Afternoon, Ulanra 11th - Morning, Ulanra 12th
Bitter Cold
The group traveled beyond the safety and comfort of the Vistani camp, in hopes of finding the body of the snowball-harrier. Trudging through the dark and cold was no easy task, and the furs had not yet been finished. A bold move indeed as the winds picked up and brought the chilling temperatures down even further. Their resolve still strong, the group resisted the freezing cold and moved on. Selja experimented with a new form and took on the likeness of a great bear, and convinced Kaylan to ride upon her back. She was hesitant at first, but agreed.
The Waterfall Cavern
Diana's keen eyes picked out the outline of a cave nestled high in the cliffs by the waterfall. While it was accessible...getting there was another matter. The waterfall cascaded down, crashing into the river and flowing underneath the frozen water. Intrigued, Diana and Vilthanos skated across the ice with little effort, belaying the hidden dangers of the river. Relic watched from the bank, uncertain if he'd even be able to cross.
Bears and Ice Don't Mix
Encouraged by the two nimble members of the group, Selja (with Kaylan on her back) started to cross over the ice. Everything seemed alright, until they stepped onto a section of thin ice! The ice couldn't bear the weight of Selja and Kaylan together, and with a thunderous crack it broke underneath the two girls. They tried to leap to safety, Kaylan slipped and hit her head against the ice, dazing her as she plunged into the water. Selja scrambled to get purchase, but slipped into the icy water as well.
The bear-Selja was able to hoist Kaylan onto her back, the two floating ever closer to the thicker sections of ice. If they didn't act fast both would be swept underneath the solid ice by the strong current and either drown or freeze.
Team Effort
The land-bound group members went into action once they realized the two had fallen in. Relic threw one of his rope-tied metal rods to the girls for the to try and grab onto, while Vilthanos started running back to the riverbank. Diana flew into the air and bestowed her Sirocco onto Kaylan, and pulled her out of the frigid water and to the safety of the snowy bank. The half-elf was already showing signs of hypothermia, the extreme shock sending her into a delirious state.
Vilthanos moved across the ice and slid towards Selja, urging her to change back as he reached out to grab her. She did as instructed, but in her flailing she wasn't able to grab onto the safety line or Vilthanos. Diana went to help Relic with her own rope and safety line, first tying it to a tree and throwing the other end to Selja. He had to try several times before it actually reached the boggart.
Portia scampered out onto the ice as well, clinging to the rope and reaching out to her sister to try and grab onto her. By now, Selja had been weakened by the freezing water, and time was running out. In a heroic effort, Vilthanos pulled on the rope to make himself slide forward towards the safe side of the river. With a glance to Kaylan, he and Selja both winked out of existence, appearing in the others' place!
One in the Drink, Two in the Snow
Selja continued sliding, and wound up by the bank while Vilthanos fought the current, now drenched in the subzero water. He grabbed onto the rope and struggled to climb out as Portia provided a small anchor. Bless her, she tried her best to pull the feladrin out of the drink, but everything was going against her. Undaunted, she put in her strongest efforts and at least saved Vilthanos from being dragged under the ice.
Diana let Relic handle the pulling as she ran over to grab Selja, and bring her back to a chattering, half-frozen Kaylan. The frigid wind blew harshly, quickly freezing the two girls. Chunks of ice formed in their hair, their skin turning a shade of blue as hypothermia started set in. With a great effort, Relic pulled with all of his might, the giant metal man pulling Portia and Vilthanos over to the bank just as the ice cracked and started breaking underneath them. For a long moment, it looked as if they'd both go into the water. Selja was coherent enough to throw down a spell to make the terrain icy, fortunately it reinforced the ice and prevented it from shattering for a few more moments.
Frostbite
The three drenched party members were quickly succumbing to hypothermia, and fears of frostbite spread. Selja attempted to create a fire through an area spell, but it ultimately failed. Relic's knowledge of medicine and healing sprang to action. Kaylan began babbling on in a delirious state, somehow channeling her own knowledge of how to care for the frozen victims.
His overcoat became a blanket for the to lay upon, and their wet clothes were removed. Portia started poking around the riverbank in search of wood to burn for a fire, while Diana searched through their bags for anything dry and warm to wrap around them while Relic turned field-medic and tended to their frozen extremities. While he worked at a frantic pace to keep them awake and keep them warm, panic was evident in his voice when he started barking orders to Diana and Portia.
Diana redressed the girls and man, and Portia built the fire, and through the combined efforts of the three, the other three were saved...for now. They were still in dire straits, even while the immediate emergency had been dealt with. Relic and Diana placed the three within two bedrolls, and the metal man carried all three of them as they started in a quick pace for the Vistani camp. The three were delirious, and barely conscious.
We're Being Followed
Relic decided to end the search for the fallen snowball harrier right then and there. As they started to leave, Portia and Diana could hear the distinct sounds of wolves howling nearby. A chilling, dreadful sound indeed. That only encouraged Relic to move faster, though he was showing signs of fatigue from the snow and his new burden. Fortunately for the group, there was only one way for them to go; following the river would take them back to the Vistani camp. The journey back seemed to last forever, the tension mounting as they heard the wolves howl again - closer, louder. Glimpses of black fur stalking along the higher cliffs, watching them. Would they be attacked?
Vilthanos and Thamior had some internal struggle going on. At the realization of Kaylan slipping deeper into her delirium, Vilthanos forced Thamior to take control, but not before wrapping his chilled arms around the two girls to try and share body heat. Selja squirmed and struggled, smacking the two with her shoulders as she fought Vilthanos' attempt to help them all.
Return to the Camp
They continued, and after several hurried minutes of trudging through the snow and battling the intense wind they arrived back at the Vistani camp. The fires were still going strong, the Vistani looking up in surprise as they witnessed half of the group crammed into over-sized bedroll. Several of the Vistani blessed themselves at the sight, hushed tones going through the camp.
In Selja's panic from Vilthanos' hold, she started snapping and biting at him and Kaylan, and bit onto Kaylan's neck with enough force to draw a considerable amount of blood. The priestess screamed in pain as she was bitten, causing the Vistani to look even more concerned. Fortunately, Relic was quickly able to heal the wound with a reflexive application of his alchemical concoction.
Relic stumbled in his speech as he tried to explain what happened, and Diana interceded, using her diplomacy to try and win over their aid, and a tent large enough for all of them. Relic threw his coin purse at Diana while she and the leader haggled, first going from one hundred suns, to one hundred fifty suns, and back down to thirty-five suns.
The sight of Selja biting onto Kaylan caused a stir among the Vistani, the leader pointing to Selja and claiming she had "moon fever" and that the price would go up for the tent. Through some more smart haggling, Diana was able to secure the tent, their aid, and food for a price. She still felt ripped off, though.
Warding off the Cold
By now, Vilthanos had forced Thamior out into the front, seeing Kaylan with her neck wounded and bleeding caused a start in him. With the tent secured, Relic rushed the three into the warm interior and set them down. Several skilled Vistani women entered as well, and broke out their warming salves and balms. They were accustomed to dealing with hypothermia and frostbite, and worked quickly to wrap their digits and limbs, applying the salves as needed.
Relic stepped back, allowing the women to work without him being in the way. Portia and Diana sat together, conversing quietly while they watched, and waited. The process was painful, awfully painful, but the women were skilled enough so that none of the three would lose so much as a pinkie or thumb. It was a long, tense time in the tent, waiting.
An hour later, they were done. At the same time, a young Vistani girl entered, carrying the group's requested fur clothing, which had just been completed. Relic tipped the girl, while the clothes were distributed among the group members. Slowly, Selja and Kaylan started coming back around. Thamior had been watching from his cot, watching his beloved nervously. Kaylan called upon Kalinda's power to help heal herself and Selja, and approached Thamior thinking he was still Vilthanos. Confusion ensued as they worked out what had happened.
Recovery
Diana and Portia continued their conversation, finding shared interests and discovering commonalities between the two as they strengthened their friendship. Kaylan and Thamior talked, while Relic listened and commented, revealing his own discoveries about the shadow-self. Selja quietly snuck outside to sit by the grand fire, sounding somewhat upset. Relic hinted at Kaylan to tell Thamior what she had learned before the incident at the river, though she opted to tell him about Vilthanos' surprising near-kindness towards herself and Selja.
Selja was joined outside by a few Vistani, and one unnamed man sitting by the fire, a gray wolf-dog curled up beside him. He wore a shaggy assortment of furs and had a long beard, and did try to strike up a conversation with the girl. At her silence, he pressed no further. The wolf-dog, however, became curious in the boggart and approached her for attention and petting.
It wouldn't be too long before Portia and Diana ventured outside to keep an eye on the young boggart, continuing their conversation by the fire and learning tidbits from each other. Soon after Kaylan dressed herself in her new furs and joined the girls outside, a pained expression on her face, hiding her true thoughts from Thamior.
The Comforting
Kaylan knelt down beside Selja to comfort the little boggart, who had decided to blame herself for breaking the ice and plunging them into the icy waters. Such is grief in the face of horrible accidents. The two talked, while Kaylan tried to ease Selja's mind with soothing words. It wouldn't be too long before Portia and Selja joined them by the fire. The night air was cold, but at least the fire was warm, and the companionship welcome by most, if not all of them. A short time later during their conversation Kaylan opted to go lay down for the night, leaving Selja in the care of Diana and Portia. As she approached, she could hear the sounds of a heated argument from inside the tent...
The Argument
Sometimes the best intentions can bring about the worst arguments. Such as what happened between the warforged and the feladrin. Relic first tried to comfort the prince, though in his current state of mind he would have none of it. To himself, he was a failure. That admission incensed the metal man, bringing forth an all-too-human display of anger and frustration at Thamior's willingness to give up, to give in to his own feelings of self-loathing. Such was his anger, he swore at Thamior. It was enough to evoke the prince's own flash of anger, rising to Relic's challenge.
Winding Down
Kaylan walked into the tent only to witness Thamior reaching up to grab Relic by the collar of his trenchcoat. She was quite surprised, and said as much. She wondered aloud if this had what they had all become: arguments and hate. Both men debunked her worries, agreeing that they were both frustrated and concerned, but they did not hate each other. Their tempers settled down, having spent themselves like fireworks.
Diana prepared to venture back inside as the voices quelled, while Selja and Portia decided to stick it out in the open air by the roaring fire. The sisterly bond was strong between the two boggarts. The snow gently drifted down, the wind ceasing for the time being. It was calm, for once. Sensing an opportunity to bond with the two even further, Diana ended up deciding to make the best use of her cold immunity and sleep out in the air with the two girls. That, and to give the other three some room in the tent. Selja turned into her wolf-form and curled up away from the other two girls, wishing to be alone.
Inside, the three talked and hashed out differences and quelled fears about blame and hating. Relic stood by the door to keep a silent guard as he was accustomed to, while Kaylan and Thamior confessed their fears to each other, and their need to be together.
She trailed off with "Thamior, you need to know..."
Epilogue
A Secret Told
Growing Concerns
The Animal She's Become
This Thing, Friendship
Girl Talk
Examination
Making Amends
Our Feral Friend
Love vs. Sex and Keeping Out the Chill
What is a Sister to Do?
From the Ashes
Experience: 333 xp (21,499 total)
Crossing the River, 500 xp
Saving the Frozen, 500 xp
Securing the Tent, 500 xp
Arguments and Confessions, 500 xp
Magic: n/a
Money: -35 gp (Diana)
New NPCs:
Shaggy Traveler (unnamed), the man with the half-wolf staying by the Vistani camp. Is he just some random traveler, or does he have some greater purpose?
The Three Wolves (unnamed), three black-furred wolves that were stalking the group from high above in the cliffs by the river. Do they have malcontent in mind, or were they just curious?
Guest DM: Josh
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