Session #7 Snows of Summer
• Another body in the snow• Undead sentries
• Whiteout conditions, igloos and caves, fey and troll.
• Winter portal
A great journal entry below from Zaaz will bring you up to speed on the events as well as the details of the Black Rider that came through the portal...
The Diary of Zaaz Bloodfortune Continues…
Cold prick my eyes. Spring be the time of rebirth. Summer do be the time of life and growth. Fall be time for reflection and preparation. Winter do be the time of death. What does it mean when seasons be all awhirl? Summer cut short in its prime and replaced with this end of seasons… I know not, but hopefully answers lay ahead. The voices helped guide me and now I know my path, the Witch of Summer is what I will become, but how to get there…..
Onward we marched looking for the source of cold, the evil one we followed, or something else we knew not what. Footing was getting bad so Dalomar was keeping a bit closer. Coming to late morning the snow began of fall in earnest, cutting our visibility down and bringing more chill from flakes that melt on our faces. Suddenly as we came to a field Dalomar stopped and looked sharply. Moving quickly backward he used our Whisper link to tell me of the approach of truly fearsome skeletal chargers. Holding long lance, wrapped in armor, with flesh still clinging to their bones in some spots, they came on, racing through the snow and ice. Three there were, but only two advanced, the other looking on unmoving as death. Quickly we skittered behind trees to frustrate any attempts to charge us. I have not yet mastered my spells. Fascination with the spray of ice and snow kicked up by their hooves, the need to shift for cover, the snow on my face and I could not concentrate to bring forth the energy necessary to cast my few spells. More, the creatures as skeletons were immune to any hex I might bless them with. So in a moment, I fell back on trying to buff up the abilities of my companions. Yoska bravely fought with one right in front of me till it moved off. Sadobras hammered them again and again with his sling. Repent traded blows with one of the fiends while Noname supported. Finally, after a few minutes we killed the two and their horses, pummeling blows breaking apart their bones and sending them back to their rest. I turned and braced for the attack of the final one, but without a sound he turned and moved on down the path. Doubtless he was off to tell his masters of our approach.
Farther we journied after some healing till we came across the bodies of a man and his horse. Rohkar. I would recognize that cloak of his anywhere. The same said bandit leader my mother warned us against at the lodge. Tracks and chunks missing from him showed us that he had been killed by some sort of giant bear and partially eaten. Good riddance and hope he didn’t cause the poor creature heartburn. It be enough to make one want to turn druid it warmed my heart so much. On the body there was a bevy of magic and useful items for us, so take them we did and rode away so as not to tempt fate. I may be thankful of the bear, but not enough to provide a limb for dinner I tell you. Amongst the items we found a holy symbol of Norgorber. Will make fine kindling I tell you.
After a few more hours of travel, the storm built and built. Soon, visibility fading we made camp to wait for it to pass. The night was cold and the wind did howl, but we finally had a night of quiet rest. In the morning I was all for waiting it out another day, but it was pointed out that the wind came unnaturally only from one direction with little variance. This was enough to convince me. Magic storm like this need night let up till we are guant and hollow creatures ripe for the taking. So, binding ourselves tight we went on to the teeth of the gale and snow. Visibility was down to 5 feet or so, so we stayed tight together as not to tempt fate with getting lost in white.
After a time of travel, how long I know not as we could see no sun, we arrived at an igloo such as one would see in the far north. Shorter than a human, but of good size we put the horses in the lee side and went in through the animal skin door. Naught was in there, but some firs. Some I grabbed and took wished to explore to see if this was the only igloo here. So, using some rope to prevent getting lost they went around and quickly found a mere 20 feet away another igloo. Entering, they easily avoided a nasty pit trap and went farther in and were attacked by another of those nastly flying winter Fay. Sadobras was knocked out by a color spray, but Dalomar and Yoska were able to chase off one of the fay and kill a second that had appeared. After Dalomar awoke they continued their exploration and encountered another one, some kind of winter Atomie sitting in the snow with a sickle. They fought with it a bit and chased it off, Dalomar losing his hearing for a time as a result of a thunderstone. Noname having had enough of this commanded his creature, Repent, to stalk off into the rest of this fay village and scout it for us. Soon Noname gave us word of a strange portal and vortex up ahead. All of us moved up into the village, blindly moving forward, till we came upon the strange sight. Surrounded on the outside by razor sharp shards of ice facing out, were a set old ice columns. Inside that was a Vortex of cold and wind and a giant of Moss. Having just one entrance through the columns and shards, we were limited in how many could fight him at once. Worse, as I approached, that damn Atomie started pelting us in the head with rocks or ice, I know not. Repent stood in the for holding the creature in place. It’s fearsome claws were 15 feet long and nasty. I gave it the evil eye to make it easier to hit. After a bit, a dazing blow on the creature allowing us to move within the circle and flank the beast. Quick as a wink though it struck down Sadobras. Bravely his steed fought on, but Sadobras looked in danger of falling from his back. Sneaking around the back of the columns, I hit him with some healing, here kitty kitty kitty. All the rest began to strike over and over at the creature and quickly it fell. As we stood gasping and finishing off the Atomie, the portal turned dark and out stepped a site to make us tremble.
A Dark horseman with horns on his head and a mighty steed stood before us. Soon we came to know this was Alarian, black rider of Baba Yaga, queen witch of the north. He told us that portals such as this were appearing throughout Taldor and that because of Elvanna. Daughter of Baba Yaga, she was determined to not go quietly at the end of her reign in the north. Normally, Baba Yaga gives each of her daughters 100 years on the throne of the north and then places another. This time, Elvanna captured Baba Yaga and slayed the other two black riders that precursor the change. Alarian told us that if we wished to stop Elvanna and save Taldor, we needed to go through the portal and journey to the Pale Tower. We also needed to go to the capital, White Throne and take Baba Yaga’s hut to be able to follow and free her. To help with this he gave us two keys of power, a lock of a frost giants beard and a piece of a plague mask that must be tossed into the cauldron in the hut. Taking the two keys, Alarian slit his own throat and let the blood spill upon these keys, activating them for us. A burst of energy exploded out and blessed us with power to help our quest. Before our eyes his body collapsed into itself and faded away as did his horse.
Now we stand before the portal and must decide what to do. Back to town for supplies and our wagon, or go onward immediately. I know I cannot turn aside this quest. The voices give me no choice in this. On… On… On.. they chant and I will know no peace forever if I don’t finish this. Bitch of the North, you may have mighty power, the cold of the elements, and armies of the undead. Know you though that your own time of winter death is at hand. I will be the witch of summer and summer is coming.
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| Undead riders attack the group |
