Never Ending Winter IC

[DrK]

Never Ending Winter

The Immediate Area:-
http://www.freakygaming.com/gallery/game_art/neverwinter_nights_2/islands_map.jpg

The crags tower above the small thriving metropolis of Neverwinter and the nearby cities. The main Empire of the Sword lies 2600 miles to the East across the wild and windswept ocean. Here in the New World it was rough place. Monsters abounded further inland, clans of giants rules the icy mountains and trolls and fouler creatures dominated the woods. Savage native races and strange half-human barbarians raided and pillaged.

Despite the magical might and brave adventurer's guilds the Empire's holds consisted of a few small towns pinned on the storm ravaged coast. The monsters of the interior penning in the civillised folk of the Empire.

Now a new threat has dawned. The winter has not receeded, strange symbols appear on the walls and the Trolls and Giants are ever more violent. The ice and snow are burying the crops and the clerics of the Temples are sacrificing their power to provide food for a near starving populace. The regent of the New World, Baron Erik Thunderfist has put out a call for the bravest of heroes to leave the relative danger of the coastal settlements and journey inland into the heart of Winter to discover the source of the danger and end it and bring spring and the opportunity for fresh colonists. The reward a Barony and the birth of your own Empire in the brave New World...

The Wind howls against the walls of the city of Neverwinter, ice floating in the harbour grinding against the huge sea going galleons frozen in the harbour that lie in the faint shadows of the Temples and the large imposing Castle Thunderfist. The grip of winter surrounds the city, dozens of the poor and homeless have frozen to death in their hovels by the snow coated chasm and the graveyards in the southern district see constant processions of mourners. Each day long queues form up through the temple district as the priests stretch their powers each day to conjure food for the thousands of hungry citizens or do backstreet trades with brave hunters who manage to captch game in the snow covered lands outside the city.

The City
http://www.mikeschley.com/images/New%20Artwork/Neverwinter.jpg


Inside the great hall of Castle Thunderfist chaos reigns. The Count, Lord Erik Thunderfist- once a mighty warrior- stands at the head of the grand hall, the weak winter light filtering in through the ornate stained glass windows decorated with the ancient heroes of the Empire. The old man, still wearing the fine plate of his youth surveys the chaotic cluster of New colony nobles, wealthy merchant, irate and trapped Galleon Captains and the ecletic colllection of powerful, strangely attired and multi-racial adventurers...

Lord Thunderfist
http://cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/quizzes/cat_img/89.jpg

A voice, well used to booming over battlefields, cuts through the throng ""Silence!" the word cracking through the air. "Friends, allies... and with a glance at the adventurers at on the left hand of the great stone hall "Brave adventurers. Please Silence. We face the greatest danger that the the Colonies of the EMpire have ever faced. On all sides we are beset by danger. Helm's Hold lives under siege from the savage beasts of the winterwood and the giant clans of the Sword Mountains. Port last suffers daily from the depredations of the wild lycanthrope clans and sea borne ice reavers and in the North Port Luskan lies cut off by the sea ice and in danger by the horrific troll tribes of King Throgg. And " he pauses again for some dramatic effect ""Here in Neverwinter, the jewel of the New Empire we freeze, we starve, we lie frozen inside our walls with the Giants of the mountains bearing down upon us killing our foragers and salting our farms.


All of these are nothing!" he bellows, "Compared to to the winter. Some fell presence moves behind these creatures, Some fell mind that pulls down the very icy cold of the winter upon this land and holds us dying in its icy grip. This must be broken." He looks down at the assembled nobles, adventurers and merchants "I ask, the Empire asks- are there any heroes here that will ride forth to save these lands and the people of the New Empire?...


Feel free to step forward :smallsmile:

There is an Adventurer's Guild in town centred around an Inn that overlooks the chasm in the southeast of the city, a very nice balcony built out over the chasm itself with an impressive glassteel floor for a gut wrenching view straight down. The Inn is the "The Mammoth's Tusk" and has sister Inns in the other settlements. Its where most adventurer's hang out (only level 5+ can be members and allowed to drink on the balcony....)

In the first post please feel free to add an image or description of your PC. Its up to you guys if your PCs know each other pre-game.


OOC Thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=12462231#post12462231)

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

As the count finished his speech, a stout gnome stepped forward from the crowd. His skin was of an odd coloration, a pale electric blue, a feature that only served to enhance his sharp azure eyes. His hair, which seemed to have been brown some years ago, was now graying a bit with age, and his bangs fell just over his eyes, obscuring his forehead.

The man was smaller than his fellow gnomes, only standing at about 22 inches tall. Yet there was something in his eyes, experience, and wisdom beyond his years. He trod light of foot, and quickly made his way to the front, to stand before the Lord.

He stopped and gave a polite bow, before standing boldly, with an aura of bravery and confidence of a man ten times his size, and declared, "I will go, my Lord. By myself, if necessary, though I'm sure it is not so." He glanced back behind him, to see if there were any other champions who would join him.

[Toliudar]

Scree Dustlake

A spindly and somewhat ragged-looking kobold slides in between two pairs of legs and also steps forward. Bits of dirty green and brown scales are visible underneath a complicated-looking web of ropes and straps that cover most of her body. She might well be mistaken for a peddlar or beggar, except that the pack on her back was intact and solid-looking, a majestic ruby ring adorned her left thumb, and a small flashing orange stone whirled around her at all times. The little one seems to be armed only with a crooked stick, from which dangle pouches and fetishes, but like the gnome, she seemed to carry herself with a quiet dignity. The kobold nods cautiously towards the gnome, and when she clears her throat it is a dry, rasping sound, like sandpaper on steel.

My lord, visions of this calamity reached me all the way across the ocean. I have come to bring warmth in a time of cold. I am Scree, of the Dustlake, and I will help if I can.

http://paizo.com/image/content/PathfinderRPG/PZO1121-Kobold.jpg

[Chambers]

Hote

A large man sat in a nearby chair, his heavy green cloak pulled around him to provide some shelter from the cold. The stone head of his maul rested on the floor besides him, the stone splotched with red stains that don't look like natural coloration. At the Counts request he stands up, his armor creaking underneath his cloak and easily hefts the maul onto his wide shoulder. "I will aid ye, friend gnome. It is for this task that I have come to this land." He says in thickly accented Common and nods to the Count.

The man's cloak reaches down to his knees but it parts as he stands and reveals well cared for half-plate, shined and clean. A large iron shield hangs strapped to his back and small pouches hang on his wide leather belt. Perhaps the oddest thing about his appearance is the clasp that holds his cloak closed. It's a sprig of holly and berry, but instead of cast in metal it appears to be just recently picked.

http://th09.deviantart.net/fs7/300W/i/2005/182/3/f/Viking_Warrior_by_severeene.jpg

[DrK]

As the massive bearded and armoured man stands with his maul , plate and shield there is a palpable sigh of relief, subtly covering the few nervous totters of laughter that the appearance of the tiny gnome and the kobold had produced amongst the merchants and nobles.

The Count glances down at all 3, an elderly man at his side with a purple robe liberally covered in runes that the glitter with subtle magic whispering something into the Count's ear. "Well met. 2 masters of magic and a warrior." a tiny note of dissapointment enters his voice "Is there no more? Is there turly only 3 heroes in the colonies of the Empire?"...

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

With a heavy sigh, a dwarf of average build near the back of the adventurers pushes to the front. His mane of silver and steel hair is pulled partially into a tail at the back of his head, the color matching his short, shaggy beard. Small iron-gray eyes peer out from under a heavy brow, and a bulbous, misshapen nose and wide mouth complete his rugged, aging face. He wears no armor; instead a simple woolen tunic and a hooded cloak appear to offer his only protection. Yet the grizzled dwarf is clearly a warrior, to which the double-ended spear slung over his back and his soldierly bearing attest. A few simple items of jewelry adorn the dwarf, the most striking of which is a necklace made from the teeth and claws of a bear. When he speaks, his voice rumbles forth like the slow grind of stone on stone. "I offer my services to the Empire, whatever use they may be. I've experience in the wilderness and the cold, and in dealing with giants as well."

[DrK]

The Baron looks about the hall sadly as the rest of the adventurers' shuffle and look sheepish but not stepping forward and the nobles politely cough and watch on. Shaking his head the Baron looks down at the human, kobold, gnome and dwarf... "A strange party as I've ever seen but you carry the hopes of all the people of Neverwinter. If you suceed in breaking the icy death grip of winter you shall a barony as you choose and be welcome in court of The Empire".

"Is there anything you wish before you head forth to save us?, the question punctuated by the Baron waving forward a nearby servant, the servant wrapped in multiple layers of clothers carrying a steaming tray laden with cups of mint tea. "I am sorry brave comrades but I can offer little else, I opened up the Palace stores to the people when these troubles began."


Feel free to ask any questions, get to know each other or head off into the big bad world.

[Toliudar]

Scree

Scree is puzzled by the Baron's disappointment. Gnomes were of course one of the mightiest people in the world - subtle, skilled and intelligent, a suitable if duplicitous foil for her own people. Dwarves were mighty diggers, forgers and warriors, known across the Empire for their hardiness. Humans...well, it was often useful to have one of them to get things from the top shelf. And of course her own race had a history of glory and might stretching back millenia. These cowardly people were fortunate to have four such heroes.

Scree nods an acknowledgment at the human and dwarf who had joined in.

"My Lord, is it true that you have no idea, then, what is causing the prolonged winter? I am a relative newcomer. How long has this been happening? Have you tried no magics, no rituals, to discover the source of this terrible cold? Have the winds been coming from a particular direction? If we are to march forth into the unknown on your behalf, we might at least spend a few minutes in consultation with your Lordship before we do so."

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

Alfek stepped forward and accepted a cup of tea, sipping it and shuddering as the pure warmth spread through his cold-blooded veins. "What do you mean, sire, by "this is all you can offer us"? It is an honor to break bread with the Lord of the free peoples, and this tea couldn't have tasted better, even if it were handmade by the gods themselves." He drank slowly, savoring each sip, as this would most likely be one of the last cups of tea made by the Baron until they succeeded. No if about it though. They would succeed. Even if Alfek had to ally himself with a kobold to do it.

Alfek didn't exactly share his race's hatred of the scrawny little lizards, but he couldn't shake the suspicious aura that he felt from them. He would keep an eye on this sorcerer, but for now, he had no reason not to trust her.

As he finished the tea, he set the cup back on the table and looked up. "The winters must be broken, of course, but more important, this station, these people, they must survive until we return. If the giants salt your fields, then we must stop them first."

Alfek turned to the dwarf. He did not know if his companions would agree with his sentiment, and he would not argue the decision if they rejected him, but of all those who stood with him, the ranger seemed to be the most likely to ally with him. He stretched his arm out in question. "What say you, Master Dwarf? Do you think the giants could be reasoned with? If we need not fight them, then there is certainly no reason we should just ignore this problem before we head off."

[Lyndworm]

Balrim

Grimacing as he sips the vile concoction the Baron called tea, the dwarf readily takes the excuse to stop drinking it. "Please, call me Balrim, or even Bal if you prefer. To answer your question, the giants are a more complicated folk than most realize, and there are many factions within them, as there are with any other race. It's certainly possible to negotiate with some of these factions, they might even prefer it to open combat." The dwarf sighs heavily, eyes focusing on something much too far away to see. "Yet, I doubt that will be the case. Unless I'm missing something big, here, these giants aren't simply raiding, but actively destroying things they could take. This is a very bad sign, especially the salting of farms. Giants live long lives, some longer even than us, friend gnome. They know the exact level of damage they're perpetrating on the Empire, and they're not interested in talking about it if they're destroying land they could instead use."

[DrK]

Scree nods an acknowledgment at the human and dwarf who had joined in.

"My Lord, is it true that you have no idea, then, what is causing the prolonged winter? I am a relative newcomer. How long has this been happening? Have you tried no magics, no rituals, to discover the source of this terrible cold? Have the winds been coming from a particular direction? If we are to march forth into the unknown on your behalf, we might at least spend a few minutes in consultation with your Lordship before we do so."

The Baron turns to the 4 heroes and along with the tea ushers them into a small anteroom leaving his purple cloaked advisor to deal with the grand hall in his absence. The anteroom is nicer by far. Thick rugs line the floor and a double layer of heavy velvet draps cover the ice rimed window. In the corner a small fire burns- a small pile of wood beside it a sign of the Baron's wealth in these harsh times. Waving the heroes to some of the comfortable, if worn chairs, by the fire in the shadow of some packed bookshelves he looks to the kobold.

Our magics have only divined that the source of the unending cold lies deep in the Crags. Some aspect of the planes blocks our divinations more than that and also any way of easy magical travel there. We have lost many fine and brave fellows in our attempt to prevent this.

As for how long, well, we are now in our 9th month of winter. A spring that never was and summer that brought ice, snow and cruel frost giants and their icy minions.

He sips his tea and smiles as the warmth suffuses his bones slightly. "I will spare as much time as you wish. With the galleons frozen in the harbours and the trade between the towns cut off due to maruading beasts my duties are much diminished.

He looks towards the dwarf. "Here my goodman Bal. Something more to your taste." Noticing Bal's face at the tea and listening to the hunter's words on the giants he offers the dwarf a refill from a battered metal flask taken from his waist. With the top off all can smell the potent alcoholic vapours that exude from the flask. "You speak wisely of the giants. Even up to last year we could negotiate with them. Buying peace with beasts or gold. But now they've turned. A new Jarl has taken over and he is cruel and interested only in the blood of man. here he pauses.. "Or gnome, dwarf and kobold I would expect".

Pulling down a rough map from above the fireplace he begins to point at the various features on the map, descrbing the main threats therein...
Starting in the South we have giants and their allies in the Sword Mountains. But there are also the wild beasts of all shades that dwell in the cursed Neverwinter wood. None seem intelligent but they are many and put Helm's Hold in dire danger.

Here in Neverwinter we face attack from the giants of the Crags, attack from the sea's by pale skinned ice reavers and packs of winter wolves and worse roam the plains. And like Port Last the lycans raid and pillage, sometimes attacking from within the walls despite the best efforts of the guards. Many spies of the frost dwellers have been found of late. It is a sad time

To the north Port Luskan is in a desperate situation, vile monsters born from nightmare climb out of the frozen sea to attack them. Any who leave are torn apart by the trolls of the troll King Throgg.

But here... he punctuates the remark by stabbing a bejewlled letter opener into the map into the heart of the mountains in the North East corner of the map "And here" another stab into the smoking mountain East of Luskan "These are the sights that my mages and priests tell me possess the warping powers of magic that impede our fires and our travelling magics...

[Lyndworm]

Balrim

The dwarf is visibly relieved to have the tea taken away, though he seems a bit chastised to have been called on it. Still, he happily takes the liquor offered. "Thank you much, sir, though I meant no offense. You are both perceptive and kind to offer from your personal flask..." Bal takes a small drink, not so dainty as to be called a sip, finding the alcohol much more to his liking indeed. "I don't mean to imply that my three distinguished partners won't be just as instrumental, but I've some experience in dealing with beasts, magical and mundane, and in navigating the frozen wastes. I was a fur-trapper and guide before the Great Winter, and my skills certainly haven't dulled during it."

He takes another, longer drink from his spirit-infused teacup before continuing. "Still, be the giants crazed or not, I suspect it would be best to at least attempt a peaceful meeting. Should they not wish to meet or should no good come of the meeting, I expect the result to be a lot of dead frost giants either way. I would prefer to spare their lives, however. The army trained me to fight the giants, but not to hate them."

[Toliudar]

With surprising agility, Scree scrambles up onto the table to stand on the map, the better to see what Baron Thunderfist was pointing at. She declines the tea - despite the fact the she is effectively dressed in boots and rope, the cold does not seem to be bothering her.

Hmm. Werewolves, sea monsters, trolls and giants. These are serious problems, sure, but none of them seem to be likely the cause of the winter. For all we know, they are just hungry and desperate from the lack of a growing season too. Whereas this area.

She steps lightly over to the northeast corner and points at it with the tip of her stick.

Is a whole other matter. Anything powerful enough to change the way that the flow of magic works in the entire region...that is the kind of power that makes winter come and stay. I would suggest that the four of us might best start in that area.

She glances over at her new colleagues.

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

"Your point is valid, sorceress." Alfek agreed. "I think we can all agree that the beasts and giants in this area have nothing to do with the harsh weather, and indeed would most likely wish to see it brought to a close as much as us. The question is, if we headed directly to find the source of the winter, and stopped it as quickly as we could, without dealing with the monsters in this area, would the Baron be able to keep his people alive long enough to see the winter end?"

Alfek shook his head, his eyes glistening with cold calculation. "In my opinion, I don't think these people will last even two more months with the current supply of food. We need to deal with these giants, we have to at least try to convince them to leave the Baron alone. If we fail, it should only waste a day or two of our time, and that is negligible considering how far we have to travel."

He frowned, glancing at the kobold, then the dwarf, then the human. "No one can make this decision but us, of course. For me, this is the right thing to do. Doubly so because these giants are destroying innocent plant life that cannot fight back. But I will abide by the group's decision. Which of you think we should head right to the source of the matter, and which of you wouldn't mind a little detour if it could save all these people from starving?"

[Lyndworm]

Balrim

The dwarf nods. "I'm with you, gnome. We cannot afford to be so naive as to think that the giants will wait their turn while we see to the Great Winter."

[Toliudar]

Scree

The little kobold tilted her head. Why had the nameless gnome called her Sorceress? Surely her fame had not spread across the ocean. Perhaps he was merely making assumptions based on race. Well, she supposed that that was valid enough. Scree turned to Alfek.

"Your point, too is valid, um, Illusionist. But if we agree that the principal threat - the threat to the entire region - is the winter itself, surely that should be our focus. If we deplete our resources in battle with dozens, perhaps hundreds of giants and wolves and suchlike, we may be in no shape to face the threat that will kill everything, not just a few fields.

"I understand that the distance over the mountains seems daunting, but I assure you that we can reach this area with great speed. I was able to cross the ocean in less than a week. If we leave today, I should be able to get us to this area by tomorrow. We can have a look around, seek out possible threats, and still have time to come back to fight the giants."

[DrK]

Alfek shook his head, his eyes glistening with cold calculation. "In my opinion, I don't think these people will last even two more months with the current supply of food. We need to deal with these giants, we have to at least try to convince them to leave the Baron alone. If we fail, it should only waste a day or two of our time, and that is negligible considering how far we have to travel."

Baron Thunderfist nods in agreement withe diminutive Gnome. "I have been told by our priests that with the strain of summoning food and the lack of other food sources or heating that we may only last 7-10 weeks unless things improve. Perhaps if we could at least trade with Luskan or Helm's Hold things may be different but the sendings we've had from them bring similar tales of woe.



"Your point, too is valid, um, Illusionist. But if we agree that the principal threat - the threat to the entire region - is the winter itself, surely that should be our focus. If we deplete our resources in battle with dozens, perhaps hundreds of giants and wolves and suchlike, we may be in no shape to face the threat that will kill everything, not just a few fields.

"I understand that the distance over the mountains seems daunting, but I assure you that we can reach this area with great speed. I was able to cross the ocean in less than a week. If we leave today, I should be able to get us to this area by tomorrow. We can have a look around, seek out possible threats, and still have time to come back to fight the giants."

The Baron looks surprised at the Kobolds claims... "Have a care Mistress Dustlake. Some fell presence in the mountains distorts and warps teleportation and other spells have seen strange effects. The parties we have sent have all had to resort to walking or riding.

[NeoSeraphi]

(OOC: Oh crap, I so didn't notice she had introduced herself in the first post...that'll teach me to skim...*facepalm*)

Alfek

Alfek frowned. Had she just referred to him as an illusionist? Perhaps his assuming her profession had offended her...

"I apologize if you feel that I was out of line by calling you a sorceress, Miss Dustlake. When the Count stated that there were two masters of magic and one warrior stepping forth, I assumed that of the three of us, the human was the warrior. If I was incorrect in that assumption, then I apologize. I suppose I shouldn't judge a warrior's strength by her appearance."

He bowed. "However, you have reminded me of my manners. My name is Alfek. And I am a guardian of the earth and its creatures. Plants and animals, often too weak to defend themselves against this unnatural harsh winter, are dying all over the world now, and I want to see it stopped. These creatures are innocent victims in a crime against nature itself, and as nature's champion, it is my duty to deal with it personally."

Alfek listened carefully to the Count's description with a solemn nod. "I want to help, but I can understand my new companion's desire for haste as well..."

[Toliudar]

The Baron looks surprised at the Kobolds claims... "Have a care Mistress Dustlake. Some fell presence in the mountains distorts and warps teleportation and other spells have seen strange effects. The parties we have sent have all had to resort to walking or riding.

The kobold nods impatiently.

"I too am sorry, Master Alfek. As I have said, I agree that stopping the unnatural winter is our first priority.

She wheels to address the Baron.

"Indeed, I have heard of the difficulties you have had with the sudden movements through space. What is this of other strange effects. What are the effects? What happened to the others?"

[Chambers]

Hote

Warming himself by the fire Hote listens to the talk. "Our goal is stop the winter...but stopping the cold after all the people have died will be no victory." He says, almost to himself as if talking out loud. "The people at Helm's Hold and Port Llast could help Neverwinter survive while we find out what is causing the unnatural winter, if they were granted relief from their troubles."

He looks up and turns to the group. "I think the city would fare better against the giants if it had allies, and I think Hold and Llast would be willing to stand together with her if they were able to. We should see to their troubles, so that they may support Neverwinter while we try to end the cold."

[Lyndworm]

Balrim

"It is decided, then? We are to parley with the frost giants before looking more deeply into this Great Winter?" Bal seems excited to have an actual plan, however thin it may be. "Excellent! Thank you for your hospitality, Baron. When would you like us to head out?"

[DrK]

The Baron looks at the small kobold, "I do not know what befell them little Mistress. Only that they stopped replying to sendingsand we assume them lost. Divinations and prayers were unable to find out what had happened.

As the dwarf and huamn speak of the giants he nods. "It would be good to be able to exchange supplies with Helms Hold or Luskan, or at the very least evacuate people to one central city to try and survive this terrible curse that has befallen us. If you head south to Helm's Hold please could you give this to the Commander of the garrison?". As he says that he walks over the desk in the corner and pulls out a small sealed scroll case. It's heavy with something metallic inside and sealed with with a large wax seal that bears the Count's seal (a fist gripping a pair of crossed lightning bolts). "The guard commander is my son Lorik, I would have you pass the message on if you are heading that way. Thany you."

Looking at the party he will nod and shake each of the party members by hand. "I wish you Pelor's blessings and promise great rewards if you are successful."


If you want to ask any questions... do some shopping etc? Feel free. Or go for a pre-adventure booze up.

[Toliudar]

The kobold nods brusquely, accepting the plan.

"Very well then. Giants, trolls, lycans and sea creatures, THEN figuring out what is happening to cause the winter."

She pats herself at various points on the strange dangling harness, apparently checking that everything was still in place and finding it all to her satisfaction.

"Excellent. Can we go, gentlemen?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

Alfek nodded briskly. "Sounds like a good plan," he answered, relieved that they weren't rushing off and abandoning these people to their fate. A bit of arcane energy flickered down his arm, towards his fingertips, as he thought of the opportunity to punish those giants for their crime against nature. Salting plants, huh? He'd show them...how would they like it if they were the ones being wilted? Alfek had just the spell...he'd have them all writhing on the floor, choking for air like a fish flailing on the beach.

Alfek shook his head quickly. He had to get a grip. Revenge wasn't the point. He'd let Balrim handle the negotiations, and if there was a problem, that was where he came in.

He also didn't step forward and volunteer for the message delivery, figuring that Hote would probably be the best individual for that particular task.

[DrK]

Assuming you're heading out into the snowy wild winter weather...
If not please feel free to post what you do as your leaving.


Leaving the Baron's Castle the full force of the winter hits you. The streets were thick with muddy slush and snow piled hard up against the buildings and in the alleys and few people could be seen on the wide main streets, most keeping to narrow alleys to hide from the blisteringly cold wind. The sky was pregnant with another heavy snow fall, filled with thick dirty grey clouds and the promise of more snow and cold storms...

As you move through the city a few people watch you pass, all with veiled and hooded eyes wondering at the strangeness of a dwarf, a tiny gnome, a kobold and a human passing through the snowy street.

Reaching the city gates the guards, all looking miserable and cold looked at you with a faint glimmering of hope. "Good luck to you sers, wish you all the best". With frozen hands the guards slope their halberds and crossbows and pull open the heavy steel wrought gates, grimacing as the freezing wind pours in and the snowy vista of buried fields, abandoned farms and ic covered ponds greets you...

[Toliudar]

Heading outside again, the kobold winces at the wind and cold, but doesn't seem particularly chilled by it. Her small feet leave no tracks in the gathering snow.

Pausing at the city gates, she grimaces wipes off a layer of ice already forming on the top of her head, and looks at her companions. Clearly, she is - perhaps literally - out of her element.

"Well, if we are to be travelling on the ground, at least there's no need to do so on foot. I can bring in fas-dya-nik, um, what you might call cloud horses, that can carry us for hours, faster than any living horse. The fas-dya-nik are equally speedy in the air, although getting off the ground may be difficult in this snowstorm. Since you are all in such a great hurry to save these people, are you willing to do this?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

Alfek acknowledged the kobold's request and glanced back at his companions. "I am ready to leave when you all are. Shall we head to the giant camp now, or is there anything anyone needs to take care of in town?"

[Chambers]

Hote

Stepping out into the cold Hote wraps his cloak tighter around himself and slings his maul onto his back. "I am unfamiliar with this land...how long will it take to reach the Hold of Helm?" Hote asks as he looks over the frigid landscape.

"Where I come from...we sometimes have bad winters, but all know that the spring will come soon. These people here..." He nods back towards the city, "They know no such thing. I saw it in their eyes...they fear." He turns towards Scree and nods. "You mean the White horse of Rhiannon? It's said her horse could never be caught, though many tried."

Glancing down at the kobold Hote says "I am ready to walk to the Hold, though to ride would be faster, especially on the white horse."

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

The dwarf treks along behind the others, his weathered face set in thought. Balrim appears to be totally unaffected by the elements, more so than just stereotypical dwarf hardiness. "I believe that anything to expedite our journey would be quite the boon. Can you do this, friend kobold?"

[Toliudar]

Scree

The little kobold nods at Balrim's question, and shrugs at Holt's.

"I didn't get a good sense of the scale of this area from the map. Our first day's journey may give us a sense of this. Hmm. I wish I'd thought to take a copy of this map. I'm not so used to travelling in such unfamiliar surroundings. Now, the white horse is easier. One moment."

With a smile, she weaves her hands in a complex pattern for a few seconds, her voice again becoming harsh and phlegmy. There is a short whirl of dust, soon carried away in the winds. In short order, four insubstantial looking horses - a white one for Holt and a black for Balrim, a green-tinted one for Alfek and a brownish one for herself. - appear.

"They should be obedient to your every command. They can run over water, although I've never had occasion to try them on snow. They can fly, if the wind dies down enough for us to try that. And they will gallop tirelessly for the rest of the day, faster than any living horse. Try them!"

Using Greater Shadow Conjuration to summon four Phantom Steeds.

[DrK]

The 4 heroes race out into the snow on the shadowy steeds, the frozen world whizzing past a terrific pace as abandoned farms and frozen streams present no obstacle to the strange ghost like horses.

At this speed following the southerly road down to Helm's Hold the journey will be over fast... the 140 mile trek cut down to a scant 6 hours of hard riding in the bitterly cold winter. After an hour of riding the strange spectral beasts that knew no rest or fatigue they had already raced south far outsripping the oulying farms chasing the winding road that led to the small walled keep to the South.

A distant bridge was just visible through the falling snow ahead, the broken bridge of little concern to the spectral horses that could cross ice, snow and water as easily as land but the sight of the stream glittering a deep icy blue with a thin layer of snow was distracting...

In all the confusion the dwarf and gnomes' keen eyes are late to spot the shadowy forms lurking behind the trees as they frost giants rear up, a second much large shape, that of a huge polar bear barded in walrus hide armour rising up its 8 ton bulk seconds later. The frost giants are lean, with long spears of ash tipped with narwhal horn leaning by the trees, massive 15'tall longbows in hand wearing thick monstrous leathers over their supernatural blue skin...


http://images.wikia.com/forgottenrealms/images/0/00/Frost_giant_-_Mitch_Cotie.jpg
http://www.freewebs.com/oakla-chan/Dire%20Polar%20Bear.bmp


Surprise round: Bad guys then Balrim/Alfeck
Round 1 - Bad guys then good guys

Encounter starts at an incredible 60ft due to the snow obscuring vision of all concerned.

The Bear rears up roaring loudly
The 3 frost giants launch arrows at:-
Hote: attack [roll0] damage [roll1] + [roll2]cold
Balrim: attack [roll3] damage [roll4] + [roll5]cold
Alfeck: attack [roll6] damage [roll7] + [roll8]cold

I've approximated a marching order for you guys, please let me know if its wrong.



Link to pyromancer Map (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=1146)

[NeoSeraphi]

[OOC: I dunno if we really have an initiative count, but I assume that Lynd won't mind if I go before him in the surprise round. If he does, I'll of course redo my turn after he posts]

Alfek

As Alfek rode atop his mighty steed, he was struck by a single arrow, coated in frost. The arrow itself hurt, but its frozen tip did nothing to harm the stout gnome as he glared up at the source. "Damnations...we're under attack!" he yelled, pointing towards the frost giants that loomed in the distance.

Raising his finger, Alfek's eyes narrowed. "This will teach you to cross a gnome!" he yelled, pointing directly at the frost giant who fired at him. The snow beneath the giant's feet began to turn crimson red.


Casting maximized blood snow, covering the area as best I can. I want to get all the squares the three frost giants occupy, as well as those squares up to 20 feet in front of them, and then as many squares as I have left behind them (the spell covers 300 feet of fallen snow).

Each round, a creature standing on blood snow (not just the enemies, if any of us touch it as well) must make a Fortitude save (DC 20) or take 2 points of Constitution drain. Failing one save means you are nauseated for the entire duration of the spell, touching the snow or not.

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

The dwarf dodges the arrow easily and prepares to send one of his own. Wishing that he'd spotted the giants farther off, he has time only to pull his bow and shout to the enormous creatures. "Parley!" he shouts at the top of his longs, following with another request in the giant's tongue.

[DrK]

The sudden barrage of arrows take sthe party by surprise. An arrow grazing Alfek's shoulder, the head of the arrow as large as the gnomes head. Another arrow slams into Balrim's chest, the armoured hide and furs deflecting the shot. THe third just clips the duskblade drawing blood as it skimms past his chest...

Alfek responds, a vast area of snow turning blood red, the necrotic snow draining life from everything present as the trees die, the leaves wither and die the snow growing blacker and blacker as it absorbs more life force...

At Balrim's word the Bear comes barreling forward kicking up massive slushy piles of blood snow soaking the ground and its barded body rears up just before the frozen rover howling before shouting in giant "Silence prey... we shall devour your flesh and crunch your bones..." waving a huge dwarf sized paw forward it howls at the giants "Kill them all... the bearded one is mine"

As he roars the two active giants look with disgust at the bloody snow before stepping sideways, one lunging forward darting through the trees before firing a ballista sized arrow at the gnome, the other ducking sideways launching massive arrows at Hote and Scree.

The third giant collapses to the ground on his knees, crawling to the edge of the blood snow, its knees and lower legs blackened and withered with the necrotic energy...


Bear:
Double move forward and look scary
Giant 1: Rapid shot
-- Shot 1 @ Scree [roll0] damage [roll1] + [roll2] cold
-- Shot 2 @ Hote [roll3] damage [roll4] + [roll5] cold

Giant 2: Move forward and launch a shot at Alfek
Attack [roll6] damage [roll7] ignore the cold

Giant 3 moves and throws up as his legs wither and shrivel




Bad Guy Status

Bad guy status
Bear:
Giant 1:
Giant 2:
Giant 3: 2 Con drained (14hps); nauseasted 14 rounds left


The party may now feel free to kick some ass

UPDATE MAP (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=1176)

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

Alfek stared in disbelief. "By the frozen earth, did that bear just talk? Well, I'll shut it up!" He winced in pain as he was struck by another arrow, but then raised his hand, his finger glowing blue and aimed right for the polar bear. He fired a burst of energy, before glancing at the dwarf expectantly.

"I'm sorry, friend, but I don't think they're in the mood to talk! If you can calm them down, by all means, do so. Until then I'm going to keep defending myself."



Spell: Ray of Stupidity

Ranged Touch: [roll0]
Intelligence Damage (No Save): [roll1]
SR Check (I have a gut feeling the polar bear has SR for some reason): [roll2]

[Chambers]

Hote

"Some spirits enjoy taking over a beasts body and commanding it to foul acts..." Hote says as he spurs his white horse forward. Gripping his maul in both hands he drops off as it turns around and races back towards cover across the creek. "...but I've dealt with such as these before." He finishes as the stone head of his maul begins to glow with a deep red light and blue lightning crackles along it as he brings it back to swing it against the bears knees.

Attack!

Move Action - Dismount and draw Maul
Free Action - Arcane Strike 2nd level spell slot
No Action - Channeling Shocking Grasp
Swift Action - Blade of Blood (wand chamber, 5 damage for the damage boost)

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll2]
Blade of Blood Damage [roll3]
Shocking Grasp Damage [roll4] Electricity

Stat Block - Updated
Hote
HP: 106/127, 20 Temp HP
AC: 26 (31 vs ranged attacks)

F/R/W: +16/+10/+13
DR 5/--: Used 10/50
Lifedrinking Crystal: Used 5/50

[Toliudar]

Scree

The massive arrow from the giant's bow, passes through the space that Scree would have been, had she not quickly leaned forward to avoid the shaft, longer than she was tall.

The kobold smiles over at the gnomish defender of nature.

"Sure, as soon as an animal learns to speak for itself, the first thing you want to do is shut it up."

A quick word and gesture, and suddenly there were many copies of Scree, all riding the same steed. She raises her hands and decides that now would be the right time to unleash the first blow of fire against this infernal ice. She wheels her steed around, stopping just at the edge of the frozen stream, and then unleashes a gout of flame from her hands that burns through the polar bear to a pair of the giants beyond.

Swift action: Cast greater mirror image to get [roll0] duplicates of herself.

Move action: Guide the phantom steed to B4, or whatever nearby square is required to line up the polar bear and the 2 southmost giants.

Standard action: cast a Searing Fireball, sculpted into a 120' line of fire. DC 21 reflex for half damage, [roll1] fire damage. Creatures with the cold type take double damage.

Note: if she is fired on or attacked in melee next round, Scree will cast Wings of Cover to negate the attack.

[DrK]

Even as Hote surges forwards a line of peculiar purple energy hits the bear in the face causing it shake its head in confusion before rearing up in rage "I am no mere beast!". Hotes feels the force of its fury as he approaches it reach as the bear's claws scythe through his armour even as his blade deals it a terrible blow crackling with energy... even as the force of Hote's blade spread blood and fur in a wide arc his spellcasting powers reach out absorbing soe of the blood healing the wounds that the bear's claws had inflicted.


AoO does 20 to Hote
edit-> who then eats 20 of the bear's HP with retributive Vampiric touch

Seconds later the air near Hote burns hotter than the heart of a volcano as with a crackling roar a wall of wall sears the air, the withtered giant howling in agony as the flesh from half of its body is melted and turned to slag...

Bad guy status

Bear: 18 fire + 466 hote = 84 so far + 3 Int damage
Giant 1: happy
Giant 2: 36 fire
Giant 3: 72! Fire (86 total) + 2 Con drain + nauseated


Balrim still to go...

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

The dwarf hops from his phantom steed and takes aim at the overgrown bear. He knocks an arrow, but does not fire it. Instead, a shimmer of magic encapsulates the bow, and then is gone just as swiftly as it came. "I'm no diplomat, Alfek. Besides, these creatures seem to be in no mood for negotiations."

Move action to dismount, Standard action to activate the wand of hunter's mercy located in the longbow.

Balrim's Statblock:
Balrim Aragak (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=356684)
Male LN Dwarf Ranger, Level 15, Init +9, HP 161/161, Speed 20ft
AC 28, Touch 21, Flat-footed 26, Fort +18, Ref +14, Will +12, Base Attack Bonus +15/+10/+5
Double Spear, +1 +22 | +20 (1d8+10, 20/x3)
Unarmed Strike, +1 +22 | +20 (1d8+7, 20/x2)
(+3 Armor, +2 Shield, +2 Dex, +2 Natural, +3 Deflect, +6 Misc)
Abilities Str 22, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 20, Cha 8
Condition Under the effects of Endure Elements. +4 Dodge AC vs Giants, +2 AC vs ranged attacks.

[DrK]

As blood starts to stain the snow the giants get more agressive, the north most giant (1) running forward as the small kobold isolates herself and the towering ice flecked figure, now with blistered flesh over one arm see's a chance for revenge. slinging its longbow it pulls out its towering spear topped with whale horn as it darts forward...

The second giant pulls forth its spear as well, ignoreing hote as he's food for the bear it lunges at Balgrim hoping to find the dwarf easy pickings...

The 3rd giant continues to vomit blood and burned flesh as it rolls around in the rapidly going red snow by the edge of the strange corrupted snow produced by Alfek.

The bear on its hind legs now moves to crush the duskblade, roaring curses in giant as it hammers at the tiny man in his shining plate and the floating disc of steel that hovers steadfastly above his head...



Bear full attack Hote
claw 1 [roll0] damage [roll1]
claw 1 [roll2] damage [roll3]
bite [roll4] damage [roll5]

Giant 1 double moves drawing long spear

Giant 2 moves drawing long spear and stabs Balgrim
attack [roll6] damage [roll7]

Giant 3 continues to be ill and burnt



Better updated map (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=1190)

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

Alfek glares at Scree in annoyance. "An animal who can speak for itself is no natural animal, it is a poor beast corrupted by magic. The work of some selfish wizard, no doubt."

He watched in agitation as Hote and Balrim struggled to fend the mighty warriors off. Figuring the kobold could handle herself, Alfek turned to the giant fighting Balrim. "I hope I don't offend you by offering my aid, Sir Dwarf. He does have the advantage of size."

Alfek grinned and felt the magic swirling up inside him. "And I have just the spell for this, too!" Squaring himself on the ground, Alfek took a deep breath, closing his eyes. His mind took him back to a time in the forests, as he stared up into the sky, the full moon bearing down on him. Alfek could feel its power flowing through him, and by concentrating, he augmented it with his own arcane energy. Thrusting his hand forward and calling out "Bow before the light of the moon!" in Druidic, Alfek fired a silver beam of energy that struck the frost giant attacking Balrim directly in the chest.


Spell: Moon bolt
Augmentation: Sudden Maximize Spell
Effect: 20 points of Strength damage, Fort save DC 20 for 1/2 damage (10 Strength damage on a successful save)
SR Check: [roll0]

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

The ranger rolls backwards, attempting to avoid another swipe of the giant's spear. "I welcome any help my compatriots offer, though you should know that size is no hindrance to a dwarf." says Balrim, just barely dodging the giant's spear. "My people have a saying," he continues, lining up a shot with his longbow. "The bigger they are, the closer your teeth are to their groin." The dwarf lets his arrow fly with that comment, sending it deep into the giant's flesh.

Move action to tumble back to D17, Standard action to attack the giant in K17-L18. The arrow automatically hits and confirms a criticalIf the arrow hits, it automatically confirms a critical (due to the hunter's mercy spell).

Acrobatics:
[roll0]


Attack:
(1d20+18)[15](33)

Damage:
[roll1]

Balrim's Statblock:
Balrim Aragak (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=356684)
Male LN Dwarf Ranger, Level 15, Init +9, HP 161/161, Speed 20ft
AC 28, Touch 21, Flat-footed 26, Fort +18, Ref +14, Will +12, Base Attack Bonus +15/+10/+5
Double Spear, +1 +22 | +20 (1d8+10, 20/x3)
Unarmed Strike, +1 +22 | +20 (1d8+7, 20/x2)
Composite Longbow (39 Arrows) +18 (1d8+6, 20/x3)
(+3 Armor, +2 Shield, +2 Dex, +2 Natural, +3 Deflect, +6 Misc)
Abilities Str 22, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 20, Cha 8
Condition Under the effects of Endure Elements. +4 Dodge AC vs Giants, +2 AC vs ranged attacks.

[Chambers]

Hote

The bears claws rip and tear into Hotes armor and body. He lets out a brief cry and then grits his teeth, tightening his hold on his maul. "Beast or spirit, you'll die before my hammer!" He shouts and brings his maul down hard on the bear.

Full Attack
Free Action - Arcane Strike 2nd level spell
Arcane Channeling - Vampiric Touch

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll2]
Vampiric Touch [roll3]

Attack [roll4]
Damage [roll5]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll6]
Vampiric Touch [roll7]

Attack [roll8]
Damage [roll9]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll10]
Vampiric Touch [roll11]

Each hit heals 5 damage via the Lifedrinking crystal and he'll take the highest of the damage totals as his Temp HP from Vampiric Touch (they don't stack with each other regarding the Temp HP gained, only get the highest value, but they all deal damage).

Stat Block - Updated
Hote
HP: 90/127, 49 Temp HP
AC: 26 (31 vs ranged attacks)

F/R/W: +16/+10/+13
DR 5/--: Used 25/50
Lifedrinking Crystal: Used 15/50

[Toliudar]

Scree

Scree is only slightly daunted by the massive giant bearing (no pun intended) down on her. An eighth image of her appears, making a set of nine for him to choose from. Shifting slightly to the north, she lines up another blast of flame and lets three of them have it again.

5' step north to B5. Standard action to cast another sculpted, searing Fireball. [roll0] fire damage, 2x damage to cold creatures, reflex DC 21 for half. Auto-success to cast defensively. To clarify - she's making a line of fire that intersects Giants 1 and 3, and the Polar Bear should be in the midst of that line.

Preparing to use an immediate action to cast Wings of Cover to counter his (first).

[DrK]

Even as Balrim tumbles backwards the giant is engulfed pale moonlight that shrivels muscles leaving the giant wasting away, the crippling loss of strength causes the spear that would have hit to miss as the dwarf's giant fighting training saves him again...

The return arow slams into the Giant's chest doing horrific damage to flesh and bone, though the flash of searing fire a moment later as once more the kobold unleashes a vast stream of raw flame causes all blink as snow and ice bubbles and melts, a 120 ft long scar across the snowy landscape creating an instant bank of foggy steam and the stench of burning flesh and fur begans to make everyone want to gag. THe nearest giant to the kobold now a mass of blistered flesh and exposed bone...

In the carnage the duskblade, armour dented and streaming with blood unleashes the full fury of the maul as 3 collassal impacts stagger the bear, each hit chased with arcane energy and strands of black power that drain the very life force out of the bear. As the third strike hits true, the maul slamming into the huge creatures rapidly tumbling face it finally lies still...

As the bear tumbles to the ground the two giants both show a moment of worry as they begin to realise that they've underestimated these strange travellors.

The one nearest Scree towers above the kobold still trailing smoke, its face confused as it lashes about with its spear at the multiple images of the kobold, the water around its feet beginning to melt and flow with the successive waves of fire.

The other one by the small bridge howls rage at the gnomish mage lunging at it with a spear trying to make into a tiny snack on a stick before spinning and trying to drive the 15ft barbed spear into Hote's exposed back.

The thrid giant, now mostly molten and flesh and vomit starts to crawl slowly away...


Giant 1 attack Scree
attack [roll0] damage [roll1] hitting image [roll2] -assuming Scree is 9
attack [roll3] damage [roll4] hitting image [roll5] -assuming Scree is 8

Giant 2 atacking Alfek [roll6] damage [roll7]
Giant 2 atacking Hote [roll8] damage [roll9]

Giant 3 moved a little further away



Bad Guy status

Bear: 258 so far + 3 Int damage
Giant 1: 72
Giant 2: 81 total + 10 Str damage
Giant 3: 122 total + 2 Con drain + nauseated 12 rounds left



UPDATED MAPhttp://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=1334

[Chambers]

Hote

The dancing shield swung around just in time to deflect the giants spear. Hote turned his head and pointed with his maul to the ruin of the bear lying on the ground. "This is your fate." He said to the giant as he clambered up onto the bridge next to it, his maul already in motion as it descended down against the giant. First the feet, then the kneecaps, then the stomach.

5ft step to 16J, Full Attack.
Arcane Channeling - Shocking Grasp
Arcane Strike - 2nd level spell

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll2]
Shocking Grasp [roll]5d6[roll]

Attack [roll3]
Damage [roll4]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll5]
Shocking Grasp [roll]5d6[roll]

Attack [roll6]
Damage [roll7]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll8]
Shocking Grasp [roll]5d6[roll]

Stat Block
Hote
HP: 100/127, 49 Temp HP
AC: 26 (31 vs ranged attacks)

F/R/W: +16/+10/+13
DR 5/--: Used 25/50
Lifedrinking Crystal: Used 25/50

[Toliudar]

Scree

Guessing that her colleagues could take care of the other two giants just fine, Scree turns her attention to the one who had stabbed through of her doubles. She blinked, and a new one appeared, bringing the total number of Screes back up to 8.

Weaving to avoid the stabbing spear, she snarled and gestured, and a trio of gouts of flame, each narrower and more focused than the last two she had unleashed, streaked towards the giant. At her command, the steed held its ground.

Defensively casting a Searing Scorching Ray at Giant 1.
Ray 1 Ranged Touch Attack: [roll0] Damage [roll1], x2 vs cold creatures
Ray 2 Ranged Touch Attack: [roll2] Damage [roll3], x2 vs cold creatures
Ray 3 Ranged Touch Attack: [roll4] Damage [roll5], x2 vs cold creatures

[DrK]

With a vast display of crackling lightning the duskblade trailing blood ducks under the giant's spear, 2 massive swings of the glowing maul are all it takes. the first shattering the leg of the giant, the second slamming into the giants's face stoving in its skull in a massive explosion of sparks as it dies messily.

To the North the small kobold effortlessly ducks under the clumsy spear of the giant before a trio of blazing red beams fire spring forth the beams of superhot fire trisecting the beast neatly as the 4 segmenst fall with wet splats into the melted snow...

Balrim and Aflek are both left to finish off the vomiting and burning 3rd one...

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

The dwarf hops back up onto his other-wordly mount and directs the conjured creature over to where the last remaining giant lay dying. "Tell me, large one; what is your name?" he asks in Common, followed by a similar phrase in Giant.

Move action to mount the phantom steed, Move action to sheathe the longbow, Free action to direct the mount.

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

Alfek followed Balrim towards the giant, glaring at him harshly. "Answer all of my friend here's questions, or I'll quadruple the pain you're feeling right now," he threatened in Giant, pointing the magical staff in his hands directly at the giant's face.


Double move action to walk 40 feet towards the giant. No rules for shortening an Intimidate check to a free action, so I'm just talking after that.

[Toliudar]

With three opponents down, Scree finds enough confidence to declare victory. She throws her head back and screams a shrill, ululating note of defiance into the snowstorm, and follows it up with a streak of flame that is hurled straight up and vanishes out of sight. The explosion is far in the air above, but the sound of the impact is faintly heard, even above the high winds.

"There! The first blast of Kossuth's holy heat is sent, and fair warning is given to all those who perpetrate this awful cold. You Will Burn."

Sending off a standard fireball to detonate about 500' up.

[DrK]

The fireball explodes with a dull roar marking victory, the red flash mirroring the blood soaked snow already freezing and steaming the churned up slush.

The living giant looks up the ranger and down at the gnome as it lies foetal on the ground, still burned horribly and withered. please. We have no choice. The clan must hunt or it will starve. he looks at the shaggy dwarf, I am Jotun of the Tronheim clan. Who ate you. Please spare me... We did not realise your power.

The giant seems beaten, any fight or defiance quelled by seeing the 6 ton bear and two his fellows cut down so easily. Ware the skies little bearded one. He has white wyrms and you're friend has summoned them as surely as brothers are dead!

[Toliudar]

Scree

White wyrms! An archenemy of the flame. It too shall fall, that the divine heat may return. Prepare. Prepare.

Scree wove another magic in the air, and zipped on her steed over to the conversation with the giant.

"It is as we suspected - they are hungry and scratching out survival, just as everything else is. But why do you speak of eating this dwarf? And how did that bear speak?"

DrK, if I'm too far away to have heard what the giant said, just let me know and I'll revise the post.

Scree casts Resist Energy (Cold). Should have done it as soon as we left the city, really.

[DrK]

I'd assume that Balrim was translating for party members that don't speak Giant...


THe giant looks at the flame wreathed kobold, shivering slightly in fear of the flames crackling around the dimunitive sorceress. "We must eat to live. THey take our food, the dark ice spirits. They summon demons of cold and empower the beasts of the mountains with cruel intelligence.

It gestures at the blood covered and battered Hote, "You saw its strength, How can we say no when it commands us to hunt. We of the Tronheim traded with the humans... now we must devour them just to survive.

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

"The dark ice spirits?" Alfek repeated, his eyes narrowing. "Let them come! I'll show them what happens when they attempt to go against nature by giving animals a higher level of sentience, and plaguing them with the woes that come with higher comprehension! Turning an animal into a creature that can actually feel remorse and regret for its hunting like this giant does here...it's unforgivable."

Alfek turned away from the giant. "Still, this little chat was quite informative." He glanced back at Balrim, and said in Giant, "Let him go. He is no threat to us now. But do not mistake our mercy for weakness, Giant. If you dare draw your blades against us, I will instill in your veins a poison much more serious than a little bit of sickness."

He walked towards Scree. "We must prepare. What do you know of dragons, Scree? Perhaps we can work together to come up with some kind of a plan?"



I'm going to attempt a Knowledge (Arcana) check to see what I know about white dragons, and I'm requesting Scree's help to talk it out with me as a kind of Aid Another check.

[roll0]

Also, in case it's relevant, please add 2 to the rounds that blood snow is active. I forgot to add the +2 CL to [cold] spells from the world

[Toliudar]

Oh, right! I've been forgetting the concentration check to avoid the -2 CL for the fire spells, but it wouldn't have affected any of the effects of this combat anyway.

Consider Scree making the aid-another knowledge check. [roll0]

Scree nods absently at Alfek's question.

"Dragons. Yes. Great spirits, almost unstoppable in battle. The whites are, as I recall, far stupider than their warmer kin. Hence, why they apparently serve this 'him'."

This seems to trigger another train of thought that draws her attention back to the giant.

"Who is this "him" who is so mighty that white wyrms serve him? What do you know of him?"

[Chambers]

Hote

Joining his fellows Hote stands by, his hands resting on the hilt of his maul as it's stone head rests on the ground. His eyes scan the skies and then turns his head and calls to his white horse.

Turning back to the giant he says "Where do you lair?" He nods to the kobold. "And where does this dread master sleep? If we break his hold on your people, they would cease the attacks on Neverwinter?"

A pulse of red light flows from his hands and travels down to the stone head of his maul where it flashes bright and then fades, the color seeming to sink into the stone. Moments later the sprig of holly glows with the same light and then fades.

Casting Vampiric Touch back into the Maul and casting a Retributive Vampiric Touch.

Also....Sense Motive on this giant. Does he think we'll really free him or does he think we'll kill him once we get the answers we want? [roll0]

[Toliudar]

Oh, right! I've been forgetting the concentration check to avoid the -2 CL for the fire spells, but it wouldn't have affected any of the effects of this combat anyway.

Consider Scree making the aid-another knowledge check. [roll0]

Scree nods absently at Alfek's question.

"Dragons. Yes. Great spirits, almost unstoppable in battle. The whites are, as I recall, far stupider than their warmer kin. Hence, why they apparently serve this 'him'."

This seems to trigger another train of thought that draws her attention back to the giant.

"Who is this "him" who is so mighty that white wyrms serve him? What do you know of him?"

[DrK]

The giant, who seems sincere to Hote, looks up at the adventurers... "We do not know who the Dark Masters of Ice are. We serve or we die. Jarl Trondheim has no choice to but to serve, other clans revel in the mayhem. He sends the white wyrms or the talking beasts, any who disagree are slain and fed to the others..

He points weakly to the mountains some 160 miles distant, "We are the closest of the tribes to the little people. You can find us at the base of the twin Peaks" he says pointing at a double peaked mountain.

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

"I can understand why you steal from the humans, and even why you hunt them, but you've been naive, brother Jotun; to treat a people, any people, like animals is to make them view you as such, or worse." says the dwarf, speaking the creature's tongue. "We can't have a man-eating animal coming down into our lands, can we?" Balrim pulls his spear from its sheathe across his back, looking down at the fallen frost giant. He sighs heavily, then continues. "Still, you and I both know that you're no mere beast. I'll give you a choice, Jotun; tell me why the fields have been salted, and I'll let you keep your life, should you still want it."

[DrK]

The Giant looks at the dwarf beside him. "The was the other tribes dwarf. We did not salt the fields. We want a return to the old ways when we hunt the great beasts rather than them hunting us and being able to trade with the little people."

He coughs slightly, still struggling to breathe through his blistered throat. "The Dark Ice masters demand that we eradicate the little people from these lands"

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

"That's not technically the information I wanted, but it's close enough." says the dwarf, still in the other creature's language. "What do you choose, a harsh life or a gentle death? You had the stupidity to be wounded without the dignity to die; with their supplies as low as you say, will your clan take you back?"

[Toliudar]

Scree

The kobold seems to be fast losing interest in this giant, and is instead scanning the skies above.

"While it might be fun to match flame to a wyrm's ice, it would also certainly delay us further. Do you three still think that we need to chat with this Jarl of the Tronheim, or shall we shift our focus to these spirits of the north?"

Scree is actively scanning for shapes or shadows above. Note that Dragonsight is up, so 80' blindsense is active as well.

[NeoSeraphi]

DrK, can I have the result of my Knowledge (Arcana) check from earlier please? I want to know how much Alfek knows about white wyrms

Alfek

Alfek nodded in agreement to Scree's point. "I personally see no reason to take the giant's life, Balrim, but if you do, then do so quickly. We shall have need of your bow soon enough." He gathered a bit of power to himself, not wanting to waste it if the giant had bluffed about the dragons, but certainly not wanting to be caught off-guard when they arrived.


Alfek readies an action to cast spectral hand upon the first sight of a flying creature that looks to be at least Medium size approaching, from any distance or direction

[DrK]

LIstening to the chatter amongst the tiny people surrounding him the giant looks at them and begs for his life... "If you spare me I shall carry words of you back to my clan. Perhaps then you will at least have allies amongst one of the clans.

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

"Very well, then, Jotun; you have your life. Do not waste it." At that, the dwarf pulls his mount around to face his allies. "Scree, I think it would be best to seek out the Jarl first. We can discuss the situation with him and let him know to come for his dead and wounded. He might have more information than did his clansmen."

[Toliudar]

Scree

The kobold nods, and surges forward down the road a dozen paces.

"As you wish, but we should go. Under other circumstances, I might relish the thought of thawing out a great white. But we have a great deal more at stake."

She turns and addresses the giant again.

"We are likely to reach your lord before you do, Jotun. If we do, it would be useful to give some evidence that we met in fair battle, and left you alive. Perhaps - your mother's name?"

[DrK]

Jotun nods giving the name "Atli, daughter of Freyda" as his mother's name and pointing at the distant mounain some 160 miles distant- or in your case some 6 hours of hard riding across the frozen grasslands and icy forests...


Will post more on journey if you decide to head that way

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

"Anywhere sounds better than here at this point," Alfek pointed out, skill scanning the skies. "Shall we get far away from the signal we launched now? A tussle with dragons is certainly not going to be pleasant."

Alfek walked back over to his phantom mount and got on, ready to head for the giant encampment if his comrades were of the same opinion.

[DrK]

The day continues, the frozen lands extending for miles around. The wind is chilling as you race across the icy plains weaving in between trees and frozen streams as you head towards the twin peaked mountain...

As you race across the deserted lands you can see the evidence of the unatural chill, frozen fields of dead and partially eaten cattle. Trees destroyed and orchards ruined all devastated by the frozen wrath of the dark creatures of the mountains...


Perception checks
Balrim [roll0]
Alfek [roll1]
Scree [roll2]
Hote [roll3]


3 Hours (total of 5 hours travel for spell use) and some 72 miles later as you're properly into the wild ice scattered wilderness the dwarf and the gnome both notice the tell tale V-shadow on the ground.. a dragon, 2 Alfek thinks, high in the snow filled clouds tracking them!


Dragons are probably about 3000ft away
About 2000ft up and 800ft behind

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

"You'll not want to look for it," calls the dwarf. "But I'm fairly sure we're being hunted. A dragon, I think; probably a white, guessing by the terrain. I doubt they can hear us, but try not to do anything to tip them off." Balrim reaches for his bow, preparing to trigger its stored magic.

I'm assuming that Balrim replaced his double spear at some point during the trip.

Move action to draw the longbow, Standard action to prepare to activate the wand of hunter's mercy stored within it. The prepared action will be triggered when Balrim notices one (or more) dragon get within 550ft.

Balrim will also attempt to recall what he knows about dragons (specifically whites).

Knowledge (Arcana):
[roll0] (+4 if they cast Arcane spells or Invocations)

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

"There are two, actually" Alfek replied in Giant. "But if we keep letting them follow us, their master will know that we ride to the Giants' encampment, and that we seek aid from them. If he wishes us dead, he will probably turn on the whole village of potential allies. I am not comfortable leading spies to their door."

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

"You make a persuasive argument." the dwarf responds, also in Giant. "How do you propose we handle this?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

"That depends on our party members' attitudes, now doesn't it?" Alfek replied in Giant, before saying aloud in common, "Miss Dustlake, I don't suppose you have enough firepower left over to torch the entire sky and bring those beasts down, do you?"

[Toliudar]

Scree gives a savage smile.

"The entire sky would be excessive. I can certainly reach them at this distance, but doubt that I could kill them before they reach us. Dragons are quick."

[Chambers]

Hote

"Then let our steeds be quicker." Hote says as he glances up at the sky. "This master will know of our deeds soon enough. Let us make haste."

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

"Are you truly afraid of a pair of dragons, Hote? We have strength in numbers, and though they may be the fiercer foes in terms of physical power, we all possess our own magicks that can help conquer them easily enough. I say we stand and fight," Alfek commented, glancing behind him.


Perception Check: With what I know about dragons, I want to guess their age category:

[roll0]

[Chambers]

Hote

Raising an eyebrow and glancing at the gnome Hote says, "It is not fear, but wisdom. Look around you. Wasted trees, a pitiful stream, and open ground. If we fight them now we fight on their terms, on the type of battlefield that they enjoy." He pauses a moment to look out over the wasted land. "I have fought dragons before, and I will live to fight them again one day because I do not let them decide when and how we fight." He sniffs in the cold and then shrugs, offers a small smile. "Also, they fly higher than my maul reaches."

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

"I agree that it is a great risk to fight these creatures, especially if we allow them to choose the battlefield." replies the dwarf. "We mustn't get too absorbed in the personal dangers involved, however; I'm not doing this just for the fun of it, after all. Our gnomish friend has convinced me that for the good of Neverwinter, and all the landed affected by this hideous frost, we cannot let the dragons above report back to the Dark Ice masters."

[Toliudar]

Scree

The kobold doesn't seem perturbed by the growing consensus around fighting the dragons, but also doesn't comment further on the wisdom of it.

"Well, if they can follow tracks from thousands of feet in the air, they'll find us just about anywhere we run. Nevertheless, may I suggest that we keep moving once the attacks begin - and Alfek, if you have anything that can be used at this great distance, that would be appreciated - to make the most of the time between when we start hurting them and when they start, well, you get the idea."

She restores a protective enchantment, and waits for the others to signal their readiness.

She casts Resist Energy (cold) on herself, then Dragonskin (ironically). When the others signal readiness, she'll cast a Searing fireball, aimed to take in both dragons if possible, and then have her mount do a double move forward.

Fire damage: [roll0], reflex DC 21 for half. Double damage to cold type creatures. Caster check to beat SR, if relevant: [roll1]

[Chambers]

Hote

Shrugging his shoulders Hote rests his maul in front of him, one hand resting on the handle. With his other hand he scoops a bit of snow off his cloak and cups it into a ball. Holding it against his chest a violet light begins to glow from the snowball and melt it, the light fading as the ball turns to hot vapor instead of water. The light spreads over his body like flames, looking insubstantial and they do not appear to harm him. "If we are set to do battle, then I am ready." He says and holds onto the maul while he slips down from the saddle, one hand leading the white horse by its reigns.

Casting Fire Shield (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fireShield.htm), Warm Shield version to protect against cold and deal fire damage. Here's the CL check, DC 24. [roll0]


Stat Block
Hote
HP: 100/127, 49 Temp HP
AC: 26 (31 vs ranged attacks)
Current Spell Effects: Greater Magic Weapon, Retributive Vampiric Touch, Vampiric Touch in Maul, Fire Shield

F/R/W: +16/+10/+13
DR 5/--: Used 25/50
Lifedrinking Crystal: Used 25/50

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

Alfek grins eagerly and stops his mount, swiftly jumping off. "Then we make our stand here!" He drew a knife from his bag, slicing his finger and wincing a bit, but concentrated some magic on the blood and with it formed a ghostly hand that floated next to him. Then he held up his arm, and the rod in his hand disappeared, replacing itself with a different rod from his wand bracelet.



Casting spectral hand like I did before, except that I had to delete that post.

[roll0]- Spectral hand hit points

Next I'm going to swap the Rod of Empower Spell I'm holding for the Rod of Maximize Spell in my bracelet.

Statblock
Alfek
AC: 19, Hit Points 13/61
F/R/W: +14/+14/+24
Current active spells: spectral hand, superior resistance

[DrK]

As the party dither slightly the two dragons- a mature male and an old female if the gnome's eyes can be trusted both wingover and begin a slow dive towards the clustered party...

As the dragon's dive through the wintry sky, the blizzard having no effect on the huge wyrms a fireball streaks up towards the attacking wyrms exploding between them in a blaze of fire... the female flies through without harm, the male's roar of rage echoing over the icy plains even from that height. Hote exploding into flame as the kobold is coated in an icy sheath protecting herself from cold and thick heavy scales coating her body...


Currently at ~800ft distant
Dragon initiative [roll0]
Good guys initiative [roll1] good guys win on draw

I'll post a map when they are closer

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

Alfek quickly fished in his bag and pulled out a scroll, whispering the words of power and feeling a rush of breath. He sighed in relief as the wounds from the giant battle closed up and he turned to face the incoming threat with his full strength.


Move action to draw, standard action to use a scroll of heal, bringing my hit point total back up to 61

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

The dwarf, too, stops his mount in place, though he stays atop it. Balrim knocks an arrow, but does not fire it. Instead, a shimmer of magic encapsulates the bow, and then is gone just as swiftly as it came. "I've a feeling this is about to get nasty." he mutters.

Standard action to activate the wand of hunter's mercy located in the longbow.

Balrim's Statblock:
Balrim Aragak (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=356684)
Male LN Dwarf Ranger, Level 15, Init +9, HP 161/161, Speed 20ft
AC 28, Touch 21, Flat-footed 26, Fort +18, Ref +14, Will +12, Base Attack Bonus +15/+10/+5
Double Spear, +1 +22 | +20 (1d8+10, 20/x3)
Unarmed Strike, +1 +22 | +20 (1d8+7, 20/x2)
Composite Longbow (39 Arrows) +18 (1d8+6, 20/x3)
(+3 Armor, +2 Shield, +2 Dex, +2 Natural, +3 Deflect, +6 Misc)
Abilities Str 22, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 20, Cha 8
Condition Under the effects of Endure Elements. +4 Dodge AC vs Giants, +2 AC vs ranged attacks.

[Toliudar]

Scree

Scree is surprised a nd a little disappointed when no one takes up her suggestion to keep moving, especially since it means that she is now five hundred feet further down the road. Perhaps, though, this is as it should be. A woman of the dragon people the people of the true fire, against the mighty spirits themselves. A matched pair, no less.

She began by entering a state of desert fugue, in which the lines of the magic seemed to dance and writhe under her loving hands. And then another blossom of fire. Yes. That was good. And then spurring her steed onwards, down the road, to give her more time to act.

Standard action to cast arcane Spellsurge, then another searing fireball on the dragons. Finding it hilarious that fireball, a spell I put on her list for mostly cosmetic reasons, has now been cast five times. [roll0] fire damage, resistance halved, double damage vs cold subtype. Reflex save Dc 21 for half.

The mount then takes another double move away from the dragons - 560 feet.

[DrK]

The two dragons race towards the small group of humans zooming lower and faster over the snow filled land...

As they approach, the sound of their wings like continous thunder and the roar of the all of the party can see the szie and might of the fanged and scaled monstrosities... each one some 60ft long from nose to tail weighing many dozens of horses each.

Balrim's longbow begins to glow with power as Hote's maul unslung and ready for blood. The gnome glows a cool blue colour as his wounds from earlier heal. The kobold however is nowhere to be seen, puffs of snow his rapid departure as another red hot glowing ball of fire roars over the heads of the party exploding on the huge dragons...



They did the run action closing to ~100 feet and ~100 feet up

@Toliudar: The phantom steed moves 240 so a double move is 480
-Scree's spell resistance check [roll0] - if 15 isn't right then modify accordingly



THE MAP (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=1595)

Party to act....

[Toliudar]

Scree

Nearly a thousand feet past the rest of the group, Scree winces as she sees the dragons catch up so quickly. This was not a good sign.

DrK, sorry if I'm making this hard to map. I'm looking at the map and am not sure whether to assume that you're assuming that the others have also been travelling with Scree, or if it's an error that she's on the map. Or something else entirely.

If everyone is in fact all together, and Scree is as shown on the map:
Swift action: She will cast Burning Fog (as Acid Fog, but fire damage) as a swift action, centred on E3, at the height of the male dragon. Fire damage: [roll0], x 1.5 vs cold subtype. Auto-success on concentration checks.
Standard action: she casts Summon Desert Ally IV to bring in a large Monstrous Spider (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/monstrousSpider.htm) into the area around B7. The spider can't attack anything this round. My intent would be for it to ready an action to cast a web on any dragon that enters its 50' reach. Ranged touch attack: [roll1] If successful, dragon is entangled until it takes a standard action to become untangled. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#entangled) Auto-success on concentration checks.
Steed: Run action (flying if need be in order to clear barriers) north, moving 920' from her current position.

If Scree is in fact hundreds of feet away from the map:
Swift action: cast another Searing Fireball at the male dragon. [roll2] fire damage, 2x vs cold subtype, Reflex DC 21 for half. Caster level check: [roll3].
Standard action: Summon a Giant Eagle (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/eagleGiant.htm), summoned about 60' in the air above Scree. It will then take a run action towards the nearest dragon, moving 320' as it does so.
Steed: double move south.

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

Alfek glanced at the more formidable of the two dragons and felt his arcane power surge. Gritting his teeth, and a glint of anger in his eyes, he smiled. "I've been saving this one." At his direction, his mystic hand flew forth and touched the dragon, before returning to his side.


Casting bestow curse on the female.

SR check: [roll0]
Touch Attack: [roll1]
Will Save DC 23 negates

If I get through all three annoying defenses, the dragon has a 50% chance of losing all actions each round

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

The dwarf hops down from his mount and takes aim at the smaller of the two dragons. Balrim prepares to let his arrow fly, hoping to send it deep into the creature's flesh.

Move action to dismount, Standard action to prepare to attack the male dragon in d2-f4. The attack will be triggered if/when the white dragon comes any closer to Balrim at all.

Attack:
[roll0]

Damage:
[roll1] (+12 if the dragon casts Arcane spells or Invocations)

[DrK]

A spectral hand flies towards the larger of the two dragons, a shimmering aura of of necromancy surrounding it as it struggled to throw offthe effects as a curse of gnomish ancestors settled over it...


Will save [roll0]


The male was less lucky as an arrow slammed into it with bone crushing force slamming through a 3 inch thick scale to tear deep into its flesh. The super heated flash of another fireball followed moments later by the caw caw of a glittering golden eagle racing towards them following the giganitic explosion a moment before.


Ref save [roll1] against 21 as another fireball of doom slams into it.


A bark between the dragons as the large female commands the male and he reposnds like a trained race hound, a glittering chain around his neck glowing with eldritch power as he races ahead like a speeding bolt zooming through the air past the small eagle and crashing into the ground rearing above the kobold that had been hurling the anethma of fire against it...


Does a run action (1500ft movement) to land adjacent to Scree, the eagle can get an AoO.
Sree make a DC21 Will save Vs fear

-That arrow hurt as obviously its an arcanist as a sorcerer


The big female drops like a stone landing in front of the party and rearing up to her full height before with a stream of icy death her breath exploded out from her lungs... a horrific shock as the stream was of frozen acid rather than ice!!


Lands in front of the party Will Save DC23 for the fear aura
Breathes a massive cone of Acid!! DC27 for half or [roll2] acid
Remember your phntomn steeds


The Map (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=1926)*scree is on the edge with her dragon though they are 1000ft distant

[Chambers]

Hote

The acid washed over Hote, burning his exposed skin. Suppressing a scream he hefted his maul and ran straight at the dragon. "Now this is how we fight!" He shouts as he brings the maul head down against the dragons head.

Charge, Arcane Strike (2nd lvl spell), Arcane Channeling (Shocking Grasp)

End move at S12.

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll2]
Shocking Grasp [roll3]

If the dragon takes an attack of opportunity at Hote as he charges:
Fire Shield damage [roll4] fire damage. SR check [roll5]

Stat Block
Hote
HP: 100/127, 21 Temp HP
AC: 26 24 due to charging (31 vs ranged attacks)
Current Spell Effects: Greater Magic Weapon, Retributive Vampiric Touch, Vampiric Touch in Maul, Fire Shield

F/R/W: +16/+10/+13
DR 5/--: Used 25/50
Lifedrinking Crystal: Used 25/50

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

As the full wave of acid washes over the dwarf, he's overcome with a feeling of dread that he's not often experienced. "Is that all you've got, you milky bitch?!" shouts Balrim, fighting past the fear. He drops his longbow in the snow, pulling the double-sided spear from his back. With a flourish, he spins it so that the slicker, shinier of the blades is facing the dragoness. Similar to the effect with the dwarf's bow before, a shimmer courses up and down the weapon, though this time it also courses over Balrim himself. Snarling, he charges at the creature, stabbing furiously and interspersing his blows with powerful-looking kicks.

Balrim takes the full 28 damage from the breath attack, and becomes shaken for [roll0] rounds (unless you'd rather roll, DrK).

Free action to drop the bow, Swift action to activate the wand of lion's charge inside the double spear, Full-round action to pounce on the dragoness (ending movement in s11).

Balrim's Potential Attacks:
Double Spear Attack 1:
[roll1]

Double Spear Damage 1:
[roll2]
[roll3]


Unarmed Strike Attack 1:
[roll4]

Unarmed Strike Damage 1:
[roll5]


Double Spear Attack 2:
[roll6]

Double Spear Damage 2:
[roll7]
[roll8]


Unarmed Strike Attack 2:
[roll9]

Unarmed Strike Damage 2:
[roll10]


Double Spear Attack 3:
[roll11]

Double Spear Damage 3:
[roll12]
[roll13]


Unarmed Strike Attack 3:
[roll14]

Unarmed Strike Damage 3:
[roll15]
Balrim's Statblock:
Balrim Aragak (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=356684)
Male LN Dwarf Ranger, Level 15, Init +9, HP 133/161, Speed 20ft
AC 28, Touch 21, Flat-footed 26, Fort +16, Ref +12, Will +10, Base Attack Bonus +15/+10/+5
Double Spear, +1 +20 | +18 (1d8+10, 20/x3)
Unarmed Strike, +1 +20 | +18 (1d8+7, 20/x2)
Composite Longbow (38 Arrows) +16 (1d8+6, 20/x3)
(+3 Armor, +2 Shield, +2 Dex, +2 Natural, +3 Deflect, +6 Misc)
Abilities Str 22, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 20, Cha 8
Condition Under the effects of Endure Elements. +4 Dodge AC vs Giants, +2 AC vs ranged attacks. Shaken for 12 rounds.

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

As the dragon swooped down and opened her mouth, Alfek quickly lifted the bangs over his forehead, revealing a third eye inscribed into his forehead. "I don't think so! Dampen!" he yelled, and as the dragon's acid attack washed over him, Alfek could feel it wasn't very strong.

OOC:

If DrK rules that I can't use my Dampening so late, then I'll edit the above paragraph


Alfek stumbled back and groaned. He lifted his finger and closed his eyes, remembering the full moon, and fired a single blast of power towards the creature.


5' step back.

I dunno the dragon's reach, so I'm going to assume it still threatens me and make a Concentration check for casting defensively

[roll0]

Then I've gotta penetrate its SR...

[roll1]

And finally, the Strength damage (Fort DC 20 halves)
[roll2]

[Toliudar]

Scree Dustlake

The eagle does indeed claw at the dragon as it passes, and then turns to pursue him.

The kobold is, despite herself, impressed by the sight of several tons of dragon streaking towards her at extraordinary speeds. Still, she manages to maintain her composure, and speaks to the dragon in its own tongue.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but you've come a very long way for nothing."

Being careful to stay out of the reach of its claws, Scree whips off another summoning spell, bringing in a spider not much smaller than the dragon, behind where he'd just landed. The spider immediately rears up and tries to snare the dragon in a massive glob of webbing. Speaking a single word of power, Scree and her steed disappear. They reappear about 400 feet to the east and south of the battle taking place with the other dragon. Spurring her steed onwards, Scree blasts past that fight, heading west.

Eagle's attack of opportunity (and we'll use the eagle's 1/day smite evil ability for this): [roll0], damage: [roll1].

Scree uses a standard action to defensively summon a Large Monstrous Spider, directly on the opposite side of the dragon from herself, 10' away from the dragon. The spider makes a ranged touch attack to attempt to snare the dragon in a web [roll2] (dragon will still not have dex to AC or related abilities, after running last round). Spider is HP 22, AC 14.

Scree uses a swift action to defensively cast Dimension Door. She will transport herself about 100' north of the melee shown on the map, and as far west as she can (about 900', if I'm calculating correctly). The phantom steed will then run a further 920' west.

The eagle loops around to pursue the dragon that blasted past it. Because it needs to turn around, it can't make a run action, so it finishes up about 200' short of the dragon.

Scree
Scree Dustlake (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=356595)
Female Lawful Neutral Desert Kobold Sorcerer 6/Sandshaper 4/Earth Dreamer 5, Level 15, Init +3, HP 126/111, Speed 30 (40' with spells)
AC 25, Touch 14, Flat-footed 22, Fort +18, Ref +13, Will +21, Base Attack Bonus 7/2
Wand chamber (100) Runestaff +5/+0 (1d4-3, x2)
Claw Claw Bite +5 +5 +0 (1d3-3 1d3-3 1d2-3, x2)
Harness (Robe) of Arcane Might (Transmutation), With Wand Chamber (100) and Lesser Crystal of Lifekeeping (1000) +1 Mithril Buckler (2,160) (+4 Armor, +2 Shield, +3 Dex, +1 Size, +5 Natural)
Abilities Str 5, Dex 17, Con 20, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 27

[DrK]

The sudden appearance of the spider distracts the Dragon for a momegt giving the kobold the opportunity to escape with faint pop of displaced air, an anguished roar as the Dragon's prey escapes. It lashes out with a claw at the retrating steed but then turns its full attention on the spider that had dared impede it...


AoO on the steed claw [roll0] damage [roll1]

Mauling the spider
Bite [roll2] damage [roll3]
wing [roll4] damage [roll5]
wing [roll6] damage [roll7]
claw [roll8] damage [roll9]
claw [roll10] damage [roll11]

The large female is a monstrous beast. Its breath melting and shredding the shadowy steeds of the other 3. The bearded duskblade races forward to engage it, her long neck racing to meet him...


AoO [roll12] damage [roll13]
Caster level for the SR [roll14]


She howls as the hammer and spear of the charging dwarf strike home on her armoured body. A throaty chuckle despite the wounds as the moon magic glides around her shimmering scales without harming her before she crashes down wings, claws and bits lashing out with devastating force...



bite [roll15] damage [roll16] Hote
claw [roll17] damage [roll18] Balrim
claw [roll19] damage [roll20] Balrim
claw [roll21] damage [roll22] Hote
claw [roll23] damage [roll24] Hote
tail [roll25] damage [roll26] [roll27] even Hote, Odd balrim :smallsmile:

If two claws hit then rend [roll28]

Alfek is out of reach




Map (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=2035)

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

The dwarf was unable to dodge any of the dragoness' attacks, suffering several large gashes and bruises. Balrim staggers from the heavy blows, but manages to right himself in time to roll around the pale monstrosity, seeking a more advantageous position. "Get into formation!" he shouts at Hote while moving. Once in place, the dwarf raises his double-sided spear and thrusts the smooth end at the dragoness with as much might as he can summon.

Balrim takes the full 68 damage from all three attacks + rend.

Move action to tumble to r8, Standard action to attack with the double spear.

Acrobatics (DC 15 + Terrain)
[roll0] -9 = 25 (I think this modifier is correct, but I could be wrong; Myth-Weavers (http://www.myth-weavers.com/) is participating in the SOPA/PIPA blackout protest - which, in compliance with the rules of this board, I admit neither support nor opposition on a personal level (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=12534195&postcount=6). I forgot that I had only 9 ranks, not 18.)

Balrim's Potential Attacks:
Double Spear Attack:
[roll1] +2 Magebane = 36 (If Hote moves to r12, Balrim might get +2 for Flanking.)

Double Spear Damage:
[roll2]
[roll3]
Balrim's Statblock:
Balrim Aragak (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=356684)
Male LN Dwarf Ranger, Level 15, Init +9, HP 65/161, Speed 20ft
AC 28, Touch 21, Flat-footed 26, Fort +16, Ref +12, Will +10, Base Attack Bonus +15/+10/+5
Double Spear, +1 +20 | +18 (1d8+10, 20/x3)
Unarmed Strike, +1 +20 | +18 (1d8+7, 20/x2)
Composite Longbow (38 Arrows) +16 (1d8+6, 20/x3)
(+3 Armor, +2 Shield, +2 Dex, +2 Natural, +3 Deflect, +6 Misc)
Abilities Str 22, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 20, Cha 8
Condition Under the effects of Endure Elements. +4 Dodge AC vs Giants, +2 AC vs ranged attacks. Shaken for 11 rounds.

[Chambers]

Hote

The dragons teeth and claws tear at his armor and drain away Hote's false vitality, and he smiles at the dragon as it burns with each strike. Ducking under the dragons neck to get around the beast Hote's maul begins to glow a bright red. "Time to meet your doom, dragon." He says as he brings his maul down against the dragon. And again. And again.

5ft step to R12. Full Attack. Arcane Strike (4th level spell). Arcane Channeling (Empowered Vampiric Touch).

Normal Attack (+23), Knowledge Devotion (+2), Arcane Strike (+4), Flanking (+2)

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]
Arcane Strike [roll2]
Vampiric Touch [roll3]

Attack [roll4]
Damage [roll5]
Arcane Strike [roll6]
Vampiric Touch [roll7]

Attack [roll8]
Damage [roll9]
Arcane Strike [roll10]
Vampiric Touch [roll11]

136 total damage. Hote heals 10hp from his lifedrinking crystal and gains 42 temp HP.

---
Damage Total from Hote
37 damage from charge attack.
71 fire (142 if vulnerable to fire).
26 from Retributive Vampiric Touch.
136 damage from full attack.

(270 if not vulnerable to fire, 341 if it is)

Stat Block
Hote
HP: 92/127, 42 Temp HP
AC: 26 (31 vs ranged attacks)
Current Spell Effects: Greater Magic Weapon, Retributive Vampiric Touch, Vampiric Touch in Maul, Fire Shield

F/R/W: +16/+10/+13
DR 5/--: Used 45/50
Lifedrinking Crystal: Used 35/50

[DrK]

The female rears up in pain as the double spear rams into her chest and the maul hammers into her form again and again, the vampiric touch sucking the life out of her. Flames dripped from her as she clawed at the flaming Hote...


186 damage to date.... The flames don't have full effect.
Aflek and Skree to go.

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

Alfek quickly reached into his pouch and drew a scroll, but was unable to reach Balrim in time to use it. He called, "Come, Balrim! If you reach me, I can heal your wounds!"


Mythweavers is down today, so instead of trusting my memory to mess with spells, I'll just draw a scroll of heal as a move action, and with my standard action I'll ready an action to use the scroll as soon as Balrim reaches me.

[Toliudar]

Scree

Seeing the male dragon now focused on entirely destroying the spider, Scree turns her steed about. She turns her attention on the engine of destruction that is the other dragon. Under her direction, the steed ambles south and west again, aligning her so that the female dragon is between her and the male, and so that Scree is about 200' west of the dragon.

So...they've been salting the earth? She shouldn't mind this, then.

Calling upon memories of deep, briny pools beneath the mountains. Of sand crusted rockbowls in the waste. Of a thousand tears shed over homes lost. Scree brings the power of salt to bear on the female dragon. She then summons yet another rock spider, although one of much more modest scale, and sends it scuttling off towards the dragon.

As the eagle approaches the dragon, it becomes warier and slows its approach. Still, the beast has spirit, and screeches its defiance of the much larger predator.

This assumes that she still has her phantom steed. The male dragon has entirely destroyed the spider, but is still entangled in the web (moves at half speed, cannot run or charge).

As noted, she directs the steed to a point about 200' west of the female dragon's current position.

Swift action: cast Flesh to Salt (Sandstorm pg 116 - whee! never had occasion to cast that one before!) on the dragon. Deals [roll0] untyped damage, and in the incredibly unlikely event that that damage is more than 50% of her current total HP, she makes a DC 23 fortitude save or becomes a salt statue.

Standard action: cast Summon Desert Ally II to create a medium-sized Monstrous Spider 65' east of her current position.

Giant Eagle: slows to a double move action. She ends the turn about 40' west and 20' above the dragon.

Large Monstrous Spider: Dies in a spectacular splorch of insectile fluids.

Medium Monstrous Spider: run action to move 120' east, ending about 15' west of the dragon, in M11.

[DrK]

The Male rears up angry and enraged as he tears through the thin webbing and flies directly at the eagle, his massive wings sending him shooting some 220ft towards the glowing eagle.

The female rears up still streaking blood, shaking her head slowly from side to side as her wings begin to slowly crystallise with dark crystals of salt. With a sudden blink the vast beast vanishes from view and the massive whufff of wingbeats rocks the snow as something massive leaps skywards...


Male move action break free, move action move to eagle
Female swift invisbility then fly "somewhere"

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

The dwarf stabs almost at random with his spear, trying to connect with the dragoness as she leaves. Balrim hustles over to the slight gnome, grabbing his longbow along the way, looking forward to getting a little more vitality in his bones. "Thank you, Alfek. I appreciate this quite a bit, my friend."

Double Move action to walk adjacent to Alfek (ending movement in w12), so that he may cast heal on Balrim.

Perception Check:
[roll0]

Attack of Opportunity:
Miss Chance (51+ is successful):
[rollv]1d100[/rolv]
(1d100)[44](44)

Attack:
[roll1]

Damage:
[roll2]
[roll3]
Balrim's Statblock:
Balrim Aragak (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=356684)
Male LN Dwarf Ranger, Level 15, Init +9, HP 161/161, Speed 20ft
AC 28, Touch 21, Flat-footed 26, Fort +16, Ref +12, Will +10, Base Attack Bonus +15/+10/+5
Double Spear, +1 +20 | +18 (1d8+10, 20/x3)
Unarmed Strike, +1 +20 | +18 (1d8+7, 20/x2)
Composite Longbow (38 Arrows) +16 (1d8+6, 20/x3)
(+3 Armor, +2 Shield, +2 Dex, +2 Natural, +3 Deflect, +6 Misc)
Abilities Str 22, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 20, Cha 8
Condition Under the effects of Endure Elements. +4 Dodge AC vs Giants, +2 AC vs ranged attacks. Shaken for 10 rounds.

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

The gnome laughed heartily. "Don't thank me. If it wasn't for that damned resistance of hers, I would have already had her at my feet! I apologize, Balrim, my powers have been split between nature and arcane, I fear I am too weak to pierce the dragon's defenses. You'll need to do this on your own. This is all I can do."

Raising the scroll and speaking the words of power, Alfek's hand began to glow. He reached out and touched Balrim's chest, restoring life to his wounded ally.

Heal restores 110 hit points to Balrim, since it's a minimum caster level cleric scroll

[Toliudar]

Scree

The eagle, finding its target abruptly at hand, claws desperately at the dragon's scaly hide, to little avail. The spider, its initial target vanished, scuttles past the gnome, dwarf and human, intent on heading towards the male dragon.

Scree moves her steed closer to the others, then sends another friendly fireball just behind the male dragon, calculated to miss the eagle still in his path.

Eagle full attack on the dragon:
Claw1 attack: [roll0] Damage: [roll1]
Claw2 attack: [roll2] Damage: [roll3]
Bite attack: [roll4] Damage: [roll5]

Spider moves 120' east, meaning it's now about (if I'm doing the math correctly) about 1200' away from the male dragon.

Scree: Has the steed move them 150' closer to the group, so that she's now approximately 50' west of the others, and has some small chance of actually being on the map.

swift action to cast another searing fireball, positioned so that it engulfs the male dragon but not the eagle. [roll6] fire damage, x2 vs cold type creatures. Reflex DC 21 for half.
Standard action to ready a casting of another searing fireball, targeting the female dragon and placed to avoid her colleagues, triggered if the female dragon reappears within 1000' of her. [roll7] fire damage, x2 vs cold type creatures. Reflex DC 21 for half.

[Toliudar]

Sumbish, if the eagle didn't actually hit with a 20. Crit confirmation, just to push its luck: [roll0] [roll1]

[Chambers]

Hote

"Not so fast Ddraig!" Hote shouts as he swings his maul at the empty space where the dragon was. Hote scans the air, his maul held ready, waiting for the dragon to attack again.

AoO

Miss Chance (High Hits) [roll0]
Attack [roll1]
Damage [roll2]

Readied action to attack if the dragon appears within melee range. Also, if the dragon casts a healing spell of 4th level or lower to heal itself while within 30ft of Hote, he'll know about it via his Shirt of the Leech and he'll steal the spell for himself.

[DrK]

Spear and hammer fly through the empty space as in a vasy swirl of snow the huge beast leaps into the sky spiralling straight up, as she reappears a few seconds later, a wing partially crystallised and pale blood pouring from wounds. A ball of fire streaks from the kobold's hand enveloping her in fire...

Ref save [roll0]

The fire washes over her leaving her reeling drunkenly through the sky as she flaps away, a roar echoing over the snow plains as her mate bleeds out in the snow...


On her turn she flaps 800ft away.




The male roars at the eagle and the spider before the 4th fireball sends him sprawling on the ground, his strength fading. The eagle senses the weakness and swoops in, a claw tearing through the dragon's throat as the male collapses flapping and rolling around in its death throes...


Eagle steals the kill

[Toliudar]

Scree

"She can't be allowed to report!"

Spurring her steed onwards, Scree follows the fleeing dragon, then sends another fireball up into the sky.

Steed moves to keep pace with the dragon, keeping about 100' back from her current position. Scree casts a searing fireball at the female as a standard action (full-round action, shortened to standard by Arcane Spellsurge) [roll0], reflex 21 for half.

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

Alfek groaned, but walked towards the others. "Is anyone else hurt? I'm sorry, but my magic cannot reach her at this distance, so unfortunately all I can do is tend to your wounds." He frowned a bit, watching the kobold toss fireball after fireball at the dragon. They had been all but immune to his weakened attacks. He had so much versatility between his two professions, but it had all failed him.

Alfek hung his head, resolving to prepare some more varied spells tomorrow when he communed with nature. He had a few useful spells from his days as an arcane caster that might help as well.

Move action to move towards the rest of the group 20 feet, standard action to revise his current strategies and feel useless :smalltongue:

[DrK]

The fireball slammed into the female dragon, the red hot fire washing around her wounded form, a second one short succession combined with the shattered ribs from thw Maul and the deep piercing wounds from the spear too much even for her draconic frame to bear.

The party watches as she flaps on for another dozen great wingbeats before slowly rolling and toppling over plunging with a sickening crunch and a great cloud of snow into the ground...

[Toliudar]

Scree

The little kobold swayed briefly on the back of her smoke-beast, working to regain her equilibrium. She'd just unleashed as much magic in half a minute as she might normally do in several days. Still, she considered as she loped forward towards the dragon cautiously, the four of them had become a pretty effective machine in the manner of a single day.

As she approached the female dragon, Scree paused to prepare a simple divination, and to watch to ensure that it wasn't faking its death. Assuming that all was in fact clear, she moved closer and scanned for possible magical mementos of the battle.

Trying to notice signs of breathing - because she's just a little bit paranoid. Then casting detect magic and going over the body for any magical auras. Spellcraft to identify schools of magic: [roll0]

[u-b]

Grand Sphere of Darkness...

...appears in the sky at whatever distance you can spot a 120-feet-diameter thing and quickly approaches from direction of your trails at a speed faster than 50 miles per hour, its altitude being just under half a mile or so.

Unless anyone does anything that could prevent it, the spere of darkness will soon be circling in the sky above you.

[DrK]

The dragon does indeed appear dead. Traces of low level abjuration and transmutation slowly leeching out its body. A gem in its chest hidden amongst the scales, a thin blackened metal gorget around its throat and a ring on a wingtip also glow. The studies ate soon interrupted by the rapidly approaching sphere of darkness...

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

Spotting the dark orb, Balrim looks up from his party. "It looks like we're not quite done yet!" shouts the dwarf, putting up his spear and taking aim. "Get ready!"

Move action to sheathe the double spear, Standard action to ready an attack. The attack will be triggered against the Grand Sphere of Darkness if it comes within 330ft without announcing itself.

Attack:
[roll0] (-2 per 110ft)

Damage:
[roll1] (+4 if the sphere is an Arcane caster/Invoker or a Giant, +2 if the sphere is an Animal or Magical Beast)

[Toliudar]

Scree

Yanking off the gem, gorget and ring for further study, Scree then scrambles back onto her shadow-steed and rejoins the others, keeping an eye on the dark sphere.

"Well, so much for the winds keeping things out of the air. What do you think that thing is?"

[u-b]

Grand Sphere of Darkness...

...circles above the group for some short time. Then, suddenly, a large portrait of a man appears some 400 feet below it, as if drawn on the air in by colored pencil. The portrait appears to be 10 feet wide and 20 feet tall, showing upper half of an old, but still strong, man with grey hair and black mustache, wearing plate and red-brown cloak. The image remains for some time, then transforms into a gigantic letter: T. It then transforms into another letter: H. Then again and again: U-N-D-E-R-F-I-S-T. Then old man's image appears again and it, indeed, looks like an adequate depiction of Baron Erik Thunderfist. It points its hand up at the darkness, then thansforms into another image, a portrait of a man, also with gray hair, but younger, like thirty to fourty years old, dressed with gray-and-black outfit, then again into letters: D-O-R-I-A-N-T-H-E-G-R-A-Y. Younger man's image appears again, pointing up, then down, transforms into an image of a handshake, then of a white flag, then disappears.

Then suddenly darkness also disappears, leaving a horse-like figure in its center, moving through the air, circling around you, now slowly descending. No rider is visible.

Anyone with local knowledge regarding either New World or Empire of the Sword capitol city or with knowledge about recent academic trends and publication on topics of arcane knowledge, spellcraft and necromancy might have heard about Dorian.

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

Alfek stared at the sky in horror, before glancing towards the horse. Gripping his staff and calling his spectral hand to his side, he yelled, "It's coming for us!"

[Toliudar]

I'm ssuming that Dorian doesn't have Darkstalker, and that Scree's blindsense would pick him up as well as the steed.



Scree watches the display, ready at a moment's notice to open fire again, but reassured slightly by the appearance of Thunderfist.

"Well, he has style, anyway. There's a figure, about Hote's size, riding that smoke-horse."

[Chambers]

Hote

Moving closer to the others Hote holds his maul ready, but as he reads the images in the sky he relaxes. "Wizards." He mutters, almost as a curse. "Cut the show and come down if you're working for the Baron. If not...well, come down anyway." He shouts to the horse.

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

Alfek glared at Hote. "What about wizards, hmm?" he asked, gesturing to himself. "We're not all grand-standers and egomaniacs, you know. Though that man up there, well...he definitely is."

[Chambers]

Hote

"Too much power for one person, that's the problem." Hote says and gestures up to the sky. "When someone has enough power that they can waste it on displays such as that, doesn't it make you wonder what they could do if they really focused?" He plants his maul in the frozen ground and stretches his back and arms, then winces and holds his left side where the dragons claws tore through his armor. "Damn dragons."

He shakes his head and looks back at Alfek. "You wonder that, and then you realize that there are people that have that focus, and that's when you really start to worry." He nods towards his blood stained maul, it's stone head still faintly glowing red. "Yes, I have some talent and training, but nothing compared to a true mage. I could have broken that dragons skull, but a wizard could erase it from being..." He grimaces and rubs his side. "...and other frightful things, if he had a mind to do so."

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

"Really?" Alfek asked drily, glancing back up at the sky. "Seems like an immature schlaren* to me." Of course, Alfek knew that Hote spoke the truth. Hell, if Alfek wanted to, he could stand before that younger dragon and resurrect it as his skeletal servant. But Alfek had no desire to walk down that road of necromancy, and chose the path of decay over the power to mimic life and desecrate corpses long ago.

*A Gnomish insult. It's best that I not post the Common translation here, but it's clear that Alfek doesn't like the guy.

[u-b]

Flying Steed...

...descends further and you eventually can see what was not clear at long range - the steed had a rider, just a strange one! Its rider had a humanoid shape, but was like made from the air, translucent and swirly. The steed eventaully lands 200 feet from the group, its strange rider dismounts.

If not attacked or advised otherwise, he then walks towards the group, leaving footprints on the snow, just as a human would.

http://images.elfwood.com/art/e/s/esstwo/air_elemental.jpg

1. Anyone who ever seen an air elementall will notice many similarities, but also some differences.
2. No Darkstalker, but blindsense probably works up to a certain range, at which the rider becomes crearly seen by visual means.
3. Dorian is ready to DimDoor if someone attempts something offensive.

[Toliudar]

Scree

Scree sees the airy rider start to dismount, and barks a quick laugh. She glances around at the group.

"Well, with Balrim, we have earth. It's no secret that I serve the flame. And now we have wind. Anyone care to be water? Or maybe ice, all things considered?"

She nods and calls out to the rider.

"Why so late?"

[u-b]

Man of Air

"Had to finish the book."

The tone of this statement was hinting at a joke, but you had troubles reading facial expression of whirling mass of air.

"Besides, travel across the ocean is now slower than ever - no teleport and even my steed was periodically checked by the wind.

Name's Dorian. Dorian the Gray, going to end this winter on request of Eric Thunderfist. I suppose you are the team he tasked with the same, so, I'm here to coordinate what we do."

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

Balrim snorts before addressing the kobold. "Clearly our gnome friend represents ice," says the dwarf. "Though our human is left with no affinities." As the newcomer advances, Balrim calls out as well. "I hope it was a good read."

Let's just see if Balrim can't figure out what this mysterious stranger is:

K. Arcana:
[roll0]

K. Dungeoneering:
[roll1]

K. Local:
[roll2]

K. Nature:
[roll3]

K. Religion:
[roll4]

K. The Planes:
[roll5]

[u-b]

Dorian the Gray

"It would be, after my collegues review it and it hits the shelves.

So, two big overconfident nasties? Good job!"

Dorian comes closer and takes a look.

Dorian does not appear to be casting or concentrating, but he still Detect Magics everything using his permantent Detect Magic spell and Swift Concentration trick.
K. Arcana: (28)

This should be good to conclude that there are widely known spells, that can produce most of the observed effects, namely: Deeper Darkness (clerical spell), Silent Image and Phantom Steed (two spells that belong to bards, wizards and sorcerers). And maybe some clear idea about Elemental Body (highish-level wizard/sorcerer spell).

If Balrim's arcane knowledge comes from (or was recently updated by) present-day academic sources, more information will be revealed.

K. Dungeoneering: (35)

Does not cover the subjects, nothing particularly "aberrant" in the subjects.

K. Local: (16)

This should be good to remember the name of Dorian the Gray, the wizard, but not much of detail.

K. Nature: (22)

Nothing particularly "natural" in the subjects.

K. Religion: (25)

This also hints at Deeper Darkness (clerical spell). Nothing particularly "pious", "religious" or undead in the subjects is immediately apparent.

K. The Planes: (13)

Apparently Air element is involved.

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

The tiny gnome shook his head. "They were scouts. They weren't planning to attack us, we provoked them. The older one tried to run away as well, when she realized she was outmatched. Nothing overconfident about them."

Alfek turned to the dragons' remains. "One thing is for sure, though. There will be more where they came from. And I wouldn't be surprised if there was a great wyrm living on these mountains, in control of the rest of the brood. White dragons are often ridiculed by others for their weakness, but being the weakest kind of dragon is like being the slowest cheetah or the least venomous black widow. We need to prepare for their retaliation."

[u-b]

Dorian the Gray

"Hmm... although I would be hard pressed to find a way of forcing reasonable situation-aware dragon into melee on the ground, let's use your analysys for now. I will just say I would prefer to be on offensive as not to sit prepared, but to catch unprepared."

[Toliudar]

Scree

"I assume, Dorian, that Thunderfist briefed you on the situation, and who we are. We're going to start by talking with the Jarl of these giants, one who is apparently being forced into fighting the humans by some sort of shadowy faerie, presumably the same ones manipulating the cold."

She gestures at the battleground.

"But it's getting on to night, and the battle was a significant drain. I'd like to suggest that we move a short way on from the dragon's corpses and then make camp. Perhaps, in the morning, you might share your gift for creating the smoke-horses, that we might all travel the more quickly to our destination."

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

The dwarf nods, agreeing with Scree. "Well put. Let us find a place to bed down for the night." Eying the newcomer somewhat warily, Balrim adds "I suppose you may join us, if you wish. I've enough supplies to feed us all, and maybe even cook a real meal, if anyone's interested."

Should we make some sort of check to find a good place to make camp? Here's one, just in case.

Survival:
[roll0] +2 if the bonus from K. Geography applies

[DrK]

Despite the cold and the snow the dwarf ranger manages to find a collection of tangled and fallen trees where the ground is at least clear of snow, if still frozen. You can just see the body of the big female dragon some 2000ft distant though as the evening snow begins to drift down it starts to become just another hummock in the snow fields.

As the afternoon approached evening darkness falls on the snowy plains and all can see a strange unearthly blue-green glow slowly rising from the peaks blending and mixing with strange multicoloured lights that flex and flow in the night sky...


Do any of you guys have things like tents? Food etc...? Or the you level 15 guys beyond such petty concerns :smallbiggrin:

You guys can make some camp fire chat if you want. Maybe think of healing or things like that...

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

Alfek sat away from the campfire and glanced towards the dwarf's rations. "If you have anything that can be eaten cold, I'd like that, please." He spent a few minutes covering his body in a soft healing glow, before frowning a bit. He had spent too much time preparing magic to decay his enemies, and not enough to restore life to himself. Perhaps tomorrow he would try for a more balanced approach.

"So, Miss Dustlake. Are you a member of the studied arcane arts, like Dorian and I, or did you bear the gift from childhood?" he asked curiously. Her ability to launch multiple spells in succession fascinated him. He had never seen anything like it, nor read any books on the subject. It was rumored that with enough practice and spellpower, a wizard could release one of his weaker spells in an instant, but the kobold had been flinging them left and right, much longer than Alfek suspected a normal wizard would be able to.

[u-b]

Dorian the Gray

Dorian performs some activities that, although look strange because of his form, are quite easy to see what they do - he gets some rope from his backpack (both appear to be made from thick air, but seem to function just as normal), then casts a spell, the rope rises into the air, as if affixed at the upper end.

"Welcome!" Dorian points at the rope. "Please no fires inside. If you wold like to burn it outside during the night, for whatever reason that be, I can darken the area to make it not seen. Also, I could provide some healing, stand up to 5 hours of guard duty or just climb inside and read some books if you don't care about guard duty.

Thanks for update on the briefing. No phantom steeds for everyone, I'm afraid, unless you really need them - I just can't cast mass version of that. But I can make everyone's weapons just as good as it possibly gets, and almost for the whole day. Interested?"

1. Rope Trick
2. Dorian has 9 charges of 2d8 healing, usable daily, so if anyone is still not in full health...
3. So, +5 greater magic weapons, anyone?

[Toliudar]

Scree is pleased to settle inside Dorian's extradimensional space - even something that cuts off a visual reminder of all this SNOW is a welcome change.

"Didn't know that there was a membership, but no, I'm not part of any college. My magic is a gift from Kossuth. I guess you studied then, to learn how to do all this? Where are you from originally, then?"

Scree scratches at a dry patch of scales on her shoulder, pondering Dorian's kind offer.

"Reckon having a stick that hits hard is better than having a stick that don't. I'd be up for that."

She offers no food herself, but has a few bites of Balrim's food, and seems to genuinely enjoy it.

u-b, right now conjuring 4 phantom steeds eats up all of Scree's highest level slots. Even if you could summon one or two extras tomorrow, it would help tremendously, and I'll make up the difference.

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

Alfek stepped inside the transdimensional space in awe. "Fascinating! You know, no matter how many times I see arcane transmutation effects, it just baffles me. So incredibly different and varied from druidic transmutation."

Alfek glanced at Scree curiously. "You mentioned Kossuth before. Is she your goddess or something? So, then...your powers are divine in nature? That...is surprising."


"Highest level spell slots"? It's a 3rd level spell. But hey, I'll help you out with that. Since a few 3rd level Sor/Wiz slots have opened up for me, because DrK wants me to cut back on the shivering touch. As a focused specialist, I can only have so many non-necromancy spells, though. But I'll prepare two or three castings of it.

Also, u-b, save the spell slot. I'm Tiny, even with a +5 bonus to hit and damage, shooting a crossbow would be a waste of my round. And as everyone's favorite theurge says:

:tsukiko: I'm a mystic theurge. I go to bed with more spells prepared than you wake up with

[Toliudar]

Scree

Scree tilts her head, apparently taking the hint that Alfek does not wish to speak about his place of origin.

"Kossuth is master of fire, the fire of life, the fire of transformation. And when need be, the fire that kills. Do you think that such as he can be contained into these petty constraints that you describe, Alfek? Is a volcano arcane or divine? What about the sky?

I'm curious, though. Most of the nature-priests that I've met are interested in preserving life, but your magic seems to focus on decay and death. How do you reconcile such different, ah, areas of interest?"

Phantom Steed is a third level spell. Greater Shadow Conjuration is seventh. So yes, if somebody else can cast some of the phantom steeds, that would be great.

[NeoSeraphi]

"The fire of life..." Alfek repeated, looking at his cold skin. If fire represented life, what did a creature like he, or those dragons before, represent? Then, almost as if answering his question for him, Scree pointed out that his magic seemed to cause decay and death.

Alfek chuckled a bit to himself. "I am a necromancer," he answered slowly, "my purpose is not to preserve life. It is to punish those who would extinguish it. I am aware that some necromancers choose to focus on magic that instantly draws life away from their enemies, but that's not enough for me." He narrowed his eyes. "I want to watch them suffer. Like that giant from before, the one who was unable to resist when I cursed the snow. I'm actually glad Balrim didn't kill him, now. He was able to live through my curse, and after it finally ended, I'm sure he understands now how those plants felt when his people salted them, having his life constantly slipping away, feeling nothing but sickness and grief. And without magical intervention, his pain will never be cured. No normal man can ever restore the vitality taken from the blood snow."

Glancing over at the kobold, he shrugged a bit. "[color="red"]I am not that different from you, actually. You ignite the skies, in order to slay your foes, while I cause them to rot from the inside. We are both just murderers who use different tools. And the same can be said of all of us. My decay, your fire, Balrim's bow, and Hote's maul, we are all just...murderers."


Fantastic. I'm so glad to know that I've been entrusting my safety and travel to an illusion for an entire day. Yeah, I'm definitely bringing my own horse tomorrow.

[Toliudar]

You're welcome. :smallwink:

Scree tilts her head, genuinely puzzled.

"So you seek to punish all those who kill...by killing them. Forgive me. I am a simple kobold, and do not understand such things."

She shrugs, pauses, and slides her pack off of her back. Opening the flap, she gestures to it. A strand of pebbles and sand weaves its way out of the pack, forming a rough mushroom like shape.

"I have killed, more times than I would like to think about, but I have never thought about it as my purpose. I do not bring fire in order to kill. I am here to bring the blessings of warmth back to a land unnaturally frozen. If someone seeks my death, and I kill them instead, I do not think that it makes me a murderer."

The stone mushroom slowly forms into a tiny representation of the bear that they had fought that morning, alongside the three giants. The representation has some eye for detail, but doesn't really capture the vitality of the creature - a journeyman effort at best. She turns to Dorian.

"The fairies. I forgot to mention that one of them apparently was able to possess this bear, and it seemed to be leading the three giants who ambushed us this morning. I know a little bit about such things, and it seems unlikely that the spirit of the fae was destroyed in the battle. Which means that, wherever it is, it know knows about us. Or most of us, at least. And this in turn means that its fellows might know as well. Things are likely to become more difficult as we proceed."

With a sigh, she waves her hand, and the crude bear shape dissolves back into her dusty and battered pack.

A fairly simple use of sandform ability.

[Chambers]

Hote

"You should be more careful with your words, friend gnome." Hote says to Alfek. "Where I come from, a man could have challenged you to a duel of honor for saying such things about him." Hote sits down and takes the diamond crystal off his armor, replaces it with a star shaped silver clasp. "As the one being challenged, you would have first refusal of where to fight...but he would get to choose the weapons."

Hote is down 35 HP, so he could use some healing from Dorian. Hote also casts his own GMW, but it's only at +4, so if you want to have Dorian do that in the morning, that'd be fine.

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

Realizing that Hote was not insubstantially wounded in the battle, Balrim places a hand on the man, channeling some magic into him. Not a moment later, Hote can feel some health has been restored to him. "I've been called worse than a murderer, and it's not something I can easily deny, so I take no umbrage with the comment." says the dwarf, tending his fire. "I kill to live, as all creatures must, and at times I'm not so sure that all of the suffering I've caused was strictly necessary. I killed the meat I ate tonight, but it wasn't required; I could feed us all for the rest of our lives without ever hunting again." Sitting back, Balrim strokes his beard as he continues. "I don't feel this makes me a murderer, nor do I think of our encounters with the giants or dragons ended in murder. They ended in violence, they ended in death, and they ended in sadness, but at no point was murder on the table. Still, if it helps you to think of that way, then by all means go right ahead."

Balrim brought 40lbs of firewood, 1lb of cheese, 1lb of meat, two loves of bread, and miscellaneous spices and vegetables. I'm going to mark on his sheet that all but 30lbs of wood were consumed tonight.

[u-b]

Dorian the Gray

"Hmm... in the language of humans "murder" is a rather specific word, gnome, meaning unlawful killing, with malice aforethought. I'd really stay away from that, both description and action, at least under my country's legal system's point of view."

After getting inside (and dismissing his steed), Dorian unpacks what looks like an air bedroll and sits on it doing nothing. He does not look like he is going to sleep any time soon. After some time without any warning airy composition of Dorian and all his equipment reverts back to normal. You see a man with gray hair, just like one whose depiction you've seen in the sky, in a well-made outfit of gray silk and black dragon skin, sitting on a high-quality bedroll (also with silk outer layer). He took off his transparent crystal mask, black leather boots (surprisingly, these look dusty, despite the winter and lots of snow everywhere outside), dragonhide gauntlet (left) and glove (right) and some knotty silk cord that was wrapped around his chest. Then he took a book from his pack (titled "Geographical atlas of the New World") and started to read it, apparently fully satisfied with situation.

Four Greater Shadow Conjurations for four steeds? Ouch, that definitely hurts. I thought there was some mass version used. Dorian is kind of pressed on 3rd-level spell slots, so any extra Phantom Steed he casts will be from 4th or 5th, but still better than 7th, that's for sure. I suggest Alfek memorizes some (up to four), and Dorian will conjure his own steed and, if needed, one or two more. Mine will be capable of flight, but given their fragility, I could recommend usage of this ability only to those who are not afraid of falling down from the sky.

Healing, for whomever needs that, from the belt: [roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3] [roll4] [roll5] [roll6] [roll7] [roll8]

GMW for +4 is fine. Dorian can cast up to that without extra tricks. And extra +1 does not worth extra tricks. Dorian will provide his metamagic rod of chain spell so that Hote also affects all Balrim's weapons (and any extra weapons, just in case).

upd: Dorian does not eat or drink anything, but can hint that if you are low on food, but not so on wood, you could cut some meat off the dragons and roast/smoke it for later use.

[Toliudar]

Scree

Leaning comfortably back against the side wall of the extradimensional hidey-hole, Scree turns her attention on the biggest member of their group.

"And where is that you come from, Hote? I have no gift for placing accents. Are you, like Dorian and I, a newcomer to this frozen land?"

Good to fast forward as desired.

[DrK]

In the interests of moving things along...

As you emerge from the rope trick pocket dimension you can see some shapes in the distance as a pair of enormous steely grey and white owls tear into the frozen corpse of the dragon.

Its clear, though its been snowing overnight, and the mountains without the massive bank of cloud seem closer and more immediate. Yet still filled with menace...

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek


Alfek sat up, yawning, and rubbed his eyes a bit, before grabbing his reading glasses and cracking open his spellbook. If he was going to be of more assistance to the group today, well, he had to prepare some more varied and interesting spells.

[Toliudar]

Scree simply opens her eyes in the morning, looking out at the snowy landscape with a grimace. She curls herself tight into a ball, the better to ponder the nature of heat, so woefully absent from this place.

After an hour or so, she opens her eyes again, stretching.

"Well. On to the Jarl today, then?"

Was there anything else on the other dragon?

Between 24 hour buffs cast last night, and the hour/level buffs cast today, Scree will have:
Anticipate Teleport
Contingency (Dimension Door, if targeted with an attack)
Dragonsight
Endure Elements
False Life
Heart of Air, Earth, Fire, Water
Superior Resistance

Once everyone is ready to go, she'll also cast Resist Energy (Cold), renewing as needed every three hours.

[u-b]

Dorian the Gray

While others were sleeping, Dorian studied the atlas to gain some more understanding of geography of the area, then slept for two hours, studied his magic books and refreshed a tattoo on his shin. When everyone was ready, he cast some more spells, again assuming airy composition, and left the pocket dimension.

"As you say, let's question that Jarl."

Outside Dorian observed the owls for some time, then decided to ignore them and started casting the horses.

Some minor adjustments in prepared spells. Buffs all stay the same; expending some material components. False life for [roll0]. Two phantom steeds.

[Chambers]

Hote

"It's a land far from here...mostly hills, farms, small towns and mist capped mountains." Hote says to Scree in the morning. "It's been years since I've been home, but that's another story."

Hote engages in his own rituals of the morning, red light glowing around his hands that passes onto his armor. He picks up his maul and looks it over, rubs a few flecks of dirt off it. "I'm ready." He says as his shield floats up off the ground and hovers behind him.

Spells cast: Greater Magic Weapon, Retributive Vampiric Touch. Vampiric Touch is already stored in the weapon from yesterday.

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek


"Well, then, we best start journeying! Shall we?" Alfek asked, setting his spellbook aside and raising his hands. He concentrated and managed to call three powerful steeds to the group's side, mounting one of them himself.


Spells cast for the day: 3 phantom steeds, 1 mage armor and 1 superior resistance. Will update my CS with my new prepared spells momentarily

[DrK]

As the party mounts up and begins to roll towards the mountains within an hour or so the skies darken and the weather begins to turn nasty with dark clouds pouring like a dark river from between the high peaks brekaing and rolling almost like a living being towards the party.

As the snow descends some 2 hours and 48 miles into their journey with the winds picking up rapidly and snow whipping around with great force as the conditions rapidly descend into something approaching a white out its obvious to all that this icy storm is no natural weather...

As pines give way to rocks and the foothills of the mountains begin to dominate the land the blizzard continues to blow


Balrim and Alfeck can keep you right for not getting lost however as they can't fail the survival checks...

If you don't have some sort of cold resistance active please let me know as saving throws will be needed for the 2 hours of exposure. DC20 and DC22 for hour 1 and hour 2 with 1d6 cold + fatigue for each failed one.

-6 With ranged attacks, -8 with perception, 50% miss chance > 30ft, 20% otherwise.



Without warning Balrim and Alfek make out shapes ahead in the freezing snow. 4 Large hulking ones and thinner slighter one that seems to almost glow with power. As they start to appear despite the roaring blizzard you can make them out more closely.

THe 4 giant are massive hulking beasts, not like the more lithe ones seen previously. All 4 are armoured with massive plates of hide and bone with long beards and clutching massive axes in their huge hands. With tatooed faces and scarred hides you can't tell if their different tribe or not...

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110528161858/l4w/images/f/fd/Barbarian_medium.jpg


Beyond them is the smaller figure. With icy blue skin, gleaming eyes and a black ice blade she looks slim and beautiful, but a beauty tinged with heartstopping danger...
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/spotlight_witch.jpg

All of you can hear the voice seemingly carried by the blizzard that rips and tears around you... "Turn back now. You can go no further, if you try to continue your frozen corpses will blight this land and feed the carrion birds" the threat deliver in an icy uncaring tone...

[Toliudar]

Scree

So easy. It would be so easy to simply run around them and continue on their way. With this blizzard, the giants would barely even see them. The kobold mentally weighed her options.

But if we want answers, and if we don't want our progress charted by these fairies, we've got to do something now. Pretty, sparkly girl, I will melt your heart.

[NeoSeraphi]

Knowledge checks to see if I know anything about the tall chick.
Knowledge (Arcane) [roll0]
Knowledge (Nature) [roll1]


Alfek stopped and called out in Giant, "We come to speak with the Jarl! Are you members of that tribe?"

[Chambers]

Hote

As the cold begins to seep through his cloak Hote shivers and touches the holly clasp near his neck. A light blue glow surrounds him for a moment before fading into his body. He smiles and watches his breath make small clouds in the air. "If anyone else is feeling the chill, I can protect you the same."

Resist Energy: Cold, gaining Cold Resistance 30. With the +2 CL bump it'll last for 170 minutes, so with 2 hours gone it'll have 30 minutes left. If anyone else needs it, just say so.

As the ogres appear out of the blizzard Hote checks his mount. "We've no quarrel with you. We seek merely to pass..." Hote says after Alfek speaks. Blue sheets of fire spring up around Hote and dance around him. "But if you desire a battle, we will give you one."

Cast Fire Shield, Chill Shield version. CL check for Fire spell: [roll0] vs DC 24

Stat Block
Hote
HP: 127/127, 0 Temp HP
AC: 26 (31 vs ranged attacks)
Current Spell Effects: Greater Magic Weapon, Retributive Vampiric Touch, Vampiric Touch in Maul, Fire Shield, Resist Energy: Cold

F/R/W: +16/+10/+13
DR 5/--: Used 0/50
Lifedrinking Crystal: Used 0/50

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

The dwarf quickly searches his memory for any reference to the creatures before him. The slightest tidbit could prove useful. Balrim pulls the double spear form its sheathe and waits calmly for their challenger's response.

Knowledge Checks:
For the Giants:
History:
[roll0]

Nature:
[roll1]
For the White Queen:
Arcana:
[roll2] (Using Collector of Stories)

History:
[roll3]

Nature:
[roll4]
Balrim's Statblock:
Balrim Aragak (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=356684)
Male LN Dwarf Ranger, Level 15, Init +9, HP 161/161, Speed 30ft
AC 28, Touch 21, Flat-footed 26, Fort +18, Ref +14, Will +12, Base Attack Bonus +15/+10/+5
Double Spear, +1 +22 | +20 (1d8+10, 20/x3)
Unarmed Strike, +1 +22 | +20 (1d8+7, 20/x2)
Composite Longbow (38 Arrows) +18 (1d8+6, 20/x3)
(+3 Armor, +2 Shield, +2 Dex, +2 Natural, +3 Deflect, +6 Misc)
Abilities Str 22, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 20, Cha 8
Condition Under the effects of endure elements (24 hour duration) and longstrider (7 hour duration). +4 Dodge AC vs Giants, +2 AC vs ranged attacks.

[u-b]

Dorian the Gray

Initially, Dorian traveled just fine in his relatively light outfit, protected from cold by low-level magic - he did not even use full winter outfit he was carrying. When, after an hour of travel, the skies darken and the weather begins to turn nasty, Dorian initially thought about using that for some extra protection, but the weather did not look exactly natural, so he resorted to magic instead, for more comfort and some extra protection. When the weather turned into real icy storm, Dorian had to abandon his favorite manner of travel (as a dark sphere in the sky) and joined the group, shutting down the darkness, and traveling some 40 feet from Balrim (either above or behind, depending on exact wind conditions).

1. I assume here it's getting below -50 degrees Fahrenheit, right?
2. Is that -6 penalty the same for both thrown missiles and magical rays?
3. Can you tell us current wind speed as per SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/weather.htm#tableWindEffects)?

Extended Dragonskin (white) for 320 min @ 1 hr into the journey: +5 enhancement to natural armor, 20 energy resistance against cold.

Also, 80 feet blindsense from dragonsight is active.

upd: 50% entropic deflection from the ring is also active.

[DrK]

Its augmented windstorm. So DC22 if you're flying- was going to not really include it if you stayed on the ground as would slow the game down lots otherwise. The penalty does apply to ranged weapons and Rays.

The miss chance also does as well. 30ft+ 50%, anything closer 20% save for adjacent when its 0%. The snow also means x2 movement, x4 if your small from the deep snow.

Balrim Knowledge: THe frost giants are frost giants. The women is somen sort of icy fey creature born of rimefire. She is likley cold based and needs cold iron to reaaly hurt her.

Alfek: She clearly has several spell effects cascasding in icy blue field around her. She is a strange type of fey realted to the dangerous Frostwind Virago or a rimefire infused witch. Though to honest its not something you've encountered before or read about. But likley immune to cold, has spell resistance and DR/cold iron and she looks like a witch...


As the blizzard whips around you her voice whistles around you as she hears Alfek's and Hote's word despite the raging wind. "Leave now! You do not belong here! We will release your vessels and you may cross the ocean. We shall rule this place.".

At a subtle nod from her the giants also ready themselves, the armoured behemoths girding themselves for war...

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

"Crazy witch," Alfek muttered, dropping down off his horse and walking over to Balrim. "Everyone, prepare for battle! For some reason I don't think we're going to be able to talk our way out of this one!"

Alfek called some magical power into the palm of his hand, reaching out and touching Balrim harmlessly. "The witch is the most dangerous of the lot, and also the most vulnerable, but not to me and Miss Dustlake. Take care of her with your might and leave the giants to me. This time, they won't shake off my magic!"


I assume combat hasn't started yet, which means it's perfectly fine for me to act on my own initiative. So I'm going to cast greater heroism on Balrim, which will grant him a +4 morale bonus on attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks, as well as immunity to fear and 12 temporary hit points. The duration of the spell is 12 minutes

[Toliudar]

Scree

Scree's fingers twitch. She too felt the battle rage building in her, but wasn't quite ready to abandon conversation. She pitched her voice low enough that her colleagues could hear, but the storm's voice would drown her out well before reaching the fae.

"The giants have not spoken."

The little kobold weaves a simple magic, and then murmurs, even more softly: "If you know Atli, daughter of Freyda, know that we havve spared her son, and seek only parley. We can destroy this woman you serve. You only need say the word, and step back."

Casting Message, targeting the three giants, and her four colleagues. In case it's relevant, Bluff/Diplomacy: [roll0]

[DrK]

The 4 giants smirk at the kobold words, one of them muttering in halting common "Trondheim weak. We break them and make cloth from their skin"- it would seem they are a different tribe!



Alfek if you cast that magic she will notice and that will start the fight. She's not stupid and buffing fighters is like lighting a fuse...





A Map (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=2422)

[u-b]

Dorian the Gray

Dorian gets lesser rod of sculpting from the quiver and readies to act on first sign of combat being imminent.

Dorian will remain landbound. Ready an action, both Dorian and his steed. When triggered, ride to Y23Z24 and cast sculpted 20-ft.-radius Legion of sentinels centered on H14I15 (or, if situation changes, equivalent location with intent to cover as much enemies as possible). Anyone who provokes AoO in an affected or adjacent square (moving, ranged attack, casting non-defensively etc.) gets attacked by as many spectral swordfighters as threaten him (any affected square, even if otherwise occupied, contains exactly one spectral swordfighter with exactly one AoO per round), each attack being at +16 for 1d8+5 slashing and they can both use and provide flanking.

Also, he will scream "You get the caster!"

[DrK]

As the dimunitive gnome surrounds Barlim in protective aura of power everything kicks off in a spectacular fashion! The woman flows forward gliding over the icy ground as if it were solid magical power streaming off her. A beam of raw rainbow tinted power streaming into towards the kobold, moments later a beam of sheer blackness lashes out towards the tiny little gnome...


Witch move to D13
Reciprocal Gyre at Scree Will save DC 22 for half of Xd12 where X= number of active spells running. If you fail then take lots of pain and Fort save or dazed [roll0] rounds

Swift ray of stupidity at Aflek ranged touch [roll1] (accounting for the weather) doing [roll2] Int damage



The giants move a second later racing fowards to overpower the hapless humanoids and crush the life from them...

Tow others moving in other directions their greataxes swinging in the snowy blizzard ready to crush the life from those who would invade their realm...

Giant 2 Vs Hote great axe [roll3] doing [roll4]
- shouldn't be affected by the fireshield as using a big weapon
Giant 4 Vs Balrim [roll5] doing [roll6]


NEW MAP (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=2446)

@UB I moved Dorian but not sure where you want to target the spell?

[Chambers]

Hote

Dodging the giants greataxe Hote nods and says "You have chosen the way of pain." He grips his maul in both hands and makes as if to rush the giant in front of him, but instead lets go with his right hand points towards his companions, fingers spread wide. "Follow me!" He shouts and the snow whips around in a small whirlwind, obscurring Hote, Alfek, Balrim, and Scree from all vision and feeling. Not a split moment later and they reappear, surrounding the ice witch on all sides.

Hote grins at her as his maul comes swinging down on her. "I know some tricks myself!"

Swift Action: Regroup (PHB 2, pg122). Using Quick Cast to cast it as a swift action. Hote will teleport to D12. The other three may follow (they are not forced to), but must appear adjacent to Hote.

Free Action: Arcane Strike, 4th level spell.
Full Attack: Arcane Channeling, Empowered Vampiric Touch

Spell Resistance for the Vampiric Touch (one roll for all three attacks): [roll0]

Attack [roll1]
Damage [roll2]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll3]
Empowered Vampiric Touch Damage [roll4]

Attack [roll5]
Damage [roll6]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll7]
Empowered Vampiric Touch Damage [roll8]

Attack [roll9]
Damage [roll10]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll11]
Empowered Vampiric Touch Damage [roll12]

Stat Block
Hote
HP: 127/127, 0 Temp HP
AC: 26 (31 vs ranged attacks)
Current Spell Effects: Greater Magic Weapon, Retributive Vampiric Touch, Vampiric Touch in Maul, Fire Shield, Resist Energy: Cold

F/R/W: +16/+10/+13
DR 5/--: Used 0/50
Lifedrinking Crystal: Used 0/50

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

Preparing to charge into battle, the dwarf finds himself transported next to the foul caster. Laughing heartily, Balrim shifts into a better position, lining up his attacks to coincide with Hote's. The ranger gives a flourish of his spear, bringing up the shiny, polished end. Suddenly, the end of the spear and Balrim's feet burst into orange and red flames, and he flies into an astonishing flurry of strikes.

Teleported to E13 by Hote's regroup spell. 5ft step to D14, to flank with Hote. Swift action to cast blades of fire (no SR) through the wand inside the double spear. Full-round action to full-attack the ice witch. The damage rolls assume that the ice witch is not an arcane caster or invocation user; if this is not the case, then the spear does 9 more points of damage and the unarmed strike does 4 more points of damage.

Potential Attacks:
D. Spear Attack 1:
[roll0]

D. Spear Damage 1:
[roll1] Piercing

Blades of Fire Damage:
[roll2] Fire


D. Spear Attack 2:
[roll3]

D. Spear Damage 2:
[roll4] Piercing

Blades of Fire Damage:
[roll5] Fire
D. Spear 2 Confirmation:
(1d20+21)[17](38)

D. Spear 2 Critical Hit:
(2d8+20)[8][4](32) (+18 if the ice witch is an arcane caster or invocation user)

D. Spear Attack 3:
[roll6]

D. Spear Damage 3:
[roll7] Piercing

Blades of Fire Damage:
[roll8] Fire


Unarmed Attack 1:
[roll9]

Unarmed Damage 1:
[roll10] Bludgeoning

Blades of Fire Damage:
[roll11] Fire


Unarmed Attack 2:
[roll12]

Unarmed Damage 2:
[roll13] Bludgeoning

Blades of Fire Damage:
[roll14] Fire
Unarmed 2 Confirmation:
(1d20+21)[2](23)

Unarmed 2 Critical Hit:
(2d8+14)[5][8](27) (+8 if the ice witch is an arcane caster or invocation user)

Unarmed Attack 3:
[roll15]

Unarmed Damage 3:
[roll16] Bludgeoning

Blades of Fire Damage:
[roll17] Fire
Balrim's Statblock:
Balrim Aragak (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=356684)
Male LN Dwarf Ranger, Level 15, Init +9, HP 147/161, Speed 30ft
AC 28, Touch 21, Flat-footed 26, Fort +22, Ref +18, Will +16, Base Attack Bonus +15/+10/+5
Double Spear, +1 +26 | +20 (1d8+10, 20/x3)
Unarmed Strike, +1 +26 | +20 (1d8+7, 20/x2)
Composite Longbow (38 Arrows) +22 (1d8+6, 20/x3)
(+3 Armor, +2 Shield, +2 Dex, +2 Natural, +3 Deflect, +6 Misc)
Abilities Str 22, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 20, Cha 8
Condition Under the effects of endure elements (24 hour duration), greater heroism (12 minute duration) and longstrider (7 hour duration). +4 Dodge AC vs Giants, +2 AC vs ranged attacks.

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

Alfek gasped as the ice witch's power shot right at him. He glared at her and narrowed his eyes. "I'd recognize that spell anywhere! And don't think me so stupid as to leave myself open to it! Dampen!"

His third eye opened wide and the spell immediately weakened. Alfek was struck with the bolt, but shook it off slowly, feeling a bit dazed but not nearly as bad as he suspected it would be. Taking a breath, he blinked in surprise as Hote and Balrim vanished and appeared before the witch. Grinning as he watched them take the girl down together, he turned towards the giants, his fists crackling with raw arcane power. "Oh, today is not going to be a good day for you..."


Choose not to regroup.

Casting hold monster on the closest giant. The giant must make a Will save each round (DC 21) or be held.

Move action to move back 20 feet.

[Toliudar]

Scree

As soon as the ice witch casts her spell, Scree and her mount blip out of view, lost in the swirling wind and snow.

However, assurance of her ongoing existence arrives a moment later, in the form of a sulphurous cloud that engulfs two of the giants. The heat from the cloud causes the snow already on the ground to hiss and sublimate upwards.

As noted in OOC, the ice fae's spell targeting Scree sets off her contingency, and she and her mount teleport several hundred feet to the west.

On her action, she guides the phantom steed on a loop north that ends with her at A4.

Scree casts Arcane Spellsurge as a standard action. She then uses a swift action to cast Simmering (As Acid, but fire damage) Fog, centred on space u18. This deals [roll0] fire damage, no save, 1.5x to cold subtype, and does all of the typical Solid Fog things. This assumes that Alfek targets Giant 2, not Giant 4.

If, before her next turn, a giant targets her with an attack, Scree uses her immediate action to cast Greater Mirror Image, creating [roll1] (maximum of 8) images.

Statblock, not taking into account possible effects from the Gyre pending adjudication from DrK.
Scree Dustlake (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=356595)
Female Lawful Neutral Desert Kobold Sorcerer 6/Sandshaper 4/Earth Dreamer 5, Level 15, Init +3, HP 126/111, Speed 30 (40' with spells)
AC 25, Touch 14, Flat-footed 22, Fort +18, Ref +13, Will +21, Base Attack Bonus 7/2
Wand chamber (100) Runestaff +5/+0 (1d4-3, x2)
Claw Claw Bite +5 +5 +0 (1d3-3 1d3-3 1d2-3, x2)
Harness (Robe) of Arcane Might (Transmutation), With Wand Chamber (100) and Lesser Crystal of Lifekeeping (1000) +1 Mithril Buckler (2,160) (+4 Armor, +2 Shield, +3 Dex, +1 Size, +5 Natural)
Abilities Str 5, Dex 17, Con 20, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 27

[DrK]

The giants and ice witch look confused as the two melee fighter flicker out of existence before they appear beside her, Balrim ignoring the heavy wound in his shoulder that the giant's huge axe had cut into it. She just has time to release her first wave of spells before the torrent of maul and spear blows pummel into her with no mercy leaving her a smashed and impaled icy corpse...


@ Balrim: I assumed that the 37 hit?
Hote 80 + Balrim 132 = dead ice witch. Ouch!
@ Aflek: Does that mean you take 2 Int damage?


As her spells releases the small kobold vanishes avoiding the massive explosion of magical doom. Appearing seconds later a simmering flaming fo appearing around two of the giants before the savage wind whips and tears around the giants shredding and blowing the fiery fog away.

As that happens shadowy grey shapes appear, spectral swordsmen slashing about with phantasmal blades...


Giant 3:- 6
Giant 4:- 6


The giants roar in shock as the witch is chopped down lashing about in rage at the heroes of the New Colonies. The two nearest to Dorian and Aflek pushing forward through the vanishing fog, spectral swordsmen slashing at them as the sword slows them down, the one closes to Aflek struggling against the magic... before stopping, a confused look on its face as the magic holds it in place.


Giant 3 Vs Dorian [roll0] damage [roll1]
Legion of sentinels attack [roll2] damage [roll3]
Legion of sentinels attack [roll4] damage [roll5]
Legion of sentinels attack [roll6] damage [roll7]

Will save [roll8] or Held and no AoO and no attack on Aflek
Giant 4 Vs Aflek [roll9] damage [roll10]
Legion of sentinels attack [roll11] damage [roll12]
Legion of sentinels attack [roll13] damage [roll14]
Legion of sentinels attack [roll15] damage [roll16]



The other giant in north see's the kobold return and roars a mighty laugh stepping towards the diminutive sorcereress lashing out twice with its massive axe, a look of slight confusion as a huge multiple array of Scree's slightly appear...


Giant 1 full attack scree - assuming image 1 is scree
attack 1 [roll17] damage [roll18] image [roll19]
attack 2 [roll20] damage [roll21] image [roll22] (Or [roll23] if first one missed)



The final giant sprints back to avenge its mistress, charging the bearded giant with his blood splattered maul


Charge back to Hote
[roll24] damage [roll25]



UPDATED MAP (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=2454)

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

The dwarf very quickly grabs something small and brown from a bag on his belt, crushing it as he mumbles something. A light blue glow radiates from Balrim, dissipating as he rolls past the giant attacking Hote. "You were warned, Giant." he says in the creature's tongue, flipping his spear around. "My spear has slain beasts larger than you!" With that, the ranger sends a powerful thrust at the frost giant's knee.


@ Balrim: I assumed that the 37 hit?
Yes, sir; yes it did. I just forgot to add the damage, unfortunately. It's been updated.

Swift action to cast accelerated movement. Move action to tumble past the frost giant in z11-B13, ending movement in y12. Standard action to attack the frost giant, Power Attacking for -4 (Favored Power Attack adds +10, I think).

Acrobatics (DC 27 or 30, I think):
[roll0]

Potential Attack:
Spear Attack:
[roll1]

Spear Damage:
[roll2]
Balrim's Statblock:
Balrim Aragak (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=356684)
Male LN Dwarf Ranger, Level 15, Init +9, HP 147/161, Speed 30ft
AC 28, Touch 21, Flat-footed 26, Fort +22, Ref +18, Will +16, Base Attack Bonus +15/+10/+5
Double Spear, +1 +26 | +20 (1d8+10, 20/x3)
Unarmed Strike, +1 +26 | +20 (1d8+7, 20/x2)
Composite Longbow (38 Arrows) +22 (1d8+6, 20/x3)
(+3 Armor, +2 Shield, +2 Dex, +2 Natural, +3 Deflect, +6 Misc)
Abilities Str 22, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 20, Cha 8
Condition Under the effects of accelerated movement (7 round duration), endure elements (24 hour duration), greater heroism (12 minute duration) and longstrider (7 hour duration). +4 Dodge AC vs Giants, +2 AC vs ranged attacks.

[u-b]

Dorian the Gray

Dorian was hit by giant's axe and mildly annoyed. The wound, surprisingly, was much smaller than it could be expected. He swiftly cast a spell, creating many duplicates of himself and guided his horse to withdraw from that giant and move near Balrim, where Dorian cast another spell

Casting defensively, successfully, Greater Mirror Image for [roll0] (max 8) images. Then sculpted glitterdust (60 ft line) from B15C16 at giants #1 and #2, will DC20.

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

Alfek grinned in triumph as the giant stood stock still. "Hmmm...now then, what to do with you? On the one hand, killing you would be an obvious waste of my magic...but on the other hand I have so many spells at my disposal that I can definitely afford to waste a little of it.." He held up one finger and pointed it right at the giant's heart. "Just for a little insurance, to make sure someone stays nice and still until my friends come to carve him up."


Yes, Alfek took 2 points of Intelligence damage. :smallannoyed: It's a hell of a lot better than taking 5 points of it.

Alfek casts enervation at the giant

Ranged touch attack (Taking into account the -6 penalty on ranged attack rolls)
[roll0]

Critical Confirmation Roll (What can I say, I'm feeling lucky today)
[roll1]

Negative Levels dealt
[roll2]

Critical Negative Levels dealt
[roll3]

The negative levels aren't really important, but he takes a -1 penalty to his saving throw for each one he has.

[Toliudar]

Scree

The giant's sweeping blade takes out two copies of Scree, but another soon appears to swell the ranks again. She murmurs under the roaring wind into the link with the giant.

"The Trondheim are weak, eh? Let's see how strong you are, big guy."

She crouches low in the 'saddle' of her steed, and unleashes a barrage of flame at the much larger giant.

Casting all defensively (auto-success).

Swift action - used up by the immediate action previously implemented.
Standard action - Casting a Searing Scorching Ray at the giant, creating three rays. Each does double damage if he's cold subtype.

Ray 1 attack: [roll0] Damage: [roll1]
Ray 2 attack: [roll2] Damage: [roll3]
Ray 3 attack: [roll4] Damage: [roll5]

Nice work, Chambers - that really was a game-changing move last round.

Scree:
Scree Dustlake (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=356595)
Female Lawful Neutral Desert Kobold Sorcerer 6/Sandshaper 4/Earth Dreamer 5, Level 15, Init +3, HP 126/111, Speed 30 (40' with spells)
AC 25, Touch 14, Flat-footed 22, Fort +18, Ref +13, Will +21, Base Attack Bonus 7/2
Wand chamber (100) Runestaff +5/+0 (1d4-3, x2)
Claw Claw Bite +5 +5 +0 (1d3-3 1d3-3 1d2-3, x2)
Harness (Robe) of Arcane Might (Transmutation), With Wand Chamber (100) and Lesser Crystal of Lifekeeping (1000) +1 Mithril Buckler (2,160) (+4 Armor, +2 Shield, +3 Dex, +1 Size, +5 Natural)
Abilities Str 5, Dex 17, Con 20, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 27

[Chambers]

Hote

Sparing a last glance at the crippled body of the ice witch Hote is caught by surprise by the giants greataxe. He recoils from the blow, but smiles as red tendrils form out of his armor and lash out at the giant. Taking his maul in both hands he steps towards it and swings it with all his might.

5ft step to 12C. His Vanguard Treads let him ignore the difficult terrain of the snow.

Swift Action: Sure Strike (+5 insight bonus to his first attack roll)
Arcane Strike: 2nd level spell
Full Attack: Arcane Channeling, Shocking Grasp
Power Attack for 4 (Armbands of Might adds +2 dmg when Power Attacking for at least 2).

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll2]
Shocking Grasp Damage [roll3]

Attack [roll4]
Damage [roll5]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll6]
Shocking Grasp Damage [roll7]

Attack [roll8]
Damage [roll9]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll10]
Shocking Grasp Damage [roll11]

Stat Block
Hote
HP: 66/127, 24 Temp HP
AC: 26 (31 vs ranged attacks)
Current Spell Effects: Greater Magic Weapon, Retributive Vampiric Touch, Vampiric Touch in Maul, Fire Shield, Resist Energy: Cold

F/R/W: +16/+10/+13
DR 5/--: Used 5/50
Lifedrinking Crystal: Used 15/50

[DrK]

The heroe's return attacks are devastating even as the colossal blow comes close to severing Hote in twain. The vampiric touch striking back repairing some of the damage. Balrim tumbles in, the spear tearing out the beast's kneecap before the duskblade steps in with the maul crackling with lightning as between them they tear the giant apart and crush the remains...

A torrent of Dorian's leap into existence as he backs away from the massive frost giant, a stream of glittering particles coating the now dead one and streaming around the one threatening Scree, its ats at the particles trying to clear its eyes...


Will save [roll0] Vs DC 21 or blinded


Even as it struggles to clear its eyes its zapped by a trio of searing hot beams of fire that carve massive scars in its chest and body.
ouch 3 hits

The other giant near Aflek seems to wither and melt as black beams of necromancy touch and dissolve its very essence, it trembles and cries out as it struggles against the magic holding it in place...
Will save [roll1] Vs 21

[DrK]

The southernmost giant, surrounded by the massive horde of spectral swordsmen carefully picks his way clear, growling a caustic "Gods curse mages, I long to see them dead..." in giant.

Meanwhile the one beside Scree, still smoking and outlined in glitter again tries to club the tiny kobold swinging its axe futiley against the many copies of the tiny sorceress.


-again 1 is Scree
Attack [roll0] damage [roll1] image [roll2]
Attack [roll3] damage [roll4] image [roll5]
(Or [roll6] if first one misses)



The last merely stands trembling, withering under the necromantic onslaught as a cold and deadly gnome crushes it mind and its will.

UPDATED MAP (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=2471)

[Toliudar]

Scree

Again, the giant's swings remove two of Scree's duplicates, and another pops into being. The kobold is now close enough to feel the giant's icy breath whoosh over her head.

"Gold is a good colour for you, giant. I know some fire giants who would be pleased to use you in a sexual and involuntary manner, now that you look so pretty."

A barrage of six more tongues of flame blast out from the little kobold.

Both swings remove images from Scree. Another is added back at the beginning of her action, so there are now six duplicates of her. All casting is done defensively.

Scree - standard action to cast a Searing Scorching Ray. Double damage to cold creatures:
Ray 1 [roll0] Fire damage: [roll1]
Ray 2 [roll2] Fire damage: [roll3]
Ray 3 [roll4] Fire damage: [roll5]

Then a swift action to cast an ordinary Scorching Ray. 1.5 damage to cold creatures:
Ray 1 [roll6] Fire damage: [roll7]
Ray 2 [roll8] Fire damage: [roll9]
Ray 3 [roll10] Fire damage: [roll11]

So, if they all hit, that's 130 HP damage.

[Chambers]

Hote

Holding one hand to his side Hote tries to stop the bleeding, and looks at his hand covered in his own blood. He wipes it on his pants and grips his maul with both hands, heavy boots breaking through the snow as he rushes towards the giant. "Rawrrgh!" He shouts as swings the maul back in a wide arc, trying to bring the giant to it's knees.

Swift Action: Swift Strike
Arcane Strike: 2nd level spell
Charge! (to square 14x)Power Attack for -10.

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll2]

Stat Block
Hote
HP: 71/127, 24 Temp HP
AC: 26 (31 vs ranged attacks)
Current Spell Effects: Greater Magic Weapon, Retributive Vampiric Touch, Vampiric Touch in Maul, Fire Shield, Resist Energy: Cold

F/R/W: +16/+10/+13
DR 5/--: Used 5/50
Lifedrinking Crystal: Used 20/50

[u-b]

Dorian the Gray

"Oh my, you came here? Now come back!" Dorian took a small piece granite from his pouch... "Maceria lapidum!" A stone wall appears, separating Dorian from giant.

Conjuring 4 inch-thick Wall of stone, shaped like so (http://roleplayer.narod.ru/files/stone_wall.png), height 10 feet above the snow, except for the western part, where it extends below the snow, down to solid ground. 60 hp per 5-foot square, hardness 8, break DC28.

If Hote attacks giant #1, Dorian then withdraws to J12K13. If #3, Dorian stays.

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

"Drop him, Hote!" shouts the dwarf, quickly moving to aid the warrior.

Double move to t14, tumbling to avoid an AoO. Balrim and Hote are not flanking, yet.

Acrobatics (DC 17 or 20, I think):
[roll0]

Balrim's Statblock:
Balrim Aragak (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=356684)
Male LN Dwarf Ranger, Level 15, Init +9, HP 147/161, Speed 30ft
AC 28, Touch 21, Flat-footed 26, Fort +22, Ref +18, Will +16, Base Attack Bonus +15/+10/+5
Double Spear, +1 +26 | +20 (1d8+10, 20/x3)
Unarmed Strike, +1 +26 | +20 (1d8+7, 20/x2)
Composite Longbow (38 Arrows) +22 (1d8+6, 20/x3)
(+3 Armor, +2 Shield, +2 Dex, +2 Natural, +3 Deflect, +6 Misc)
Abilities Str 22, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 20, Cha 8
Condition Under the effects of accelerated movement (6 round duration), endure elements (24 hour duration), greater heroism (12 minute duration) and longstrider (7 hour duration). +4 Dodge AC vs Giants, +2 AC vs ranged attacks.

[DrK]

Blood and seared flesh erupt over the snowscape as the party continue to move into action...

To the north there is a brief wail followed by a series of wet splats as heroes glance to see a giant neatly sawed into half a dozen pieces by a blaze of 6 different red fire beams, Scree slicing the giant into many, many pieces.

The giant held by the gome continues to shake and tremble impotently as the magic holds it still...
Will [roll0]
... Even as the massive blood splattered maul slams into its knee cracking bone. Moments later Bagrim appears spear in hand...

The 3rd giant about to smash the many shapes of Dorian pauses as the earth splits a wall rising up. Seeing his ally dead or held he mutters a curse at the small mage "You will not laugh when next we meet!" before turning and moving 80ft to the south.

hmm... the party crush another encounter. You and your cunning plan Chambers :smallsmile:

MAP (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=2619)-- Giant in the south is actually just off the map.

[u-b]

Dorian the Gray

The mage was apparently not in a mood to appoint that meeting. He rode his steed around the wall, following the giant, got brooch of deeper darkness out of haversack (deeper darkness falls 60 feet around Dorian) and cast something with no immediately apparent result.

"Let this one live for a moment, we need to talk."

Riding around the wall and into position 40 feet east of runaway giant, casting detect thoughts at giant (and swiftly concentrating on that to get more info, if applicable). Dorian is darkhidden (i.e. invisible to darkvision).

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

"I take no pleasure in this, giant," says the dwarf, in his enemies native tongue. "But you and those like you cannot be allowed to survive. I am sorry." With that, Balrim thrusts his spear into the giant, its dark, rough blade seeking the creature's heart.

Free action to 5ft step to t15. Full-round action to coup de grace the frost giant in u15-w17, Power Attacking for -15 (+37, I think).

Spear Damage:
[roll0]

Giant Bane:
[roll1]

[NeoSeraphi]

OOC:
Forum trouble hid Lyndworm's post, I'm just posting to make it visible

[DrK]

The spear plunges into the chest of the giant tearing through the beast's cold heart. Seconds later it plummets to the ground quite dead.

The one fleeing lies within sight of the book writing Dorian. As he scans the beast's teror filled head he can sense a confusing sense of fear and sens eof vengeance- And the vivid image of a small campsite nesteld in a cramped valley shrouded in pines with a waterfall at one end and a collection of massive armoured shapes and one smaller figure glistening with blue skin and a crown of pale blue ice...


Will [roll0] Vs ~20

[u-b]

Dorian the Gray

Dorian continued to ride in sync with giant's movements, not allowing him to get farther or closer, and trying to extract more info from his mind.

"Oh, my, you think you can run from me? And you think you'll be safe in there? ... That little camp, with no name on the map? ... Nah, we'll just kill more of your kind. And of her kind. Especially of her kind, really... all of them, and they are not many. ... Besides, you are running in the wrong direction! ... Their main base could be a more secure refuge, but still, I know where it is... You think they have a good plan? Bah! They have no plan, even a bad one! ... They also have no way of defeating us! ... Anyway, want some hot grog?"

Standard actions to ride in sync with giant's movements, swift actions to concentrate on the spell. Making pauses in speech to allow corresponding thoughts to surface.

[Toliudar]

Scree

Her opponent resoundingly defeated, Scree is content to circle around in front of the fleeing giant and watch how things unfold with Dorian.

Scree will circle well around the pair, keeping ahead of the giant and just close enough that she can monitor his progress using blindsense. If it sounds like the giant is no longer running, she'll shift tactics then.

[DrK]

THe giant flees some 160ft further south, head shaking as if trying to dislodge a buzzing inside his skull. At Dorian's words more images float to the surface...

THe image of the camp solidifies some more. A massive armoured frost giant in black plate with a black steel crown, the same giant bowing down to the icy wizard in the middle of the small cramped valley.

As Dorian mentions the main camp he gest the sensation of a long travel to further mountains and a series of caves filled with frost giants and their humaoid slaves with dowzens of freshly slaughted animals and humaoids hanging to freshen in the cold air.

As for a plan... words like food, kill small people and eat float to the surface... he does not know the master plan :smallsmile:

[u-b]

Dorian the Gray

Dorian continued to read the mind of that giant, for a while...

"No grog, I guess? Okay. I think that fay girl we just killed didn't like the grog either. You wild people know nothing about good grog! Besides, what was her name? ... And those guys names? ... Oh, no, no, not those guys! Wizard guys! ... And that his vassal's of yours, I mean, one in black plates. ... What do you think they will do if we pay them a visit? ... Hey! You are still running in the WRONG direction! ... "

Then put away the darkness. "Done. You may ask him what you want and then cut that off."

Especially picking the reaction on that "WRONG direction" statement.

[DrK]

The giant flees, some more, running now across the snow another 160ft away. His mid a mass of comfusions. Grog confusing him and the names of Barik, Olrgit and Karn the names of the dead. THe massive figure in the black plate with the fearful title of Jarl and Master... much the same as the fey creature of ice and snow that was nameless save for the title of master/mistress.

The direction however fixes in Dorian's mind. Some 15 miles through narrow valleys and across groves of frozen pine to the waterfall glade where the evil opponents lurk...

[NeoSeraphi]

A few minutes later...

Alfek wiped his hands and shook his head, staring down at the giant's corpse. "Whew! It's been a long time since I removed teeth with a spinal cord! And they said I needed silly things like 'official medical training' and 'anesthesia' and 'psychological help' before I could become a dentist! Well what do you think of this, Doctor Molars!? Hmm?!" He thrust his new giant-tooth necklace to the sky, before sighing and cracking his neck.

"Still, fighting without weapons or magic is tougher than I remember. Good thing giants have such sturdy spines. They make great longswords. Say, Balrim, want to cook this guy?"

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

The dwarf looks to the tiny gnome with startled, confused eyes, as if Alfek had grown another head. "To take a trophy is one thing, a reminder of glories past and glory future, and this I can ask no man to give up; but to consume the flesh of another intelligent being for pleasure or malice... I cannot be a part of such an abomination."

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek

Alfek shrugged. "Tell that to them. Giants have been capturing and devouring gnomes for centuries. But it's your call, obviously. I don't particularly want to eat him, but I know your hatred for them runs deep as well."

Sighing and tossing the giant's spinal cord to the ground, Alfek pocketed the teeth necklace and mounted his steed. "Well, that detour took longer than I wanted it too. Shall we go?"

[u-b]

Dorian the Gray

"I think so. Just a moment though..."

Dorian searched the giants and fey for anything magical or otherwise interesting (taking 10 on perception for total of 21 and using detect magic), picked up whatever he considered worth getting, also picked up his dropped rod, and after that was ready to go.

[Chambers]

Hote

Remaining silent while the gnome kills and dismembers the last giant, Hote shakes his head and walks over to Balrim. "I am worried about him." He says quietly. Hote holds the stone head of his maul and whispers a few words. The maul glows faintly red for a moment and then subsides. "He should not do such things, but we have no time to discuss it." Calling over his own mount, he climbs up and sets himself in the saddle and leads it towards Dorian. "What did you find from his mind?"



Casting Vampiric Touch into his maul and a Retributive Vampiric Touch on himself.

Does anyone have a few healing charges they can share? Hote could use a couple.

Stat Block
Hote
HP: 71/127, 24 Temp HP
AC: 26 (31 vs ranged attacks)
Current Spell Effects: Greater Magic Weapon, Retributive Vampiric Touch, Vampiric Touch in Maul, Fire Shield, Resist Energy: Cold

F/R/W: +16/+10/+13
DR 5/--: Used 5/50
Lifedrinking Crystal: Used 20/50

[DrK]

The wizard's magical sight casts across the blood splattered battlefield and pink slush snow. The giants glow faintly with the last dying vestiges of magic fading away from them but other magic glitters at a belt and a throat.


One has a potion of Snowsight CL5 and a Potion of Heroics CL5
The other has a a bear fang necklace (Oncer per day Wildshape into a Dire Bear for an hour)


THe body of the fey sorceress has more interesting toys upon it, the strange stygian dark ice blade and icy wand coupled with a few other pieces of ice laden jewelery.


Ring of Piercing Cold as the feat applied 3/day to a spell of up to 6th level
Stygian Ice +1 keen bloodfeeding longsword
Staff of Winter with 18 charges
Some very nice silver/platinum and sapphire jewels worth a total of ~11500gp

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

"I, too, am worried about our friend." says the dwarf. "This endless cold is seeming to get to him... at least I hope that that's all it is." Seeing just how badly wounded Hote is, Balrim decides to heal his injuries as best he's able.

Balrim spends his Hair Shirt's daily cure moderate wounds ability on Hote, healing [roll0] hit points. Though he can't do so in this round, Balrim will spend uses from his wand of cure light wounds (which heals 1d8+1 hit points per use) in future rounds if Hote requires it.

Balrim's Statblock:
Balrim Aragak (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=356684)
Male LN Dwarf Ranger, Level 15, Init +9, HP 147/161, Speed 30ft
AC 28, Touch 21, Flat-footed 26, Fort +22, Ref +18, Will +16, Base Attack Bonus +15/+10/+5
Double Spear, +1 +22 | +20 (1d8+10, 20/x3)
Unarmed Strike, +1 +22 | +20 (1d8+7, 20/x2)
Composite Longbow (38 Arrows) +18 (1d8+6, 20/x3)
(+3 Armor, +2 Shield, +2 Dex, +2 Natural, +3 Deflect, +6 Misc)
Abilities Str 22, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 20, Cha 8
Condition Under the effects of endure elements (24 hour duration), and longstrider (7 hour duration). +4 Dodge AC vs Giants, +2 AC vs ranged attacks.

[u-b]

Dorian the Gray

After examining the loot, Dorian spent some charges from his belt to heal Hote and described what he got from that giant's mind in as much details as he could remember.

"I think we should go there and cause some destruction."

Healing: up to 6 charges at Hote [roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3] [roll4] [roll5]

[Toliudar]

Scree offers Hote what simple healings her own magics have available to her, then remounts.

"I don't see much point in simply killing giants, much less in eating them, but perhaps it will reveal more of the plans of these ice fairies, who seem to be leeching the warmth from the land. I'm ready to go."

Additional healing as needed:

[roll0] [roll1] [roll2]

[DrK]

As you wind your way into the mountainous foot hills even the phantom steeds are slowed by the poor visibility, sharp cliffs and thick boulder fields and pine groves. The wind filled with ice and snow too strong to allow you to take to the air.

The paths seem deserted and wild filled with deep snow and ice but Dorian is sure that you're heading in the right direction. The vivid flashes of the giants memory guiding his way.

After maybe 3 hours have passed you feel confident that you have reached the line filled snowy valley where the camp is. By your reckoning the waterfall of ice and the Jarl's camp should be only a mile or so further on through the frozen forest and the high sided cliffs Jennings it in.

[Toliudar]

Scree pulls up short alongside the others, peering down into the valley and looking for some sign of the waterfall.

"Well, gentlemen, I see four options.

"We can try to move in as quietly as stealthily as possible, and perhaps more mind-magic to infiltrate ourselves. For instance, if I am close enough to a giant, I could potentially try to take over his body. It would mean leaving my own body in the care of one of you."

She looks over at Balrim and Hote, clearly her preferred candidates.

"But since I do not speak their language, the ruse is unlikely to last long. We could find a defensible position here, make our presence known and test their defenses from a distance, to see how they respond. We lose the benefit of surprise, but have a chance to weaken them, and to avoid immediately surrendering the choice of battleground.

"We could go in and try to engage them in conversation. But the fae who have shown themselves to us haven't seemed all that interested in chatting.

"Or...we could ride on a killing spree, perhaps selecting a rendezvous point back outside the complex as a rally point should we need to retreat.

"Your thoughts?"

[u-b]

Dorian the Gray

"I think that since we are mounted, we could relatively safely kill some of these giants using hit-and-run methods, darkness, magic and such. I don't think we will lose and scatter, just maybe spend some time to win, so let's plan that meeting at the waterfall."

Dorian shrugged.

"The real problem could be the caster(s). I can make both Hote and Balrim invisible for over two minutes, complete with their mounts, so... how about they ride ahead and we ride behind? We fight giants as well as we can, they do not intervene and try to repeat that nice trick and disjoint the caster one he's seen... after which do some things not to get themselves killed while we at hit-and-run stage b. Hm?"

[Toliudar]

Scree

Scree pauses, taking this in and nodding.

"So you're advocating riding in, doing some killing, and having you, Alfek and me hang back a bit to be ready to deal with the fae. I'm comfortable with that. We'll need to be a bit careful if you wish to preserve all of those little-folk subjects you mentioned."

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

"I don't usually suggest attacking without first seeking diplomacy, but I agree that it seems necessary in this case." says the dwarf. "We cannot risk defeat, so we cannot afford them any advantage and must strike before they're aware of our arrival." Balrim thinks over their exact tactics for a moment before continuing. "I'm not sure what it is that you'd like Hote and me to do, but I, at least, will be ineffective fighting from atop a mount. I cannot use my bow while mounted, nor can I launch my attack from the earth, as I have trained to do."

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek glanced up, confused. "Wait a second here. Can't we do better than this? I mean, really. We all have at least a touch of magic here. I suggest that either Miss Dustlake or Dorian conjure an illusion of a white wyrm and have it call out in Giant, demanding to speak to the entire village, to give them all orders from the mysterious 'lord' of these hills that everyone fears so much. Then, when all the giants are collected in one location outside the walls, we all attack them at the same time. With our wide area attack spells, we should be able to dispatch a large number of them at once, and with any luck, we'll be able to keep our location a secret while we do so."

[Toliudar]

Scree pauses, considering.

"I could create the image of a white dragon - especially since we've just seen two at rather close range. But as for having it address the giants, much less convincing them to come and listen to it...that is beyond my simple talents.

"Perhaps a quick reconnoiter from above?"

She gestures to the top of the cliffs ringing the canyon.

"The giants might have posted guards there, but they'll have as much trouble seeing with all of this snow swirling around as we do, I suspect. It might be useful to know the layout of this place - to know if there are walls, or houses, or if everything is built into the sides of the cliffs, for example."

[u-b]

Dorian the Gray

"Wyrms and such? No, I don't think these are reliable. But I do plan to use an illusion if corresponding oportunity presents itself. Most likely a prizmatic maze or such. Just to divide the battlefield. If you disbelive it, you could see through it, and anyway you could move throug it. That should be reasonably effective, but we'll see.

The truth is, I'm not concerned with giant warriors even a bit. It's the caster(s) who are really dangerous, but I suppose, invisible teleporting Balrim and Hote will do the trick. Hmm... if they could 'port right off the steeds, that would be perfect, I think."

When everyone agrees to advance, Dorian will cast 4 charges of Invisibility from his wand at two steeds, Hote and Balrim, in that order. These will last 3 minutes (but one minute will elapse riding this one mile to the camp). On the move he will cast Mirror Image at himself and ready a wand of Nerveskitter.

Also, using one belt charge at himself: [roll0]

[DrK]

The wind lets up as the party slowly pass into the frost, snow and pine filled valley. The snow crunches under your feet and those of the phantomn steeds and the trees hang dark and leafy above you blanketing the sound.

A few small signs of life flit by, a rabbit squeaking as the white stoat catches it in a flurry of teeth and blood and a haggard ancient looking raven watches you silently as you pass beneath.

The snows floats down between the trees but soon the sharp eyes of the dwarf and the gnome pick out the first out of the Frost giants standing guard, partially hidden under the shadows of the trees in the valley...

Map of the Valley of Frozen Death (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=3297)


Enemy initiative [roll0]
Party average (inc. nervskitter) [roll1]

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

The dwarf throws up a hand when he spots something in the distance, signaling the group to stop. "We've arrived." says Blarim quietly. "I see the first of the frost giants, their guards, about 50 yards out. How do we want to do this?"

[Toliudar]

Scree

Wheeling about when the others signal the presence of giant sentries ahead, Scree sends her mount skittering back through the trees. She murmurs a prayer to Kossuth and feels his warmth spread further through her.

Scree and steed will fly back to c23, where Scree casts Arcane Spellsurge and Greater Mirror Image (8 images, as rolled in the OOC thread.)

[DrK]

The stoat continues to whirl around chewing on the rabbit as Balrim and Aflek can see the nearest giant twitching and picking large chunks of something unpleseant from his ear before eating it.

The crow caws gently before shuffling down the snow shrouded branch and leaning against the trunk for some protection from the biting wind.

The forest is almost unaturally still, and the you can hear the faint sounds of giants barking and laughing in the distance.

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

"I can hear more giants than I can see," says the dwarf. "Which means that their camp is very nearby. If we attack the guards, the rest will certainly come to their defense. There's no telling how many frost giants are here, not in this weather." Balrim scratches his beard, thinking. "Yet, it appears that this may be our only real option. A swift, concentrated attack on the guards, from both Hote and myself and our more magically inclined friends."

[u-b]

Dorian the Gray

Dorian was apparently not going to follow that plan. He shook his head and pointed east and up.

[Chambers]

Hote

"Unknown enemies are the worst kind." He says to where he thinks Balrim is. "Let's fly over there and see what we can find." He turns back to the rest of the group. "If you hear the shouts of battle, do not delay."

Hote will then take his phantom steed above the trees and begin moving towards the Giants. He'll be double moving at less than the mount's full speed (so 230ft per move action), so that's -5 to his Hide check, but he's invisible so that's +20.

Myth-weavers appears to be down so I can't access his sheet, but he's wearing Half-Plate that's MW, so that's a -6 ACP. Total Hide check before Dex mod would be +9.

[roll]1d20+9[roll]

I think he's got a +1 or +2 Dexterity modifier. I'll add it to the result once Myth-Weavers comes back online.

[DrK]

Perception of the giant is [roll0]

As the heavily armoured Hote begins to move forward he pushes through the trees noisily, snow coated pines slapping off his armour with a loud thud as snow pours onto the ground. THe nearest Giant roars in alarm looking for the threat!

As he nears the giant he can see the campsite beyond. A couple of crude tents scattered around a cold fire arrayed around the frozen waterfall, a beautiful picture of falling ice. Standing in the heart of the camp he can see a massive armoured behemoth of a giant speaking with a smaller fey like creature of twisted ice and snow bearing a cold crown.

The other giants roar, all looking for a threat, the fey caster's body glittering with barely contained magical power and the massive giat Jarl a picture of studied evil and destruction...

MAP (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=3664)

Fight has been started.... go ahead and kick butt. Party won the iniative.

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek quickly ducked into the undergrowth and began summoning his power.


5' step to u12. The SRD says that Hide checks are made as part of movement, and require no action, so I can Hide as part of my 5' step.

Stealth: [roll0]

Begin casting call lightning storm. I assume this blizzard counts as stormy weather (the SRD says clouds and wind are enough), but if not, please let me know.

[u-b]

Dorian the Gray

Hearing that Hote fumbled with stealthy advance, Dorian guided his steed same way forward, dropping nerveskitter wand he held in hand and replacing it with the brooch, which started radiating very deep shadow 60 feet around him. Blindsensing first two giants quite clearly, Dorian turned right some distance around nearest one, cast Maximized Horrid Wilting at small guy, big guy and two giants around them and ended mount's movement hiding behind the ledge of southern cliff.

Casting from Y20Z21, ending in Y24Z25. Maximized Horrid Wilting for 96 damage, Fort 26 half.

[Toliudar]

Scree

I'm assuming that we had the opportunity to cast the spells that she previously posted? If not, then I'll come up with something different to do.

Seeing Hote stride bravely forward and Dorian to dart forward, Scree felt she couldn't let them face whatever it was alone. She guided her steed forward through the trees, staying low to its slightly amorphous neck. When she had a reasonably clear shot at the giant on their left flank, she fired off a flurry of flame at him, then guided her mount further into the trees.

If we're able to act in the middle of our mount's movement, Scree will arc northeast towards M6, fire off a Searing Scorching Ray as a standard action, fire off a normal Scorching Ray as a swift action (thanks to Arcane Spellsurge) and then guide the mount (moving more slowly than usual to squeeze through the trees) to O3-P4.
Scorching ray 1A: Touch attack: [roll0] Damage: [roll1], x2 vs cold
Scorching ray 1B: Touch attack: [roll2] Damage: [roll3], x2 vs cold
Scorching ray 1C: Touch attack: [roll4] Damage: [roll5], x2 vs cold

Scorching ray 2A: Touch attack: [roll6] Damage: [roll7], x1.5 vs cold
Scorching ray 2B: Touch attack: [roll8] Damage: [roll9], x1.5 vs cold
Scorching ray 2C: Touch attack: [roll10] Damage: [roll11], x1.5 vs cold

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

The dwarf urges his mount to rush forward, towards the nearest of the giants. Balrim attempts to do so as stealthily as possible, preparing to attack the creature while unseen.

Move action to direct the phantom steed to S15 as a double-move. Standard action to attack the frost giant in T14-U15, (Favored) Power Attacking for -4.

Stealth:
[roll0]

Balrim's Potential Attack:
D. Spear Attack:
[roll1]

D. Spear Damage:
[roll2] Piercing

Giant Bane Damage:
[roll3] Piercing
Balrim's Statblock:
Balrim Aragak (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=356684)
Male LN Dwarf Ranger, Level 15, Init +9, HP 147/161, Speed 30ft
AC 28, Touch 21, Flat-footed 26, Fort +22, Ref +18, Will +16, Base Attack Bonus +15/+10/+5
Double Spear, +1 +22 | +20 (1d8+10, 20/x3)
Unarmed Strike, +1 +22 | +20 (1d8+7, 20/x2)
Composite Longbow (38 Arrows) +18 (1d8+6, 20/x3)
(+3 Armor, +2 Shield, +2 Dex, +2 Natural, +3 Deflect, +6 Misc)
Abilities Str 22, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 20, Cha 8
Condition Under the effects of endure elements (24 hour duration), and longstrider (7 hour duration). +4 Dodge AC vs Giants, +2 AC vs ranged attacks.

[Chambers]

Hote

They don't know where I am, it seems... Flying his mount over the head of the giant, Hote directs it down to land on the other side of it. While it's attention is focused on the Balrim, Hote brings his great maul high above him and swings it at the giants back.

Moving to V14, using the mounts prodigious movement rate to avoid AoO's. Should be flanking with Balrim. Power Attack for -10.

Attack [roll0] vs Flat-Footed Giant5
Damage [roll1]

Stat Block
Hote
HP: 127127, 24 Temp HP
AC: 26 (31 vs ranged attacks)
Current Spell Effects: Greater Magic Weapon, Retributive Vampiric Touch, Vampiric Touch in Maul, Resist Energy: Cold

F/R/W: +16/+10/+13
DR 5/--: Used 5/50
Lifedrinking Crystal: Used 20/50

[DrK]

The party moves into brutal and blood splattered action as the skies darken and angry growls begin to starting the sky ahead.

The tiny ball of fire that is Scree begins it all as she darts forward on the Phantom steed a veritable gatling of fire lancing out form her oustretched scaled hands as the 6 beams of red hot fire coalese on the giant as flesh bubbles and the super heated streams of flame literally saw the giant into tiny tiny chunks.

Balrim and Hote appear as if from nowhere on either side of the surprised giant. The maul crushing ribs even as the spear plunges in and out of its body, the barbed head dealing a terrible wound.

Dorian's magic is then unleashed as the shadows gather and a ball of darkness moves in the woods. A gigantic laughing necromantic skull of faint yellow smoke appearing in the heart of the camp as it sucks the living life out of all the nearby enemies. Only the magical protection of the fey master and the massive black armoured giant protecting them as the other giants are left shrivelled and injured but still fighting...

The giants with great roars leap into action as the seek to kill the swarm of tiny humaoids that have attacked them:-
One of the giants racing forward, great axe in hand as he advances towards the glittering sphere of darkness, another races forward ducking under trees as he leaps the charred remains of his dead tribesman, the massive axe swooping down to crush the life out of the kobold, or at least one of the kobolds...

Giant 1. Double move to Dorian
Giant 6. Charge Scree [roll0] Damage [roll1]
Hitting [roll2] - a 1 hits Scree


The one surrounded by Balrim and Hote drags its axe free swinging it around its head before attempting to split the small dwarf in twain. Its friend, arms and legs still withered from Dorian's necromantic attack, races up alongside the powerful northman to suport its injured friend. A second giant also racing forward also bearing nasty scars from Abi Dazim's most infamous creation.


Giant 5. Attack Balrim [roll3] Damage [roll4]
Giant 3 & 4. Double move/Run to get into the action.


THe mage looks around gliding smoothly forward, even as he does so a handful of identical images springing up around him. He motions with his hand as the very world of chill wind begins to form around Scree as the anger at the use of fire brings the polar wind to bear on the kobold. The very flesh and blood of the small fiery figure begin to freeze...


Mirror image [roll5]
Cast Flesh to Ice on Scree Fort DC 22 or turned into a statue of Ice!



The massive armoured Jarl of the violent and sociopathic clan of frost giants strides forward with his massive sword of glittering blue rimefire. His armour seems to glow with magical power and he moves his hands slowly as a glowing globe of icy power surrounds him...

Advance & Cast globe of glacial invulnerabilty


Ice Mage
http://th02.deviantart.net/fs8/PRE/i/2005/343/d/b/Undead_Ice_Mage_by_Gobboking.jpg

NEW MAP (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=3779)

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek grit his teeth, concentrating his efforts on the mage. Nature was on his side, after all.


Using my first bolt to drop down on the mage. [roll0] electricity damage, Reflex save DC 21 for half.

[Chambers]

Hote

Turning around to face the new arrival Hote shouts over his shoulder to Balrim. "Looks like there's one for each of us!" Taking a higher choke on his maul Hote swings it against the giant, trying to break its legs.

Full Attack on Giant 3. Arcane Strike, Arcane Channeling, Power Attack.

Arcane Strike - 3rd level spell.
Arcane Channeling - Shocking Grasp
Power Attack for 4.

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll2]
Shocking Grasp Damage [roll3]

Attack [roll4]
Damage [roll5]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll6]
Shocking Grasp Damage [roll7]

Attack [roll8]
Damage [roll9]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll10]
Shocking Grasp Damage [roll11]

Stat Block
Hote
HP: 127127, 24 Temp HP
AC: 26 (31 vs ranged attacks)
Current Spell Effects: Greater Magic Weapon, Retributive Vampiric Touch, Vampiric Touch in Maul, Resist Energy: Cold

F/R/W: +16/+10/+13
DR 5/--: Used 5/50
Lifedrinking Crystal: Used 20/50

[Toliudar]

Scree

The giant's axe takes out one of her doubles, but another soon pops up to take its place. Then Scree feels a dreadful chill creep into her bones. Even with all of the protections, all of the blessings of Kossuth, the power of these creatures to literally get inside her skin was confounding.

And extremely irritating.

Baring tiny fangs, Scree threw off the awful cold that threatened to turn her into a statue, and barked her defiance back at the fey. Oh, and this Jarl had learned some pretty magics, perhaps at the foot of his fey masters. After all, two could play at that game.

Shifting to try to avoid the mighty giant's axe, Scree sends back a volley of flaming hurt.

Scree is casting both of these defensively (auto-success). She'll once again do a Searing Scorching Ray, followed by a regular one.

Ray 1A [roll0] Damage: [roll1] x2 if cold
Ray 1B [roll2] Damage: [roll3] x2 if cold
Ray 1C [roll4] Damage: [roll5] x2 if cold

Ray 2A [roll6] Damage: [roll7] x1.5 if cold
Ray 2B [roll8] Damage: [roll9] x1.5 if cold
Ray 2C [roll10] Damage: [roll11] x1.5 if cold

If this takes the giant down, she will then guide her steed forward, darting around trees and over tents as needed, to reach the eastmost A3 on the map. Her intent is to confirm, with Blindsense, that there aren't any more reinforcements coming up from the waterfall area.

If the scorching rays don't take down the giant, she will instead have the steed take a 5' step southwest to N5.

[u-b]

Dorian the Gray

Dorian left his steed where the giant blocked it, using the power of his own elemental body to fly almost straight up from the saddle, using cliff ledge for cover and casting Freezing Fog at most dangerous guys, followed by Quickened Split Enervation at that big boss of giants.

Move to Z23, 35 feet off the ground. Fort [roll0] vs wind DC15 or blown back [roll1] x10 feet. Possibly AoO from giant.
Freezing Fog centered at h11i12, DC24. Winds will disperse it in 1 round, except maybe for "slick, icy rime" on all surfaces, which might remain.

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

Easily dodging the giant's clumsily swung axe, the dwarf runs his hand down the dark shaft of his spear, igniting the weapon's dark, barbed head. Balrim launches a barrage of attacks at the frost giant. He thrusts repeatedly with the flaming spear, and alternates blows with his now flaming feet as well.

I'm calculating the attack rolls as if Balrim were in S15 (as opposed to S13) and flanking with Hote.

Swift action to cast blades of fire from the wand inside Balrim's double spear. Full-round action to full-attack the giant in T14-U15, (Favored) Power Attacking for -4.

Balrim's Potential Attacks:
D. Spear Attack 1:
[roll0]

D. Spear Damage 1:
[roll1] Piercing

Giant Bane Damage 1:
[roll2] Piercing

Blades of Fire Damage 1:
[roll3] Fire


D. Spear Attack 2:
[roll4]

D. Spear Damage 2:
[roll5] Piercing

Giant Bane Damage 2:
[roll6] Piercing

Blades of Fire Damage 2:
[roll7] Fire


D. Spear Attack 3:
[roll8]

D. Spear Damage 3:
[roll9] Piercing

Giant Bane Damage 3:
[roll10] Piercing

Blades of Fire Damage 3:
[roll11] Fire


Unarmed Attack 1:
[roll12]

Unarmed Damage 1:
[roll13] Bludgeoning

Blades of Fire Damage 4:
[roll14] Fire


Unarmed Attack 2:
[roll15]

Unarmed Damage 2:
[roll16] Bludgeoning

Blades of Fire Damage 5:
[roll17] Fire


Unarmed Attack 3:
[roll18]

Unarmed Damage 3:
[roll19] Bludgeoning

Blades of Fire Damage 6:
[roll20] Fire
Balrim's Statblock:
Balrim Aragak (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=356684)
Male LN Dwarf Ranger, Level 15, Init +9, HP 147/161, Speed 30ft
AC 28, Touch 21, Flat-footed 26, Fort +22, Ref +18, Will +16, Base Attack Bonus +15/+10/+5
Double Spear, +1 +22 | +20 (1d8+10, 20/x3)
Unarmed Strike, +1 +22 | +20 (1d8+7, 20/x2)
Composite Longbow (38 Arrows) +18 (1d8+6, 20/x3)
(+3 Armor, +2 Shield, +2 Dex, +2 Natural, +3 Deflect, +6 Misc)
Abilities Str 22, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 20, Cha 8
Condition Under the effects of endure elements (24 hour duration), and longstrider (7 hour duration). +4 Dodge AC vs Giants, +2 AC vs ranged attacks.

[DrK]

As the battle raged the skies darken, multiple bolts of lightning stabbing into the ground around the frost mage. THe bolts of lightning shattering and exploding away form the shimmering aura of power surrounding the fey caster.

Bounce off spell resistance

Hote's maul, crackling with arcane power slams twice into tha giant. His withered leg abused and drained of life by Dorian shatters like kindling and the sceond slam slams into the giants bearded face breaking bone and sending brain matter spraying over the ground.

To the North there is a violent red glow, a scream and then a wet sound as the dissected giant disintergrates messily onto the ground. Unable to survive the concentrated barrage of searing flame... Scree glides forward through the trees after that seeing the campsite and the icy glory of the frozen falls...

Balrim spins around, his spear and body glowing the red fire as the giant looks worried. The worry does not last long as the spear and fists of fury deal a terrible toll. Hote feeling a warm feeling on his neck as the flaming spear thrusts clean through the body of the giant not once, not twice but 3 times. Even as the beast falls the flaming feet and a punch send the giant's body rolling into the snow in a flurry of molten blood.

Dorian in the south jetted up into the air on a pillar of flowing black darkness.The giant lashed out instinctively with his axe...
attack [roll0] damage [roll1]
20% miss chance from the darkness? (0-20 misses) [roll2]

As Dorian reaches some altitude the wind buffeting him and rocking him savagely as it pulls at his cloak of darkness... The groud beneath freezing and growing chill with ice as the very air began to freeze solid. Even as that happens a pair of blackened beams of inky darkness reach out towards the giant but in the rapidly thickening frost and fog both beams are harmlessely refracted by the scintillating ice crystals...


Fey witch- won't fall as she has ice walking like a white dragon
THe Jarl [roll3] Vs 24 or fall over

[DrK]

:smallsmile:As the giants are cut down you can hear the Jarl roaring KILL THEM ALL!" in giant from within the shimmering fog. THe two giants respond charging Hote and Balrim, ignoring the dark shrouded figure hanging in the sky above them...


Charge HOte [roll0] damage [roll1]
Charge Balrim [roll2] damage [roll3]


Ins die the rapidly diminishing cloud of ice the Jarly roars as he slowly stands on his feet cursing the slick icy slime covering the area. You can hear mumbled words of spells as his rimefire blade begins to glow with strange infernal power...

He cast divine favour on himself

THe ice wizard standing within the frost smiles a grim smile before launching sywards on a glittering column of ice that streaks some 60ft into the air like a spear towards the heavens, the fell caster riding it. As his frozen blue eyes fall on Dorian he cackles... Your magic will fall before me!" as he moves to strip Dorian from his magical protections...


Cast quickened column of Ice taking him up on a 60ft pillar of ice.
Then greater dispel on Dorian
So some caster level checks...
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]
[roll8]
[roll9]
[roll10]
[roll11]
[roll12]
[roll13]
[roll14]

I'm not sure what affects Dorian is currently enjoying so just start with the highest level and work your way down


The Map (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=3920)

[u-b]

Dorian the Gray

"Nope. I don't think so." Fey's last spell fizzled and failed, automatically countered by same spell in one of Dorian's rings. "Amateur. Dispels should be done like this..." Dorian swiftly activated his Dispelling cord and cast Greater Dispel Magic at ice wizard, then moved further behind the cliff, leaving one of Mirror Images peeking around corner.

Taking 10 on caster level check thanks to Arcane Mastery for total plain 16+10+2 = 28 versus all of his spells.

Resist the wind [roll0] vs 15 and move to Z25, still 35 feet up (full cover vs fey and Big Daddy).

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

Dancing away from the oncoming giant, Balrim laughs as his opponent's weapon swings wide. Ignoring the enormous brute, the dwarf quickly activates his spear and leaps towards the giant attacking Hote, attempting to tear into his new foe as he did his old.

Swift action to cast lion's charge from the wand inside Balrim's double spear. Full-round action to pounce on Giant 4 in X15-Y16 (ending movement in W15), (Favored) Power Attacking for -4 and using Leap Attack (auto-succeed on the Athletics check). This movement should provoke an AoO from both Giants 1 and 4.

Balrim's Potential Attacks:
D. Spear Attack 1:
[roll0]

D. Spear Damage 1:
[roll1] Piercing

Giant Bane Damage 1:
[roll2] Piercing


D. Spear Attack 2:
[roll3]

D. Spear Damage 2:
[roll4] Piercing

Giant Bane Damage 2:
[roll5] Piercing


D. Spear Attack 3:
[roll6]

D. Spear Damage 3:
[roll7] Piercing

Giant Bane Damage 3:
[roll8] Piercing


Unarmed Attack 1:
[roll9]

Unarmed Damage 1:
[roll10] Bludgeoning


Unarmed Attack 2:
[roll11]

Unarmed Damage 2:
[roll12] Bludgeoning


Unarmed Attack 3:
[roll13]

Unarmed Damage 3:
[roll14] Bludgeoning
Balrim's Statblock:
Balrim Aragak (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=356684)
Male LN Dwarf Ranger, Level 15, Init +9, HP 147/161, Speed 30ft
AC 26, Touch 19, Flat-footed 24, Fort +22, Ref +18, Will +16, Base Attack Bonus +15/+10/+5
Double Spear, +1 +22 | +20 (1d8+10, 20/x3)
Unarmed Strike, +1 +22 | +20 (1d8+7, 20/x2)
Composite Longbow (38 Arrows) +18 (1d8+6, 20/x3)
(+3 Armor, +2 Shield, +2 Dex, +2 Natural, +3 Deflect, +6 Misc, -2 Charging)
Abilities Str 22, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 20, Cha 8
Condition Under the effects of endure elements (24 hour duration), and longstrider (7 hour duration). +4 Dodge AC vs Giants, +2 AC vs ranged attacks.

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek watched the battle from his hiding place, shifting a bit to give himself more cover, then calling down another mighty thunderbolt at the mage.


5' step backwards, still in the underbrush.

Stealth check: [roll0]

Penetrate Spell Resistance: [roll1]

Damage: [roll2]

[Chambers]

Hote

Taking a moment to shake the innards of the giant of his maul, Hote nods at Balrim. "Good strike! Ready for the jarl?" He asks as Balrim puts the spear to the giant that rushed Hote. A moment later Hote disappears, reappearing beside the Jarl. "Never fought one so big before..." He says with a grin as he swings his maul at the frost giant. "...suppose you'll make a bigger corpse!"

Hote's temp HP and Damage Reduction absorb the blow from the giant. Actions this turn, after Balrim charges the giant.

Swift Action. Quick Cast Regroup. Balrim may come along if he wishes. Teleport to G16.
Free Action. Arcane Strike (3rd level spell)
Full Attack. Arcane Channeling (Empowered Vampiric Touch)

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll2]
Empowered Vampiric Touch [roll3]

Attack [roll4]
Damage [roll5]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll6]
Empowered Vampiric Touch [roll7]

Attack [roll8]
Damage [roll9]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll10]
Empowered Vampiric Touch [roll11]


Spell Resistance [roll12]
He gets a +3 bump from his Spell Power class feature.

Stat Block
Hote
HP: 127/127, 42 Temp HP
AC: 26 (31 vs ranged attacks)
Current Spell Effects: Greater Magic Weapon, Retributive Vampiric Touch, Vampiric Touch in Maul, Resist Energy: Cold

F/R/W: +16/+10/+13
DR 5/--: Used 7/50
Lifedrinking Crystal: Used 20/50

[Toliudar]

Scree

The little kobold smiles grimly as she sees the witch zip up on her pillar. Because what goes up...

Guiding her steed forward to come perilously close to the giant's reach - but also, she hoped, close enough to include him in the blast, Scree endeavours to show these frozen bastards the true power of heat. Weaving her most potent spells, she sends out two blasts of flame that scorch the ground and send up gouts of steam in all directions.

Okay, time to get a bit stupid. Scree will move the steed to K12, and then defensively cast a Greater Fireburst and a Searing Greater Fireburst. Again, all these fire spells I didn't think I'd actually use...much fun. Her hope is to (of course) damage the Jarl, and melt the pillar of ice.

Normal burst: [roll0] Reflex DC 23 for half. Caster Level check DC 25 to avoid the -2 CL effect: [roll1] Roll to beat SR: [roll2], or two lower if the previous CL check fails. x1.5 damage to cold creatures.

Searing burst: [roll3] Reflex DC 23 for half. Caster Level check DC 25 to avoid the -2 CL effect: [roll4] Roll to beat SR: [roll5], or two lower if the previous CL check fails. x2 damage to cold creatures.

[DrK]

Another giant falls savagely as the angry dwarf pounces upon in it a flurry of devastating spear and fist blows as the barbed head tears through flesh before with a spinning leg the giant's head bounces across the ice with a wet thudding splat.

Hote, slightly put out perhaps by the dissolution of his giant, vanishes in a swirl of snow to appear beside the massive Jarl. Maul meeting Rimefire blade in a clash of sparkling steel sparks once, twice but not a third as one of the blow lands and thick blue blood gellid blood oozes out of the crushed and bruised wound.


A cackle from above is sadly cut short. The cackle caused by the massive clash of explosive magic as the insane warlock's short dagger seems to absorb the powerful abjuration from Dorian and his icy eyes sparkle with ill concealed malice. More lightnings and magic explode around the wizard as more lightning is forced away by its innate magical aura as Alfek's storm cloud still cannot penetrate the spell protections woven into the fey.

The malice ending in a strangled cry as the pillar of ice explodes into a thousand shards as superheated flames erupt from the base and the mage plummets to the ground slamming into the ice, the mirror images shattering into a thousand shards.

On the ground the kobold literally turns into a humanoid shape of pure fire as flames cascade around the massive Jarl. The flames overwhelming his protective aura before searing his flesh even through many of his protective measures.

The last giant howls in fury as it's prey vanishes into the ball of fire and melting ice. Hearing its master cry for aid it surges forward pouncing on Hote in a swing of his massive axe....


Charge Hote [roll0] damage [roll1]


Meanwhile the Jarl grins as prey appear beside him saving him the hassle of attacking anything or anyone spinning around his blade glitters with the power of chill cold as he twirls around in a vast spinning arc attacking everything within reach...


Activate whirling weapon attack Hote, Scree and possibly Balrim if he had joined Hote.

Hote attack [roll2] damage [roll3] + [roll4] cold

Scree herself [roll5] damage [roll6] + [roll7] cold
Image 1 [roll8]
Image 2 [roll9]
Image 3 [roll10]
Image 4 [roll11]
Image 5 [roll12]
Image 6 [roll13]
Image 7 [roll14]
Image 8 [roll15]

Maybe Balrim [roll16] damage [roll17] + [roll18] cold



The ice mage staggers to his feet glowering at the molten mud and water surrounding him as he looks to wreak vengeance on everyone and everything. He motions a quick hand focusing his nastieness on kobold that has caused so much carnage, a tiny wren bone in his hand snapping with an audible "pop"



Cast Flesh-shiver
Stunned for one round
Next round DC23 Fort save or take [roll19] damage and nauesated for [roll20] rounds.


NEW MAP (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=4041)

[u-b]

Dorian the Gray

Dorian moved a bit away from the cliff, pulling a rod from haversack, activating Dispelling Cord once again and casting another Dispel (now less potent, but extensively multitargeted).

Resist [roll0] vs wind DC15, step to Y24, Chain Dispel, targeted:
Primary target:
Big Daddy's boots @22
Secondary targets (16 total):
Big Daddy's weapon @22
Big Daddy's armor @22
Big Daddy's belt @22
Big Daddy's gauntlets @22
Big Daddy's cloak @22
Big Daddy's necklace @22
Big Daddy himself @[roll1], [roll2], [roll3], [roll4], [roll5], [roll6] etc.
Mr Freeze's weapon @22
Mr Freeze's armor @22
Mr Freeze's boots @22
Mr Freeze's belt @22
Mr Freeze's gauntlets @22
Mr Freeze's cloak @22
Mr Freeze's necklace @22
Mr Freeze himself @[roll7], [roll8], [roll9], [roll10], [roll11], [roll12] etc.
Flesh-shiver spell active on Scree (if Scree fails his save) @[roll13]

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek groaned and gritted his teeth. "No, I will not be completely worthless this time!" he whispered to himself confidently, and changed his strategy. He aimed his bolt towards the nearest giant and fired.


The map is not working for me. So just target the giant nearest to my position with call lightning storm.

[roll0] electricity damage, with a Reflex save DC 21 for half damage.

12 bolts remaining

[Toliudar]

Scree

Scree's exultation at sending the frost witch tumbling to the ground is shortlived, as the giant's flashing blade makes all of her own illusionary images vanish, and tears a bright red stripe across her chest. And then the witch turns and points at her, and there is blinding pain, a terrible cacophony of awful sensation that turns her mind to mush for a moment.

A single additional version of Scree pops into being as the kobold sits passive on her steed, wracked in pain.

Fort save for next round. Again, might use Mantle of Second chances if the first roll is terrible. [roll0]

[Chambers]

Hote

Unfazed by the charging giant, Hote looked up at the hulking Jarl standing over him, his spells and armor deflection all harm from the giants attack. The Jarl's powerful blow is a different matter, and Hote stumbles a bit as he spits out blood. Gripping his maul tight, he shouts a wordless yell, and intense bands of yellow light swirl around the head of his maul. Bring it far overhead, he swings at the Jarl with all his might, not caring that the extra effort will put him off balance for his backswings.

Retributive attack failed.

Actions this turn.
Swift Action: Quick Cast True Strike (that's his last quick cast for the day).
Free Action: Arcane Strike, 3rd level spell (last 3rd level spell for the day too)
Arcane Channeling, Shocking Grasp

Power Attack for 15. Batting for the fences on this one. :smallwink:

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll2]
Shocking Grasp Damage [roll3]

Attack [roll4]
Damage [roll5]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll6]
Shocking Grasp Damage [roll7]

Attack [roll8]
Damage [roll9]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll10]
Shocking Grasp Damage [roll11]

Stat Block
Hote
HP: 110/127, 0 Temp HP
AC: 26 (31 vs ranged attacks)
Current Spell Effects: Greater Magic Weapon, Retributive Vampiric Touch, Vampiric Touch in Maul, Resist Energy: Cold

F/R/W: +16/+10/+13
DR 5/--: Used 17/50
Lifedrinking Crystal: Used 25/50

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

Suddenly finding himself besides Hote, Balrim is starting to get used to this teleporting business. Before he can really get his bearings, however, the dwarf is dealt a terrible blow by the Jarl. Seeing past the pain, Balrim notices an opening in his enemies' defenses, and immediately moves to exploit them.

Transported to h14 by Hote's regroup spell. Double-move to l12 (just behind Scree), this movement should provoke an AoO from the Jarl.

Balrim's Statblock:
Balrim Aragak (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=356684)
Male LN Dwarf Ranger, Level 15, Init +9, HP 102/161, Speed 30ft
AC 26, Touch 19, Flat-footed 24, Fort +22, Ref +18, Will +16, Base Attack Bonus +15/+10/+5
Double Spear, +1 +22 | +20 (1d8+10, 20/x3)
Unarmed Strike, +1 +22 | +20 (1d8+7, 20/x2)
Composite Longbow (38 Arrows) +18 (1d8+6, 20/x3)
(+3 Armor, +2 Shield, +2 Dex, +2 Natural, +3 Deflect, +6 Misc, -2 Charging)
Abilities Str 22, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 20, Cha 8
Condition Under the effects of endure elements (24 hour duration), and longstrider (7 hour duration). +4 Dodge AC vs Giants, +2 AC vs ranged attacks.

[DrK]

THe skies darken for a fraction as thunder peels and a blazing streak of lightning slashes down eviserating the already withered giant even as he made moves to strike down Hote from behind.

The floating black cloud that is Dorian directs a strident blast of anti-magic at the two powerful enemies that shimmers and clashes with rainbow motes as various magical effects are removed irritating the evil monsters.

As the kobold shivers and quivers wracked by energy she gathers her internal energies to prevent her body literally tearing apart resisting the secondary and painful effects of the spell.

Balrim and Hote continue their offensive, Balrim darting around the massive Jarl ducking under his massive blow with his years of dwarven giant hunting training. Hote strikes back, two blows swinging wide but one striking home with titanic force shattering bone and sinew.

The Jarl snarls a vicious snarl as he moves to rip the human limb from limb swinging the massive ice cleaver with horrifc force, the blow attempting to literall toss the viking tumbling back through the air like a rag doll...


Awesome Blow Hote with smite
[roll0] damage [roll1] + [roll2] cold

If it hits is a Ref save DC = damage or tossed back 10ft and prone


THe Ice wizard switching into common whispers to Scree and Balrim as she steps back glistening cold starting to set around her fingers "My master's will destroy you. The Lords of Ice will suceed and the avalanche that walks will be unleashed upon your territories. THe Oceans will freeze and your Empire will fall." The threats are finished by the addition of a vast blistering cone of solid ice that tears at Balrim and the just recovering Scree..


Casts Piercing Cold Cone of Cold Ref DC 22 for Half
of [roll3] cold damage that ignores cold resistance.


New Map (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=4168)

[u-b]

Dorian the Gray

Dorian shoots two pairs or dull rays at opponents (three ray at bigger and one ray at smaller) and moves to a more stable position behind the cliff on the ground.

Enervation, emp, split: [roll0] for [roll1]*1.5 and [roll2] for [roll3]*1.5 (26 vs SR)
Enervation, split, quick, +emp: [roll4] for [roll5]*1.5 and [roll6] for [roll7]*1.5 (26 vs SR and [roll8] vs SR)
Assuming Residual Magic (Lingering Metamagic) works in the SAME round too. Otherwise, no +emp on quickened version.
Also assuming some hexes of Big Daddy are not in melee, Mr Freeze is not in melee.
Resist winds [roll9] vs DC15, move to Z24, on the ground.

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

The dwarf does his best to avoid the majority of the incoming frost, and grits his teeth to absorb what hits him. As the cold shock runs through his body, Balrim chuckles. "It'll take a bit more than that to slow me down!" the dwarf shouts in the tongue of Giants. Spinning his spear so that the straight, polished blade faces the mage, he says "Would you please move just a bit, Scree?" Balrim quickly activates the weapon and leaps towards the caster, stabbing and kicking ferociously.

Reflex Save (DC 22):
[roll0]

I'm calculating movement as if Balrim were in l12 (as opposed to i12).

Swift action to cast lion's charge from the wand inside Balrim's double spear. Full-round action to pounce on Mr. Freeze in i10 (ending movement in j10), (Favored) Power Attacking for -4 and using Leap Attack (auto-succeed on the Athletics check).

Balrim's Potential Attacks:
D. Spear Attack 1:
[roll1]

D. Spear Damage 1:
[roll2] Piercing

Magebane Damage 1:
[roll3] Piercing


D. Spear Attack 2:
[roll4]

D. Spear Damage 2:
[roll5] Piercing

Magebane Damage 2:
[roll6] Piercing


D. Spear Attack 3:
[roll7]

D. Spear Damage 3:
[roll8] Piercing

Magebane Damage 3:
[roll9] Piercing


Unarmed Attack 1:
[roll10]

Unarmed Damage 1:
[roll11] Bludgeoning


Unarmed 1 Confirm:
(1d20+20)[16](36)

Unarmed 1 Critical:
(1d8+21)[8](29) Bludgeoning


Unarmed Attack 2:
[roll12]

Unarmed Damage 2:
[roll13] Bludgeoning


Unarmed Attack 3:
[roll14]

Unarmed Damage 3:
[roll15] Bludgeoning
Balrim's Statblock:
Balrim Aragak (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=356684)
Male LN Dwarf Ranger, Level 15, Init +9, HP 77/161, Speed 30ft
AC 26, Touch 19, Flat-footed 24, Fort +22, Ref +18, Will +16, Base Attack Bonus +15/+10/+5
Double Spear, +1 +22 | +20 (1d8+10, 20/x3)
Unarmed Strike, +1 +22 | +20 (1d8+7, 20/x2)
Composite Longbow (38 Arrows) +18 (1d8+6, 20/x3)
(+3 Armor, +2 Shield, +2 Dex, +2 Natural, +3 Deflect, +6 Misc, -2 Charging)
Abilities Str 22, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 20, Cha 8
Condition Under the effects of endure elements (24 hour duration), and longstrider (7 hour duration). +4 Dodge AC vs Giants, +2 AC vs ranged attacks.

[Toliudar]

Scree

Reeling from the double-whammy of scrunched bones and frozen skin, Scree tumbles to the ground as her steed vanishes in the face of the witch's blast of cold. She opts to simply stay prone to stay out of Balrim's way. However, while there in the snow, she does add the sting of blowing sand to the horrid snowstorm, tearing the flesh from their bones.

"Your masters will destroy us? Do you mean, because you already taste your own failure, you pathetic frozen husk?"

She speaks a word of power, and vanishes from sight.

Since the phantom steed is almost certainly destroyed by the cone of cold, I'll just roll with that and let her fall to the ground.

There, she'll take a standard action to defensively cast a Sculpted Blast of Sand, sculpted to become four 10' cubes - one hitting Mr. Freeze and the other three clustered around the Jarl. This deals [roll0] untyped damage, no SR, Reflex DC 22 for half.

She then uses a swift action to cast Dimension Door, transporting herself to the eastmost z5.

[NeoSeraphi]

Alfek watched the battle with great difficulty, the blistering winds made it almost impossible for him to aim his spells. However, he could clearly see the monstrous being towering over his companions, and he grinned to himself.

"Let's see how you like it when the earth itself turns against you!" Alfek muttered, knowing full well that even if he yelled at the top of his lungs the creature wouldn't be able to hear him.


Casting entangle, 40 ft radius spread, centered on E10 (I'm a little rusty when it comes to spreads, but I'm pretty sure that will hit both Mr. Freeze and Big Daddy without affecting the other guys).

Entangle is SR: No.

Both guys have to make a Reflex save (DC 17) or be entangled for 1 minute per level. Also, they get wrapped up in plants and vines, so that's very cinematic, feel free to use that to your advantage.

On a successful save, the guys are not entangled, but if they try to move through the AOE they do so at half speed, and at the beginning of my turn the plants try to grab anyone they've not already grabbed.

Big Daddy can try to break free with a DC 20 Strength check as a full-round action

[Chambers]

Hote

Landing flat on his back Hote has the wind knocked out of him. He lays there for a moment, gasping, before he calms himself and takes a slow breath. Glaring at the Jarl he gets to one knee and plants his maul in the ground. Yellow bands of force appear and surround the head of his maul like bands of iron and he stands up, wincing as his side aches. Ribs aren't supposed to move like that...

Move action to stand up, Standard action to defensively cast True Strike. He taps the Concentration DC.

Stat Block
Hote
HP: 78/127, 0 Temp HP
AC: 26 (31 vs ranged attacks)
Current Spell Effects: Greater Magic Weapon, Retributive Vampiric Touch, Vampiric Touch in Maul, Resist Energy: Cold, True Strike

F/R/W: +16/+10/+13
DR 5/--: Used 22/50
Lifedrinking Crystal: Used 25/50

Note: Normally standing up would provoke an AoO from the Jarl, but Hote's Battlecaster Defense feat prevents the AoO.

[DrK]

Dull grey lie sucking rays flicker amongst the fighting as the necromantic energies sap the life force of the Jarl, though the Fey's malign aura once again saves the fey form harm.

Scree explodes in a cloud of burning dust as the kobold vanishes scattering lacerating dust in her wake...


Reflex [roll0] for fey
Reflex [roll1] for Jarl


The same cannot be said of the fists and spear or the dwarf as he pounces througn the snow... gellid blue blood exploding out of the deep wounds and bone crushing impacts. As the spear withdraws the second time a foot cracks into fey's face the wizards begins to slump to the ground but with a cackle "I have seen your faces and know your tricks! ... the slump changes into a melt as he dissolves into the ice vanishing from sight!


Reduced to <33% hitpoints so activate contingency Dimension Door!!


The Jarl groans as the vines wrap around him like strangling plants...
[roll2] Ref save

As that happens the Jarl forces is way through the thick plants until he is 10ft away from the recovered viking, wounds closing up all over the Jarl as his dark magics heal him...


Strenth check [roll3]
Cure Serious [roll4]

[u-b]

Dorian the Gray

Really disappointed by disappearance of that nasty caster (i.e. second dispel also not working to its full extent, i.e. Dorian is not doing his job, i.e. :smallfurious:), Dorian blasted that big boss of giants with two more swift necrotic rays and used Dimension Door to go where he would go if he was in fey's place - ontop the waterfall.

Enervation, split (Residual Magic to apply Quicken)[roll0] for [roll1] and [roll2] for [roll3] (26 vs SR)
Dimension Door to 30 feet east of Q15
upd: Also taking the steed

[NeoSeraphi]

With a loud crack, another bolt of powerful lightning struck down from the stormy skies and crashed onto the Jarl's body.



SR: [roll0]

Damage: [roll1]

[Toliudar]

Scree

A third duplicate of Scree pops into existence.

Scree trudges unhappily through the snow, glad at least that she had invested in furry boots before crossing the ocean, in order to get into sight of the Jarl. She is dismayed to see that the fey has disappeared, and quickly takes steps to find him again. Meanwhile, she does what little she can to heal the damage that the giant's blade and the witch's spells have done to her tiny body.

Move action to walk to Z7. Boots of the Winterlands, so I'm assuming she's not slowed down by the snow.

Standard action to activate her healing belt to recover [roll0] hit points.

Swift action to cast Locate Object, focusing on finding the Ice Mage's (most distinctive belonging - a robe, a hat, a weapon, etc). 1040' range.

[Lyndworm]

Balrim Aragak

The dwarf flips his spear about once more, reassessing the situation. He runs his hand along the shaft, infusing it with his will, and both his body and weapon shine with a glittering power. Careful to stay away from the entangling roots and vines crawling out of the snow, Balrim rushes towards the jarl. Glowing with both magic and enthusiasm, the giantslayer begins to earn his title anew.

I'm calculating movement as if Balrim were in j10 (as opposed to i11).

Swift action to cast lion's charge from the wand inside Balrim's double spear. Full-round action to pounce on Big Daddy in f13-h15 (ending movement in i12), (Favored) Power Attacking for -4 and using Leap Attack (auto-succeed on the Athletics check).

Balrim's Potential Attacks:
D. Spear Attack 1:
[roll0]

D. Spear Damage 1:
[roll1] Piercing

Giant Bane Damage 1:
[roll2] Piercing


D. Spear Attack 2:
[roll3]

D. Spear Damage 2:
[roll4] Piercing

Giant Bane Damage 2:
[roll5] Piercing


D. Spear Attack 3:
[roll6]

D. Spear Damage 3:
[roll7] Piercing

Giant Bane Damage 3:
[roll8] Piercing


Unarmed Attack 1:
[roll9]

Unarmed Damage 1:
[roll10] Bludgeoning


Unarmed Attack 2:
[roll11]

Unarmed Damage 2:
[roll12] Bludgeoning


Unarmed Attack 3:
[roll13]

Unarmed Damage 3:
[roll14] Bludgeoning
Balrim's Statblock:
Balrim Aragak (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=356684)
Male LN Dwarf Ranger, Level 15, Init +9, HP 77/161, Speed 30ft
AC 26, Touch 19, Flat-footed 24, Fort +22, Ref +18, Will +16, Base Attack Bonus +15/+10/+5
Double Spear, +1 +22 | +20 (1d8+10, 20/x3)
Unarmed Strike, +1 +22 | +20 (1d8+7, 20/x2)
Composite Longbow (38 Arrows) +18 (1d8+6, 20/x3)
(+3 Armor, +2 Shield, +2 Dex, +2 Natural, +3 Deflect, +6 Misc, -2 Charging)
Abilities Str 22, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 20, Cha 8
Condition Under the effects of endure elements (24 hour duration), and longstrider (7 hour duration). +4 Dodge AC vs Giants, +2 AC vs ranged attacks.

[Chambers]

Hote

As the Jarl attempts to heal himself, Hote gestures and the magical energy is whisked towards Hote, easing his wounds and making his breath smoother. He smiles at the surprised giant and then rushes towards him, maul held high overhead.

Immediate Action - steal the healing spell.
Free Action - Arcane Strike (2nd level spell)
Free Action - Arcane Channeling (shocking grasp)
Power Attack for 15

Charge! (it will provoke an attack of opportunity from the Jarl)

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]
Arcane Strike Damage [roll2]
Shocking Grasp Damage [roll3]

Stat Block
Hote
HP: 103/127, 0 Temp HP
AC: 26 (31 vs ranged attacks)
Current Spell Effects: Greater Magic Weapon, Retributive Vampiric Touch, Vampiric Touch in Maul, Resist Energy: Cold, True Strike

F/R/W: +16/+10/+13
DR 5/--: Used 22/50
Lifedrinking Crystal: Used 30/50

[DrK]

Necromantic energy cascades around the Jarl as the wizard zaps him again before Dorian teleports atop the waterfall into the full force of the winter blizzard. In the driving snow he can only see some 20-30ft and even with his magical sense he can sense nothing moving up here.

As Scree begins to heal some of the wounds on her damaged and ravaged body she can sense the crown of the fey wizadr some 900ft to the east. Where he had fled to. Even as she does that the sky continues to darken as more lightning stabs down into the bruised Jarl, who is filled with rage as the small man leaping to his feet stole his healing energy.

The Jarl swings at both Balrim and Hote as they surge forward...


AoO Balrim [roll0] damage [roll1] + [roll2] cold
AoO Hote [roll3] damage [roll4] + [roll5] cold


But eventh massive blows of the axe cannot save him as spear, hammer and fist rise and fall pummelling bone, ripping flesh and piercing tendon. As he falls a rictus of pain upon his face both Balrim and Hote can see him clutching at a small black icicle around his throat. As he topples, blood pouring into it the darkness within it swells explodes outwards in a dark explosion of frozen blood...


As he dies his dark pact explosion in death kicks off [roll6] untyped magical damage Ref DC 21 for half. Goes in a 50ft radius so I think just the boys and their phatomn steeds in the blast zone.



The valley is filled only with the dead... Only the small kobold sensing the presence of the wizard.