Oredion's turns and dives back into the water determined to save the others.
Atriox takes a deep breath and instantly goes back under to get Dahlia and Tak
Oredion grabs Alrik by his scaled arm and drags him to the surface.
Atriox, you reach Tak first-- he is swimming straight for you, struggling to use his legs and tail to propel him as he holds his sword. He's determined not to let it go. He gives you a glare though, gesturing with his head for you to grab Dahlia first. You spot her panicking more--she can't swim.
Atriox propels himself furiously torwards Dahlia upon seeing her struggle
She grabs onto your hand and forearm as you reach her. (Make a dexterity or strength check, your choice, to make it back to the surface..... and a CON save...)
Oredion, you breach the surface of the icy water with Alrik in tow, scrambling to grab ahold of one of the sheets of ice to heft you both up.
(Make a strength/dex check as well, and a CON save)
16 18
(25 Strength/ 19con)
Oredion, your dwarven resilience is mighty indeed. You grit your teeth, ignoring the cold, and easily toss Alrik up atop the ice to safety. In one swift movement, you also roll up onto the ice, the sheet shaking and bobbing in the water. Tak, right behind you, scrambles at the edge as he tosses his sword clear of the waves.
Atriox, you struggle with the extra weight and the lack of one arm to swim with, but your powerful tail makes up for it. Lungs burning, you breech the water and take another burning breath. Dahlia looks delirious and in shock, coughing up water, her normally tan skin extremely pale.
Oredion stands glancing around at everyone saying "Is everyone in one price, blast that damned priest!"
Atriox tends to Dahlia worried by the color of her skin and how pale it is.
He grabs and hold her close comforting her while he looks her over
Medicine 9
Tak spits up water, his voice ragged and hoarse. "In one piece, but feel like thousand! Damn Viss that snake!" He coughs again, spitting up more. He stands, snatching up his sword and pacing in circles.
Dahlia is struggling to focus on the surroundings, shivering violently. You can tell she's likely swallowed a lot of water, and is deathly cold to the touch.
Atriox breaths from his core and blows hot steam from his nostrils and mouth.
You see her shivering lessen just a little, a little color coming back to her cheeks. As you care for her, all of you look around, seeing where you've ended up.
You are out in the middle of a frozen lake. Perhaps a hundred feet from shore, where the foothills of mighty mountains tower over you. The jagged peaks covered in ice and sleet, they shine like bright jewels in the sunlight. It's almost blindingly radiant.
You're in the far north... in the cradle of the Crags.
Atriox looks around angrily. "Tyranus......the white dragon they serve would need somewhere cold to live........they have teleported us to they're master. Everybody be on guard."
(Make perception checks for me, both of you. Survival time... >D I think Chant will be happy when he's off work lol)
(15 I feel a battle coming on lol)
(18 and soon but idk if yet but maybe you never know with jess )
Oredion, you know mountains quite well and are well aware of the history and geology of the Crags. Although your mountain kingdom was quite different, you can conclude this range likely has several similar features.
Searching the foothills, you spot some small caves dotting the landscape. Some are shallow, hardly big enough to stand in, and others look like they could be a bit deeper. They are definitely too small for any dragons, but could do well as temporary shelter.
Atriox, you scan the skies and the cliffs. There are a few likely places you could imagine a dragon's cave being situated, but no sign of any threat from above. You also figure the kobolds had to be coming from somewhere... there is likely a kobold lair, a much larger one than the temple, where they were streaming in from. It must have been how they continued to multiply, despite the desperate attempts of the soldiers to quell them.
Oredion realizing he has forgot something very important starts to rumage through his beard muttering "Come on little guy where are you?" He relaxes when he sees Joey peek his head out. Oredion seeing Joey has changed colors to a dark black tries to calm the little salamander saying "It's all right were all here... Come on bud calm down" while he continues to pet Joey. Oredion turns to face Atriox saying "Let's see if we can find a nice cave to start a fire and warm everyone up."
(Investigation 13)
(Holy crap! 36 unread messages... I'm gonna have to catch up after work... 😞 )
(Haha, no worries Chant. Ima brb for a little bit, but hopefully when I'm back Chant will also be free from work. 😉 XD Then we'll have our whole little dream team here.)
(In The Crags, eh? How far away from Winterhold? Has Alrik returned home at last?)
(You see, Alrik wasn't lying when he said he was from the far north! Lol)
(Thanks for the patience guys! You're so sweet. Let's see..)
Oredion, you spot what you think is a good cave large enough and dry enough for your team. You plod your way forward leading the rest. Snow starts to fall and Joey burrows back into your beard for warmth, letting out little puffs of smoke.
Alrik, you look around to get your bearings. You remember being able to see the Crags from your home as a child. Based on the mountain peaks around you... you think you know where you are. It's about 50 miles away from Winterhold. The little port city is west of you, over one of the passes.
(Make survival checks for me to see if you can all cross the ice safely)
(11...? Lol)
(20 yeeeeet)
(pft... Tak got a 6)
(13 for Dahlia)
(Once Atriox rolls I'll explain)
(14
You all begin the trek across the ice. Your dwarven companion leads the way, rather expertly navigating the trail ahead and watching for the thickest places to walk.
Atriox, you and Delilah struggle slightly to find your footing. It's much slower going because of her condition, but, half carrying her, you follow safely behind Oredion's tracks.
Alrik, you feel a wave of emotions crash over you being so near your home again. It's... definitely the last thing you expected, going into that temple in the forest. The ice cracks under your steps, barely holding as you make your way behind the others. It feels like one false breath could send you back into the depths.
Tak.... poor Tak, struggles behind. He can't seem to get a grip on the ice with his claws, even switching to running on all fours with his sword strapped to his back. It's a rather comical sight... until, Alrik, you turn and look behind you. He's disappeared.
(...why do you do this? It's like you want us to hate you... lolol)
(awwww.. lolllll noooo)
(I don't hate you... I hate Tak's dice...)
(Yeaaaaah... once in a while he gets a good roll and it's fantastic. XD His stats are... well.. they definitely leave something to be desired, let's just say that.)
(I promise I'm not faking this, he did roll a 6.. rofl.. I don't fudge the dice rolls like.. ever.)
(That's it... we're putting Tak into a highly aggressive training program to boost his stats...)
(That'd be awesome 70s music playing in the background and a training montage XD)
Alrik yells toward the front of the group. "Tak is gone!" He turns around and begins moving across the ice as fast as he safely can, looking for him (UGH! 7 perception)
Atriox begins looking too.
(13 perception jeez
You look frantically around, but because of the ice you see no footprints. Just the sloshing of the water coming up through the cracks in the ice behind you. Atriox approaches, peering down below the ice and still supporting Dahlia. You think you see something moving in the water several yards away to the left--it bumps the ice now and again.
Oredion turns to see the commotion and starts to lightly jog towards the sounds of the bumps. Hurriedly moving but still taking caution not to upset the ice. (16 +5 Athletics)
(That works! You're safe
(So is Tak alive or not ? 😂
You guys continue to look over the ice but see no sign of him.
(You have to roll again.. skill challenge.. you've failed 2x so far... rofl... hinges on what you do if he's alive or not)
(You never said it was a skill checkkkkkkk
(>D
(In the immortal words of Mason, stolen from Emperor's new groove....
Please be something with wings...)
(20! Promise it was first roll..... lol
(My prayer for wings was answered!
(BWAHAHA! Oh gosh I love you, they really were. That's a miracle.)
(You'll have to tell him about that... XDD I can't stop laughing)
Alrik... you spot Tak clawing at the ice beneath the surface. He's right below you, struggling to come up. It's started to re-freeze, making it difficult for him to break through. He sees you looking at him and tries more frantically to get to you.
Alrik points, and yells at Tak to swim down. At the same time, energy pools in his hand and he throws it across his fingers, exploding the liquid energy into a fireball.
(Everyone on the ice should make a reflex save.... rofl)
(Dexterity save.. excuse me...)
(Whoops! Not actually Fireball... it's Flame Bolt. Its a cantrip spell... I dunno how big of a blast it would be...? Lol)
(OOOOH ok ok that's different XD
(Fireball would be a different story.. rofl...)
(Yeah... my bad!
The flame strikes the ice with the heat of a hot forge, a hissing and sizzling explosion as the ice melts and cracks down below your feet. You jump back, the water steaming. Tak breaks for the surface again, gasping for air. He claws his way out, slipping and sliding on the wet ice, scrambling to get to freedom.
Alrik drags the little kobold onto the ice. "Are you okay?!" He wraps him in his cloak
Tak gulps in air, having trouble forming the words. You know from your time in the military that kobolds are traditionally cold blooded--a place like this for him practically calls for death. His body just shakes, and he presses the top of his head up against the storm mage's chest. He holds it there for a long moment as he gathers his wits again.
Alrik rubs his hands together, the energy running down his arms and in between his hands as steam begins to pour from between them. Sparks start to fall and little arcs of electricity suddenly fly from his hands as he grabs the cloak Tak is wrapped in. (Prestidigitation warming it up!)
"Hold on, Flame-Scar... the Kobold of Legend can't die to something as stupid as the frozen north!"
(Cleeeever! I like it.)
Tak sinks against you, raggedly breathing as he starts to feel his limbs again. "T-thanks..." he manages to mutter.
(It says I can chill or heat up to 1 cubic foot of nonliving material)
(Yeah! I remember that now. That's very very clever)
Your group hurries back across the ice, carefully and as cautiously as possible. Since Oredion came back, he's able to guide you carefully across the ice again, right to the cave he found. Once you head inside you feel a slight reduction in the chill, the rock insulating you from the snow. The room itself is small, perhaps 15 feet or so, with a roof about 7 feet high. It faces away from the wind, so thankfully there isn't a chill blowing in after you.
You all now have a few choices before you... the chiefest among them being to survive the wilds long enough to get home. Second to that... dealing with Tyranus, and stopping the summoning circle from bringing in any more kobolds to harass and kill the people of Dragonshore.
Oredion freezing but seeing the draconian's being worse off decides to take charge and go look for firewood "I'll be right back gang I'm going to go find us some things dry enough to lit on fire I'm counting on you guys to light it" says Oredion as he walks out of the cave giving Alrik and Atriox a awkward wink on the way out. (Investigation 16)
I'm gonna cut his wings,tail and head off
(I have one good eye so I basically blinked XD)
Oredion, you head outside and look at the landscape. It's rather barren, but you see some trees in the distance that have long since died. Their wood is wet with snow and brittle from the cold.
Oredion walks towards the trees stealthily, knowing that they may not be alone in this winter wasteland (Stealth 4 ðŸ˜)
Tromping through the snow, Joey peeks out and flicks his tongue against the snowflakes falling in your beard. He snorts a little fire burning a few hairs. Ahead of you there is movement from the tree, and a hawk soars out from the top of it, circling overhead.
Oredion knowing this wood can mean the difference between life or death brandishes his axe ready for a battle and screams "Whoever the cowards hiding betwixt the trees make yourself known or you will get no mercy upon my arrival" (Intimidation 19)
At the echoing of your voice, several pheasants rush out from the undergrowth, that were hiding from the hawk. They scatter past your ankles, flapping up a storm of feathers.
Atriox comes out of the cave to help the dwarf if he can. He looks around for him
Joey leaps from your beard, landing atop one and gnawing at its neck. It flaps around squawking, trying to beat him off of it. With a good latch and a hefty burp of fire, you smell burning feathers and the bird collapses.
Atriox, you exit the cave and see Oredion in the distance near a grove of old trees.
Oredion not yet at ease continues to the forest taking off his trench coat and gathering as much wood onto it as possible then quickly picks up Joey and his prey and sets them on his pile of firewood then hefts the pile over his strong shoulder and sets off in a jog towards the cave knowing that everyone is in need of fire and warmth urgently ( Athletics 9)
You come across your dragonborn friend outside the cave, and the two of you work together to get the wood and bird inside.
Oredion sets the sticks and few logs he was able to gather in a pyramid formation in the center of the room then motions for one his mages to light it.
Atriox works on getting the bird ready to cook.
Alrik continues caring for Tak, keeping the cloak warm with his magic. "Lousy tricksters... cowards..." he mutters.
Oredion offers his coat to Dahila as he settles against a wall.
(There we go that's better xd)
(Atriox, make a survival check to work on the bird)
Dahlia nods gratefully, giving the dwarf a smile. She's slowly getting some more color back, but still shivers heavily in her wet clothes. Tak shrugs at Alrik's comment, not refusing the help--he's rather appreciative of the heat. He mumbles in draconic, "They want strength... They hardly trust anyone but their own. Strength, control of the tribe, must be earned the hard way. They gave us what they think is the impossible."
Alrik nods glumly. "That priest is going to get what's coming to him... he tried to freeze us, let's see how he likes riding the storm..."
Despite being as sick as he is, Tak can't help but grin at that. An evil glint comes into his eye. "I'd like to see that."
"Bloody bastard..." He huddles back down into the warmth of your cloak. "He and the other priests... curse them all."
Oredion eyeing the ground calmly "You can count me in on that fight! Those bastards will pay!"
Alrik brings Tak near the stack of wood and gestures for Dahlia to come near it as well. He closes his eyes and energy begins to pour down his right arm, pooling in his hand. He throws it across his left, creating a small spark and igniting the logs and sticks. "At least now we'll all be warm... and dry in a bit."
He takes his jacket and shirt off and drapes them over a nearby rock, facing the fire. He takes his boots off and places them each on a long branch before sticking the other ends in the dirt and hanging them near the fire to dry.
Oredion gets up and moves to the front of the cave. His back facing the fire while he stands guard his axe held between his hands facing down. "I'll take first shift. You all get warm and fill your bellies." Oredion as exhausted as much as everyone else stands strong knowing he owes these men and women his life for saving him from the pits.
Alrik smirks to himself, walking to the mouth of the cave and placing his hand on Oredion's shoulder. "No need for a watch..."
Alrik again closes his eyes and begins rubbing his hands together, energy flowing along the veins in his arms and into his hands. He throws his hands outward, and a rockslide falls in front of the mouth of the cave.
"An illusion, but looks like it is real." He sticks his hand into the rocks, it moving through freely. (Prestidigitation FTW... lol)
Having been carried over, Tak just sinks to the ground and curls up as close to the fire as he dares. Delilah watches the men work, rather grateful for everything they're doing.
Oredion thoroughly impressed turns to Alrik "I guess that'll do just as well mage" chuckling good humorously turns to sit down still staying close to the entrance of the cave axe at the ready if the need arises.
(Sorry guys I crashed last night Atriox is making super 😂 got a raw 17 for survival
Having spent much of your time growing up on your own, you've learned a few techniques for surviving and preparing game. You pluck the bird, charring off the rest of the small feathers and gutting the unnecessary, bitter bits. Skewering it on a stick near the fire, you manage a small meal for your team. It won't be much but it's protein, and it's warm.
Once it's done Atriox portions it out to everybody and eats his bit.
"Well I certainly didnt see this coming team........I cant help but feel mostly to blame. I am sorry that I dragged you into this."
He means it torwards everybody but he's mostly referring to the one person who he really did get into this and puts a hand on Dahlias legs squeezing it affectionately.
She gives him a sheepish smile. "You've kept us safe so far. We'll be okay."
Atriox looks at his friends. "We must now decide what to do next. I'm sure this is where the blue kobolds are coming from. I would also hazard a guess that Tyranus is somewhere in these mountains. I know our team is not at full strength but I do not think we can turn back now. Not without anything to show for it. In the morning we should make for this Winterhold and resupply then........then we hunt."
Oredion eating his first proper meal in weeks is trying to eat slowly knowing if he eats quickly he will wretch. He looks up at Atriox "I it's a plan but, if what I heard about this dragon is true we may need to find more then supplies at this Winterhold." Oredion looks back at his food aching to finish it quickly but, determined to Pace himself.
Atriox nods. "Perhaps we can find help there as well with Alriks help. We will soon find out."
Atriox looks at his friends. "We must now decide what to do next. I'm sure this is where the blue kobolds are coming from. I would also hazard a guess that Tyranus is somewhere in these mountains. I know our team is not at full strength but I do not think we can turn back now. Not without anything to show for it. In the morning we should make for this Winterhold and resupply then........then we hunt."
Alrik sighs, chewing his thoughts as well as the pheasant. "Winterhold is roughly 50 miles away, but it's through a mountain pass... we wouldn't be able to make it in time to get supplies, let alone get back to Dragonshore by tonight... or even tomorrow for that matter."
"Not to mention it's a fishing village. They have maybe a garrison of 20 men... and they're only there to protect from wolves and the odd troll. With a snowfall this heavy, that mountain pass will be damn near impossible to get through..."
Atriox sighs. "Then we should take an hour to rest. take our chances with the dragon. It's a white dragon and they are the smallest of their brethren. With some luck with will prevail."
Oredion done with his food lets out a loud burp 'I, a little rest wouldn't do any harm. Then off to face the wee dragon. If I was it I'd be quacking in my claws" Oredion lets out a loud deep laugh that echos through the cave.
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