(IC) Quickleaf's Rime of the Frostmaiden

[Steve Gorak]

Aric smiles, and gets closer to Corse. He follows her out.

 

[Quickleaf]

GM POST @Kobold Stew @Steve Gorak @VLAD the Destroyer

The Kennel

With your clothes, scarves, balaclavas, mittens, and boots bundled on, you head out of the Northlook. Silence after snowfall blankets Bryn Shander. Few folks venture onto the streets in the evening chill. Flickering lanterns keep the darkness at bay. At a brisk walk to the southwestern side of the town, and you arrive at the sled dog kennels.

Heavy wood doors are cracked ever so slightly, the flickers of a campfire coming from within the kennel building. Deep carved sleigh runner tracks suggest one sled was just brought in during the light snows. However, a white sled dog rests outside the door, his weary body blocking the doors from being opened wider.

Ears perking up at your approach, the yellow-eyed sled dog pants, still cooling off from the day's exertion. A leather and brass collar indicates the dog's name "Comet." Lowering his head and patting the snow with one paw, the dog vocalizes, "Rrrrrr. Rrrrooaw... Awrrrr. Rouuu. Hfff." His tail wags and he looks up at Corse and Aric.

Edit: The dog looks dubiously at Logrim's construct "Ludo", and cocks one of his ears.

GM: A Small creature could squeeze through the doors as they are, however a Medium creature will need to get the dog out of the way to enter or find a different way inside.

 

[VLAD the Destroyer]

Logrim nods and follows Corse and Alric. Ludo the construct stands and joins the gnome.

 

[Kobold Stew]

"Sorry. Dogs don't always like me," Corse explained to Aric.

"Hello the Kennel," Corse raises her voice to be heard by those inside. She repeats if there there is no response.

 

[Steve Gorak]

Aric squints a bit to read the dog's name and says "Hi Comet! You look friendly! Hold on a bit, I can't understand what you're saying yet"

He then turns to Corse, Logrim and Ludo. "Can you hold on a bit, I want to do a ritual and I'll be able to talk with Comet and the other animals inside." Aric grabs a weirdly shapen wooden stick tied to his belt and starts mumbling.

OOC: cast speak with animals as a ritual @Quickleaf is it ok to assume that while Aric was a cat in the tavern, he did a short rest so he still has his 2 shapechanges? Thanks

 

[Kobold Stew]

OOC: Corse can cast Speak with Animals as well (not ritual, 1/day); just seeing if someone answers before anything like that

 

[domminniti]

Russet Ghostfur.

Russet bids fairwell to the barman. He gazes over at the card game. His friend Jack looks confident as always, but Russet never could figure out his tells. That poor Mak guy looks totally out of his element, poor fellah.

He greets and introduces himself to Aric and Corse.

The idea to check the kennels is a good one, and Corse taking charge suits Russet well. He reluctantly leaves the comfort of the tavern to follow Corse, Adric and Logrim. The ales only soften the bite of the cold a little.

Russet stares at Aric, Goblins have always fascinated him. Well, he found all the peoples fascinating in their own way, but something he couldn't quite put his finger on intrigued him about goblins. Perhaps it was their resourcefulness or their rustic ingenuity. Or maybe he was just a sucker for a underdog.

Speaking of dogs...

Russet starts looking nervous as soon as the sled dog comes into view. Russet is sure the dog's yellow eyes are looking at him greedily. When the dog growls at him, Russet leaps back in fright, halfway across the street and hides quivering behind Ludo. The construct, strange and scary as it may be, is preferable to a rabid hungry hound.

He peaks over the mechanical feline to see the brave Aric holding back the crazed sled dog with some sort of magic.

I.I.I I'll w...w...watch the r...r...road. J...Just keep that thing away from me!

 

[Quickleaf]

GM POST @Steve Gorak @Kobold Stew @VLAD the Destroyer @domminniti

The Kennel

No voices come from inside the kennel. Perhaps the kennel master is away or sleeping. The white dog, "Comet", perks his ears up upon hearing Arik speak his name. "Rrrro?" However, the longer you work the ritual magic and the four of you stand outside the kennel, the more concerned the dog becomes, alert yellow eyes shifting between you. He especially keeps an eye on Logrim's construct "Ludo", and you notice his ears starting to furl backward in agitation and uncertainty.

GM: In order for Aric to complete the ritual casting of Speak with Animals before Comet starts barking or getting hostile, one of you will need to soothe the dog with some food, magic, or a DC 10 Animal Handling check. And yep, ok to assume Aric got a short rest.

 

[Kobold Stew]

OOC: @Steve Gorak : don't want to tread on your idea; I'm fine with you casting the ritual, or Corse can. Otherwises, Corse will make the check.

 

[Steve Gorak]

OOC: @Kobold Stew, Better keep your casting of animal friendship, we may need it later. The ritual doesn’t cost any ressource, this is why I went this route. Aric has animal handing, but he already started the ritual, so up to you!

 

[Kobold Stew]

OOC: Animal handling: 1d20+5=21.

Corse gets down on one knee and makes a deep and soothing cooing sound. When Comet seems calm, she gives him a good scratch.

 

[Quickleaf]

GM POST

The Kennel

Comet sniffs at Corse, but as soon as she starts scratching, the tired sled dog tilts his head upward so she can access the spot just below his ear. Most dogs don't take to Corse this quickly. This gives Arik time to complete the magic. The white dog intones in a throaty vocalization, "Rerrrrf... Awwoowoowoo <I really like that.> Rrrrooaw... <Smells like tree-dweller-person>."

GM: Putting the translation for Speak with Animals in < >

 

[Steve Gorak]

Aric smiles and says to Corse "I think you've found the right spot, she likes that!" Then she turns to Comet and says "Hi Comet, I can understand you now, thanks for waiting. How are you, my name is Aric, are you alone here? You look tired, been running much?"

 

[domminniti]

T...tell him to stop looking at me like that! I'm n..n..not food!

 

[Quickleaf]

GM POST

The Kennel

Panting a bit harder, Comet shifts his eyes between Aric and over his shoulder to Russet, before abruptly perking his head up and looking right at Aric with bright yellow eyes. "Fhhrrr? <I'm surprised your bark makes sense!> Cooroowow... <I'm panting to cool off, but it's cold...> Rffflrff. Arroo. <We ran the South trail loop. Track smells like you.>"

 

[happylace]

''The kennels...'' Alma furrows her brow. She hadn't thought of that, but it's as good a lead as any, she supposes. Well, if they're going to ask about Torrga, then it's only logical she cover their other base. She looks around the bar, seeing two of their other compatriots engaged and the other--that gnome from earlier--nowhere to be found.

So she turns to Zeth. ''I'm going to the temple. You're free to join me if you like.'' Then pulls up her scarf and hood and heads for the exit. Confronting some Auril cultists with only one or two people isn't ideal. But it'll be more efficient to split up than all go to the same place.

( @Necropolitan pinging you so you can find this in the sea of other posts lol )

 

[Steve Gorak]

Aric laughs and says "The track smells like me because I live out there. I like it a lot! So are you alone here or is there someone inside? My friends want to go in to say hi, is that ok?"

 

[Necropolitan]

So she turns to Zeth. ''I'm going to the temple. You're free to join me if you like.'' Then pulls up her scarf and hood and heads for the exit. Confronting some Auril cultists with only one or two people isn't ideal. But it'll be more efficient to split up than all go to the same place.

"Definitely best not to go alone, I'll accompany you."

Zeth sees no reason not to follow.

Other than the fact they're walking into a cultist's den, but he's certain he can talk his way out if necessary. Or run if it comes to that.

Fighting would have to be a last resort, violence was a messy way to end things and unlikely to help their situation.

"I would suggest we try to avoid violence and run if necessary. Better strength in numbers back in town than dying."

As he and Alma walked Zeth tries to think of what he knows about Auril. Goddess of cold, but what else was there?

(OOC: Religion Roll 1d20+6 = 12+6 = 18)

 

[Quickleaf]

GM POST @Steve Gorak @Kobold Stew @VLAD the Destroyer @domminniti

The Kennel

The sled dog huffs, stretching and opening his jaw into a wide yawn. "Brfff ROU! <Like you, but not YOU> Fruffr rawr shffff. Fraafruff. <The others are eating and sleeping. Lazy dogs.> Marrrrarr Evee krrrurrr. <Miss Eve fixing sled.> Rawrawrawraw. Efffffh. Fruffr kff rou. <Good good good good. Follow me. Introduce you to others.>"

As he rises wearily, Comet isn't much shorter than Aric and looks between Russet and the goblin with pleading eyes, an ascending tone of inquiry, "Harrar rawarrr? <Can I eat smells like rabbit-person?>"

Padding around the cracked open door, the white dog slips inside, letting you follow. Eleven other sled dogs, most with black and white and brown mixed coats, are arrayed around the campfire. Aric can make out several of their whines and huffs as teasing Comet, "<Hey Whiteout. How's the tail Old Whiteout? Still walking oldie? Brought in more strays?>" Offering a mild growl of irritation, Comet pads over closer to the campfire burning in the high-ceilinged kennel; smoke streams out through a hole in the ceiling with a propped-open hatch.

 

[Quickleaf]

GM POST @happylace @Necropolitan

House of the Triad (occupied by Cult of Auril)

After gathering your belongings, securing your jackets, pulling your hats down, and making sure your pants cover your boots so no snow can slip in, you head out into the chill night. Though the lanterns outside many homes burn bright, there are large gaps between, and then the only light is faint moonlight barely able to pierce the heavy clouds. Alma and Zeth find the House of the Triad halfway between the market square and southwest gate. An imposing stone building of dwarven design, the temple has four steps leading up to it, with stone statues of three divinities: an armored youth points the way for a grizzled one-armed warrior, who offers his good arm to a blind frail old man. The nose of the armored youth has been recently broken off. Faint bits of chipped or blackened stone hint at a recent altercation. Torch light flickers through the long narrow windows of the temple, which are kissed with frost. You find the heavy reinforced oaken door unlocked...

GM: I know we've got 3 scenes going – card game, kennel, and cultists – so I'll try to tag relevant players when I post. Let me know in the OOC thread if it's too much or if you think we could handle it differently. Zeth Religion DC 18: Auril is the goddess of winter's dispassionate cruelty, pragmatic indifference, and cold self-reliance. While some of her worshippers can be found among monsters, the peoples of the North tend to propitiate her with sacrifice – rather than truly worship – so that she doesn't visit storms and cold death upon them. Her true followers tend toward extremes, as the initiation allegedly involves exposure to the most brutal of the elements. She is said to have many forms and many names, some blurring the line with fey – but that is beyond the scope of the religious texts.