Chaos breaks out as a flurry of frenzied shouts and cries pierces through the howling wind and general din of the walled town. When the uproar begins, eight wagons have cleared the Southwest Gate and are filing into the wide boulevard near the stables, two are now passing under and through the open gate itself and another 14 wagons are still spread along the Caravan Trail leading into town.

Alerted by the cries of guardsmen, the party tenses and quickly scans the surrounding area to locate the cause for panic. It does not take long to hone in on the source. A chorus of windborne howl's rise up above the din, emanating from a low rise just southeast of gate. In response, eyes' train in that direction and fall upon a rush of hulking beasts of snow white fur, curved black horns, keen black eyes and vicious yawning mouths beneath shaggy fur. Yetis!

Though camoflauged in their surroundings, the terrible monsters' quick strides down the rise enable them to be seen against the background. The pack of yetis descends upon the caravan, some heading toward the rear of the procession and some toward the gate itself!

The pack and draft animals panic as the yeti's howls rent the air, causing them to bolt this way and that, nearly tearing apart their harnesses and causing the wagons to jostle and jerk violently in protest.

Caravan guards draw weapons in response and those town guards stationed atop the ramparts do likewise. The yetis will be upon the caravan and soon. The next few moments may well decide the outcome of this brazen and uncharacteristic attack on the walled town!

---

OOC: This encounter will begin at a distance of about 50 feet before the yetis draw near to the wagons, etc. There are several yetis along the procession, though for the purpose of this encounter we will initially focus on those assaulting the gate, 4 in total. The others will be handled by the caravan guards along the rear portion of the caravan. The assumption is the party is primarily clustered near the gate when the attack begins and their focus will be on defeating the yetis headed their way.

Four Young Yetis Assaulting the Gate
AC 12
HP:
#1: 10/10
#2: 10/10
#3: 10/10
#4: 10/10


PC        AC    HP    Insp  Spell Save  Conditions & Notes
Arnan     14   12/12    0      NA       AC 16 w/ shield
Dalgura   15   10/10    0      13
Ellie     12   11/11    0      13
Kira      14   09/09    0      NA
Morgrim   15   11/11    0      13
Thane     18   13/13    0      NA


OOC: PCs are UP!

This message was last edited by the GM at 17:21, Mon 02 Jan 2017.

Dalgura saw the Yeti's fast approaching the group and gulped.  She didn't know much about them for they didn't venture close enough to the temple she was at, but that didn't matter.  She trusted her Goddess so she grasped her holy symbol as she pointed at one of the Yeti's.  "Let Sharindlar's Holy Radiance shine through to protect the people."

Casting Cantrip - Sacred Flame: page 272 - range = 60', Target must succeed on a Dex saving throw or take 1d8 radiant damage.  Target gains no benefit from cover for this saving throw.

07:19, Today: DM Shard, on behalf of Dalgura Ironhammer, rolled 6 using 1d20 ((6)).
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:20, Mon 02 Jan 2017.

The wet snow caused Arnan's grip to slip a little when he nocked the arrow, but he quickly recovered and the shaft struck its target squarely -- the same Yeti that Dalgura had struck with her Dwarven magicks.

From the creature's reaction Arnan didn't think that his arrow had penetrated its thick fur all that well -- but then again, he didn't know how much the Yeti would be affected by Dalgura's magicks.

What in the hells are these Yetis doing, assaulting the gates of a city? They must either be very bold, or very desperate, Arnan thought to himself.

---

OOC:

Action: 10:53, Today: Arnan Aldwynne rolled 8 using 1d20+7 with rolls of 1. Ranged Attack v. Yeti (AC 12).

10:54, Today: Arnan Aldwynne rolled 23 using 1d20+7 with rolls of 16. Luck Re-Roll. Hit!

10:55, Today: Arnan Aldwynne rolled 4 using 1d8+3 with rolls of 1. Damage.

Note: Arnan has used one of his three Luck points to erase the natural 1 on his original Attack roll.

I knew it Yetis!

For a brief moment all Ellie could think about is some great barbarian hero king some years ago who was finally killed by a pack of yetis in his old age. He had been somehwere around a hundred and twelve years supposedly, yet had taken down many of the monsters with him...

Kill them!

Ellie snapped out of her contemplation and brought her focus back to the attack. She knew what to do, the spell she had been granted not long ago she had only used it a few times. She bit her lip nervously underneath her scarf, but brought the spell to mind, gathering the eldritch power in one hand.

She brought the other over it to consolidate the power, then thrust both hands out, sending a bolt of pure otherworldly magic power out at the closest of the yetis. She jumped a little in surprise as it slammed hard into the monster, sending it flying back to collapse in the snow despite having no other injuries.

Ellie looked at her hand for a moment, surprised at the power she had managed to unleash. She snapped out of it a moment later though, thinking enough to backpedal a bit and put some distance between her and the monsters while she drew a dagger just in case.

---

^{Action: Eldritch blast hits for instant kill on closest yeti.
Object: Draw Dagger
Movement: Fall back behind warriors/melee combatants and keep distance from yetis; preferably around 60' away.
08:33, Today: Ellie Dovehand rolled 14 using 1d20+5.  Eldritch Blast Attack Vs. Young Yeti. HIT.
08:33, Today: Ellie Dovehand rolled 10 using 1d10.  Force Damage. KILL.}

"Marthamor's hammer! What are these mangy dogs!?!?" Morgrim yells as he sets his shield to receive the charge. "Get back!" he shouts, reaching his free hand high above his head and conjuring forth a ball of flame. Bringing his hand down aggressively he set the projectile hurtling towards the nearest of the creatures but in his haste the fire goes wide.

Action: Produce flame. Misses.

14:35, Today: Morgrim Ironhammer rolled 7 using 1d20+5.  Produce Flame.

The hue and cry of the gate and caravan under attack drew Thane's immediate attention.  He instinctively drew his flail as his eyes sought out the attackers.  The shaggy-furred Yeti's came as no surprise although he had never before fought any of their kind.

"To me, you beasts!" he yelled out a challenge and clomped through the snow as quickly as he could towards the nearest cluster, banging the wooden haft of his flail against his shield to gain one's attention.

Time to earn my keep, he thought grimly as he closed in on a yeti.

---

Action: Attack (melee, flail) if close enough.

21:14, Today: Thane Harkensen rolled 14 using 1d20+5.  Melee vs Yeti (AC 12).  Hit!
21:14, Today: Thane Harkensen rolled 11 using 1d8+3.  Flail damage vs Yeti. 11 damage - Kill!

We were so close! Kira screamed in her mind when the call to arms came, knowing the warmth of a fire with food and ale then a warm bed was just a short way past those gates.  Knocking an arrow, she stepped up next to Arnan and loosed it seconds behind him.  She knew she'd get one shot off and then it would be time for her sword so was glad to see her shot land in a nice tender spot.

---

14:53, Today: Kira rolled 21 using 1d20+5.  Attack Arnan's Yeti.
14:54, Today: Kira rolled 7 using 1d6+3.  Damage on Arnan's Yeti.

That should finish off yet another one so didn't bother to roll sneak attack.

A flurry of frenzied action breaks out all across the caravan as guards file out to protect the wagons from the incoming snow beasts. Several pack animals startle upon hearing the yeti's menacing howl, jerking wagons left and right as drovers do their best to avoid disaster. The wagons beneath the gate have the hardest go of it, one nearly turning over beneath the gatehouse as its draft horses do their best to rid themselves of their harness.

The band of maraduing yetis descend the low rise as arrows and bolts fly in their direction, striking several down before they ever reach any wagon, let alone defender. Arnan and Kira lend their talents to this effort, combining to take down an approaching yeti.

Thane bounds off through the snow, intercepting one of the beasts with a solid crack of his flail, sending the monster flying backward into drift of snow. The yeti lands unceremoniously and expires shortly thereafter. A second yeti bounds over an adjacent drift and come screaming down on Thane, its furry claws slashing at the Luskan warrior. Thane manages to parry aside the first and duck beneath the second with practiced skill.

Ellie directs an eldritch blast at another, stopping the yeti in its tracks with a thundrous clap.

Dalgura and Morgrim bring their own divine magic to the fore, lighting the snowy fields up with a ray of fire and light, but neither have the desired effect of hitting a target.

Further down the line, the caravan guards are doing their best to ward off more distant attacks and for the moment have the upper hand.

All the while, the unrelentless howling wind and swirling snow sweeps across the battlefield...

---

OOC: 3 Yetis near the PCs have been slain. 1 is engaged with Thane atop the low rise, about 30 feet distant from the other PCs.

Four Young Yetis Assaulting the Gate
AC 12
HP:
#1: 0/10
#2: 0/10
#3: 0/10
#4: 10/10, Engaged w/ Thane


PC        AC    HP    Insp  Spell Save  Conditions & Notes
Arnan     14   12/12    0      NA       AC 16 w/ shield
Dalgura   15   10/10    0      13
Ellie     12   11/11    0      13
Kira      14   09/09    0      NA
Morgrim   15   11/11    0      13
Thane     18   13/13    0      NA


OOC: PCs are UP!

Satisfaction was marred when a second arrow loosed, this time at the yeti attacking Thank, whizzed just past the creature.

---

07:29, Today: Kira rolled 11 using 1d20+5.  Attack Thane's Yeti.

Morgrim's second volley is on the mark, the ball of flame searing into the yeti's thick fur and finding flesh beneath. "Lets get these carts moving!" he hollers above the din. "Got to get inside the walls!"

Action: Produce Flame, hits AC 22 for 6 fire damage.
Move to keep pace with caravan.

10:36, Today: Morgrim Ironhammer rolled 22 using 1d20+5.  Produce Flame.
10:36, Today: Morgrim Ironhammer rolled 6 using 1d8.  Damage.

"Good shot!" Arnan called over his shoulder to Kira, as the Yeti that the two of them had targeted stumbled and fell, lying motionless in the snow after her arrow had finished it off.

The man-at-arms named Thane had already slain one of the creatures in close combat, but now a second one had closed with him. Kira and Morgrim reacted first, with Kira's second arrow flying a hair wide of the mark, but the Dwarf's flaming magicks solidly striking the Yeti that was engaged with the Human.

Arnan nocked an arrow and waited patiently for the Yeti to momentarily move clear of Thane so that he had an unobstructed shot. When his opportunity came he took it without hesitation, releasing the arrow without conscious thought. This time his arrow sunk up nearly to the fletching in the Yeti's chest and it toppled over backwards, smoke still rising from its singed fur.

"I'm headed down the line to see if the guards at the rear of the caravan need help," he announced, as he turned and moved off in that direction.

---

OOC:

Action: 11:37, Today: Arnan Aldwynne rolled 26 using 1d20+7 with rolls of 19. Ranged Attack v. Yeti #4 (AC 12). Hit!

11:38, Today: Arnan Aldwynne rolled 10 using 1d8+3 with rolls of 7. Damage (Arrow).

Note: Added to the damage that Morgrim has already inflicted this round, this should finish off Yeti #4.

Move: Full move towards the rear of the caravan.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:09, Wed 04 Jan 2017.

Ellie turned her head, hearing Arnan's shout that he was heading to the rear. She didn't know the man, assuming he was one of the caravan guards, but she had seen him hold with them against the yetis, and knew he was reliable. She nodded, her cloth-covered head bobbing as she moved to follow behind him. As she went she clenched her fist, gathering the power of the eldritch in it ready to be released.

---

<sup>I'll follow Arnan. If possible, I'd like to use my action this round to ready a reaction to hit the first Yeti that is in range with an Eldritch Blast.

12:32, Today: Ellie Dovehand rolled 17 using 1d20+5.  Eldritch Blast Attack.
12:33, Today: Ellie Dovehand rolled 6 using 1d10.  Force Damage.</sup>

The party makes quick work of the four yetis that rush in from the low rise to the southeast, preventing any of the beasts from getting at the caravan's precious cargo, or worse, through Bryn Shander's open gate!

Having dealt with the immediate threat, the party fans out to lend assistance to the caravan guards near the rear of the procession. The remaining yets, at least a half dozen or so, inexplicably withdraw from their attack, a raining salvo of arrows riddling their furry behinds as they slip off into the swirling snow.

Shouting is heard here or there for a few moments following the confrontation, but soon all becomes quiet again. The threat has seemingly passed. Or perhaps, the yetis have regrouped just outside of the effective range of sight in such poor visibility.

Guards stand at the ready, their weapons drawn in the event the yetis returns. The drovers at the gates attempt to sort of their draft animals after the sudden attack. Near the head of the caravan, within the town walls, Master Hugglesward storms to the gates and lends his assistance to the effort while looking after the fate of those wagons near the rear of the caravan.

Only one wagon appears to have been savaged in the attack, it being near the rear.

Dalgura looks over at her brother and nods in approval as he helps take on the last of the Yeti's.  "I'm going to lend my aid to those who are injured brother.  Find me when you can."

Dalgura knew she only had a couple of healing spells available so she would save those for the worst but she knew how to bandage and other more mundane healing methods also and if nothing else she had a strong back and willing arms and heart.

"Aye," Morgrim replied. "I will help get the last carter through the gates so we can close them behind us, and good riddance!"

Shouldering his shield the stocky dwarf approached the wagon in question and gave his arms and back to the communal cause.

Ellie sent one last blast of eldritch power at the back of one of the fleeing yetis, turning away before seeing if it actually hit the mark.

She cleared her throat a bit beneath the scarf and spoke aloud to the archer she had followed; one of the few times to had spoke during the trip at all.

"I am going to go and check on the ravaged wagon. Mayhaps there is more reason behind this assault than plain to the eye" she said to Arnan.

She then turned and headed that way, as if not expecting the man to actually respond.

---

^{(( OOC: I would like to investigate the one savaged wagon at the back. ))}

"I'm going to follow along behind those Yetis who retreated," Arnan said.

"I don't plan on crowding them, but if it looks like they are regrouping for another attack, I'll double back and give warning."

Kira had silently moved along with Arnan toward the end of the caravan, wincing at the destruction.  "I'll keep an arrow ready in case you need cover," she informed Arnan and walked with him partway, then stopped when she thought she would be about equally between him and those trying to get the last through the gates.  Drawing an arrow, she set it against bow and string but did not draw just yet.

As Thane was winding up to dispatch the Yeti that had been assaulting him, the beast fell to a combination of arrows and flame battle-magic.  The Yeti toppled and Thane twisted his torso to the side and raised his shield as a gesture of appreciation to those who had come to his aid.

The archers were quick to move towards the rear of the caravan, though, so Thane trudged through the snow to the gate.  He felt that was the best place for him to be so that he could help the wagons get into the safe confines of Bryn Shander.  He approached the pair of dwarves he had been listening to earlier in the journey, just as the female one was apparently heading away from the gate.

"Hail, stout folk!  Were you the ones that helped me out with those flaming battle magics?" he greeted them, then asked with polite enthusiasm.

"We did indeed," Morgrim announced from down low near the ground where he was laboring to straighten the cart's rear axle. "Bloody mess this is..." he grumbled.

"Not that you looked like you needed it," he said, briefly looking up at the armored caravan guard.

"Not hurt, are you? I'm no deft hand at healing magics but my sister can help. Hey, Dal? Dal?! Now where did that girl get off to..."

In reply to Morgrim Ironhammer (msg # 25):

Dalgura dimly heard her brother call her name so she turned around and ran back to him.

"Morgrim?  Why did you call me?  Are you hurt?  I thought you were all right."

Dalgura put her hands on her hips and looked at her brother in concern.  Finally she looked up at the tall human next to her brother.  "Oh sorry.  Perhaps it was you who is hurt sir?  I saw you in battle.  Did you get injured?  Do you need assistance?"

Dalgura walked up to Thane and started to look at him.  Not seeing any outside appearance of being injured, she arched her eyebrow at him.

In the immediate aftermath of the yetis' attack, Dalgura walks among the line to administer first aid and healing to anyone injured during the yeti's attack. One guardsman suffered a heavy gash across the arm and another tripped and sprained his ankle (of all things) during the attack, both of which are well within Dalgura's ability to heal. Both guards express their gratitude for the cleric's prompt ministrations, the one with the swollen ankle somewhat embarassed about his performance during the assault.

Morgrim and Thane aid the drovers attempting to bring order to the wagons beneath the gate. One of the wagons smashed into the wall, jarring its contents and putting stress on the axel. The other wagon being a victim of nothing other than tangled harness leaders due to some very spooked animals. Morgrim sees to the animals' welfare first then assists with an assessment of the axel. Thane lends his muscle to the task as well while chatting with the dwarves.

Ellie sprints off toward the savaged wagon near the rear of the procession. One of the yetis tore off the sidewall and disturbed its cargo, broken crates cast to the ground, jars of pickled fruit mixed partially submerged in the ground. Interestingly, one of the crates dislodged from the wagon does not appear to be of the pickled fruit variety, rather what appears to be a weapon crate. This crate was smashed, revealing a cache of silvered arrows within. A concerned guardsman approaches the crate and quietly orders another to secure "Dunavan's wares". This was meant to be outside of earshot of any others, but Ellie hears nonetheless, and the men quickly carry this crate back onto the wagon securing it under a roll of leather, where Ellie might spy a few other similarly sized crates.

Arnan stalks up the low rise to the south, using a stone plinth war memorial for cover and attemmpts to spot the retreating yetis in the distance, but quickly loses sight of them in the worsening snowstorm. While atop the rise, Arnan further notices that while the yetis fled away to the south, they must have originally approached from the north, given the tracks in the area.

Finally, while the others are attending to various tasks, Kira scans the distance to sound the alarm should she see a secondary wave of yetis, or anything else for that matter. Several tense moments pass, when the keen eyed rogue catches a brief glimpse of a woman dressed in white robes, crowned with the antlers of an elk, standing in the middle of the storm away to the south. The woman stares at Kira a moment and then turns and disappears into a violent swirl of snow.

Dunavan...

Elli repeats the name quietly to herself, committing it to memory. Silvered weapons, especially arrows, were no cheap or easily acquired wares; nor were they usual stock for most, including guardsmen. Was it only a coincidence that those were on the cart most heavily damaged by the yetis?

The hooded woman walked away, her eyes studying the concerned guardsman who had the crate confiscated, hoping to remember the face just in case. She slipped in behind a pair of dwarves who were talking with another who appeared to be a guardsman, attempting to blend in with them.

Arnan stopped behind the stone plinth that was situated atop a low rise off to the south, intending to use it as cover both against the prying eyes of any Yetis who might be looking back in his direction, and the wind-driven snow. He waited there long enough to satisfy himself that the Yetis were not gathering for another attack -- at least not from any indication that he could see.

He walked back to where Kira stood waiting for him. "Thanks for watching my back," he said to her. "Plus, if those Yetis had been of a mind to attack again, the more arrows that we could shoot off at them to try and slow them down, the better."

"I didn't see any indications that they were headed back for a follow-up attack, though. Maybe we were a bit tougher than what they expected to run into."

"I did notice something a little odd, though -- or at least it seemed that way to me," Arnan added, turning to stare back at the plinth atop the low hill.

"Based upon the tracks that I saw, the Yetis originally came from the north -- but instead of retreating in that direction, they moved off to the south."

---

OOC: Shane, based upon Arnan's "Wanderer" feature (which gives him an excellent memory for maps and geography, and he can always recall the general layout of terrain, settlements, and other features around him) would he remember anything off to either the north or the south that might explain the Yetis' movements? Thanks. :)
This message was last edited by the player at 18:35, Sun 08 Jan 2017.

Thane shook his head in the negative.  "No, I'm not hurt.  Those things were fierce but not very smart.  Brute force and speed, nothing good shield work can't block," he replied with an appraisal of the small Yeti's he had fought.  He graced Morgrim with a simple smile.  "I appreciate the help, though.  Fighting hand to hand in snow can get tricky fast.  If I had slipped and fallen down, that beast would have truly gotten the jump on me, shield or no!"

Thane helped the Dwarf to his feet (he had been inspecting an axle, after all) and assisted in getting the wagons at the gate sorted out.  When Dalgura joined them inside, he introduced himself to her.  "I am Thane," he said, "and I was just talking with your....friend?....here about how you helped me against that last yeti.  I wanted to thank you," he nodded down at her respectfully.  "Are you both servants of the Dwarven Gods, then?  I've worked with such Godders in the past, in Luskan, and found them to be very valuable companions."