The Evil of Ravenholm - Chapter 2: The Ashen Mountains

[NayrVentess]

The rain hadn't let up one bit. Six nights later, and all six of you are trudging through a forest on the mountanous slopes in the Ashen Mountains.

The first day of your journey was on the trade road between Naggaroth and Ravenholm. On the second and third day, your travels took you through the Forest of Tangled Webs. They were trecherous, and you had a fair share to close calls. But Daelos knew a way through that allowed you respite from the dangerous creatures that reside their.

For the last three days though, you have been hiking across and up the slopes and through the snow covered forests of the Ashen Mountains. Daelos is at the front of the group, and despite the cold, he has not once shown any effects of it. Grashuk is up near the front with the elf, he is still absorbed by the sword he took off of Krusk, and the reason for that is that he has remembered what makes the swords of the Freg'll Trusn tribe so special...

Pelloth and Hars, a female elf, are next in line, walking together and content with each others company, as they have been throughout the cold nights, when they have shared each others warmth. Hars has also managed to get enough cover from the rain to knit a sweater for her drow friend.

Cain is second from the back, and he is quite happily chatting to his symbol that hangs around his neck. While at the same time knawing on a bone of something dead. Just behind the Kenku, is Gerash who seems quite comfortable in the sleet that has been falling on the mountains.

You reach a clearing in the trees, and ground that seems fairly flat. Daelos takes his pack off and says, "We will camp here. Someone try and get a fire going if you can, otherwise I fear we may freeze." What he speaks could be true. You are getting higher and higher up in the mountains, and the weather is getting more violent and cold. The Bloodstone stalker then sits by his pack, draws out some dry meat, and begins chewing on it.

What do you do?  

[SporkMaster5000]

Gerash snapped his fingers, and the meat in Daelos' hand caught fire. "Oh I'm sorry, did you mean something bigger?" he feigns appologies, "Then perhaps someone should get off their a** and fetch kindling," he demands irritably. The necromancer didn't consider himself included in Dealos' "we" seeing as freezing to death was low on his list of possibilities, and freezing solid just meant that he'd have to be nudged into falling to warmer elevations, where he expected he'd arrive in one piece, mostly because his ego said so.  

[NayrVentess]

Daelos flinched as his food caught fire and the meat fell to the wet and muddy ground. After Gerash's comments, the elf gave him his best evil glare and slowly stood up. "If you ever cause me to drop my food again, corpse, it won't matter that you are dead, I will find a way to kill you again." And then, perhaps feeling the cold more, he must've decided to fetch the firewood himself. He turns and looks at Cain and says, "Kenku, you talk the least and therefore will get on my tits the least. Come with me, we are getting kindling." He then starts to head off into the dense trees.  

[SporkMaster5000]

Gerash grinned behind Daelos' back as he left. It wasn't a look of malevolence or a threat, it was an expression of true pleasure. The elf's threat didn't phase him, but seeing the stalker cowed, even slightly, and leaving warmed the wizard's heart in a way no fire ever would.  

[Arc Vembris]

Hars was truly quite cold. She had tried wearing her own sweater for warmth, but even in dry weather it would be filing her now. As it was she felt like a soaked cat.

Drilling her swords in this rain would be bad for the metal, so she instead claimed a pair of wet sticks from somewhere on the ground. There she began to perform her drills, wicking water away from herself with each thrust and forcing the blood to pump in her veins.  

[joe-dude667]

Other than conversing with his Lord, Cain spent a lot of the journey flapping his arms erratically. In his mind's eye, he was hoping that the higher altitudes would aid him in actually taking off and learning to fly. Though any Mage would have been able to inform him that even if he could fly, the thinner air would actually make it harder to stay up.

After Daelos asked Cain to accompany him to get fire wood, the Kenku waited till there was a reasonable distance between the elf and himself. Once more picking up the symbol around his neck, Cain began to whisper to his Lord.

"The Elf chose me to come with him, my Lord. Is he to be trusted? I don't think so. Don't worry my Lord, I can bed tricksy too. Your most loyal servant will continue his work for you."

He then continued to follow Daelos into the trees, keeping a watchful eye on him and subtly removing a dagger...

Just in case.  

[iDragow]

Sure, the elf may freeze. The drow may as well, and the changeling might. The undead wizard probably wouldn't, and the Kenku could, he supposed. But Grashuk wouldn't. His hide was as thick as a bear's, and covered in thick hair. On top of that, he was wearing thick padded armor, and a fur-lined cloak. He felt as though he was as protected against the elements as a sentient creature could be.

When Cain and Daelos went to get firewood, Grashuk's mind went in the exact opposite direction: He found a spot in the clearing that had a particularly lush carpet of long grass, and just sat down. From his seat, he watched the others with little to no interest, just passing the time until they moved again.  

[NayrVentess]

Daelos and Cain headed off in to the thick trees, trudging through the undergrowth and mud.

A few minutes later back at camp, Grashuk drew out Krusk's sword to have another look at it. And he smiled as he thought about what he had recalled during their journey. 'Swords forged by the Freg'll Trusn tribe, for whatever reason, start off mundane. But, if they are bathed in the blood of a recently deceased dragon, they take on some of the beast's properties. For example, a sword that was covered in the blood of a red dragon, gained a property which allowed it to become sheathed in flames. Other types of dragon will bequeth different properties. Also, if the sword is drenched in successive dragon blood, it will become more and more powerful, it also has a greater effect depending on the age of the dragon at the time of death.'

Out in the forest, Daelos and Cain had been walking for about twenty minutes, both of them had a few bits of wood. The right type of firewood was difficult to come by. As you were collecting, the elf attempted to strike up a conversation, on a touchy subject though. "So Cain, how does...your Lord speak to you through that then." He pointed at the symbol hung around your neck. You sense he is actually trying to be corteous around the subject matter, rather than attempting to irritate or upset you.  

[joe-dude667]

Cain was enjoying the silence as Daelos and himself collected the wood. This was one of the reasons he was so shocked the elf had spoken to him. Another was that no one ever spoke to him about his Lord, most choosing to stay ignorant of the great honer he had been granted.

"The Elder Elemental Eye has very littler power left. The less worthy deities took it from him when they imprisoned him. When he first contacted me he was weak, I could barely hear him. I killed a cleric of Pelor and stole his symbol, crafting it into a symbol of my Lord."

At this the Kenku lifted the symbol. It was very crudely made, and still very clearly a symbol for Pelor. Though Cain was apparently blind to these facts.

"This seemed to please him, and he spoke to me more, a little more clearly this time. Whenever I kill his voice seems to get a little clearer. I hope I can free him, if not I will die trying."

Cain feel silent for a moment as he added another branch to his pile.

"Will this be enough wood?"  

[NayrVentess]

Daelos listened in silence as Cain spoke, nodding a few times, as he collected twigs. He was holding his wood under his left arm, and using his right to pick up new branches. As Cain finished his little dit, Daelos looked at him, and Cain asked, 'Will this be enough wood?'

The elf's mouth stretched into a thin smile, and with amazing speed, he drew his hand crossbow, and launched a bolt at Cain. The Kenku was quick, but not quick enough. He through his wood outwards, and dived sideways, but the crossbow bolt embedded itself in Cain's feathery skin, dealing 9 damage.

Cain, you fall to the ground panting, you feel numb and are in danger of succumbing to poison!

((Make a Saving Throw with a -2 to the check, and if you succeed, roll initiative))  

[NayrVentess]

Back at camp, everyone is sat around, doing their own thing. When, you all see a light to the north of the camp. It appears to be bobbing as if it is a torch that someone is carrying, and it is barely visible through the layers of ice cold rain.  

[SporkMaster5000]

Gerash stands, having had little to do at camp and takes a step toward the light, "We have company," he intones quietly to the others, "Hars, go say hello."  

[iDragow]

Grashuk noticed the light at about the same time as Gerash, but the wizard's voice still caused his body to flinch, albeit slightly. 'Not enough time,' the Bugbear thought to himself. Luckily he had the Orc's blade in his lap.

Lifting himself up onto one knee, Grashuk lifted the odd blade up in case there was a stealthy character hidden in the rainfall that was even closer than the light-bearer.

Quote:

Perception check: Hm, a +1... I think I'd rather just use my Passive Perception... >_>;

 

[Arc Vembris]

Hars stops her drills to consider "What should I wear? Rugged bear-man or something sluttier?"

She compromises by becoming a human male with dusky skin and long black hair, something that might not look too silly shivering in the rain as he was.

He heads up the path, but not twenty yards away from his allies when he calls to the torchbearer "Ho, traveler!"  

[NayrVentess]

As the potent poison courses through Cains body, Daelos stands over him, a wicked smile on his face. "Nighty night, Cain." The Kenku feels his body failing, and his eyes close as he falls unconcious.

Camp

Grashuk looked through the heavy rain, but he couldn't see much else other than the droplets obscuring his vision. Gerash steps forward slowly, as Hars skirts around him and heads toward the light source. When Hars shouts his greetings, the light stops moving, and after a few seconds of silence you hear, "Hello? I mean no harm." It sounds like a gruff human voice.

In the Forest somewhere

Cain, you open your eyes slowly, and look around. You appear to be slightly off the ground, your feet however are tied to a tree and you can't move them. After trying to move your arms, you find that they are too tied to the tree, you are in a T position. At the moment, the poison seems to be paralyzing your limbs and you can't struggle. And a few feet away from you stands Daelos, with something in his hand. "Oh, you are awake little one. I was just trying to have a conversation with your imaginary God." He then holds up the item in his hand to his ear. You see that it is your holy symbol. He then speaks to it, a mocking tone in his voice. "Hello? Are you there?" He looks at you, a pretend pleading look on his face. "Am I doing it wrong?" Daelos lets out a laugh and swaggers over to you, swinging the symbol as he does. "What a load of s**t! Ha ha!"

He then drops the symbol to the wet ground and stamps on it, covering it in mud. He draws a dagger from his belt, and you see it is coated in poison. He looks at it lovingly before looking into your eyes and saying, "Rithin, sends his regards." And he plunges the dagger into your stomach, draws it out and flings it on the floor. You feel the poison stinging your insides, as it works its way around your bloodstream. "Your punishment is a test, Kenku. The poison in your veins is the poison from the snake that you slew. If you survive, then you have passed and you can come and rejoin the group. But, if you die, then Zehir isn't feeling so forgiving. Maybe I will see you back at the camp, you have a few minutes." He then trudges off into the forest, but as he goes you see he drops a small vial of liquid onto the ground about 10 feet away from you.

A few seconds later, feeling begins to return to your limbs, but the other poison is close to killing you.