AU New Felon: Frozen Wasteland

[Worlok]

For the greatest part of the journey, everything had gone according to plan: The iceglider with its 'cargo', namely about a dozen prisoners destined for Fort Felon-on-the-Glacier, had made good speed, closing in on its destination rapidly. After a few days, however, the imposing frost-giant-fortress-turned-high-security-jail already looming on the distant horizon, a revolt had broken out on board.

In the ensuing chaos, with the prisoners lashing out at the guards and what few passengers there were, the passengers panicking and the guards themselves having to fight for dear life, the iceglider - essentially a crossbreed of a large sleigh and a small sailing ship, propelled by the wind and sufficiently staffed by half a dozen able sailors - had steered wildly off course, rushing over a cliff and into a glacial chasm, some thirty-odd feet deep.

While most people on the glider died upon impact - the one of the vehicle as it collided with the ground, or their own as they fell overboard - some lucky few made it through, getting off unharmed a few seconds before the piece of ice-coated rock the glider had come to lie on broke off, sending the wreck into the fast-going river just down the next chasm, another fifty-what feet down.

Standing at the foot of the one chasm and directly in front of the next one, our survivors are left with one option only: Leaving. Whether by following the small path they are on now, or by trying to climb up the cliff, they probably need to get out of there. Will the small group of guards and the surviving prisoner make it through the frozen wastes and back to civilisation? Or will the snow and ice claim their bodies forever? We are about to find out...

Assuming you feel the need to, this would probably be the time for your characters to get a grip of the whole situation, probably make introductions and establish the pecking order - and of course, think up a plan of action. Welcome to the freezer.

Here's what I think to be our current roster:

Rob_Roy: Hordjur the Wise, Gnome Paladin, Guard.
Benson: Gil, Half-orc Fighter, Guard.
Obscurejones: Marlock MacDougal, Human Ranger, Guard.
(Frivolous: Gordo Brennaman, Human Cleric, Prisoner.)
ShadowySilence: Elowin Talon, Half-elf Bard, Guard.
Mr. Serendipity: Maura Quinn, Human Rogue, prisoner(? )

[Obscurejones]

One of the surviving guards looks down into the second chasm and lets out a low whistle.
Well. That could have gone better.
Marlock looks around to see which of the other guards survived. Checks his equipment.

[Mr Serendipity]

I'm not telling you one bit 'bout me until you prove that you can handle yourself. You're just as stuck here as the rest of us, so what makes you worthy of leading through this frozen-over hell hole?

[Mr Serendipity]

I was merely pointing out that you are stuck here the same as the rest of us. I did not once say that I did not want you to lead us out of these terrible wastes. By the way my name is Maura Quinn, simple rogue.

[Obscurejones]

You know if you're concerned with our survival Hordjur you should be more careful to conserve resources.
Marlock allows himself a slight smirk.
You just wasted a considerable amount of hot air.
He glances over Maura. Was she a prisoner or a guard?

[ShadowySilence]

Elowin gets up from his prone position and dusts himself off, "That was fun but lets not do that again... Ugghhh..."

[Worlok]

From up the cliff and seemingly far away, a strange sound can be heard, like a mixture of some wolves howling and a number of foghorns being blown. The sound is just barely audible and seems to be moving northwards rapidly, occasionally interrupted for a few seconds and constantly changing in volume and power. Before long, however, the sound is drowned out by the more recognisable howling of a blizzard that begins blowing tremendous amounts of snow down towards you, even if the ad-hoc valley you are in seems largely unaffected by the wind. The temperature still starts dropping notably.

Looking around, the group could make out that the cliff-path they are standing on descends slightly towards the south, meeting the rapid torrent's level about a thousand feet away from your position and another houndred-odd feet before the river valley as a whole makes a sharp curve to the left. Following the path uphill, you'd likely be able to get to the top of the cliff before long and without climbing. However, the jagged and brittle-looking rock is coated with thick layers of ice and snow all over and outcroppings of a strange, green crystal appear to make up the majority of the cliff face as well as what might be described as small islands within the river.

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The climb DC for the cliff varies between 9 and 16 over its whole length, due to its irregular surface and the thick layers of ice. Where you are, it is a DC 13 climb. You can walk along it in any direction and make Spot checks to determine the climb DCs, or you can just leave along the path uphill. You can also technically go down towards the river.

You need not yet roll anything to resist the effects of the cold, but visibility is becoming limited due to the increased amount of snowfall. Feel free to roll Spot, Search, Survival and other assorted checks to get a better grip of your situation at any point now. You may still continue your introduction, but you should probably get moving in one way or another while doing so.

[Benson]

Ow...whimpered the brutish looking half-orc as he pushed himself off the ground, how he survived with all his provisions was beyond him. He was fine however suffering just minor scratches and bruises nothing to worry about. He shivered as he was not used the cold having had been raised in a warm-climate town.
Gil vaguely heard the on-goings of the gnome and sensed things were going to become tense....for some reason. He squinted his eyes and placed his hand like as if shielding his eyes from a sun's glare trying to get a better perspective of the area.

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Spot Check (1d20)[12]

[Rob Roy]

Hordjur hears the sound before the blizzard drowns it out and focuses on listening to his surroundings.

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Listen Check. (1d20+3)[8]

[Worlok]

Gil can make out what appears to be a signpost or similar structure of some sort at the edge of the path some houndred feet down towards the river, but the increasing snowfall makes it difficult to make out any details.

Hordjur attempts to listen, but the howling of the blizzard and the growl of the river prove to noisy for him at the moment.

[Obscurejones]

Marlock starts moving down the path, moving slow and carefully.

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Moving at 30 ft a round.

[Worlok]

The path is far from even, extremely slippery and occasionally appears to consist entirely of ice frozen over empty space, yet it is mostly wide enough for five or six people to move along it next to each other, so you have little trouble staying out of any naturally-occuring hazards, ground-wise. Additionally, the rapidly thickening cover of snow provides some grip.

As far as you can tell, the wind is blowing in from the South, in as far as it does actually blow into the valley.

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I'll wait for other Spots, Listens etc. before continuing.

[Benson]

"You guys...I think I see something down the path near the river...." He trailed off, the snowfall obscuring his vision, he questioned if he really even saw anything. "Hey...we need to stay as a group," Gil called to Marlock as he began to move five-six feet after Marlock.

[Obscurejones]

Marlock nods and comes to a halt peering down towards what Gil thinks he saw.

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(1d20+6)[14]

[Worlok]

Marlock can make out just enough details to tell that it is in fact a signpost of sorts, specifically a spear or similar rammed into the ground and with what may or may not be a shield hanging down from the upper end. Further specifics, such as whether or not anything is written on it or what purpose it might serve, can't be told from afar. The snowfall increases more and more and the storm picks up a notch, blowing ever stronger.

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Meaning that you take a -2 penalty on Spot and Listen checks from now on until it's blown over.

[Mr Serendipity]

Maura follows Marlock closely, not wanting to die in this frozen wasteland.

[ShadowySilence]

Elowin absent mindedly follows the others while singing "Don't don't freeze to death, stay with the group! If we can't find any food I'll have to eat one of you!" He was hoping to raise their spirits with a little humor.

[Rob Roy]

Hordjur goes over to everyone else, and asks Marlock what he saw.

[Obscurejones]

I'm not certain. I think it may be marker of some kind. While I'm certain time is precious, I think it might be worth investigating.
That being said he starts to make his way towards what he thinks he saw.

[Rob Roy]

"I agree, if it is truly a marker then that means civilization of some form is here in this wasteland. Any civilization, even that of the loathsome goblin, would be preferable to these waste" replied Hordjur. The gnome follows Marlock slowly and carefully, so as not to fall.

[ShadowySilence]

Elowin stares down the wide chasm next to them and kicks some snow over the edge. He then yells out as loud as he possibly can "ECHOEEEE!!!!!" hoping to receive an answer back.

Yelling roll:
(1d20)[8]

[Worlok]

Elowin's voice can be heard by the others, but it doesn't manage to even cut through the roar of the river, much less the storm sound, in order to create any audible echo.

Who arrives at the signpost can see that it is, in fact, a spear with a shield hanging down from it. The spearhead points upwards, oddly enough, suggesting the weapon has been put into a hole in the ground shaft-first and frozen in place. The shield itself is a fairly standard, wooden affair, but it has words cut into its surface. As the material appears ancient, darkened and rotten by what may well be years in the frozen valley, the edges of the shield are ruined, but its inscription is still legible:

"LUNT UFF DA KUN-KERRINK WOOF-PEAPEL FITE HOLL?. THIS RIVVA UFF WOOF-PEAPEL. KIEP A WAI." it reads in horribly mangled common, with what looks like a child's drawing of a wolf or dog carved into the wood beneath the letters. Then "AVVAS, UU UUS KEIF. IS WARM."

Looking around when standing in front of the signspear, you'd see a small cave in the cliff-face behind you, its entrance previously hidden from your views by a protuding outcropping of rock right left to it. It does not appear to be inhabited.

[ShadowySilence]

Elwoin peers at the sign for what seems to be forever and then turns away "WOOF-PEAPEL, what in the world are WOOF-PEAPEL?" he then tries to sound it out "W-o-o-f P-e-a-p-e-l... woolf peaple... wolf people..." even after saying it he still doesn't quite understand the urgency of what he just said...

[Obscurejones]

Cave. And by the looks of this butchery of the mother tongue, a warm one.
Marlock moves to explore the cave.

[Rob Roy]

"Wolf people? They must mean werewolves in which case we should proceed with caution" the gnome says before slowly advancing to the cave.

[Mr Serendipity]

Hey if there are werewolves, I want to be one to. Werewolves are awesome.

[Worlok]

The cave is rather small and, in fact, oddly warm. It is poorly lit, by virtue of there not being a light source, but it appears to be empty at first glance.

[Rob Roy]

"This cave could serve well as a base camp. Is anyone opposed to setting up shop here?" asks the gnome.

[Benson]

I can't say I oppose considering what we have for options out there...Gil shuffled through the snow stepping into the small cave.

[Obscurejones]

Marlock kicks some snow off his boots and looks around the cave.
I'm not one to say no to protection from the elements.