[OOC suggested soundtrack: Season of the Witch, by Atli Örvarsson]

After mourning the brave knight and resting your tired bodies, you go out in the early morning, following the crude map found in Gallaharn’s room. After a eight hours trek in the mountains you eventually reach the small underground complex which hosts the Crystal Cage.
You find an entrance to the caverns, guarded by a stone portal carved with magical symbols.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:12, Thu 22 Mar 2018.

Garl carefully examines the magic symbols.  What does he make of them?

[OOC please take a test of MAGIC (it doesn't seem to me that you have specific Special Skills for this) ]

you go out in the early morning, following the crude map found in Gallaharn’s room.

Rorn takes point in the wild and leads the way, getting a bit ahead of the main group.  He keeps an eye on the sky for more demon-crows, and also climbs a tree from time to time to get a better view of the ground and the land ahead.

Were there any tracks on the ground, making a beaten path towards this cave?

Awareness:  Roll 7, Skill 7, Special Skill +2 and Hawkeye
Tracking: Roll 7, Skill 7, Special Skill +1

08:29, Today: Rorn rolled 7,7 using 2d6,2d6.  Awareness roll, tracking roll.


You find an entrance to the caverns, guarded by a stone portal carved with magical symbols.

Fearful and superstitious of such things like all good villagers, Rorn keeps back a goodly distance from the portal and keeps an eye out for threats while the witch-elf dealt with it.

During the journey Rorn didn't spot anything particularly strange. He couln't spot any bird to hunt either.

Rested and rejuvenated, Galendra stands alert scanning the area outside and around the portal for threats. Her hand rests easily on her weapon, at the ready.

This message was deleted by the player at 22:13, Thu 22 Mar 2018.

18:14, Today: Garl Ligoosh rolled 2 using 2d6.  Magic Lore check (if appropriate).

(I previously made a roll to check Magic Lore, but I forgot it wasn't an attack roll... Without adding +10 to this previous roll, it would have been 10, which also would have succeeded.)
This message was last edited by the player at 22:16, Thu 22 Mar 2018.

Garl isn't sure about the exact meaning of the runes, but he notices they are quite faded, and faded or damaged magic runes often lose or reduce their powers.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 03:05, Tue 27 Mar 2018.

After wasting some time, Garl shrugs.  “I can’t read them,” he says simply.  “And just when I was starting to think I was smart.”

There didn't seem like much else to do ...

Rorn helps organise a heave-ho with Larson and Sir Roland.  With the three of them forcing the portal, and Gal and Garl helping provide extra leverage they would hopefully be able to get the stone slab moving in the right direction.

"Manual labor," Garl grumbles as he pushes with all of his feeble might.  "It really has come to this."

Galendra helps with the old heave ho, as well.

[OOC who picks up the Silver Mace?]

Sir Roland joins the effort and the eventually gate opens.
Inside, you can see caves covered by a thick blanket of ice which shines with disturbing rainbow-like colours. Stalactites and stalagmites protrude chaotically in all directions and a frigid mist flutters some ten centimetres high on the floor. The temperature inside is incredibly low.

[OOC you will all have a -1 SKILL penalty under these conditions. If you think you have a particularly good way to protect yourself from cold, you may want to share it with me and I will tell you if it helps to some extent inside the caves.]

Sir Roland steps in with caution, with Sir Gallaham's wondrous shield and sword, and looks around with great attention, before letting his companions in.

This part of the cave looks a bit like a chamber. The northern wall of this chamber is occupied by a huge crystal statue representing a horned demoness with a dozen udders, sitting crosslegged. Sick veins of purplish energy pulsate within the statue’s crystal skin . The demoness’ right hand is open, its palm facing up, while the other tightly holds a Blue Gem.
Besides the statue, at her right and left, there are two passages progressing deeper inside the frozen mountain.

Farmer folk were a tough breed but Rorn still suffers and shivers along, teeth chattering and hands rubbing.  "Agh, whatever hellbeast lives here does not have blood pumping in its breast," he declares.

The northern wall of this chamber is occupied by a huge crystal statue representing a horned demoness with a dozen udders, sitting crosslegged.

"Hellcow," he corrects himself, looking at the horrid icon with disgust.  Rorn feels that smashing it to pieces with the mace would be a good deed, but greatly fears the repercussions of a chaos curse or worse.

Sick veins of purplish energy pulsate within the statue’s crystal skin.  The demoness’ right hand is open, its palm facing up, while the other tightly holds a Blue Gem.

"Uhhh," is all the young hunter can muster and he hopes the witch-elf knew what was going on here.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:58, Wed 04 Apr 2018.

“Beware of the statue,” Garl says simply.  “It may come to life and rip your intestines out, or put a curse on you, or force you to drink gods know what from its enchanted udders.”

"So, do you think more prudent leaving the statue alone and take one of the passages?"

Garl shrugs.  “Not necessarily.  If we do that, we’ll have no idea what sort of unholy menace we might be leaving behind to be dealt with latter.”

The demoness’ right hand is open, its palm facing up, while the other tightly holds a Blue Gem.
Besides the statue, at her right and left, there are two passages progressing deeper inside the frozen mountain.


"Maybe the other hand needs a gem too," Rorn muses.   "Or we snag the gem that's there, and then no hand has one."

Perhaps an instinctive need for symmetry was the wrong approach, though; these were Chaos fiends after all.

Sir Roland is unsure about what is the right way to proceed in front of obvious black magic, and looks at Garl and Rorn.

Galendra seems particularly scared and confused by the image of the horrible demoness and doesn't open her mouth.

“There could be a non-magical trap that is set off by removing the gem.  Perhaps we could try searching the area for such devices?”

Perhaps we could try searching the area for such devices?”

By such devices, Rorn imagines swinging scythes, falling blocks or the statue coming to life and slaying them all.  Trying to put on a brave face, he steps closer and looks all around.

He does put on a good show of searching, but really is examining the ground closely for things like tripwires and tracks.  Perhaps if one passage showed more foot traffic than the other it was the clue they needed.

Actions
Get within 5 feet of statue but no closer, not touching anything
Scan for tricks/traps/tracks

Die Roll: 7
Skill: 7
Possible bonuses that might apply: Awareness 2, Hawkeye

15:39, Today: Rorn rolled 7 using 2d6.  Search for tricks/traps/tracks.

None of you is particularly skilled with traps, but you try to make the best use of yoru awareness while staying well clear of the statue and... you can't spot anything obvious. Yes, the specific position of the statue is quite meaningful, but you can't spot specific traps or similar mechanica contraptions.

Rorn does his best to not look at the statue, lest he have the kind of nightmares that you didn''t wake up from.  Since it was so cold in here, he figures keeping moving was smart and tries to get a feel for the group's appetite for exploring.

"So, left?"

He takes a few steps in that direction and leads them on if they follow.

Seems we lost half our party to the Real Life monster?  A typical result unfortunately, every once in a while :/  Perhaps another round of recruiting is in order!

“We may proceed that way, if you really think it a good idea to leave the statue unexamined.  For my part, I’m not at all certain of that.”

"Yah, fine, but I'm not touching that thing.  Bad luck and curses, right."

Taking the passage to the left, you enter a cave with a strange hole that looks like if it was made of pure darkness. A relaxing hum comes from the hole.
There is a single exit from this cave, on the opposite side.

[OOC it happens, but we are close to the end of this episode and it makes sense to regroup at the end of the episode.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:36, Sun 08 Apr 2018.

a cave with a strange hole that looks like if it was made of pure darkness

A hole that looked like it was full of gold and gems might have drawn a curious Rorn over, but pure darkness?

Trusting his fellows to keep an eye on the hole in case something crawled out, tThe hunter gives the latest horror a wide berth as he hugs the wall and ends up at the far exit, which he peers down while listening intently.

Rorn can see, going out of the cave with the hole of darkness, a long tunnel. He can't hear anything coming from the dark tunnel, but the sounds coming from the hole of darkness are perhaps overwhelming all other faint noises coming from everywhere else.

Rorn backtracks to the main group and reports.  Clearly this place was a lot larger than just a few caves, maybe an entire complex full of twists and turns.

Maybe Garl knew something about the humming hole?  If not, Rorn suggests they head back to the crystal hell-cow and try the other passage.

Where exactly is the hole located, and how large is it?  Is there any unusual smell, wind, etc?

The hole is on the floor, at the center of the cave. It is about three to four meters wide and right now you can perceive only sound coming from it.
Do you want to take time and observe it more carefully? Insofar I assumed you all kept away from it as much as possible.

Because there are other passages to explore, Rorn feels like they can always come back in case the hole suddenly figures prominently in their plans for some reason.

If Rorn wants to get going, Garl will quickly follow him out.  No sense in splitting up.

You take the long tunnel, leaving the hole of darkness behind your shoulders.
After a few minutes you reach another cave. Pillars of pure crystalline ice spire up to the ceiling, supporting the huge ogival arches of this cave. Within the spires, strange luminescent symbols float quietly and you have the feeling that they are slowly fading away.
On the farthest wall of the cave you see a strange, flat formation and in your heads the word that immediately comes up is: The Threshold!

Between you and the Threshold materializes a semi-translucent creature, made of thin air, deep cold and malevolence. You immediately know what it is from the bedtime stories that gave you the most nighmares when you were children: an Ice Fiend! It seems ireful against you.

It seems ireful against you.

Quite content that the feeling was mutual, Rorn hopes that Sir R can put Sir G's trusty sword to good use against the ice monster.  I mean, a determined toddler with a stick could break ice on a cold winter's day ... surely a mighty knight with a magical blade could cut this thing apart.

But, just in case some help was needed he fires an arrow at the thing then takes up a defensive position behind the warrior(s).

Shoot arrow, total is 14
Roll: 5
Skill: 7
Special Skill: 2

09:15, Today: Rorn rolled 5 using 2d6.  Shoot the Ice Fiend!

As soon as the fiend comes with five meters, Garl casts Lightning Blast.

18:41, Today: Garl Ligoosh rolled 14 using 2d6+2.  Damage.
18:41, Today: Garl Ligoosh rolled 4 using 2d6.  Cast Lightning Blast.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:42, Tue 10 Apr 2018.

Galendra attacks the Ice fiend with her ancestral sword.
19:40, Today: The Director, on behalf of Galendra, rolled 5 using 1d6.  damage or armor - Ice Fiend.
19:39, Today: The Director, on behalf of Galendra, rolled 8 using 2d6.  attack Ice Fiend.

Sir Roland, eager to avenge Sir Gallaham, attacks with Stormbreaker.
19:42, Today: The Director, on behalf of Sir Roland Halfstaff, rolled 1 using 1d6.  damage or armor - Ice Fiend.
19:42, Today: The Director, on behalf of Sir Roland Halfstaff, rolled 4 using 2d6.  attack Ice Fiend.
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 00:53, Wed 11 Apr 2018.

[Private to GM: ICE FIEND
SKILL 9
STAMINA 18 (4)
ATTACKS 3
Claws 2333445

Invulnerability (partial): On a hit, nonmagical or non-silver weapons inflict the ICE FIEND only minimum damage. Moreover, he’s immune to cold-based attacks.

Frost Aura: The monster emanates an aura of cold which imparts -1 to the Heroes’ Attack Strength, unless they drank the Kalash liquor or have a Heat Spell cast unto them.

Freezing Breath: Every three rounds the ICE FIEND tries to engulf one of the Heroes with a breath of freezing cold which causes the loss of 1 SKILL point. A Test for Skill (Dodge) is necessary to avoid the breath. The SKILL points lost this way, however, will be entirely restored at the end of the combat. The Freezing Breath occurs in addition to the ICE FIEND’s normal attack.


19:45, Today: The Director rolled 2 using 1d4.  character attacked.
19:44, Today: The Director rolled 1 using 1d6.  Ice Fiend armor / attack.
19:44, Today: The Director rolled 4 using 2d6.  Ice Fiend attack.]
As you attack, the Ice Fiends expands his "aura" and all of you feel a supernatural cold penentrating right into your marrow. The Ice Fiend then swipes and attacks three of you, this time sparing only Garl.

Garl's magic hits the Ice Fiend with great power and Galendra's sword anticipates its attack but doesn't seem to cause much damage. Sir Roland and Rorn, instead, are hit by the transulcent claws of the Ice Fiend.[Private to Rorn: Just two damages for you!][Private to Sir Roland Halfstaff: Just two damages for you!]

The Ice Fiend, although visibly damaged by Garl's magic, prepares for another round of fight!
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:00, Wed 11 Apr 2018.

The thing was moving too quickly for a proper defence and although Rorn is hit it was not so bad.  He waits for a chance to shift back once the two sword-bearers had engaged it fully.

"What do you want?!" he yells at the thing, in case the fiend was feeling talkative.

Once Rorn has a clear shot, he fires again.

Die Roll: 3
Skill: 7
Special Skill: +2
Damage Roll: 1

20:28, Today: Rorn rolled 3,1 using 2d6,d6.  Round 2: Rorn arrow attack, damage roll.

Galendra swings her sword again at the fiend.

16:07, Today: Galendra rolled 11 using 2d6. 16:07, Today: Galendra rolled 2 using 1d6.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:08, Wed 11 Apr 2018.

Garl casts Animate on the long rope in his pack, and then orders it to attack the Fiend’s legs.  (It should attack with skill 10.)

22:23, Today: Garl Ligoosh rolled 9 using 2d6.  Cast Animate.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:24, Thu 12 Apr 2018.

[OOC please Garl, roll for the rope.

EDIT: I did roll for the rope...
20:41, Today: The Director rolled 7 using 2d6.  roll for the rope..]
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:42, Fri 13 Apr 2018.

Sir Roland attacks again with the magic sword.

[OOC 20:43, Today: The Director, on behalf of Sir Roland Halfstaff, rolled 6 using 1d6.  armor/damage.
20:43, Today: The Director, on behalf of Sir Roland Halfstaff, rolled 8 using 2d6.  attack Ice Fiend.]

[Private to GM: 21:29, Yesterday: The Director rolled 3 using 1d4.  character spared.
21:29, Yesterday: The Director rolled 3 using 1d6.  Ice Fiend armor / damage.
21:29, Yesterday: The Director rolled 6 using 2d6.  Ice Fiend attack.]
Once again, moving at great speed, the Ice Fiend can attack three of you in a single round, and this time Rorn is spared!

Rorn's arrow misses again, but the Ice Fiend doesn't retaliate on him.
Garl's animated rope fails to trap the Ice Fiend, that instead hits Garl back! [Private to Garl Ligoosh: You feel lucky having just three damages!]
Galendra instead hits the Ice Fiend, but doesn't seem to cause much damage.
Sir Roland, instead, with Sir Gallaham's sword hits the Ice Fiend with great efficacy and the transulcent vision of the Ice Fiend seems to shatter into many shards, that in a blink disappear. You immediately feel the supernatural cold that tormented you in the presence of the Ice Fiend receeding.
You all breath a sigh of relief.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:55, Fri 13 Apr 2018.

You all breath a sigh of relief.

Not a veteran of many battles, Rorn instead breathes two sighs of relief.  Then a third.  Finally he creeps forward to inspect a shattered shard and he grins at Roland.

"Well struck ... is everyone alright?!"

He then looks around the ice chamber.  Was the Fiend a solitary beast, or had it come into being with friends?

Perplexed, Garl retrieves the rope and nurses his wounds.  He suggests stopping for a meal.

Rorn can't find any shard anymore. Apparently they disappeared or evporated too quickly for him to find.
As you look at the flat, semi-translucent surface at the bottom of the cave, the Threshold, you can easily gues that at the other side of that screen, or gate, there are many more Ice Fiends coming and going and, occasionally trying to look through or to push on the other side of that flat surface.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:30, Fri 13 Apr 2018.

On the farthest wall of the cave you see a strange, flat formation and in your heads the word that immediately comes up is: The Threshold!

you can easily gues that at the other side of that screen, or gate, there are many more Ice Fiends coming and going and, occasionally trying to look through or to push on the other side of that flat surface.

How could the elf eat at a time like this?!  Rorn doesn't want to look away from the Threshold, but he can't.  Was there another world beyond there?  Was it a two-way door or was like ice on top of a lake ... you fell through sometimes but things rarely poked up.

The youngster stands guard while they work on their next move.  If more Ice Fiends are going to appear he will give a clear warning so that they can smash it quickly.

Garl will attempt a magic lore roll.  Can he think of a way to close this rift?

01:36, Today: Garl Ligoosh rolled 9 using 2d6.  Magic lore.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:36, Sat 14 Apr 2018.

First of all you need to be very careful not to touch with bare hands the Gate, as you risk passing to "the other side", whatever nightmare dimension the Ice Fiends come from.
In order to destroy the Threshold you realize that you have to use a powerful magical item against it. Perhaps there are various options of items that can do the trick.

you realize that you have to use a powerful magical item against it

Rorn nods along. Magic to fight magic, right, right.

Well, clearly it had to be the super sword.  "I mean, why else would the Fiends target Sir G and turn him evil?" the hunter reasons.

Or maybe it was the mace?  Rorn offers the silver-headed skull basher to Sir R.  "Here, just in case."

Is slashing the Threshold with the sword or mashing it with the mace failed, well, then it goes beyond Rorn's imagination.  Pour some wine on it??

"Oh wait, the blue gem!!"

Thusly:

If the weapons fail, and Garl agrees, Rorn will run back and fetch (gulp!!) the gem, sprinting back to the group so that they can use it against the Threshold ... maybe it needed to be crushed into shards too!

Sir Roland eyes Garl, dubious: "I think you should have the last word about magic issues, amongst us..."

“We must use a powerful magic item to close this portal to another world.  And be careful not to touch it with your bare hands!  Sadly, there is little further insight I can provide.  Nothing in my studies prepared me for something like this.”

First of all, Sir Roland, following the suggestions by Garl and Rorn, touches the Threshold with the top of the silver mace, holding it in a way to ensure he can never touch the flat, semi-translucent surface of the gate.
The mace quickly sticks to the surface of the Threshold and is sucked into it. Sir Roland tries making some resistance, but the mace doesn't yield and is sfitly incorporated into the surface, while, on the other side, you see a lot of movement.
Eventually Sir Roland leaves the mace and it goes right to the other side, where youc an't see it clearly anymore.
You have the impression that, after this operation, the Threshold became a little thinner and perhaps more transparent then before.

Sir Roland, despite the cold, is sweating: "Maybe it wasn't powerful enough? What shall we try next?"

You have the impression that, after this operation, the Threshold became a little thinner and perhaps more transparent then before.

Well, it was disheartening to see all the silver sucked away just like that.  But maybe it had been a worthy sacrifice.  "Did that just work a little?!" Rorn babbles.

"Uhhh ... try ... maybe the magic sword?" he then finally suggests, although he is loathe to do so.  Losing that blade too might leave them without a serious weapon to fight more monsters with.

Sir Roland nods, with a deep sight, and, cautiously, reluctantly, he brings the hilt of Sir Gallaham's sword in contact with the surface of the Threshold. He can hear his heart beating.
In a similar way to the silver mace, the magic sword is absorbed in the Threshold and Sir Roland, with a deeper sigh, swiftly retracts his hand at the very last moment, while the sword is sucked into the translucent wall.
This time, however, the semi-translucent wall quickly becomes more and more opaque and, apparently, thicker. The foul creatures on the other side seem to be suddenly upset, but soon you can't see them anymore.
The fading runes of power seem to suddenly become brighter and icy spikes grow from that side of the cave towards the exit.

How quickly are the spikes growing? Do we have to get out of their way? If so, Galendra will carefully move toward the entrance of the cave avoiding any growing ice spikes.

icy spikes grow from that side of the cave towards the exit.

"But it was supposed to be over," Rorn whines when he sees the uber sword get swallowed up but no shortage of frosty threats from the ice palace ... it just seemed to get worse and worse.

Like Galendra, he feels a strong urge to flee.  A short dash, and back out, into the familiar world of trees and campfires, village life and a simple hunter's fate.

"C'mon," Rorn says to Sir G and Garl.  "Before it's too late.  I just hope that statue lets us pass."

[OOC just in case I was unclear:
the Threshold is in the part of the cave further away from the entrance
the crystal spikes are growing from the area of the Threshold towards the exit
the growth of the spikes is fairly quick, but not quicker than you can walk]
[Private to Garl Ligoosh: Knowing magic effects, you guess the spikes are part of the original enchantments and aimed at keeping people away.]

“We should either try one more item, or flee,” Garl suggests.  “Is there anything we haven’t tried?”

"Rorn mentioned the Blue Gem that the demoness statue was clutching in her hands near the entrance, but I don't think we can actually reach the Threshold again..."

“Is there anything we haven’t tried?”

Rorn can't think of anything else on hand that was a weapon - of course they were carrying a lot of things all told but somehow he didn't think boar meat or shiny river stones were going to do much.

"What else is magic?!" Rorn asks, eyeing the way out back towards the statue and getting really freaked out by the spikes.

If Sir R or Garl said to fetch the gem, then Rorn would risk it at a run, never slowing down until he'd thrown it at The Threshold like an egg.

Galendra looks at her fish charm bracelet. Is it made of silver?

Addressing Galendra: "Well... we already tried silver, but it didnt work..."

Message for Garl.
[Private to Garl Ligoosh: Overall it looks to you that the effect may be the right one: these spikes will keep curious people away from the Threshold. Perhaps something that Sor Gallaham failed to do.]
This message was last updated by the GM at 00:59, Thu 19 Apr 2018.

“Perhaps we are overthinking this,” Garl suggests.  “After all, these spikes should serve to keep visitors away from the threshhold.”

"The magic runes are glowing brighter, that I guess indicates they are more powerful... OK, let's get out of here...."

Rorn leads the way out!!

You shut the external gates of the Crystal Caves behind you and you can see that the faded runes on the outer surface progressively glow clearer and brighter, sign that the magic was reinstated. You all breath a sigh of relief.
Now you can regroup and go back to Tyntern to report about what happened to Sir Gallaham and what kind of risk the whole continent just run.

[OOC continue here: link to a message in this game ]
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:27, Fri 20 Apr 2018.