Finding Edgar

After finding a vampire stalking the house of a farmer, it was determined that his son was under the domination of someone. Someone forcing him to travel northward. The young man has stopped to sleep, and eat, and do things that are necessary for his survival. All he says is that he must head north. With the vampire dead it is unknown why he continues on in this manner, yet he persists. Runners are sent back to Alexandria for more aid in the hopes that someone will know what is going on, and so you are joined by some new faces!

Morgan watches the boy that they are following "It could be dispelled but I bet the thing will just do it again on him." she seems a bit annoyed at that idea.

Ilmig ain't the fastest, but he only needs to be as fast as the lad they're following. Maybe a touch faster, to give him time to reload his mug periodically. "Aye. Mebbe..." Ilmig looks to Morgan. "Might that mean the thing'd need ta show its face, though? Then we'd get the chance to see it. Hit it, even."

Having spent a fair amount of his time keeping an eye from above, Gull lands once again among the party, his seagull's body blurring and growing back into the half-Sil. "Well, break in the trees ahead. We're about to break out of the forest. The good news is we'll have a good line of sight ahead of us. The bad news is anything up ahead will have a good line of sight on us. And I imagine they're not going to be happy to see a half-dozen of us."

"Eh, that's the risk you take crossing the vast.", says a Gobber in studded leather armor. "You can watch your dog run away for days out there. I know 'cause I've crossed it." Murder stretches, several joints popping and cracking noisily. "So why do we not just tie him up until we can dispel whatever it is he's under? And there's no saying whatever has caused the malady would simply do it again." That to Morgan.

Faranth takes a thick leather strap from her pack and wraps it around a clump of tall grass, she then takes out a small cutting blade and severs the clump close to the ground. After this, she slings the now loose bunch of grass onto her back and walks directly in front of MalGein, her young bull elephant who uses his trunk to occasionally grab some of the grasses and stuff them into his mouth and munch as they wander. "Who would put the effect back Morgan? Are we being followed by someone or something that is invisible?"

Morgan says to Murder "It's just a spell that can be used on him again." then to Faranth "The spell on him can last weeks or months, so it was applied when it was. But we might be scryed on at the most."

Murder cants her head to one side. "Invisible? Maybe it's one of the swaithe demons. They can read people's thoughts and turn invisible. They're small and can stay out of the way. Maybe they can talk to people in their heads?" She shrugs. "If they aren't invisible, if they want to cast a spell on the boy here, they will have to get close, and we'll spot them."

Gull shakes his head. "Moot point, though, isn't it? I can't dispel; can any of you? I can tie him up well enough, but there's no guarantee, and that won't help us find Edgar. I'm not sure it'd be right to doom Edgar on a theory." He takes a drink of water as Agewe, his familiar, circles down as well. "Sorry if I'm a little tense. This is the furthest from the sea either Agewe or I has ever been."

Lucy marches along with the others, carrying her rapier unbuckled and balanced across her shoulders. "I'm starting to worry we'll never find this vampire, or whatever it is," she admits. "Shouldn't we have more rangers? Maybe some magical scrying?"

GAME: Morgan rolls perception: (7)+9: 16
GAME: Faranth rolls perception: (17)+8: 25
GAME: Murder rolls perception: (9)+10: 19
GAME: Lucy rolls perception: (5)+13: 18
GAME: Gull rolls perception: (2)+4: 6
GAME: Yelrona rolls perception: (13)+19: 32

Morgan sighs "We need to find the one doing this to him and he will lead us to his father. If we dont this will be done again over and over." she then adds "and there is a chance my dispel might not be strong enough."

Yelrona has been following the boy's tracks, even though he's been perfectly visible in plain sight... just on general principles. "Nope, no dispel here. And tracking him to wherever he's going seems like the best way to find the source of the problem."

GAME: Yelrona rolls survival: (20)+12: 32

Murder gestures to Yelrona. "She's got the best idea, so far. If the person doing this isn't at the end of the boy's journey, then we'll still at least see what was intended for him. I think we've no real choice but to follow him and see."

Yelrona adds "That said... he is travelling straight north. We _could_ try to get out ahead of him, and see what we discover... though we run the risk of losing him, if we do that and miss whatever it is."

GAME: Ilmig rolls perception: (16)+12: 28

Faranth nods. "I agree we are on the most prudent path. Scouting is only a matter of being carefull." MalGein takes more of the grasses and munches, oblivious to the conversations going on around him. Suddenly, out of the blue sky appears a giant bird. The white of its body hid it from view until the last second. It swoops down and grabs the boy by the back of his shirt and immediately starts to fly off again. As it settles for just a second close to you, you realize that it is not a normal bird. It's body is scaled near its legs, tail, and face. It's ugly as anything you've ever seen in spite of its pure white color. There's just something about it that seems wholly unnatural.

Morgan sighs "never that easy, who wants a fly spell to chase after him?"

Yelrona says, "I'll take it."

GAME: Lucy rolls weapon9: (5)+13: 18

Lucy's eyes widen - but only for a moment, before her fencer's reflexes spur her into motion. The gnome raises her hand and a dagger appears in it. She immediately hurls this at the bird, but it misses and sails off past the creature. "It's taking the boy!" she warns. "We have to stop it!!"

With a great flap of its massive wings the bird-creature draws away from you, heading in the same direction that the boy was heading, but at a much faster rate than the farmer's son was able to.

"I'll try to follow it!" Gull blurs, shrinking quickly, shifting down back into a seagull. He flies after the huge bird, looking to get an idea of where it's heading, though he will slowly fall behind.

"Oi! Great. Now it be a race!" Ilmig starts quicktromping at a jog to try and keep up with the giant not-quite-a-bird. He could maybe throw something at it, but knocking it out of the air would defeat the purpose of trying to following it, he's pretty sure.

Morgan steps back and says to Rona "wiap sia hastras." as she starts to feel the weight of the world to lose its grip on it. "Hope you flew before."

GAME: Murder casts Burning Hands. Caster Level: 4 DC: 14
GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+7: (1)+7: 8 (EPIC FAIL)
<OOC> Razen says, "big bird flies RIGHT INTO the fire"
GAME: Murder rolls 4d4: (14): 14

Murder blinks as the bird suddenly appears, and growls as it snags up the boy. As people being to react, she runs forward and yells something in Goblin-talk, a long gout of flame bursting from her outstretched hands. The flames catch the bird in the face, and the Gobber yells. "Drop it bird, or we make a meal of you!"

GAME: Yelrona rolls knowledge/arcana: (11)+7: 18
GAME: Gull rolls knowledge/arcana: (6)+10: 16
GAME: Morgan rolls knowledge/aracana: (5)+knowledge/aracana: 5
GAME: Yelrona rolls fly+3: (5)+-2+3: 6
GAME: Morgan rolls knowledge/arcana: (12)+13: 25
GAME: Faranth rolls survival: (4)+10: 14
GAME: Yelrona rolls 1d20+9: (13)+9: 22
GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+7: (11)+7: 18

Yelrona takes off after the bird-thing, throwing a resin-filled bag at it. The bag explodes, spreading its contents on the creature but not successfully impeding its flight.

GAME: Faranth rolls weapon4 -2: (10)+2+-2: 10

Faranth drops the bundle of grasses and begins running forward, which draws a small trumpet of surprise from MalGein. She hurls one of her spears at the bird, but completely misjudges the distance and the spear comes nowhere near the bird. "If we can wing it, it won't be able to fly away."

GAME: Lucy rolls weapon9-4: (4)+13+-4: 13

Lucy runs after the bird, doing her best to stay more or less under it. At one point she stops and holds her hand as if to throw a knife again. Her knife appears in her hand and she hurls it, although at this angle and distance the throw is even more awkward than her first.

GAME: Yelrona rolls 1d20+9: (18)+9: 27
GAME: Yelrona rolls 5+1d8: 5+(1): 6
GAME: Ilmig rolls reflex: (12)+4: 16
GAME: Razen rolls 3d8: (11): 11

The bird screeches and seems to pick one of you at random, flinging itself downwards and letting loose a breath of cold white frost that freezes the ground... and also Ilmig to a certain degree.

GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+6: (16)+6: 22

Gull caws, circling, eyes locked on the creature before starting to claw for altitude once again, Agewe climbing higher still.

GAME: Morgan casts Haste. Caster Level: 5 DC: 19

"That all ye gots, ye overgrown icy chicken?!" Ilmig calls back with a frosted beard. He doesn't slow down, though, or swing back. He might be able to chop it up, but then they'd never find out where it's going.

Morgan is moves to the center of the ones she is working with and says in a hollowed voice "temepilt sia rhyaex fethosi." you all feel full of energy that makes you move faster. "I hope we get a rest when we find the one that did this." her voice is faster and a little bit higher pitched but you all can understand her.

GAME: Murder casts Burning Hands. Caster Level: 4 DC: 14
GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+7: (16)+7: 23
GAME: Murder rolls 4d4: (8): 8
GAME: Yelrona rolls 1d20+10: (3)+10: 13
GAME: Yelrona rolls 1d20+10: (13)+10: 23
GAME: Yelrona rolls 1d20+10: (14)+10: 24

The Gobber stays on the move, trying to keep the birdthing in range. "Let go of him, you giant-chicken-waiting-to-be-a-stew!" The creature dives to breath a bit of frost on Ilmig, which allows Murder to hop up, screaming again in Goblin-talk. The gout of flame only catches a portion of the thing. "Hmmph. If only Gobbers had wings..."

GAME: Yelrona rolls 5+2d6+1d8: 5+(2)+(3): 10
GAME: Yelrona rolls 5+2d6+1d8: 5+(7)+(4): 16

"Today, apparently," shouts Rona, "I am the Bane of Constructs! That's new!" She fires several arrows at the creature, forcing it to the ground.

GAME: Faranth rolls weapon4: (7)+2: 9
GAME: Faranth rolls weapon4: (15)+2: 17
GAME: Faranth rolls 1d20+4: (16)+4: 20
GAME: Faranth rolls 1d20+4: (9)+4: 13
GAME: Faranth rolls 1d8+2: (6)+2: 8

Faranth watches the creature drop to the ground and sees her opening. With a battlecry that sounds more like a hiss, she hurls herself forward, stabbing at the thing with her spear. However, with the thrashing of wings and feathers, Faranth misses the thrashing creature. MalGein however, hearing his friend's battlecry, runs forward also, stabbing the bird with one of his tusks.

GAME: Lucy rolls weapon3+2: (7)+14+2: 23
GAME: Lucy spends ONE point of PANACHE.
GAME: Lucy rolls 1d4+8+6+6: (2)+8+6+6: 22
GAME: Yelrona spends ONE use of BANE.
GAME: Yelrona spends ONE use of JUDGMENT.
GAME: Lucy gains ONE point of PANACHE.

Lucy rushes forward, drawing her rapier as she approaches. "You leave him alone!" she chirps, voice rising in pitch due to anger, or perhaps panic. They promised his mother they would look after this boy. She stabs the creature through the eye, then yanks the blade out and steps aside to avoid any messy death-throes.

Gull spirals down towards the bird's body, trying to get eyes on the boy, ready to heal at the first opportunity. He lands gracefully, blurring back to half-elven form, trying to find the kid.

GAME: Yelrona casts Guidance. Caster Level: 6 DC: 13

As the creature goes down to the concentrated effort of the group, Murder pounces upon its fallen body. Where she gets in several good whacks to make sure it is dead. D.E.A.D! A few more whacks from her great sword severs the head from the body. "There. Proof that we downed it. Any idea as to what it is?"

As soon as Lucy destroys the construct, Rona moves its "corpse" aside to check on the boy. "Boss, we've talked about this sort of thing, right? Hurting children isn't funny. So help a girl out, yeah?" A few moments later she breathes a sigh of relief.

Yelrona nods. "It's a magical construct of some sort. Like a golem."

Morgan is glad the young man is ok. "Rona flight spells don’t last long so be careful, you have about 3 minutes."

Yelrona nods. "Well, in _that_ case..." She takes advantage of the spell to swoop around, laughing delightedly. Flying is FUN!

Faranth moves MalGein away and sets him to grazing in the plains before coming back and helping Yelrona assess the child. She seems pleased that he isn't harmed, then moves to try and tend everyone else's wounds as needed.

Gull rubs his hands together, a slight blue glow suffusing them, gesturing at the boy. His cuts begin to close. "Can you hear me? Are you all right?" The witch begins a quiet litany of questions, trying to determine the boy's mental state.

Lucy tucks away her dagger in a small sheath worn crossways at the small of her back. "A construct?" she repeats, mystified. She crouched next to the fallen bird for a closer look. "It went straight for the boy," she continues thoughtfully, now turning to watch as he's tended to. "It must have been sent by the vampire we're looking for. But...that's high magic, isn't it? Creating golems?"

Gull's spell heals the boy's skinned knees, and now that he's out from under the bird he starts to wander away from you, seemingly intent on returning to his mission to head north. "Must go... North."

Morgan shrugs "I do not know to much about golems, but I was told some are easy to make or easier to just pay some one to make it for you."

Murder peers into its dead eyes, holding up the head for closer inspection. "So was it alive or like... a machine?"

MalGein lumbers back to the group, Faranth's earlier thrown spear in his trunk. She turns and smiles at him, taking the spear and putting it into the sheath with her others. She listens for a moment to the others talking about the golem, but knowing that her own knowledge is not much help, she picks up the discarded sheaf of grasses from earlier and begins walking alongside the boy, the treasure on her back beckoning MalGein into following the pair.

Yelrona 's fly spell eventually sputters out, and she floats slowly to the ground, staying close to the kid. "We have to do that again one of these days when something _isn't_ trying to kill me!"

She regards the bird. "Constructs are not alive, and they aren't artifice... well, not usually. They are magically animated, well, constructs. No soul, for the most part... though some golems are an exception, I think. I don't know much myself."

GAME: Murder rolls knowledge/arcana: (8)+7: 15
GAME: Yelrona rolls knowledge/arcana: (20)+7: 27
GAME: Morgan rolls knowledge/arcana: (5)+13: 18
GAME: Gull rolls knowledge/arcana: (7)+10: 17

Gull jogs up to the kid, still marching North. "Well, kid, I hope you're going somewhere in particular and not just 'north until a giant bird-golem snatches you up.'" He waves the rest of the group forward. "I appreciate the mystery, but I'm not sure we can really afford to let our goal out of our sight, right?"

Yelrona regards the bird more carefully in the few moments she has. "This is a flesh golem," she says in surprise, "and a very good one at that. Much better than the first one I fought, that's for sure. And I've never heard of a nonhumanoid flesh golem, much less a flying one! And -- oh!" She pries open the golem's beak and adds "I recognize the maker's mark... or, well, it's familiar. A wizard named Zepheir? Zeheir? Something like that. He's been dead a thousand years though!" She considers her options and adds "You all stay with the child, I'll catch up!", continuing to study the construct.

Faranth says, "Aren't War Golems technically constructs too?" She wonders out loud. "I've seen a few around Alexandria, and they seem to be alive." Morgan looks to Rona "Zepheir you say... well more of his handy work showen up. I was part of a group that found his tower."

Murder huffs at Yelrona. "Great. The guy who made that stupid tower with the stupid teleport circle which sent me back to yesterday." She peers at the creatures head once more, lifting it closer for her to inspect. "Hmmph. Real flesh, blood and bone. I wonder what it tastes like?"

Yelrona briefly pauses to investigate the bird, but as it becomes clear that she is causing the party to split in two, she changes her mind, following the kid instead. If Murder joins her, she asks if she can inspect the head as they walk, promising to return it.

Yelrona says, "Er... you _do_ understand that this is likely thousand-year-old flesh, right?" Morgan follows with the others and tries to study the skull with Rona. "yes vintage beef."

Lucy hurries after the others, and then finally takes up a spot where she can walk along next to the boy. Her gaze drifts over occasionally towards the others and the grizzly skull. "Why do people eat such weird things," she says with a long-suffering expression.

"Seems only fair," Rona replies. "Weird things try to eat us all the time!"

Gull chuckles. "I draw the line at anything that's been dead longer than my mother's been alive, personally." He shakes his head. "I'm usually willing to try just about anything, but...I think I'll wish Murder good eating and stick to rations or whatever I can catch."

Faranth turns and regards the giant 'drumstick' for a moment. "Yes, well aged indeed, though I might call it mystery meat. Hopefully there is no humanoid in that mix." She hangs back from the boy long enough to whisper some strange words and touch the chunk of bird. "There, remind me to cast that again before we eat."

Murder peers at Lucy a moment. "People don't eat birds where you come from?", she wonders. She hefts the giant birdleg. "I'm eating this. The skull? I'll clean it out and polish it up." Glancing back to Yelrona, she shrugs. "If the flesh was alive all that time, it's fine. If it is dead... well. That'll be icky." She stares at Faranth a moment when they cast the spell. "What'd you do?" The Gobber looks at the leg dubiously now.

Lucy turns to Gull. "That thing you did - changing into the bird. Can you do that anytime you want?" She glances at the boy to make sure he's not walking into a ditch - or in front of something else that wants to snatch him or eat him. Then she goes on, "Is it just that kind of bird? Or can you change into other shapes?"

As you all travel northward the mages in the party all converse over the skull of the creature. Each of you offering unique insight to the creation of constructs, and this one in particular. The wizard who likely first made it is in fact named Zeheir. He lived a thousand years ago and from his work very powerful. Not many wizards could make creatures so realistic, nor towers that can teleport people through time and space. This creature is in fact at least a thousand years old if not older than that. However it has been recently modified. Someone defrosted it, and sent it out on a mission. The spells that make this thing are complex, and the spellcasters go into a lot of dull magical theory stuff about how golems are made. What really matters is that some spellcaster reanimated this golem, and has command of it. Specifically they added ice magic to it's body, and whoever they are... likely has access to more of Zeheir's magic. Or else it probably wouldn't be showing up all the sudden out of the blue.

"Well!" Rona announces with false cheer. "An unknown spellcaster accessing a cache of magic from an ancient archmage. That's not scary at all!"

Gull nods to Lucy. "Sort of." He shows his wrist, with a crude, hide bracer wrapped around it. "I need to prepare and wear the hide of the animal I wish to become. I wear a leopard skin, a seal skin, and a seagull skin at the moment, and can take those forms freely. I actually fought as a jaguar back at the farm, against those wolves. I can understand why you might have been distracted, however." He plods along, having already contributed his limited insights on the lore of golemcraft. As the discussion matures, he shakes his head. "Sounds like someone found Zeheir's workshop. I'd give my right arm to look around in there, but I don't think whoever found it has benign intentions."

Yelrona says, "Don't say that too loudly. Whoever activated this thing might have a use for your right arm."

Faranth chuckles at Gull. "Would your right arm allow me to change into you?"

Lucy looks back at Murder. Or more precisely at the skull she's holding. "Would you be able to change into something that looks like that?" She chews her lip, looking at the boy. "We know where he's going. And whoever sent that thing, is expecting it to come back with him."

Murder hmmphs. "Just what we need, on top of all the other crazy stuff that is going on. Someone tinkering with things best left alone, and setting them on people." She looks at the boy a moment. Then Lucy. Then Gull. "There's some of the skin still on the leg, if you want to give it a try. But... it's not a natural creature. I don't know if that is usable or not."

Morgan will keep to her travel tack food before she eats something that might give her a illness that went away 1000 years ago. "I hope we find more stuff of Zanath stuff."

Faranth says, "He would likely change into whatever creature lent it's meat to the flesh golem instead of the flying creature that we saw."

Gull shakes his head. "No, though I appreciate the thought. I can't go too large, and I can't turn into anything unnatural. It's a connection to the natural world that makes such a transformation possible. To be honest, I wouldn't want to become that...thing. My essence mingles with the other creature's, and that thing was unsettling to me."

Yelrona says, "To all of us."

Faranth nods in agreement to Gull and Yelrona.

As you travel the day grows long, and eventually the boy stops to go to sleep, allowing you to all do the same.

After a few days more of traveling, it's even more clear than ever that this boy is heading due north as if he's a magnet. The plains are beginning to give way to thick forests once more, though these ones are different than those around Alexandria.

GAME: Morgan rolls survival: (19)+4: 23
GAME: Gull rolls survival: (18)+3: 21
GAME: Faranth rolls survival: (8)+10: 18
GAME: Murder rolls survival: (4)+7: 11

Morgan keeps walking forward slowing down with the group "We have what I think is a owlbear following us."

Gull nods, nodding back in the direction of the owlbears. "I think there's more than one, Morgan. We're going to need a plan for dealing with them. I don't think our friend here is going to be interested in waiting for us to finish dealing with them. And there could be more flesh golems around."

GAME: Morgan rolls knowledge/nature: (18)+10: 28
GAME: Faranth rolls knowledge/nature: (19)+8: 27
GAME: Murder rolls knowledge/nature: Trained Use Only: 0
GAME: Gull rolls knowledge/nature: (10)+10: 20

Murder's ears perk up, and she looks around. "An owlbear? Where? Baz would be so proud of me if I came home with one of those things skulls!" She slowly hops from foot to foot. "Are we going to kill it or run from it?"

"-An- owlbear?" Lucy echoes. "As in, -one- owlbear? That shouldn't be hard." She pulls her knife out, spinning it a few times in her hand. "They have hearts, and a spine. And eyes."

"... And a heart. Spleen. Kidneys. Bones." Murder lists of several other pieces of anatomy that can be inconvenienced by stabbing.

Gull shakes his head. "No. Multiple owlbears. But they're not stalking creatures. They're big fans of the charge-and-overwhelm school of tactics. The fact that they're hanging back indicates that they either haven't noticed us, and are heading north by pure coincidence, and are likely blind and lacking their normal sense of smell, or...something else is going on."

Faranth says, "MalGein is bigger than they are, they might have paused because they don't know what he is."

Morgan nods with everyone "there are two of them, I can fireball them to either kill them or make them attack us now, it's up to you all."

Murder rubs her face. "Well, I dunno if we should let them trail along behind us. They might wait until we are distracted or otherwise engaged in something before attacking us. Which would be bad. But they may just be caught up in the same sort of thing that the boy is. Who can tell?"

Faranth ponders for a bit. "They still have yet to attack us, I don't see a reason to try and kill them. We know they are there, so there isn't /too/ much danger."

Morgan says to Faranth "Because they are Apex hunters they are most likely being controlled."

Lucy says, "I'd rather deal with them now, but only if they attack us." She considers and then glances at the boy as well. "If there's a way to slow him down, enough to -let- them catch up to us. Then we can see what they do. If they're headed the same way we are, then we can let them get ahead." Then she finishes cheerfully, "And if they attack us, we'll just put them down!"

Gull nods. "I agree. Something is controlling them. Or, they're more flesh golems. Just a thought. Which would still mean they're controlled, but given how things have gone, that's my bet." He turns to Lucy. "I could tie him up. In knots he probably can't untie."

Faranth sighs. "They likely are being controlled. It's not like them to do this. Tie up the boy, we need to do something about them."

Murder pulls free her two-handed sword, and waits, hopping from foot to foot in anticipation. "Tie him to a tree or something, too."

Unaware of your conversation the owlbears continue to trail after you slowly, their red eyes spinning wildly.

Morgan nods "as soon as you do I will start us off with a fireball."

GAME: Gull casts Animate Rope. Caster Level: 3 DC: 15

Gull walks up to the boy, whose name he once knew, touching a rope to him and chanting an arcane chant. The rope quickly moves to tie the boy up, securing the young man to a nearby tree.

GAME: Razen rolls 1d20: (15): 15

The boy struggles against his bonds, trying to continue north but to no avail. He can't seem to get free of the rope.

GAME: Morgan rolls 5d6: (15): 15
GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+5: (6)+5: 11

Lucy crouches next to a nearby tree, rapier in one hand but held low so that the gleaming blade doesn't shine and give away that she is there. She choose a tree so that she shift her gaze to see the boy, and the jungle to the south, without moving her head or any part of her body other than her eyes.

Morgan turns around and says "valignat riika." as she cups her hands in front of her and sends a small ball of fire that launches at owl bears that suddenly explodes

Yelrona had gone off to scout the area for potential threats and anomalies. When she encountered the owlbear tracks, she was horrified to realize they were headed back towards the camp, and made haste to return. She arrives just as the battle is joined, leaping out of a copse of bushes and killing one owlbear with a flurry of arrows.

GAME: Yelrona spends ONE use of BANE.

Morgan moves back mostly since Rona killed one she figures the others can take the last one but she is keeping her attention up.

GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+2: (6)+2: 8
GAME: Murder casts Burning Hands. Caster Level: 4 DC: 14

With an arcane chant, Gull points at the remaining owlbear, then scoots back a few steps, trying to maintain good distance between the hulking monster and his fragile body.

GAME: Murder rolls 4d4: (11): 11
GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+5: (4)+5: 9

Murder takes her freshly drawn sword and plants it into the ground, stepping forward to put her hands together, forming a W-shaped fan with her fingers. A gout of flame engulfs the remaining owlbear briefly. "RAAAWRR!"

GAME: Lucy rolls weapon9: (17)+13: 30 (THREAT)
GAME: Lucy rolls weapon9: (2)+13: 15
GAME: Lucy rolls 1d3+3+6: (1)+3+6: 10

Lucy steps out from behind her tree and moves closer to the owlbear. Just shy of reaching then she tosses her rapier to her off-hand. Her dagger appears in her right, and she hurls it at the owlbear, sticking into it's abdomen with a small thunk.

The remaining owlbear lets out a sharp angry noise and rolls it's red eyes wildly at you! Those closest to it will notice a horrific smell emitting from the thing. It smells like rotting, burned flesh.

GAME: Faranth rolls weapon4: (18)+2: 20
GAME: Faranth rolls 1d8+1: (3)+1: 4
GAME: Yelrona rolls 1d20+9: (17)+9: 26
GAME: Yelrona rolls 1d20+9: (5)+9: 14

Faranth takes a half step and throws the spear she's holding, sending it sailing through the air at the ?undead? owlbear. The spear sticks home with a sickening schlurp sound, but doesn't do much other than protrude from the creature's hide.

GAME: Yelrona rolls 8+2d6+1d8: 8+(7)+(5): 20

Yelrona takes a step away from the foul-smelling beast. "I guess we know what _this_ bear was doing in the woods. I judge you worthy of destruction, beast!" She fires one arrow into a nearby tree for no obvious reason, and the second arrow kills the beast.

Murder peers at the owlbears both die, and she goes to the one she hit with her spell. OFF WITH ITS HEAD!

GAME: Murder rolls Perception: (3)+10: 13
GAME: Morgan rolls perception: (4)+9: 13
GAME: Faranth rolls perception: (2)+8: 10
GAME: Lucy rolls perception: (8)+13: 21

Faranth wanders forward and retrieves her spear from the creature, wrinkling her nose and finding a bit of grass to clean off her weapon before going back to check on the boy.

GAME: Gull rolls investigation: (19)+investigation: 19

Yelrona considers inspecting the owlbears more carefully, but they smell REALLY BAD, especially to her keen senses. So she does something else.

Anything else, really. Gull sighs, pulling his hand from the mouth of the creature not being dismembered by a goblin with a trophy fetish. "Yep. Same as the last one. Zaheir's work again, as suspected." He stands, then walks back towards the tied up boy. "This is starting to be a real problem."

Morgan agrees with Gull "Should I try to dispel the spell on him?" she asks the group.

Lucy says, "How many of these things did this Zaheir make?" She looks at the arcanists in the party. "First the bird that chased after--" she freezes, then turns to look at the boy. "--um, maybe we should let him loose now."

Murder pauses in her decapitation of the owlbear and looks to the others. "What if the boy is an automaton like these two owlbears and the flesh thingy?"

"On the other hand," Rona says to Gull, "it's a sign that we're getting close to whatever the source of this danger is. I don't think dispelling the boy's enchantment will help... we need to address this threat at the root."

The boy is fine, still struggling against the rope, but still unable to free himself.

Faranth says, "If the boy is an automation, then the mother would have to be one also. She would have had to have been 'programed' to lure unsuspecting helpful people up to wherever this is to be assailed in a number of traps."

"Well," muses Rona, clearly not serious, "she might have just had a torrid affair with an automaton. Some women go for that sort of thing. So maybe he takes after his automaton father and he's half-automaton."

Morgan shrugs "Well a man that can go all night and do all the work during the day sounds nice.”

"No, too elaborate. Especially for someone with Zarheir's work doing their bidding. Trying to lure random people out? They could pick and choose who they wanted, and move both more directly and less obviously, if that was what they wanted." He flicks the taut rope, connecting the boy to the treetrunk. "All of this seems very elaborate to abduct random farmers, though. Using a vampire to plant the spell and then golems of legendary status to complete the grab a week later?"

Murder slowly rubs at her face. "Okay, so far all of this mage's automatons have been very good. None of us can claim to know the mind of the wizard. The vampire could have simply been using the boy for... whatever." The Gobber shrugs. "I don't think that it is a spell that is driving the boy northward." She looks to Gull. "As it has been mentioned before, someone may have found a storeroom of golems, waiting to be used. And so they are using them, for whatever purpose they have in mind."

Yelrona wonders "Do we know the vampire wasn't itself another golem? Someone might have just found a large box addressed to Zaheir's Golem Hut and be taking advantage of it. Though I agree, it seems insane to spend so many resources on one young boy." She nods to Murder. "Right, what she said."

Faranth walked over to the boy and pries his mouth open, looking on the roof of the boy's mouth for the same wizard mark that has been on all the rest of the constructs.

There is no mark in the boy's mouth. Though he does seem a little disgruntled to be handled so roughly. He continues to try and wiggle his way out of the rope.

"So," Rona asks the group, "shall we continue?"

Murder lets out a lengthy sigh. "I do hope we find out where he is heading to before we start running into polar bears. Though I could use a cool new fur outfit..."

"Maybe. But either this boy is a golem, who's managed to hide and convince a woman that she is his mother. Possible, I suppose. But again, I'm interested more in the 'why' than anything, at this point," Gull says, eying the boy up. "Maybe we should try to let Morgan dispel him."

"And then," Rona asks, "what? Go back to the city and let whoever is behind this start over?"

Morgan looks down at the ground "I hope we finsih this soon, I miss my love." she then looks to Gull "it might not be easy and I only get one try now."

Faranth shakes her head. "No, we promised that woman we would try to find her husband. She seemed sincere enough, and this boy seems to be our only link... We're wasting time."

Gull shakes his head. "Say he's a golem. We're screwed from page one. There's no happy ending, and the farmer's wife's family never existed. Say instead he's not a golem. Are we going to follow him for an unknown distance, to an unknown place, to confront someone who's only known quality is that they can animate masses of ancient, perfect golems?"

Murder moves to pat Morgan on the shoulder. "I am sure it won't be too long. We'll be back before you know it. We could even show up in the city yesterday." She looks to Faranth, "It bears talking about. The boy seems to be a magnet in his current condition. If more things show up that we have to fight, it will take longer. And become more dangerous."

Lucy says, "How could...how could the BOY be a golem?" She seems to have trouble even considering it. "That poor woman we saw? The other children...?"

Gull nods to Lucy. "Indeed. But how could he not? At this point, he'd have to be under a heck of a spell to continue for a week. Geas? Maybe? Some kind of Wish? Possession? There are not a lot of options left, here, and none of them seem likely."

"We're wasting time," Rona observes, starting to untie the boy. "The sooner he gets moving, the sooner we find where he's going."

Morgan says "I need to prepare a spell that would let me study <says the boys name> and it would tell me what is completely controlling him, then we can study said spell. But mind effect spells like this last for a very long time."

Murder lets out a long breath and looks to Morgan. "How much time would you need?"

Morgan says "I would need a rest like normal, but for now I say let's march on and when we camp I will give someone a fly spell to see if we are close to anything that sticks out as a base."

Gull shrugs. "I can fly without a spell of any kind. And see better than a person as well. But, sure. We can march on for awhile. We'll need to untie tweedle-dee over here, though."

Yelrona finishes untying the boy.

With the boy freed you head north once more until he stops for bed. At which point you have a chance to scout ahead a little to look for anything he might be heading for.

GAME: Gull rolls perception: (7)+4: 11

Morgan looks to the ones here "who wants to go flying?"

Yelrona volunteers, if nobody else does. Flying is fun!

Morgan casts for Rona and gives her and Gul a haste spell.

GAME: Yelrona rolls perception: (1)+19: 20 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Faranth rolls survival: (5)+10: 15
GAME: Murder rolls survival: (5)+7: 12

As Yelrona and Gull fly over the landscape they notice nothing unusual, and so there is nothing to report back. Not until the next morning when you break into a clearing half frozen over... And find a tall white tower standing in the center of it.

---

As you head northward, following Edgar's son you find yourselves entering a clearing in the forest. It is a very large clearing, which has been frozen over by ice. The chill of it seeps into your bones from where you stand and at the center of it is a cold white tower some fifty feet or so tall. It's beautiful, but the appearance of it is mysterious. It clearly doesn't belong here. Edgar's son makes as if to walk directly into the cold area surrounding the tower.

Gull has been flying as a seagull for most of the trek, keeping an eye on the terrain and reporting back periodically. As the tower began to come into view from the sky, Gull rejoined the group, and he prepares himself for a hostile environment as they walk into the clearing. With an arcane word, a barrier forms around the witch, then fades from view. "Well. I think we're here. Wherever here is."

GAME: Gull casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 3 DC: 15

Lucy runs around in front of the boy and raises her arms to plant them against his stomach, doing her best to slow him down. "Wait - don't go in there - we need to prepare!" Out of instinct or habit she keeps her voice down, to a low murmur that hopefully only the party can hear.

"Might want to hang back a minute so we can scout it out. Never can be too sure what kind of traps are waiting for us." The Druid offers who just recently joined the group upon meeting them on the road and offering assistance. "This is... Unnatural." The horned Sylvanori offers to the rest of the group and frowns mildly at the tower. She begins to lurk about the clearing looking for an root to this sorcery.

The Goblin lets out a huff of breath. "Another one of these damned towers." She moves to help Lucy out by wrapping herself around his left leg to impeded his movement. "The last tower like this had a rune to open the door, so some sort of password to get in. On the floor was a large circle which teleported us places. The stairs were boobytrapped. Not saying this tower is the same, but you have to expect some shenanigans in here. Be alert, be on your guard. Take it slowly.", she says to the others.

GAME: Murder rolls strength: (6)+2: 8

Faranth strides out into the clearing as Lucy tries to hold the boy back. She had been walking alongside the boy for a good part of the trip. She barely notices the change in temperature from the temperate to the cold, but a trumpet of distress from her pet elephant MalGein snaps her out of her blind walking. She turns around and sees Lucy trying to hold the boy back, and MalGein's front foot gingerly pulling back from the snow. She lets out a hissing chuckle and moves to help Lucy restrain the boy. "It's just snow. It will feel a bit strange on your feet at first, but you'll get used to it." She appears to be talking to her elephant.

Morgan sighs "bloody cold weather." is all she can say as she looks to the cold. She pulls on her cloak a little tighter.

GAME: Faranth rolls strength: (20)+1: 21

Gull shrugs at Murder and Lucy. "Look, we've followed this boy for days, now. He's going to get into that tower, and someone doesn't just want him dead. They would have had to have an easier path to kill him than this. So, just let him go, and let's follow him to the end, hmm?"

Murder stares at Gull a moment, and gestures to the area around the tower. "I get what you're saying, but did you not hear what I just said? Firstly, it's fucking cold over there. Maybe you wanna give the kid something warm to wear over what he's got? He's going to go there heedless of things like frostbite. You want him to lose fingers or toes? Secondly, the last tower in this grand journey, before the boy got caught up in this... had traps. Sure, maybe whomever has him enspelled won't walk him into traps... but do you want to find the traps with your feet, or with your head before triggering them? Maaaaaybe, just maybe, you should go over there and look things over before we let the boy go?"

GAME: Lucy rolls strength: (20)+1: 21

The boy's forward progress is halted by the efforts of Lucy, Faranth, and Murder. It's clear he still wants to move forward, but their efforts keep him in place for the moment. Meanwhile those of you that enter into the frozen area will find it far colder than expected, and the ice on the ground climbs upwards... clinging to boots and moving purposefully over the body. This only serves to make those that touch the icy forest floor all the more chilled.

Lucy has shifted a bit now that she has help, so that she's holding the boy by one arm. "I just don't want to take any chances," she says. "This must be where he was headed, and the only reason we even let him come here was to show us the way. We don't want to risk him getting hurt, or caught or whatever evil thing they have planned for him. It's our job to go in there not some poor farmer's son."

GAME: Taleth rolls perception: (16)+11: 27
GAME: Lucy rolls perception: (15)+13: 28
GAME: Murder rolls perception: (14)+10: 24
GAME: Gull rolls perception: (17)+4: 21

Faranth nods slowly. "I agree with Lucy. The boy's part in this is done. If one of us had the ability, now would be the time to release him from his stupor. Otherwise, we will need to tie him to one of the trees for his own safety."

There's no sign of a door or any other entrance to the tower, however you can see what looks like a white mound directly in front of the tower in a straight line from you. It is very large, and as you watch you notice that the white lump is moving a little bit. Breathing? The white mound shifts a little bit and you see the blink of golden eyes that open and close. Whatever it is seems to have no interest in you at the moment, but it is definately... there.

GAME: Taleth rolls survival: (3)+11: 14

"Hmm, what is that, I wonder?", Murder asks. "Another golem but what sort? Snowy the Frostman, is it?" She yawns and stretches, though keeps her legs firmly wrapped around the boy's. "I hope that that it is warmer inside the place than outside. At least then we might have an opportunity to set up a little camp. A place to tie the boy up where he can't run off nor be attacked while we're not looking."

GAME: Lucy rolls survival: (20)+2: 22

Gull shrugs. "I think we should all try to bundle up, best we can." He ruffles the boy's hair. "Although I think we should figure what that thing is, first. I can try to head back into the sky and see if I can get closer more safely if I don't need to be on the ground. You know, see how far up this cold goes." He shades his eyes, looking towards the top of the tower.

"Do we know what is plaguing him? The boy?" Taleth asks as she circles slowly about the clearing with narrowed eyes; her druid vestments flowing behind her. She plants her oaken staff in the ground and focuses on the lump, "We are not alone." Motioning across to what she has noticed. "Don't move further. Not yet. Let us find out what it is?"

Faranth answers Taleth before frowning and turning to look at what is enrapturing everyone else's attention. "Someone said he has been dominated, and that it MIGHT be undone with a dispel magic."

GAME: Faranth rolls perception: (16)+8: 24

Morgan nods "I can protect my self from the cold, but sory I cant help you all." She doe look to the mound that been pointed out hoping to see it better from where she is.

Murder shrugs. "Those of you who can protect yourselves from the cold, you can engage the thing. If you have to, bring it back this way and we can all wail away on it." She points to the tower. See if you can't find the door, first, before we start anything. Some of us might be able to dodge it if we slip into the place while the others are fighting."

Lucy puts one hand over her head and squints with her sharp gnome eyes against the brightness of the snow. "What in the world - it has wings, the tail of a snake, maybe the head of a lion? Oh and arms like a person." She nearly loses her grip on the boy's arm and quickly grasps it with both hands again. "We're going to have tie him up again," she says sadly. "Out here where it's warm. Maybe someone can stay with him to keep him safe...?"

"Hm." Taleth grunts a little; looking over to the boy and considering him with her verdant gaze, "I think that is beyond my magics, unfortunately. If you would like, I could conjure some fog that may allow us to sneak by." Pausing, "And I think it might be a little dangerous to leave anyone out here."

Gull nods. "That's my thought, too. I think the kid here is the safest of us. Whoever brought him here clearly wants him intact. So, until whoever-it-is gets a chance to fulfil that purpose, kid's safe as houses as long as we don't do anything stupid." He looks over at the white lump. "Heck, that thing might be there to take the kid where whoever-it-is wants him. Well. Any opposition to me doing some scouting from the air? See if I can get to the tower safely from up there?"

Murder gestures with a hand, and nods to Gull. "More information would be useful. Be careful, yeah?" She glances to Taleth, "If we leave someone with the boy, he'll be okay. Stuff around here probably doesn't want to hurt him, but, well, chances are he will set off a series of events when he gets in there. Let’s look it over before we let that happen, yes?" The Goblin looks back to Gull, "If that lump wants to take him, then we have absolutely no control over what happens and when. As long as we hold the boy out here, we have some portion of control. Please, let us not give that up just yet."

"We can tie the boy up, those back there can watch over him, and as Gull said, I doubt the master of this tower wills the boy harm after that long trek." Faranth moves to find something to tie the boy up with.

"That's fine with me," Lucy says. "Be careful though, if you're the only one that can fly we won't be able to help you. And that thing has wings too." She peers at the shape in the snow again. "I can't tell if it's seen us yet, but I can't imagine us not having to deal with it."

Gull nods to Murder. "I was saying that we may have to be careful of that thing if we want to follow the boy any further. Whether it's there for decoration, to grab the boy, or to deter any escorts, who knows? So let's be careful." The witch closes his eyes, starting to shrink, as feathers sprout around him. He takes off, a full seagull, a few moments later. He flies forward, then wheels back, climbing higher and higher, and seeming unwilling to fly closer to the tower.

Gull nods to Murder. "I was saying that we may have to be careful of that thing if we want to follow the boy any further. Whether it's there for decoration, to grab the boy, or to deter any escorts, who knows? So let's be careful." The witch closes his eyes, starting to shrink, as feathers sprout around him. He takes off, a full seagull, a few moments later. He flies forward, then wheels back, climbing higher and higher, and seeming unwilling to fly closer to the tower.

"I can fly up there too, if company is required." Taleth offers whilst looking between the group. But then Gull is flying off and she nods, "If something goes wrong, I'll follow."

The Goblin sits tight, still clinging to the leg of the boy, and watches the seagull ascend into the sky. She nods to Taleth. "Probably best to save your strength for now, it may be that you and he will have to alternate between scouting and sitting here."

Morgan says "Well this is a Zeheir tower alright. And that is a golem of some sort and I have a feeling we need to take care of it."

Lucy helps to tie the boy's hands and feet, then does her best to position him in a comfortable sitting position before trying him to the tree. "It's okay," she murmurs gently as she finishes the last knot. "It won't be for long. And when this is all over, maybe you and your father will be together again." Her expression falls as she realizes that could happen in a more tragic way as well. But then her face takes on a more determined expression. She turns and buckles her sword belt across her waist. She slides her rapier out of its sheath and readies herself. "If anyone needs to cast any spells before we start, now would be the time."

GAME: Morgan casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 6 DC: 17

Faranth helps Lucy tie the boy up, then follows suit to get ready, moving her spears over to her off hand in preparation to grab and throw. She readies one of them, then stretches. She catches herself mid-stretch and looks at Morgan inquisitively. "Why would we need protection from the cold?"

Once freed of her obligation to holding the boy's leg, Murder stretches and moves to the boundary between temperate and arctic. "I'll wait here for things to happen, and I'll run in when need be, so as to minimize my exposure to the cold. I have a cloak and all and warm clothes and boots but... I probably won't have too much time before I start to freeze solid." She glances to Faranth, "Not all of us have the same abilities you might have. Some of us freeze when it's cold enough."

Morgan summons a arura of aura armor around her "there is a cold field around the tower and I have a feeling that golem will be using cold attacks."

Spiralling back towards the ground, Gull gracefully lands, and grows back into half-elven form. "Well. It's cold all the way up. I don't have a form that can handle this kind of cold easily." He looks around the group. "I think we need to lure the golem out, kill it, then see if the tower's interior is more hospitable."

"I am going to summon an Ice Elemental. If you would all like to wait to see how the creature responds, we can all attack then, yes?" Looking to the others and frowning, "I have little to ward off such cold - so I will likely be staying at range unless I need to be closer." Taleth offers. "If you need to retreat, let me know and I will blanket the area in fog." The storm druid moves to begin her incantation providing all those around her agree.

Taleth says, "The golem might be the source of the cold. Let's see if I can bait it closer with the elemental?"

GAME: Taleth casts Lesser Restoration. Caster Level: 4 DC: 17

Morgan backs up and says softly "casters start off with weak firespells, Golems can be strange with spell from what I once read."

Stepping to the edge of the wintery clearing, the horned Sildanyari begins speaking words of Druidic and calling for aid from the elemental plane. There is a verdant flash seconds pass and out in the distance amidst all the snow, there's a flash of white where a creature of crystalized ice forms and begins stirring up some of the snow. Being a good 25 feet away from the lump, it begins taunting and baiting the construct to follow. "Now we hope it takes the bait."

Lucy watches with eyes as wide as saucers. Then she smiles. "This is gonna be great!" she enthuses. She edges her towards where they left Edgar's son tied up, making sure she keeps herself between the creature and the boy.

Immediately the creature stands up, revealing itself in all of it's odd glory. It is exactly as described to you, but seeing it on its feet is wholly different from seeing it laying down. White wings flex and spread as the lion's mouth roars defiantly at the elemental. It crashes down to all fours, it's human hands grasping the ground as its tail thrashes and it lunges toward the elemental.

GAME: Lucy rolls weapon9-4: (2)+13+-4: 11
GAME: Lucy rolls weapon9-4: (12)+13+-4: 21
GAME: Lucy rolls 1d3+1+1+1+6: (2)+1+1+1+6: 11

Morgan is studying the pattern movement of the Golem, it looks like she is casting a spell but wants to wait until it’s on us.

GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+3: (16)+3: 19

Lucy whips her dagger out and throws it at the creature once it's moving. The weapon spins end over end and then hits pommel-first and bounces off. But Lucy has her hand still outstretched after the throw. The dagger disappears in mid-air, before suddenly appearing in her hand. She draws her hand back and throws again, this time angles just right so the tip of the blade digs into a sensitive joint on the monster's arm.

With an arcane gesture, Gull looks darkly at the golem, his eyes flashing briefly. A black mist briefly forms around the golem's head, but dissipates quickly.

GAME: Taleth casts Produce Flame. Caster Level: 4 DC: 16
GAME: Taleth rolls ranged: (10)+7: 17
GAME: Taleth rolls ranged: (10)+7: 17
GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+10: (20)+10: 30
GAME: Razen rolls 1d8+5: (2)+5: 7

The ice elemental moves quickly; ice crystals tumbling over one another as the small creature runs for its life as this monstrous construct chases it. Unfortunately it is hit by the thrashing but manages to keep on moving towards the group. "Spread!" Taleth calls out, "We don't want to be grouped up when it gets here." With this said, Taleth begins moving around the perimeter of the icy clearing and summons forth two brightly burning flames to her palms. She arcs one with a throw that streaks across the the creature that erupts in a orange flash against its chest.

GAME: Faranth rolls weapon4: (8)+2: 10

Faranth throws one of her spears, and shakes her head as she releases the spear too early and it falls short of it's mark. She moves off to the side, remembering that the previous golem spit frost at the group, and wishing that MalGein would come with her. Instead, the stubborn young bull elephant leaned it's head back, waiting to smash it's trunk into the golem's side.

GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+10: (7)+10: 17
GAME: Razen rolls 1d8+5: (4)+5: 9

The creature lunges again at the elemental and bashes it into the icy floor. Then it lets loose a roar of triumph and bristles.

GAME: Morgan rolls ranged: (13)+5: 18
GAME: Morgan rolls ranged: (3)+5: 8
GAME: Morgan rolls 4d6: (15): 15
GAME: Faranth rolls 1d20+4: (7)+4: 11

The poor elephant didn't keep his eye on the target. The golem came into range and the elephant twisted it's head, trying to hit the golem, but alas, the trunk swung around just inside of the golem. Instead, the young elephant put his trunk to it's head and let out it's own 'roar' in the form of a trumpet.

Morgan sees a fire spell hit and does damage so she then lets one of her stronger spells to fly at the monster hurting it with only one bolt.

GAME: Murder casts Burning Hands. Caster Level: 4 DC: 14
GAME: Murder rolls 4d4: (11): 11
GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+7: (9)+7: 16

The Gobber holds back, waiting for the creature to approach. Once it engage the doomed ice elemental, Murder moved forward to unleash a torrent of fire from her outstretched fingertips. "GET REKT ICE FOR BRAINS", she yells out.

GAME: Lucy rolls weapon3: (15)+14: 29 (THREAT)
GAME: Lucy rolls weapon3: (12)+14: 26
GAME: Lucy rolls weapon3: (6)+14: 20
GAME: Lucy rolls 1d4+4+1+2+1: (2)+4+1+2+1: 10

Lucy darts in to attack with her rapier, feet moving a bit faster than should be possible without some...assistance. She stabs the creature through what looks to be its throat, then steps aside before yanking the blade free, to avoid any spray of blood that may follow.

As the creature's odd blue blood pours out it begins to glow from the inside. The glow spreads and there's only a seconds warning before it detonates into sharp ice shards that spray outwards in every direction and leave nothing remaining of its corpse.

GAME: Razen rolls 1d4: (4): 4
GAME: Taleth rolls reflex: (19)+6: 25
GAME: Morgan rolls reflex: (1)+5: 6 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Lucy rolls reflex: (11)+9: 20
GAME: Faranth rolls reflex: (5)+1: 6
GAME: Faranth rolls 1d20+5: (15)+5: 20
GAME: Murder rolls reflex: (9)+3: 12
GAME: Gull rolls reflex: (9)+3: 12

Faranth brushes pieces of golem flesh off herself and her clothes. She thinks for a moment, and rushes over to where the boy is tied, checking to see if he rode the encounter out without taking too much damage.

Morgan is surprised by the golem exploding as a chunk of ice cuts her cheek "Oww sharpen ice hurts more then normal weapons for some reason."

Some's first instinct is to check on the boy, which is wise as it turns out he is indeed injured. There's a piece of shrapnel sticking like an exclamation point out of his leg. He's pale, and clearly wounded, but still alive.

Murder turns away at the last moment as the golem shatters, sending itself in all directions as a final insult to the victors. She brushes off a few icy pieces and looks around. "Everyone alright? Anyone need help?" The Gobbo looks to Faranth. "The boy okay?", she wonders.

GAME: Gull rolls 1d8+3: (6)+3: 9

Lucy dives under a few shards of ice, then carefully pushes herself up and then stands. She brushes off her hands and then drifts towards the spot where the golem had been, checking to make sure there's nothing left to threaten the party. When Murder mentions the boy, Lucy's eyes grow wide. She whirls around franticly, then looks noticeably relieved when she sees that he's been attended to. "That was a close thing," she remarks. Then she turns to stare at the tower, her eyes smoldering with anger. "When we catch whoever is behind this, it's one more thing they'll have to answer for."

Taleth shields herself from the blast by rolling behind a tree. Managing to escape the blast, she peeks out and adjusts her spire of antlers that adorn her head. The two roaring flames are then used to begin clearing some of the ice away in a path towards the tower. Throwing one at a time until the spell is expended. She then drifts up to the others and notices the boy with wide green eyes. "Is he okay?" Taleth asks softly.

Murder moves closer and nods, in answer to Lucy and Taleth both. "Yes, he appears to have survived, and Gull's spell has knitted the wound closed." She shrugs then. "As for being one more thing to answer for, I think that the vampire's activities were more than enough to encourage us to put paid to the one behind it." She glances to the tower. "Who wants to run and see where the door is?"

Faranth pulls the shard of flesh out of the child's leg and reaches for some bandages as the wound closes. She chuckles. "Well, that does it too." She stands, ignoring her own bleeding to go and check on MalGein who's hide seemed to be tough enough to deflect all of the exploding shards. Either that or somehow, the elephant managed to hide behind a tree.

"Well, the boy will be fine. Let me help close all of our wounds before we move on, yes?" Gull approaches Morgan first, murmuring and rubbing his hands, which pick up that blue glow.

GAME: Gull rolls 1d8+3: (7)+3: 10

Taleth nods in understanding while looking over the boy. She places her hands on her hips and looks back over her shoulder towards the tower, "Even that small distance is treacherous. I can blanket about 40 feet of the ice and snow in gravel. I'm not sure that will help clear away any of it. Either way, the cold is so frigid, some of us might freeze in place." Frowning, "We should light some torches, yes? Huddle together and move as a group? Chances are that door is locked and trapped too."

Morgan was about to run and see if the boy is alright but stops when people say he is ok. When Gull comes she is happy to get her small cut healed "thanks that hit me in a strange place on my face."

Faranth moves onto the field of ice as talk of the cold comes back to the party, she watches as the frost tries to crawl up her leg, but her scales protect her from whatever effect seems to be affecting the rest of the group. “Let me go see if I can find the entrance or turn off the cold, it doesn't seem to hurt me.”

Murder hmms, and pulls the small pack from her back. "I can muster another fire spell, but I have in here...", there is rattling and clacking together of glass and metal, "Two flasks of alchemist's fire. That should create a few temporary paths towards the tower, and some much needed heat. Just don't... fall into the flames." She looks to the others. "Any more fire related things on you, at all? We could probably cut down some of the trees and set them ablaze, as an option."

Morgan thinks "If we are going to go in the tower we should rest the night, where the ones like me with endure elements can cast it on all of us."

Morgan adds "Or I cast two flaming spheres to follow us to keep us warm."

Taleth looks to Murder and grimaces, "I expended the rest of my flames on making a path. It didn't last long. I would save your supplies for future threats - this is a storm we will have to weather." Glancing ot Faranth, she nods her horned head. "Give her time. Let us see what she can find." Looking to Morgan, "I can get that but it would only effect one of us per casting. Let us see what Faranth can see first."

GAME: Gull rolls 1d8+3: (1)+3: 4

Murder nods in agreement. "Alright, Faranth, go for it."

Faranth puts her and on MalGeins trunk and beckons him to stay at the edge of the clearing. "Thank you Gull." She nods her head as he heals the scratches on her body, she turns and walks up closer to the tower. She walks around the outside of the tower.

GAME: Faranth rolls perception: (10)+8: 18

Faranth comes walking back several minutes later. "I found a large 'Z' inscribed on the stone of the tower, and below that, it says 'speak my name and enter'."

Murder bounces up and down. "Yeah, say his name and it will open. You know, the dead guy who made the golems and towers and stuff. Don't say his name now! Wait til we get there."

Morgan says to Faranth "the name is Zeheir."

"Do we know the name of this Vampire?" Taleth asks softly and turns her attention towards the tower. "Anything related to this that starts with Z?" Clicking her tongue off the roof of her mouth and shifting her weight to one foot. Glancing to Murder, "Okay. That's probably it." laughing softly, "Though that stinks of a trap." Faranth says, "If this is the tower of an ancient powerful mage, the 'enter' might not be a door. I thought rather than just disappearing, I'd let you all know." She turns and points at the tower. "The inscription is there, just barely to the left of where the golem was. If you want, I'll go say the name, if we're lucky, it will turn off the ice."

Murder stares at Morgan. "You dunno the range of the door thingy. Gah, it could be opening now." She glances to Taleth and nods. "Yeah. In the last tower, the stairs were trapped with exploding boobytraps. The whole ground floor was a teleport circle. It teleported me to the day before, in Alexandria. Who's to say what this one will have, but, be on your guard."

Gull nods to Faranth. "Might be worth a shot, right? We know moving across this ice is going to be problematic. If you can get there safely, turning it off would be worth a shot."

Taleth blinks several times at Murder, "It made you travel through time?" Well this is no joke, is it? "Well I'm with you no matter what you decide. Is any one able to cast their voice so we are far away if there is a trap? Would it work with something disembodied? A cantrip of sorts?"

The Goblin nods to Taleth. "Yeah. Now, I didn't step on it accidentally, we were trying to determine what it did, and if there were traps. We determined that the purpose of the tower was to teleport you somewhere. That the stairs were trapped and there was no safe way, barring major mojo, to get to the second floor. This tower could be different. The other tower had a cold field around it too, though it did not seem so bad. I would say that we should expect this one to be different. But to be wary that it will have magics waiting for us inside." She glances around. "I say we just make a run for it to the door, do what magics we can there to keep warm, see what the inside is like, then run back here and recover. We can decide what to do then. Sound good?"

"That's... disturbing." The Druid Taleth offers followed by an audible swallow. "That sounds like a good plan. I'm going to take the form of a beast to protect me from the cold. I will not be able to speak - but I will be there to aid if required. If the path is trecherous, let us regroup, lick our wounds and proceed when it is safe to do so." Inclining her head to the Gobber and looking to the others.

Gull shrugs. "Well, I think we might as well give it a shot. Here's hoping the ice doesn't capture anyone. Whoever has fire magic, this would be a good time to prep something, in case we need to break someone out of ice in a hurry."

Taleth brings up some verdan energy in a flash and where she stood before is now white furred snow leopard that is settled back on its haunches, waiting for the group to move.

Morgan stands at the edge "I have no other idea, let's do this."

With your plan formulated you gather on the edge of the freezing area. You nod to your companions and then rush the tower together. The freezing ice starts to climb upwards but you weather on in spite of it. Once within close range of the tower you shout Zeheirs name and a door appears! Inside you can see the smooth interior of a tower. There's a spiral staircase that starts along the inside wall where it would be almost impossible to jump to, and a huge magical circle that goes all the way to the edges of the walls inscribed on the tower floor. The workmanship of it is beautiful and so complex that it makes your eyes hurt to try and follow it.

GAME: Murder rolls perception: (6)+10: 16

The snow leopard moves quickly through the ice and snow - the cold seemingly being a terrain it moves freely through. When she approaches the door and they swing open, the cat tilts its head to the others and looks between them. Sniffing the air and peering inside, she seems to take special attention to the flood and the inscribed tower floor. Looking around, she seems particularly interested in the magic circle.

One in Morgan says "Ok last time we are in here the stairs were trapped and the plate in the center was a portal in time."

GAME: Morgan rolls spellcraft: (20)+18: 38
GAME: Gull rolls spellcraft: (16)+13: 29

Murder stops herself on the edge of the circle, peering inside. "Looks the same as last time. Though, that doesn't mean it will do the same. If someone can check to see if there are traps on the stairs?"

Faranth brings up the rear, her idea to grab the leopard proves moot as the entrance turns out to be a door rather than some more obscure type of entrance. As she enters the room however, her eyes go wide. She might not be versed in the arcane, but she can recognize magic and craftsmanship.

Shifting to the form of a jaguar, for speed and agility more than anything else, Gull moves through the snow quickly. Visibly shivering, he hesitates at the threshold, the feline head casting its gaze around the room.

GAME: Murder rolls Spellcraft: (15)+7: 22
GAME: Faranth rolls spellcraft: (9)+6: 15
GAME: Taleth rolls spellcraft: (17)+5: 22

The circle is clearly meant to teleport, but the symbols are so complex that it's clear there's more to it than that. What? Why? It's impossible to tell without serious study.

Morgan crosses her arms as she looks to the circle "Ok the circle is many things. look to the 4 lines over there I think they are a trap door we can go one at a time."

Blurring, the jaguar shrinks down smaller, into the shape of a seagull. Once the transformation is complete, Gull takes wing, working to fly into the tower, working to avoid touching any floors or walls.

GAME: Murder rolls acrobatics: (7)+8: 15
GAME: Murder rolls perception: (4)+10: 14

"Okay. One of you should run back to tell the others to take the boy and leave if none of us return from this place." Murder glances to the small trapdoor area. "I'll risk jumping to the trapdoor Morgan found." The Gobbo takes a step back and leaps, performing a single somersault to land atop the trapdoor. Carefully moving her feet outside the space of the trapdoor, she cautiously pushes downwards from the hinged side. "It does not appear to be trapped.", she comments quietly. "Anyone got a torch?"

Morgan walks in "I wish I had more time to study the runes here." She lights up a torch from her pack and walks in the trap door after saying "Scardy gobber."

The snow leopard looks up at Faranth flies up and tilts her head when Murder leaps into the room by the door. She nods her head in understanding to the Gobber before turning at the door to rocket off through the ice and snow to where the others are gathered. Dropping the shape of the wild cat, she passes word to the others and shifts again into a snow white owl with large yellow eyes. She soars off back towards the tower.

Faranth watches the owl fly away and looks over at Murder. "I don't have a torch, but I can see fine in the dark." She waits, immune to the cold, waiting for the other Druid to return and join the rest of the group.

GAME: Morgan rolls perception: (19)+10: 29

Gull descends slowly and carefully, working to avoid touching any of the walls or stairs. Seeing the open trap door, Gull aims towards it, looking to pull a landing inside what appears to be a safe landing zone.

Taleth returns in the form of a snowy owl, flapping into the tower and slowly lowering herself down the trap door. She sounds out with a 'hoo hoo' and drifts towards the Gobber to perch on her shoulder. The owls head swivels and she looks with those large yellow eyes to Murder for consent. 'hoo hoo'.

Morgan focusing on a large golem made of metal a part of her mind says stand still wait until the meat shields get here.... until she feels something land on her, her mind thinks its another Golem so she tosses the torch in the air and screams in a pitch that makes a dog wince.

Thankfully... nothing down here seems inclined to respond to her scream. The alchemical ingredients bubble. The strange bodies under their blankets remain unmoving. As does the metal golem in its alcove.

Faranth sees the owl in, the bird in, and knows she's the last one in the cold. She is about to carefully jump in, when she hears a scream come from down below, carefully gets tossed to the wind in exchange for speed, she tries to get down the hole quickly to see who needs help.

GAME: Faranth rolls reflex: (15)+1: 16

Gull startles as he lands on Morgan's shoulder, causing her to scream. His wings flap a few extra times, and he hops more or less gracefully onto the steps in front of her. Once safe and secure, he blurs, reverting back to his half-elven form.

The Gobber blinks as a large bird, to her, lands on her shoulder. "Hoo hoo to you too, uncooked drumsticks." She grins toothily at the bird, and then blinks as there is another bird AND a scream. She leans the trapdoor gently against the wall, and begins to climb down after the others. "Is it alive? Squishy? Sharp and pointy?"

Morgan looks pissed at Gull and then points to a Golem.

Lucy appears at the rear of the party, teeth still chattering. "What was that?" she says in a hushed voice. "I thought I heard...well, it sounded like someone dying." A small glowing gem floats above her head, circling slowly and providing as much light as a torch might. She turns towards the Golem and then her eyes narrow. "Is that what I think it is?"

Faranth lands down below, rolling to try and keep from breaking a leg. She stands up near the woman who screamed and looks around for the cause. Her eyes go wide and she moves over to the covered bodies, fearing the worst about Edgar. She reaches for the nearest blanket, intent on pulling it off the table and form it covers.

As Faranth pulls the blanket aside, the body of a thin man is revealed. He's older in age, with dark hair, and in spite of his years he bears a striking resemblance to the young man who is outside.

If an owl could look offended, this is how it would look after being called an 'uncooked drumstick'. The white bird tilts her head at the Gobber and licks its beak in distaste before looking towards the metal golem. 'Hoo hoo.' Which roughly translates to 'fuck, not again'. For now the owl and its keen perception are put to work watching every little detail and nuance in the room.

Morgan nods "mages makes golems like that so it is immune to mages spells and can smash most fighters." she does see the body of what might be Edgar "blessed be."

GAME: Faranth rolls heal: (13)+3: 16

Murder slowly unlimbers her two-handed sword. "I think we will have to kill a golem that looks suspiciously like the boy we've been following all this time. She doesn't advance, simply hovering on the edge of the light in the room.

Faranth pulls the blanket off the nearest form and immediately recognizes the face from the young boy they have spent the last few weeks with. She lets out a quiet curse and begins feeling for a pulse at the man's neck. Her eyes turn down as she feels the cold flesh. "We've found what we came for. He didn't make it."

As Faranth touches Edgar a blue light flickers to life in his chest. Then slowly, he sits up, eyes gazing at nothing. He doesn't move to attack anyone, but does move to get off of the table he's sitting on.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!", Murder yells, taking a step back when the 'dead' body sits up. "GRRRRR DIIIIIIEEEEE!!!", she screams when the blue glow is noticed. The Gobber brings her sword up and moves towards the body.

Morgan sees the blue glow as she says calmly "well he is a exploding zombie now. And this is starting to answer a lot." This woman is strange about what can scare her.

The owl flaps wildly off of Murder's shoulder when she takes off wildly and erupts in a emerald flash that reveals the elven druid once more. She looks on in horror at the moving corpse and briefly looks over to the golem. "Could it be? That this vampre you speak of is using human souls to build his construct?" She scratches the back of her head and begins to look around with newfound suspicion.

Gull shakes his head. "An exploding zombie? I take it this is the unfortunate Edgar?" He gazes down at the poor man, then begins a brief chant. He closes his eyes, and when he reopens them, a slight glow coming from the betrays his magic.

GAME: Gull casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 3 DC: 14

Gull startles, briefly. "Wait! Don't do anything hastily! That golem is...something else. Something new. We do /not/ want to take that thing on. At all."

GAME: Faranth casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 2 DC: 13

Lucy lurches in front of Murder, her own rapier raised high - but to block, not to attack. "Wait!" Her blade looks like a toothpick compared to the one the goblin swings. Attempting to block is likely to leave her with a sword broken in two and Edgar - or whatever this is - just as badly mangled. So instead Lucy aligns her blade so that the part closest to the rapier's hilt is alongside the part of the greatsword closest to /it's/ hilt, and then pushes. It's just enough to redirect the blow. "We can't just kill him," Lucy pants, voice shaky with adrenaline. "This is why we came all this way!"

Taleth moves further into the room, "Yes. Please don't be hasty. I have a feeling there is more of a story here. Not all is lost yet. There was some research going on here - we need to investigate. It might just be a hunch but there's lots of dead bodies and there has been lots of golems. That's not happenstance." And Taleth begins carefully searching the room for books, notes or any other items.

GAME: Taleth rolls perception: (9)+11: 20
GAME: Taleth rolls perception: (9)+11: 20
GAME: Taleth casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 4 DC: 15

Morgan nods to what Lucy says "Yes I don’t want to start a fight here. We can destroy the magic stuff here, we might be able to find something to counter the slimes we been having trouble with here."

Taleth says, "There's a button behind the golem." Taleth says while inspecting the room. "I'm not sure I'm keen on touching it." Looking back to the others, "So any plans? Bodies are magic, golem is magic. This place is not good for us to remain."

The Murderous one snarls, her eyes flashing momentarily as she uses her scant weight advantage to slowly push Lucy's blade downwards. But with everyone chiming in erring on the side of caution, the Goblin turns her blade. With a solid THUNK it embeds itself into the table next to the blue-glowy golem-thing. "But the boy is still charmed or whatever. This is the thing calling out to him! What are you going to do, tie the boy down for the rest of his life? Gonna help him potty? Feed him?" She growls noisily through bared fangs.

Faranth slowly shakes her head, staring at the currently innert golem. "If we wake that thing, our only hope will be to run." She looks back at the opening, wondering if it is going to be possible to get back out of this hole while still alive. "I wouldn't suggest trying to destroy anything down here, we don't know what orders the golem has.

The moment that Murder's blade comes down on the table - scratching it - there's a groaning whine noise from the metal golem. "WHOAAAAAM." The purr emits from it as its eyes begin to glow red. It's waking up. And it likely isn't happy.

GAME: Taleth casts Longstrider. Caster Level: 4 DC: 16

Gull sighs. "Time to go! This does /not end well for us/. That thing is glowing like a bonfire when I look at the auras in here." The witch takes his own advice, blurring back into the form of a seagull and flying back out towards the tied up boy.

"Ummm." Taleth glances back over her shoulder briefly and reaches into her pocket to throw a pinch of dirt into the air. Sparkling around her before she moves in a faster than normal sprint for the trap door. "Run. RUN!"

Morgan grumbles as she did not get a chance to find any books or whatever on how this stuff is made. She turns around and tries to get the hell out of there and she is moving full speed.

Lucy turns to face the golem but slowly steps backwards, moving away without taking her eyes off of it. "What about Edgar? Is he really a zombie? Even so we can't just leave him!"

Taleth says, "We'll come back when that thing resets. Can't save a dead man but you can live to fight another day. Run!"

Faranth shakes her head, climbing up onto one of the alchemy tables and jumping for the trapdoor in the ceiling above. She tries to pull herself up and get out of the room as quickly as possible.

Murder huffs as people start to flee, and she takes up the rear. While waiting, hopefully very briefly, to get up the ladder, she considers the sitting blue-zombie-thing, and the golem. "Should we really leave this here for someone else to stumble into?", she wonders to herself. "Might want to get out of the room too, dunno how big this boom will be."

Edgar is on his feet now, moving toward Murder and ignoring everything else, including the golem which is now beginning to move itself. It takes one heavy step out of its alcove with a heavy CLANK that can be heard outside.

Faranth pulls herself out of the trapdoor and makes the jump to the tower's exterior doorway. She walks out into the cold and draws her weapon, standing there waiting for everyone to get clear or to ask for help getting out.

Lucy follows Faranth and ends up standing next to her, outside the tower. Only she feels the cold. "Did everyone make it back outside? Who's left?!"

The Goblin appears at the top of the ladder, her sword upon her back, and a small evil looking vial in her hands. "If the zombie starts coming up the ladder I am tossing this, and getting the hell out. If you guys wanna nix that, tell me now. What will we do if this thing wants to get to the boy? 'Cause that is what I assume it is trying to do. Talk fast, people."

Morgan is standing outside and says "I hope every one makes it." she is looking at everyone to make sure everyone's here.

Faranth looks over to Lucy. "Only Murder..." She's cut off by the goblin appearing at the trapdoor with a bottle. She shakes her head 'no'. "Close the door. The golem didn't move till you hit the table. That might have been what set it off. If we wait for a while, things may calm down. If the Golem is a long idle guardian, it's only waiting for someone to disturb it's master's laboratory. As long as we go back in later, we might be able to find the answers we need. Is it even possible to get Edgar back at this point? Where is that cleric?" She glances behind her to the group near the tied up boy. "Oh Lucy, get out of the cold before you get hurt."

As Murder suspected Edgar is headed for the trap door, clearly intending to leave via the same exit that everyone else had.

Gull lands back on the floor, near the others, then shifts back into his talkative format. He glances down the trapdoor, trying to get a view of what's still coming out. "So...Edgar's going to explode if he gets close to us? I'm guessing someone's seen this before?"

Lucy says, "Wh-wh-what was th-that about zombies? Exploding z-zombies?" Lucy tries to rub her hands against her own arms to keep warm. "Edgar is g-g-going to explode? We can't let him hurt the boy." She looks stricken. "This is where he was going? To become like Edgar?!"

Morgan nods and says "leeets raaange him from cold."

Faranth stands, keeping an eye on the exit. Since the cold doesn't bother her, she figures everyone else should get away. "Down in the sewers in Alexandria, we found some zombies with blue-glowing chests. Unlike normal zombies, these walked in a straight line and only attacked if you got in their way. If they ran into a wall, they would explode. We didn't know where they were coming from. This then would appear to be the source. And the need for more zombies, to get to whatever they were heading for, would be why the vampire was recruiting more 'bodies' to be converted to exploding zombies."

Lucy looks at Faranth with a surprised expression, that quickly turns grim. Finally she nods, and turns to head for the edge of the cold zone. She digs into her pack as she goes. By the time she's reached the treeline she's pulled out a sling and a handful of stones. She positions herself roughly between the tower and the tree where they left Edgar's son tied up.

The Gobbo sighs. "Alright, that Edgar dude is coming up the ladder." She pulls the trapdoor shut and gets out of the Tower, leaping the gap to the door, and running off down to the warmer parts of the forest.

As soon as the last person is out of the tower the door closes once again. The last thing anyone sees is Edgar pulling himself out of the trap door and standing on the teleportation pad. To where he goes is unknown. Once the door is closed the symbol is gone from it, as is the riddle that had once been there. Beside Lucy Edgar's son wakes up, tugging on his ropes. "Hey! Hey you! Who are you? Where am I?"

Scouting the area for potential threats always _sounds_ like a good idea, but the reality is it keeps leaving the party to face threats without Rona's bow to back them up. She feels bad about this. Regardless, she arrives from her scouting expedition to find her friends already engaged in... well, not a fight, exactly, but not peaceful, whatever it is. She nocks and pulls her bow and prepares to take down anything that seems to be a threat, but things seem to have moved past that point.

Morgan sighs and says "some one tell the young man what happened, I am too tired to put up the act of empathy."

Lucy watches the proceedings, and then lets out a sigh of relief. She hadn't been looking forward to destroying Edgar. The gnome puts away her sling and then turns towards the boy. She does her best to explain things gently, leaving out that his father is apparently a walking bomb and instead just saying that they don't know where Edgar is. Once she's certain the boy has come back to his senses she unties him. "We can take you back home," she finally finishes. "Back to your mother, and the rest of your family."

The boy seems glad enough to have assurances that he'll be taken home, particularly once he's untied.

And so you return him all the way back home, and explain things to his mother as best you can. She's glad to have her son back even if you didn't find his father. Some mysteries are better left uncovered.

-End-