Chilling Adventures in the North

Shad look around and can still make out the four set of footprints that lead to the ice sheet.

"It's going to be more difficult to climb up," Bjorn adds. "However, I still think it's manageable. If you don't want to risk it, then I think you might have to head back out and try and find a different route."

"Yeah, if'n you can, Muharg," Arogna replies. She has a scowl quite set in on her face, as if the wind had changed and she had stayed that way.

"This ain't right, Bjorn. She di'n't say nothin' about that water monster. I reckon this is a trap, an' it's their way a sacrificin' us. That whole town ain't right. You knows that, right, Qinfaren? Shad's gotta rest, an' we're all beat up. I reckon we oughta go back to the boat."

"We'll need to climb back down over that ice to the boat if we rest there . . . and then back up it, won't we?" Shad says. "The footprints are close--right there. Would we have to find them again if we take another route? Then again," he says looking around, "How safe would it be to rest here?" Shad signs, unsure. He sits next to Arogna and will do what the party decides. 

(OOC: How are we looking in terms of leveling up, TheBritGeek? Will this rescue get us there?)

Qinfaren sits down heavily on the ice then takes his beard in his hands and squeezes out the icy water.

"I didn't like that captain or mayor, that's for sure," Qinfaren says in response to Arogna's comments on the village. "There's definitely more going on than they're saying and I'm sure they're members of a cult, but it does look like others are out here."

He coughs up some more water and rubs his shoulders.

"But I'm going to have to sit here for a bit. I think I swallowed have that serpent."

(OOC - Voting for at least a short rest - will see what the HD do before using up healing)

(Yes, it would get you to the next level.)

Bjorn nods his head and sits himself down against the wall on top of the frozen waterfall.

"I think a bit of a rest will do us some good," he says. "I don't think it would be a good idea to sleep in these caves though. Who knows what other dangers lie in here, but maybe they just got lost."

"I can watch while you all rest briefly. It will take longer than that to convince the Cat Lord and their blessings to return," Shad says, "but Bjorn may be right. The anglers might not be far."

If the others would like to rest while he watches, Shad will watch having hid: Stealth 8

Otherwise, he continues to listen to the conversation

Qinfaren spits out the last of the water and rests his back against the wall of the cave, angling himself to place his back to the brunt of the wind.

(HD rolls if we short rest: 1st: 4  2nd: 7  3rd: 2  )

"What was that creature? And why was it so angry? Was it angry we broke the ice?"

"I ain't seen nothin' like it," Arogna says. "Some kinda dark magic, I guess." She has pulled some beef jerky from her pack and is chewing on it with her eyes closed.

Hit dice: 13, 10

and the last: 4

In the darkness, Bjorn shakes his head, "I am not so sure. I think it was an elemental creature of some sort. It might have been summoned here by dark magic though. I don't think anyone in Easthaven has that kind of power though. Unless you count the wizard they killed.

"Did that wizard live in town? Or did he live here?" Shad says. He continues to try and get dry, watching for movement in the caves around them: Perception 18 "The water creature might have been a guard for that wizard. I wonder what other guards there might be and what they might be guarding." He peers farther into the cave. "Let's find those fishers and get out of here."

Muharg takes a deep breath and adjusts his belt. "Lads, I think... I think this adventure ends here for this dwarf. The main reason I'm doing all this is to help my family with some extra coin. But I've seen death too close too many times already, and I'm no good for my family if I'm dead." He then takes a couple of steps towards the entrance of the cave and stares into the distance. "I'll need to find more mundane ways to help those in need. I might not be the grandest of paladins, but there's a lot of work to be done that doesn't involve this high chances of perishing."

He then turns around and looks at each one of his companions. "I'm sorry to let you down, friends. If you're fine with it, I'll take the fishermen's boat and head back to town, then back to Luskan from there, I'm sure you'll manage to sail our boat once the rescue is done."

Qinfaren's eyes go large and wide as Muharg speaks. He opens his mouth a couple of times to say something but no words come out.

Finally he pulls his big frame up, walks over to Muharg and engulfs the dwarf in a big hug, remembering not to lift the paladin off the ground.

In the end he just nods, pats Muharg on the shoulder and turns away, rubbing one of his eyes. 

He sighs deeply and gets ready to continue into the cave after Muharg leaves.

Shad will hug Muharg after Qinfaren does. "I'm sorry to see you go, good dwarf," he says. "Travel well. I'm sure the Cat Lord will watch over you and your family." Once they have said their goodbyes, Shad will turn back toward the caves.

"You ain't wrong, Muharg," Arogna says firmly. "Family first, right? Listen, don't you cast off till you sees me, alright?"

She turns to the others. "Look, I'm tellin' you, this ain't safe here. That thing nearly did for us. I reckon Arlaggath's makin' a fool out of us. You gonna just carry on in? We can go back, tell her we seen footprints, an' if by some chance she ain't lyin', we can come back with a bunch a guards an' all."

Qinfaren cocks his head to the side as Arogna speaks. 

“Are you okay, Arogna? It was dangerous but that’s not like you to be so cautious. Are you hurt?“

He looks around at the others and then up the ice face to Bjorn and the dark tunnel.

”What if there really are lost anglers in here? No one else is coming for them. They could die by the time we go back and someone else comes. I don’t like that town but I can’t just leave people in danger. We could go cautiously. I could change shape and scout ahead. If it looks worse than what we just faced we can turn back.”

He pauses and thinks again for a moment.

”We’re already here. Let’s just look a little further and then we can leave and go find our dogs.”

Shad is torn. He only has access to the least of the Cat Lord's blessings.

"But the footprints are right there," he says. "I mean, they can't be far. And that crumby town will owe us. We can just tell them to stop the sacrifices!" He tries to squeeze more water out of his fur. "Qinfaren in disguise is a good idea. He can scout and tell us what is up ahead."

"I feels better now, but I got half drowned," Arogna says. "Look, how 'bout this. We goes real quiet like, and if we sees anythin' at all that ain't right, we gets the hells outa there, and gets back to town, and makes 'em explain what's goin' on. That sound 'bout right?"

Bjorn calls replies from above, "Then it's agreed. Qinfaren will scout up ahead whilst the rest of us wait here. Qinfaren, why don't you transform into a spider again? You seem to have an easy time climbing in that form and you won't be easily seen."

Bjorn then takes his backpack off and begins to search through it. Then he pulls out some hempen rope.

"Here, this should help you two climb up."

Shad signs, slightly nervous about the whole thing, but "Excellent and thank you," he says. He will take the rope and begin to climb up.

Athletics with advantage 13 and without 17