatening glare but says nothing.
Struggling to understand Ragnar she says somewhat hesitantly "Yes, those of us who can move quietly can perhaps sneak around and surround the crazy old fool. Then kill him if he proves to be any threat." as she jabs her spear forward in a short powerful thrust to make her point.
Stefnir finishes squeezing the remaining water from his robe, and listens intently to the voice. He then steps forward addressing the voice.
"You must forgive us if we seem a bit distrustful". "We were attacked when we first showed up, and while I can understand you defending your territory, we really mean you no harm". "It is strange to find someone still speaking adrift in this iceberg, but fate seems to have brought our ship here, so we will speak".
As Stefnir speaks he approaches the figure, taking care of his footing.
"What brings you to be encased in the iceburg"? "How did you get here, and how long have you been here"? "Can we help you in some way"?
|
|
Stefnir feels the wood bend and sink beneath his feet as he advances down the ice. As Anya slowly follows she sees Stefnir reach the broken mast.
Soon they are close enough to make out a few details of the humanoid figure. First it is at least a foot or more thick the ice that encases the tied man, his face is torn and pulped, around his neck something glitters in the blue light.
Lower down an edge of robe has flapped closer to the surface, the markings and colours are those of a druid, an Unfettered druid.
When Jorgen turns back around, Saorise riases an eyebrow and grins to herself. She then puts her hand on his shoulder and whispers in his ear, "I wish to see what is going on a little closer, cover me."
With that, she takes off after Stefnir and Anya, shoring up any bad spots in the icy deck with ice of her own as she goes.
Ragnar follows, keeping some distance between himself and the rest of the group as they spread out so as not to crack the ice.
|
|
The first ice spell seems to stiffen the spongy wood a little, but not enough to make Saorise keep doing the spell.
Moving down towards the mast, Jorgen, Saorise and Ragnar join the other two.
Sticking out of the shadowy far wall, at the very end, is a length of wood, about the thickness of a quarterstaff. It too is sheathed in ice as it protrudes about three feet, angled like a lever.
The voice comes again, from around the last corner on the right, "know that he died well, he did. Managed to stop my friend, the one like a statue now. Doesn't talk out loud now, but I can hear him speak to me, just as he did when the stormcaster took him down. Down but now up, now there to listen to me in this storm. Where are you from? Have you a ship? Did we land again?"
Kurn will stay where he is and keep an eye on the dark clouds and the party.
Helga will hang back and cover them with her bow.
"I am sorry, but your words are confusing to me". "We don't know who died, or who your friend is so we can't answer those questions". "We also know nothing of this 'stormcaster' you speak of". "And about landing again...you are adrift in an iceberg, in the middle of the sea".
Stefnir then makes sure his unfettered Druid tattoo is visible. "And is it not customary to answer questions presented, before asking your own"?
Anya slowly continues forward, moving outwards to the side, in order to flank her prey.
Saorise stays behind the others, content to let them do the talking for the moment while she observes what's going on.
Perception Check:
|
|
Anya and then Stefnir creep down the left hand or far wall from where the corner that the voice comes from. Eventually they both can see round the right hand end into the chamber.
Both can see a beautiful ice sculptured humanoid, about ten feet tall, with four dangling muscular arms all ending in ice thin claws. The figure has the grotesque face of a twisted man, showing two long fangs that point down from the corners of his large mouth.
Then the figure moves slightly and they notice flakes of snow and ice fall from his lips as he speaks, "questions. I have no questions. We are adrift still and I should not have tarried so long on the ice. This place is a shrine and my fault for being so keen to make the stormcaster a pretty tomb."
The eyes move round and the pair of adventurers are fixed with a pure white gaze. Like staring into a couple of pearls.
Although no sign of it shows on her face, Anya feels a bolt of fear rush through her. She feared no mortal man nor beast on the earth yet this was obviously a creature of sorcery most foul. What could her spear do against such a creature?
Yet, being made of sterner stuff than most the warrior grips her weapon firmly and sends an answering glare to the frozen creature.
"I'm sorry, but I am really confused now". "Let's start from the beginning". "I am known as Stefnir Ogmundrsson, and this is Anya". "A storm brought the ship we were travelling in to near here, and we decided to explore this place". We know nothing about this 'stormcaster' you speak of, and in fact all your words seem to be falling on ignorant ears".
"Who are you"?
|
|
Kurn is at the rear of the group in the tunnel now and he can hear the words echoing back towards him and the two clouds that still hover above him quiescent.
"I am crackling sob, I am alone, just a guard, a guardian, on a mission, not worth a name jsut with orders to stop the servant of Krakis, just with my luck that Scharnfors sent shivers that shattered the ice and broke us away even as my brother there died by the stormcaster."
The ice giant points with one of its lower arms across the chamber and there indeed is a twin statue, only this one is not moving.
"Stefnir, are you a stormcaster? You must not touch his things for they are evil and base and not for the likes of us. Will you all stay in my shrine and keep us company?"
Chilly are the last few words of the ice gargoyle.
Out of interest there is a small chest closed on the ground near the creature and there is an open trapdoor in the decking beside it.
Kurn makes his way back to the ship and watches the clouds to see if they follow him out of the tunnel into the open air?
Hearing the conversation, Helga starts to edge into the passageway.
|
|
As Kurn heads out into the snowstorm, the clouds do indeed follow him out through the entrance.
The snow flurries and swirls around Kurn as he traverses the small landing before sliding down to the waters edge and the Marked Albatross. By then a look above shows that Krakis has taken his servants back and the storm elementals are gone.
Jorgen closely watches the ice statue for a reaction, prpared to cover a retreat if necessary.
Kurn sees the clouds disappear with interest. He then makes his way back on to the ship. "Hey Taggrik, how long before we can get underway? I have a feeling we may need to leave in a hurry when the others return!"