RJK'S Cairn of the Skeleton King

[Le Noir Faineant]

Titus unleashes a sizzling line of blistering orange flame deep into it's heart to reignite the wood. "We'll just to keep it warmer than this fiend can handle."

From your fingers sparkle magical flames that devour the ice crystals in a roaring pocket inferno...

Yet, as you keep aiming at the fireside, you can see from the corners of your eyes that the frost is winning more terrain, and is crawling over some stones only a few meters away from you, covering them all over with icy rime...

[sblock=Thinking]Was the fallen paladins armor magical fullplate? Since it sizes itself to the new wearer I could upgrade...even if it isn't a spare suit would be handy.[/sblock]

Maybe....

As Maigreth casts her spell, Zanax and Moja use their skills to try to ascertain a source for the strange magics.

Moja suddenly whimpers and rolls on the back, blood running from the wolf's nostrils...

Zanax can see that small ice crystals are forming around Moja's nose...

She casts See Invisibility and looks around (supressing the Detect Magic spell for the moment, fearing a return of the agony.)

Nothing happens... Except that Maigreth will feel a growing unease with every heartbeat...

The wizard believes that she has heard stories of similar phenomena on an earlier occassion, but cannot recall when...

[sblock=Could it be...?]
In the few scrolls that exist of the days before the days, it was said that the ancient lords of the dead made the world freeze when they rose from their graves every night...
Yet, even though magic is high in the lands of the Roglaras, how can it be that such a magical force could manifest here, in the lands of the civilised men...?[/sblock]

Suddenly, a figure emerges from the darkened hillside in fron of you:

It's the Houri, your former prisoner, a beautiful, yet very dangerous individual like every member of her race...

Even through the blackness and the distance, you can see how she is bleeding, her arms and legs covered with frost all over...

She seems to shout something over to you, and the look in her face tells of uttermost horrors - yet, you cannot hear her words, though she is near enough that she had to be in your hearing range...

 

[Nephtys]

Maigreth shivers. "It cannot be..." If it were the value of the lore that could be unearthed would almost be proportionate to the danger. But right now, this did not seem a good place to be.
She looks at the Houri nervously and says to noone in particular, "I would not go near her if I were you. There's no telling what she might be infected with."

 

[ethandrew]

Seeing the ice-crystals slowly proceed closer and closer, Rupert will backpedal away, while still keeping an eye on the fire and the Houri.

"I'd say we kill her...now! If not for our employers and the lovely desire to get paid.They said they wanted the prisoners alive, right? I don't think she'll last any bit longer, might consider a mercy kill."

 

[zoons]

Moja chuffs and shakes rolling to his feet. He snuffs out some blood and coughs. Then he shakes his head as he retreats slowly from the encroaching cold. He's always been immune to the sting of cold before, as is the case for is kin. Something here stung anyway. It was bad magic, whatever it was.

Zanax hopped to the left to avoid Moja's shaking and snorting out droplets of blood. Rubbing one weathered hand through his shockingly white hair, he looked at the Houri, desparate and pleading silently for help. Motioning to Moja to follow he began slowly circling the ever increasing swath of cold, careful to keep two steps between himself and the growing crystals. He briefly considers changing form to an eagle to rise above the catastrophy, but reconsiders as that would make him more vulnerable to the Houri if this was a ruse.

"We're paid to keep her alive if possible. I suggest we help. This black magic is a blight on the ballance of life. I will help to keep her from succoming as it's prey."

 

[Kafkonia]

"Can nobody dissspel the curssse upon thisss blasssted land?" Timrek exclaims, watching the Houri warily, his sword still drawn. "Thisss unnatural cold..." He shudders. "She isss a prisssoner but doesss not dessserve to sssuffer." Steeling his nerve, he approaches her, hoping that his sturdy nature will protect him from whatever has stricken this place, and channels his faith through the holy symbol of Bahamut engraved upon his shield.

[SBLOCK=OOC]
One use of Turn Undead, in the hopes that whatever is causing this will be affected by the positive energy.

I didn't pick a spell for him yet. Let's say restoration, lesser.[/SBLOCK]

 

[Vertexx69]

As the last whiff of smoke trails from his mouth(breath weapon not a spell), and he notices the living ice's advance, he shudders slightly. Battlehammer slings his shield, grabs the paladin's fallen form and drags it from the encroaching frost. "Don't worry friend, your old form shall not be encased in this hellish ice. I shall see to your final rest."
Once the body is a safe distance from the ice, Titus leaves it for the moment to aid in the recapture of the moving -if not living-former prisoner. "Southern Winds of good omens and warmth, protect me from the cold."
[sblock=OOC]Casting: Resist Energy "cold 20" (70minute duration)[/sblock]

 

[Le Noir Faineant]

You cast your spells, but with no visible consequence.

Suddenly, the houri falls down on the ground and rolls down the hillside...

And you can see long icicles poking in her bag...

Out of the cold fog that has risen around you, ice-covered warriors step out of the dim twilight.
their eyes glowing in hatred towards all mankind, and their rotten bodies telling of terrors unspeakable...

 

[ethandrew]

"This is bad!"

Rupert will take out his sling and prepare for another battle. Or to flee, whichever one makes most sense right now. He eyes Moja longingly, knowing his short legs won't help him much if it comes to sprinting.

[sblock]+1 Bane versus Undead Sling, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot. He'll move to be 30' away on his turn and attack the nearest monster.

+17/+17/+12 1d3+6[/sblock]

 

[kinem]

Yikes!

With all of the strange mojo at work here, Anton isn't sure he can control the creatures, but has to try. "Halt!"

[sblock]Rebuke undead (as level 10 cleric, check 1d20+7, 'rebuke damage' (2d6+15) x 1.5 HD)[/sblock]

After his rebuke attempt, Anton will move away from the undead. If there is a clear path out of the area - that is, if the party is not encircled and the undead are coming from one side - he will move that way, otherwise he will move to stand among the other members of the group.

 

[Vertexx69]

Glancing around for a quick undead head count and how far away from him they are, he grips his warhammer. "We don't have time for these foot soldiers when some dark force is closing in around our world." Once enough of the shambling dead close within 60ft, Titus raises his hammer into the air. "By the powers of war and the road, let these unclean things be turned to DUST!. Never to walk against the living again."
[sblock=OOC]Turn Undead: check=1D20 +3cha +3circlet +2synergy (total of 9-28) / damage=(2D6 +11lvl +3cha +3circlet)X1.5 (total of 28-43) if these skeletons have 3 or fewer HD each they are dstroyed instead of turned.[/sblock]