The Northlands Saga - Spears in the Ice IC

[Farmerbink]

At Anna's call, Elissa's head whips around and she hurries over to follow. She stops several paces from the door, bow trained at the floor. With a nod to Anna, the huntress indicates her aid.

Spoiler: Perception

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(1d20+10)[15]

[farothel]

Bjorn followed at the mention of secret doors. He had a closer look at the mechanisms of the doors to figure out how to open them.

Spoiler: OOC rolls

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knowledge(engineering): (1d20+6)[9]

[DrK]

Freyja Skirlaug Freyja remains standing in the centre of the main corridor, "Please be careful" she says, echoing Helteinne. "This place is cursed and I would not lose anyone" As they investigate the scrolls, desks and doors she watches the other ends carefully

Spoiler: OOC

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Freyja Skirlaug
F LG Jotun (Giant blooded) Paladin (Shield maiden) 2, Level 2, Init 1, HP 21/22, Speed 40
AC 17, Touch 10, Flat-footed 16, CMD 18, Fort 6, Ref 2, Will 3, CMB +7, Base Attack Bonus 2
Reach (15ft) MW Longspear +8 (2d6+4, X3)
Battle axe +6 (2d6+4, X3)
Throwing axes // Javelins (2 axes / 5 javelins ) +6 / +2 ranged (1d8+4 / 1d8+4, x2 / x2)
MW Chain Shirt, Heavy wooden shield (+4 Armor, +3 Shield, +1 Dex, -1 Size)
Abilities Str 18, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 13

Condition None
Axe to Grind (+1 dam if only opponent)
Trip with Spear (CMB+9)

Cold Weather Stuff:
Cold weather outfit (+5), MW gloves (+2, -1 ACP), Mukuluk boots (+1 cold, -1 balance)

Signun Olavson At mention of the secret doors Singnun looks up. "Well that is a good sign. If they hide it there may be something worth having. Shall I have a look dorling?" he asks as he hustles to help Anna, a hand reaching to the pouch at his belt where the picks and files are kept.

Spoiler: OOC

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Perception [roll=1d20+9[/roll] vs traps
Disable device for traps or doors (1d20+9)[13]

Signun Olavson
M CN Northlander Slayer, Level 2, Init 5, HP 17/17, Speed
AC 17, Touch 13, Flat-footed 14, CMD 17, Fort 4, Ref 6, Will 0, CMB +4, Base Attack Bonus 2
MW Longspear +5 (1d8+3, x3)
throwing axes (5) +5 (1d6+2, x2)
MW Comp Longbow (+2_ (30) +6 (1d8+2, x3)
Chain shirt (MW) (+4 Armor, +3 Dex)
Abilities Str 14, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 10
Condition None

[Ghostfoot]

Signun looks over the doors, not finding anything of concern. Bjorn assists with the inspection, noting that the door to the west appears to be slightly out of alignment, partially stuck and jammed with frost, a frigid draft seeping through the cracks.

Heltinne meanwhile uses her magical powers to open the desk revealing...not much. The magical aura is still present but it seems the desk must have some sort of well-hidden secret compartment hiding the source.

To the south, the door behind the screen seems to Anna to have a straight-forward latch to open it.

Spoiler: OOC

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DC15 Str check to force open the jammed secret door to the west.

[farothel]

"There's a lot of cold coming out from this one," Bjorn said, "if you feel a magic aura behind this door, might this be where all this extra cold comes from? If so, we better be careful. I can open the door, but it can be dangerous. Maybe open the other one first and have a look around before we open the really cold one."

Anna looked at both doors and did a detect magic at both secret doors.
"Lets first open the desk and see what's in there," she suggested, heading that way after the detect magic, "what's in here might help us further."
She had a closer look at the desk to find the secret compartment and open it, asking Signun to open it if it was needed.

Spoiler: OOC rolls

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perception: (1d20+5)[20]

[DrK]

[QUOTE=DrK;25918355]

Signun Olavson Signun nods at the suggestion, "Aye, the cold door seems more risky. We can ask the big lass to open it once we look through here" he suggests, jerking a thumb towards the corridor where Freyja stands guard. Reaching in with a pick he'll try and flip the latch up to open the non stuck door. That done (or failed) he'll look at the desk with a grin of avaraice and offer Anna hand

Spoiler: OOC

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Disable device for door (1d20+9)[17]

Perception on desk (1d20+9)[27]
Disable device for desk(1d20+9)[10]


Signun Olavson
M CN Northlander Slayer, Level 2, Init 5, HP 17/17, Speed
AC 17, Touch 13, Flat-footed 14, CMD 17, Fort 4, Ref 6, Will 0, CMB +4, Base Attack Bonus 2
MW Longspear +5 (1d8+3, x3)
throwing axes (5) +5 (1d6+2, x2)
MW Comp Longbow (+2_ (30) +6 (1d8+2, x3)
Chain shirt (MW) (+4 Armor, +3 Dex)
Abilities Str 14, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 10
Condition None

[Farmerbink]

Elissa does her best to stay out of the way. Watching the more civilized folks work with their various tools on the latches and hidden compartments leaves her a hair slack-jawed, but she never lets her attention linger long in any one place. Fully expecting the walls themselves to attack if nothing else does, she guards the troupe with her bow, ready to attack at a moment's notice.

[Ghostfoot]

Warily Anna concentrates again on both secret doors, noting again the source of magic in the room beyond to the west. She then moves to the desk trying to identify a hidden compartment. She finds a cunningly obscured wooden latch which enables a section of paneling to slide aside revealing a wrapped bundle. In the old cloth a sheathed weapon - a fine ivory‐hilted, pattern‐welded short sword bearing several magical runes - and a tarnished silver stylized-sun talisman on a chain.

Signun meanwhile investigates the hidden door to the south. It pushes open easily enough revealing a wrecked room open to the elements. What may once have been a library or a study judging by the splintered wood and scraps of parchment and book coverings, the roof has collapsed in revealing the swirling clouds and towering spires above. Anything here has been subjected to many many years of weathering. The rough broken surfaces could probably be scaled to the heights above, if done with enough care.

[farothel]

"Oooh, magic stuff," Anna said as she took out the sword and the talisman, "I guess this is just a regular magic sword, but that talisman will require some checking to identify what it does. Anybody wants to use the sword while we're here. It might be useful."

Bjorn already had all the weapons he needed at the moment, so he passed on the honour and let someone else take the blade.

[DrK]

Freyja Skirlaug Fryeja looks at the blade from the hallway. "A beautiful piece, but a toothpick in size. I wonder who it once belonged to"

Spoiler: OOC

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Freyja Skirlaug
F LG Jotun (Giant blooded) Paladin (Shield maiden) 2, Level 2, Init 1, HP 21/22, Speed 40
AC 17, Touch 10, Flat-footed 16, CMD 18, Fort 6, Ref 2, Will 3, CMB +7, Base Attack Bonus 2
Reach (15ft) MW Longspear +8 (2d6+4, X3)
Battle axe +6 (2d6+4, X3)
Throwing axes // Javelins (2 axes / 5 javelins ) +6 / +2 ranged (1d8+4 / 1d8+4, x2 / x2)
MW Chain Shirt, Heavy wooden shield (+4 Armor, +3 Shield, +1 Dex, -1 Size)
Abilities Str 18, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 13

Condition None
Axe to Grind (+1 dam if only opponent)
Trip with Spear (CMB+9)

Cold Weather Stuff:
Cold weather outfit (+5), MW gloves (+2, -1 ACP), Mukuluk boots (+1 cold, -1 balance)

Signun Olavson Signun cautiously steps out into the room to have a look around the collapsed roofs and broken walls to ensure that ther are no secret doors or portals on this side

Spoiler: OOC

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Perception (1d20+9)[20]

Signun Olavson
M CN Northlander Slayer, Level 2, Init 5, HP 17/17, Speed
AC 17, Touch 13, Flat-footed 14, CMD 17, Fort 4, Ref 6, Will 0, CMB +4, Base Attack Bonus 2
MW Longspear +5 (1d8+3, x3)
throwing axes (5) +5 (1d6+2, x2)
MW Comp Longbow (+2_ (30) +6 (1d8+2, x3)
Chain shirt (MW) (+4 Armor, +3 Dex)
Abilities Str 14, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 10
Condition None

[farothel]

Anna cursed herself for not thinking about that, so she started to look at the blade to see if she could find any markings that might indicate an owner, or a creator. she gave the same treatment for the talisman.

Spoiler: OOC rolls

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I'll roll a d20 and have the GM decide which skill this is. I guess knowledge(history), but I have all of them (as a bard I can roll untrained)
history: +7, arcana, geography and local +6, all others +2
(1d20)[18]

EDIT: not a bad roll, between 20 and 25 depending on the knowledge skill needed

[Ghostfoot]

Anna inspects the blade and the talisman.

The blade bears no maker-mark although from the style of the blade and hilt looks very old, possibly even Hyperborean in origin (~3500 years old!). The arcane symbols align with known glyphs of elemental flame and fire.

On further inspection the silver talisman appears to be a non-magical holy symbol. The style and craftsmanship indicates Nûk elven origin, although it is known that the Nûk worship no gods only the spirits of the land and nature.

Signun, perhaps not surprisingly, does in fact detect another hidden door in the frost-lined walls of the room. Leading to the south it is evident that it leads back towards the storeroom where you all rested last night, and indeed on checking he is able to open this into the room and confirm that poor One-Eyed Sven still remains comatose but safe behind a stack of crates in this room.

[Starbin]

Heltinne Thrainsdottir, Speaker of Spirits

When the group gathered to check the magic items, Heltinne studied both the blade and the talisman, searching her memories for any mention of such items. Once complete, she glanced to the west, and area both she and Anna had identified as having magic. She moved to check the area if possible, searching for a source. Once complete, she would also return to review the corridor to the north, waving for one of the melee types to join her in checking each of the several doors.

---

OOC Sorry for the silence ...
History - (1d20+4)[24], Religion - (1d20+4)[24] for the talisman
Perception - (1d20+7)[17] for the aura
Perception - (1d20+7)[9] for the northern corridor
Effects/Conditions: Child of Winter (endure elements, imp movement over snow/ice, +2 Init/Ref); Darkvision 60'; ER 5 vs cold, acid, electricity

Spoiler: Status - Round 4

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AC 15 HP 15/15 Init +1 (+3 in winter/cold) Move 30
F +1 R +1 (+3 in winter/cold) W +4
Weapon: MW longspear (+4, 1d8+3), Cold iron Morningstar (+3, 1d8+3)
Spell (Unl) ghost sound, mage hand, guidance, create water, detect magic, spark, stabilize / (4/4) cure light wounds, bless, obscuring mist, endure elements
SLA (alter self): 1/1, Ice armor: 2hr
Key skills: Perception +7; Sense Motive +6; Diplomacy +7; Heal +8; Spellcraft +4; Planes +6; Geography +5; Religion +4; Arcana +4; Local +4; History +4; Linguistics +1; Climb +1; Swim +1; Stealth +0

[Ghostfoot]

Heltinne inspects the magical short blade and the silver holy symbol, confirming Anna's insights that the ancient items are of Hyperborean and Nuk origin respectively. Checking to the west she also confirms that the unidentified magical aura beyond is still present.

That done, Heltinne moves into the northern corridor with Freyja to accompany her. Checking each of the doors in turn she doesn't hear or see anything of concern. Cautiously she opens them one by one.

The door at the far western end of the corridor opens and links back to the central archway (the one blocked with frozen ice and encasing the body of huscarl Berg Geirson). The southern doors each reveal small living cells. Each small room contains two small writing desks with built-in scroll racks, two single beds, and two small chests. All looks long-abandoned at a cursory glance.

[updated map to go here]

[Starbin]

Heltinne Thrainsdottir, Speaker of Spirits

Seeing the smaller rooms that all appeared empty, she sighed and gathered the others. "While seemingly a less than glamorous task, we should check these rooms, least we leave behind something that might aid our journey ... or a foe that slips up later and slits our collective throats."

---

OOC Recommend we search the rooms ... as a group it should go quicker. I think we could either take 20 in each room (very lengthy process) or average out by taking ten for each room, with maybe a +3 for guidance and aid another ... for Heltinne, that would be a 20

Effects/Conditions: Child of Winter (endure elements, imp movement over snow/ice, +2 Init/Ref); Darkvision 60'; ER 5 vs cold, acid, electricity

Spoiler: Status - Round 4

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AC 15 HP 15/15 Init +1 (+3 in winter/cold) Move 30
F +1 R +1 (+3 in winter/cold) W +4
Weapon: MW longspear (+4, 1d8+3), Cold iron Morningstar (+3, 1d8+3)
Spell (Unl) ghost sound, mage hand, guidance, create water, detect magic, spark, stabilize / (4/4) cure light wounds, bless, obscuring mist, endure elements
SLA (alter self): 1/1, Ice armor: 2hr
Key skills: Perception +7; Sense Motive +6; Diplomacy +7; Heal +8; Spellcraft +4; Planes +6; Geography +5; Religion +4; Arcana +4; Local +4; History +4; Linguistics +1; Climb +1; Swim +1; Stealth +0

[Farmerbink]

Elissa nods, stepping forward to offer her senses to the task.

Spoiler: OOC

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solidly above average with a +10 mod, I Think.

take 10 for 20 or if Ghosty needs a roll: (1d20+10)[25]

[farothel]

Anna quickly explained the history of the magical sword, before she would help searching, while Bjorn stood watch, just in case something happened. Anna also used her detect magic to find anything magical that was hidden.

Spoiler: OOC rolls

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I'll take 10 for 15 on perception to aid another (either Elissa or Heltinne).

[Ghostfoot]

The two small chests in each room are all locked fast.

The scroll racks contain a number of old leather scroll cases, within which are preserved a number of non-magical scrolls written in an unfamiliar tongue.

[farothel]

Bjorn would keep guard while Anna tried to get some idea of what the scrolls contained. She would let Signun play around with the locks on the chests while she worked on the languages. She wanted to at least get an idea of what language it was, but she hoped for more.

Spoiler: OOC rolls

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linguistics: (1d20+5)[9]

[DrK]

Signun Olavson Signun has smiled at the mention of the Nuuk and ancient Hyborean artifacts. "They must be valuable eh? Maybe this trip not a waste after all" he adds. Following Helteinne he nods to the boxes and reaches once again for his lock picks and shivs, "lets have a look in you eh?" he'll murmur as he kneels beside them and tries to open them

Spoiler: OOC

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Disable (1d20+8)[22]
Disable (1d20+8)[24]

Signun Olavson
M CN Northlander Slayer, Level 2, Init 5, HP 17/17, Speed
AC 17, Touch 13, Flat-footed 14, CMD 17, Fort 4, Ref 6, Will 0, CMB +4, Base Attack Bonus 2
MW Longspear +5 (1d8+3, x3)
throwing axes (5) +5 (1d6+2, x2)
MW Comp Longbow (+2_ (30) +6 (1d8+2, x3)
Chain shirt (MW) (+4 Armor, +3 Dex)
Abilities Str 14, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 10
Condition None

[Ghostfoot]

Signun goes to work on the chests, spending the time to unfasten each in turn. Within, among assorted perished personal items, are a scattering of tarnished coins and semi-precious trinkets, 48 hacksilver (gp) value in total.

Anna scours the scrolls for clues but isn't familiar with the language of the writings.

Spoiler: Map

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[farothel]

"I can't make heads nor tails out of this," Anna said, "if someone else wants to have a go, feel free. Otherwise I'll put these in my backpack to check out in more detail later."
If nobody took her offer, she would put the scrolls away for later checking.

[Farmerbink]

"Is it Elven?" Elissa asks, simply. She peers briefly at the text to see if the language is familiar to her.

[farothel]

"I don't think so," Anna said as she showed the scrolls, "I don't understand that language, but I think I would have recognised it, unless it's a very old form. This place is quite old, so it might be a language that isn't used anymore."

[DrK]

Freyja Skirlaug As SIgnun wanders off to keep an eye on things Freyja stomps over to them to peer at, "Maybe its in the giant tongue?" she wonders as she looks at the items that have been found. Before turning to more prosaic matters murmurs, "Shall we continue past the doors? We must find the Jarl and the others if we are to leave this place?"

Spoiler: OOC

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Freyja Skirlaug
F LG Jotun (Giant blooded) Paladin (Shield maiden) 2, Level 2, Init 1, HP 21/22, Speed 40
AC 17, Touch 10, Flat-footed 16, CMD 18, Fort 6, Ref 2, Will 3, CMB +7, Base Attack Bonus 2
Reach (15ft) MW Longspear +8 (2d6+4, X3)
Battle axe +6 (2d6+4, X3)
Throwing axes // Javelins (2 axes / 5 javelins ) +6 / +2 ranged (1d8+4 / 1d8+4, x2 / x2)
MW Chain Shirt, Heavy wooden shield (+4 Armor, +3 Shield, +1 Dex, -1 Size)
Abilities Str 18, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 13

Condition None
Axe to Grind (+1 dam if only opponent)
Trip with Spear (CMB+9)

Cold Weather Stuff:
Cold weather outfit (+5), MW gloves (+2, -1 ACP), Mukuluk boots (+1 cold, -1 balance)

[farothel]

"Good idea," Bjorn said. He had become a bit annoyed at all the talk about strange languages and stuff like that. He really wanted to find his Jarl, so he was quick to move on. He would let the people who were better at finding traps and such things take the lead, but he would push to move as quickly as possible.

Anna wanted to keep looking at the papers, but she did understand the need to search for the missing people, so she would put the papers and other interesting items away so they could be studied in more detail later on.

[Ghostfoot]

Moving back to the study, you focus your attention on the secret door to the west. A frigid draft whistles through the crack and it seems the door is mostly frozen fast. Freyja slams her bulk against it, and eventually (after a Str check DC15) the door is forced open enough, shifting a mess of snow and icy boulders beyond.

Unlike many of the other rooms found so far, this one obviously was once lavish in its adornment, and most of that is not in the form of bloody paeans to demonic entities. It once held ornately carved furnishings, bedding and carafes but these have been destroyed by a roof collapse that buried most of the chamber along with blowing winds and driving mixed rains of sleet and snow. A thick blanket of snow with a hard coating of ice covers the entire room.

[farothel]

"Now that's a letdown," Anna said as she looked into the room, "but lets check anyway."
She would do a detect magic in the room and search for other secret doors and other interesting stuff. Bruno will search as well, although he wants to move further. But he knew there was no stopping the others, so he moved along to get it over with.

Spoiler: OOC rolls

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detect magic in the room
Anna search for secret doors/interesting stuff: (1d20+5)[21]
Bruno search for secret doors/interesting stuff: (1d20+2)[4]

[DrK]

Signun Olavson Picking over the strange demonic imagery he grins, "Interesting, I think I've done that position before" he leers looking at some of the more lewd images. That said he then looks around with a practiced eye trying to find anything of value. Whilst behind him Freyja eyes with unhidden dislike, a tense grip of her fist on the spear a mark of her displeasure.

Spoiler: OOC

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Perception (1d20+9)[26]

Signun Olavson
M CN Northlander Slayer, Level 2, Init 5, HP 17/17, Speed
AC 17, Touch 13, Flat-footed 14, CMD 17, Fort 4, Ref 6, Will 0, CMB +4, Base Attack Bonus 2
MW Longspear +5 (1d8+3, x3)
throwing axes (5) +5 (1d6+2, x2)
MW Comp Longbow (+2_ (30) +6 (1d8+2, x3)
Chain shirt (MW) (+4 Armor, +3 Dex)
Abilities Str 14, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 10
Condition None

[Ghostfoot]

Anna, Bjorn and Signun move into the open room, searching among the fallen debris and ice for anything of use or interest. Anna notes the magical aura detected earlier is present, and very close. Following her guidance Bjorn digs through the frigid rubble, uncovering the crushed remains of an ancient skeleton dressed in rotted finery. The magical aura coming from a well-worn golden band decorated with a stylized bird/ humanoid motif still on its bony finger.

Signun meanwhile finds a decayed sack filled with an assortment of silver & gold trinkets and adornments buried nearby. Now that he's in the room, he also notes another hidden doorway, partly blocked with fallen rubble but leading back into the central courtyard.

Spoiler: loot

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spellcraft to ID
Anna (1d20+5)[21]
Signy (1d20+6)[24]

Ring of Protection +2

appraise
Anna (1d20+5)[24]
Signun (1d20+5)[11]

1,456 hacksilver (ie gp) worth of trinkets

Spoiler: Map

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