(IC) Quickleaf's Rime of the Frostmaiden

[domminniti]

Aric! What did that one say?! Why is it looking at me like that? It has a mad look in its eye!

 

[Steve Gorak]

Aric! What did that one say?! Why is it looking at me like that? It has a mad look in its eye!

Aric says with a smile “He didn’t say anything, but I’m sure you’d be on his good side if you gave him a bit of food!”

 

[domminniti]

Aric says with a smile “He didn’t say anything, but I’m sure you’d be on his good side if you gave him a bit of food!”

I can tell he wanted a bit of food! Im worried which bit!

 

[Quickleaf]

The Avalanche

GM POST

Releasing the dogs back down slope, you see them sniffing along the trail you came up on, Kodiak turning back to study your silhouettes for a moment longer, and then they drop out of sight, headed back to where Keegan and Eve await with the other sled dogs. Gathering up slack in the rope, you begin the second leg of your ascent, Corse's flickering flame and Alma's sphere of red light to guide you.

The thing about mountain climbing, things can take a turn on just...one...step.

A particularly steep ascent leads to a natural ridge with a scree field above and a wash of snow below. A roar from upslope draws your attention. Those of you with darkvision (i.e. everyone except @domminniti and @Aethmud ) can barely make out the shape of four mountain goats bounding over the rocks. Each goat has one incredibly long horn and one short horn. A flurry of snow hisses over the edge as you see a nine-foot-tall horned creature in furious pursuit. The yeti seems to grab one of the goats but then you lose sight of what happens in a burst of snow. Several rocks tumble beneath the yeti's feet, and it just barely manages to leap after the goats, disappearing behind a ridge upslope. However the sound of the yeti's roar and the bleating goats is quickly replaced by something far more ominous - the groaning and hissing of snow as several ice-covered rocks dislodge and come tumbling down, causing the ground beneath your feet to tremble. Then, almost 200 feet up, snow begins to pour down the face of Kelvin's Cairn toward you.

It's an avalanche!

GM: You have one round before the mini-avalanche pours over you - it moves 200 feet per round. Remember that you’re roped together which may limit your movement! Untying yourself takes an Action while cutting the rope takes a Bonus Action. Some ways you might avoid being swept away: Getting creative with your spells or gear. Moving at least 80 feet in one round gets to the side of the mini-avalanche (e.g. Boy & Steel Defender, with speeds of 40 ft, can just barely escape it). Lumrolur, as the scout, is a bit ahead – you only need to cover 50 feet to get clear, which is possible with Move + Action (Dash). Hunkering down and relying on the pitons to hold –make a DC 10 Strength save with advantage. However, this isn’t an option for Corse (who already relied on pitons – we could say you’ve just unanchored yourself to start hammering a new piton when this happens), Alma or Logrim (who already relied on pitons for climb), and it would be risky for Lumrolur who has ~25 feet slack before a piton would catch him. If you use a spell dealing fire damage (no attack/save needed), you need to do 20 fire damage (can team up) to burn the mini-avalanche to flow around you and other PCs in your vanguard / midguard / rearguard group. Using something as a makeshift sled/skis to try and go downhill and swoop clear – this will involve some kind of DC 12 check, I’m flexible if it makes sense with what you’re trying. Aric might think of a Wildshape that can withstand the mini-avalanche better or help move clear of it. If it’s a large quadruped, one PC in the Scout / Vanguard can ride you to safety. Jack can fly above the mini-avalanche, but will need to unanchor himself from the security rope. Logrim might be able to ride on Ludo? Only one Small rider though, since the Steel Defender is a Medium creature. Russet, who’s navigating and foresaw the danger, can choose to risk rolling initiative against the avalanche (it acts on initiative 20); if you were to get 20+, then you’d get clear and be able to use your Strength save in place of saves anyone below you on the rope would make if swept away (i.e. Alma, Zeth, Logrim, Jack). Anyone swept away by the mini-avalanche takes 3d6 bludgeoning damage and must make a DC 12 Dexterity save. On a success, you manage to arrest your fall on the stone slab ABOVE the Base Camp (i.e. you tumbled down 150 feet). On a failure, you are swept down to the Base Camp, taking another 2d6 bludgeoning damage (i.e. you tumbled a total of 250 feet). In either case you are partially buried (restrained) – you or a creature near you can spend 1 minute to dig you out with a DC 10 Athletics check. A shovel or certain magic may give you an auto-success.

Mood Music:

 

[Steve Gorak]

Aric yells to his companions. "Come close, quick! I have magic that can help us survive this" He turns to Boy and tells the dog: "I will call plants to hold us. Don't be afraid and let them help!"

OOC: I'm assuming that speak with animals is still active. If not, Animal handling roll = 9. Unless someone has another idea, Aric will wait for the party to get close, and will proceed with casting entangle. He will get close to the ground, embracing the magical plants surrounding him and holding tight onto them. Aric's concentration will switch from speak with animals to Entangle. He's also waiting before shapechanging to a giant badger (for the burrowing speed), to see if they are buried by the snow or not. I'm not sure if one can ready a bonus action, but that's close to the intent: If he's getting buried, he'll shapechange and dig for his companions.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Corse hears the rolling of the distant snow, and knows immediately what it means. And she knows she has not reattached herself to the line. She swears, a tight monosyllable.

"Hunker down!" she urges the team. "I'll get you."

She is about to sprint, when she hears Aric's words. It's all about trust. She abandons the thought still forming in her head and takes her own advice, closing on Aric and staying low.

 

[happylace]

Alma's head snaps up at the sound of the roaring snow coming down at them. Her eyes blow wide and she quickly looks around, mind spinning a mile a minute assessing the situation. If they don't do something, they'll be swept over the edge. As everyone springs into action, she notices what Russet is attempting to do. She bolts forward and gets up behind him, tearing her glove off and pressing it to his back.

Her normal spells won't work here. She digs deep into her well of arcane magic. Picks at the wild, random threads that churn there and attempts to grab hold of something useful. From her had spreads a thin, slimy film, reminiscent of aloe vera but stinking of sulfur. It crawls across Russet's armor and seeps into fabric, warming his muscles. Invigorating them temporarily, as she casts Enhance Ability - Bull's Strength.

 

[Necropolitan]

Zeth's blood runs cold as he sees the onrushing snow. No, not again! He won't be trapped, won't be caught, won't be frozen!

"Bfrlulq hilvw!"

Calling upon the limited higher magic available to him from his Infernal Pact Zeth forms a circle with his hands, chants words in Infernal, and channels Hell's power. Burning Hands. A cone of flame blazes forth from his outstretched hands, melting through the snow and redirecting what isn't melted. The avalanche is still coming, but it's been lessened and hopefully the rest of the party can block it.

"The spell's all I have time for, do something!"

(OOC: Anyone who knows Infernal can recognize Zeth just spoke it to cast his spell. I'm using this site for translation.)

 

[VLAD the Destroyer]

Logrim feels the rumble and looks up in shock at the onrushing wave of snow. Without thinking he cuts the rope anchoring himself to the others. He turns to Ludo.

"Get to safety, I'll be fine. I need to help them."

As the construct bounds out of the way of the avalanche Logrim runs towards the others. As he runs he turns a small crystal embedded in the left arm of his armor. He runs and slides into the broken down sled the others setup as a snow break. He curses waiting for the last possible second before the snow slams into the sled. When the snow is practically on top of them Logrim brings up his left arm and the crystal flashes blue. The force shield he normally uses to deflect blows forms next to him covering the left side of the sled and shielding those on that side.

Logrim grits his teeth. The crystal not usually used to deflect tons of snow and ice heats up and singes his arm. The crystal glows bright and cracks as it is taxed to it's limits.

 

[Steve Gorak]

As all the others gather, Aric gets close to the sled and invokes Druidic magic. Green thornless vines sprout from the snow and entangle everyone and everything. Aric says "Let them hold onto you, do not resist." He then transforms into a bear, and helps support the sled in place.