Monday, February 9, 2015

Quicklings Be Damned!

The group found shelter under the remains of the church, staying the night as the storm piled snow across the world outside. The morning was bright and clear, allowing the sled to make good time. A little after dusk, the group arrived at the small town of Ellsprin near Glacier Lake's shore. On the edge of town, a small hut sat alone with a body lying in front of it. Even from a distance the blood was obvious.

Zacarius approached the body with the others staying close, except for cautious Kyezra who circled the hut. At the body, Zacarius spotted doll-sized footprints leading to a patch of pristine snow, but not away from it. He pointed it out to Ash, but before either could act Faernip the quickling lost his battle to hold still and started cursing the humans and their stupid fat heads. He struck at Zacarius as his companion, Tindlecrick the twigjack, moved through the bushes by the hut to get the jump on Pavo.

Though a fierce and chaotic battle, the group focused on bringing the quickling down and managed it in short order. Tindlecrick fled back to Zzababa and her hostage. A few moments later, as the group recovered from the hostile welcome, the door to the hut opened a crack and Maret warned the group that she had seen a second quickling when they slew her husband.

The group set out promptly to backtrack the quicklings to their layer, catching Zzababa just as she started taking out her rage at Faernip's death on poor Garen. Zacarius moved Ash into the decrepit barn serving as the quicklings' hideout while Kyezra circled looking for another entrance. Pavo worked his way in as well, keeping Ash from being overwhelmed while Zacarius teleported Garen away from Zzababa's ire.

Kyezra did find a back entrance in to the hayloft of the barn, but had little luck getting inside. Ash and Pavo managed to drop the quickling while Inuksuk harried the twigjack. Once the fey were dispatched, Zacarius tended to the wounded while Pavo dug out the stash they had accumulated from waylaid travelers.

Maret was overjoyed to be reunited with her son Garen and gave the group shelter through the night. In the morning, Nadya and Maret restocked the sled's provisions and arranged for Nadya's boys to stay behind while Nadya led the group in to Whitethrone.

Travel was swift until mid-afternoon, when Kyezra spotted a hawk high above, circling back the way it came, with leads tied to one leg. Soon after the group found itself set upon by archers hiding in small clumps of trees on a low ridgeline ahead, while more hawks moved in to harry them. Inuksuk and Zacarius drove the hawks to return to the archers while Ash, Pavo and Kyezra worked their way forward.

Norgrimm, winter wolf and leader of the archers, was hiding in the snow along the path. Seeing most of the protectors away from the sled and Nadya busy trying to both cover the sled and keep the dogs in cover, Norgrimm charged forward and let loose with chilling breath along the sled leads, engulfing Zacarius as well. Though Inuksuk tried to taunt the winter wolf away from the sled, Zacarius let loose with a fan of burning flame. The enraged Norgrimm snapped forward and crushed Zacarius' chest, dropping him to death's embrace. Norgrimm then joined him in death at Inuksuk's assault.

Ash, Pavo and Kyezra finally made it in to effective range with the archers, downing three of the four hawks and severely wounding one of the archers. Seeing their leader go down, they surrendered.

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