Winter is Coming

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Header

Summary

Adventure: Winter is Coming
GM: Keith Smith
Session: Autumn 816
Night: Tuesdays
Location The house of Smith
Level: High to Medium
Rules: By the Book (although will consider Opposition Rolling.

Mission

Something is very wrong in Palaeolithica. An unnatural cold wind has come from the north, bringing with it, ice and snow as well as strange, unnatural, and extremely dangerous creatures called 'White Walkers'. Walls are rapidly being constructed to keep the settlers in the more northern reaches safe. Contact with Khoras has been cut off. Is this something coming from Frigidia or is something else going on? All the omens say is "Winter is Coming and the Ice Queen comes with it".

The Party

Scribe Notes

Chapter 1: Problems on Paleolithica

It was a few days after the Guild meeting (4th Fruit) when we were summoned to one of the meeting rooms. There was an employer named Jon representing the Order of The Wandering Warrior from Pasifika (although he originated from Khoras). There were problems on Paleolithica. Winter was coming early. The colony was under attack by creatures they called white walkers – that broke mundane weapons, and were accompanied by undead.
For payment they offered guild rates plus salvage plus 5000sp up front to spend on healing potions and such.
Next morning, Grendel created a warp tunnel and we whooshed through to Pasifika. Only, we almost didn’t. Something seemed to be trying to pull us off course. Could have been a horror, but I didn’t see it. We arrived near the portals. There was now a big wall around the portals, with a gap and a bunch of ballistae pointing at the gap. The guard challenged the party… He didn’t recognise us, and went for his sergeant – who did identify us as the Guild party they had sent for.
We cast our weapon spells and went through. There was a grey sky above and snow on the ground, except in a circle around the portal. It was darker to the north. We flew south to the logging camp, which was now heavily fortified. We landed safely out of bowshot, and were challenged, then instructed to run in the gates as fast as possible. I caught a glimpse of something cold out there.
These people knew more. Brother Phaeton had been here and had returned to Pasifika. These white walkers were cold, but not themselves undead, although they were often accompanied by cold undead (generally zombies or sometimes wights). They were long-lived sentients, with the GTN White Walker, and their plane of origin was Cocytus Golarion (a plane which has been visited once by a Guild party, who visited one city for eight hours - which was not very helpful). They used swords which create wounds that don’t heal well, and sometimes bits break off and head for the victim’s heart. Nasty.
Valentine insisted on summoning an efreet, but had difficulty. Meanwhile I summoned a fire elemental with ease. But it was getting dark, so we decided to stay the night, and head out in the morning. I spent some time warming up all the buildings in the village, figuring the people would benefit from a comfortable night.

Chapter 2: Into the white yonder =

6 Fruit
The night passed uneventfully. Over breakfast, much time was spent in discussing what to do next.
There was a sudden cold, and it started snowing. The people were talking about evacuating through the portal to the south, which leads to Girvan. Not a great option, but better than getting killed. Grendel, as navigator, had an overwhelming impression that winter was imminent. We got ready to fly… aiming to check out the portals. Beginning with the portal to Khoras. This was protected by a barricade and a squad of knights of Barinor (the God of Honour, Chivalry and Virtue). Snow was piling up around the barricade. We landed at two bow-shots, shouted hello, and started forward. Because he was still flying, Valentine was surrounded by spectral butterflies. A small pixie knight on a large bat flew towards us. She called, “Who goes there?” Sooty replied that we were from Seagate, and they let us in. It was warmer in there. We asked them what they knew. The pixie introduced herself as Lucy.
She told us what they had found out about the white walkers. They were denizens of the lower planes. They seemed to have the ability to raise the fallen as undead. Holy weapons hurt them. They don’t know which portal they had come from. The weather was unnatural. Next we flew to the Garweeze portal which was nearly buried in snow. We landed nearby, and melted our way through. From its aura, this portal had not been used for several years.
We crossed the river, heading north, looking for an unchecked portal marked on the map. The river was frozen, and the snow became heavier and heavier. It became too dense to continue flying. We landed on the far side… except Valentine who had the ill luck to find a crevasse, and had to fly up and try again. We cast wildfires and started running. We ran past rocks, and then spotted a humanoid form… a white walker. It was indeed a humanlike thing, pale and wan, with eyes of icy blue. I have no idea who was most surprised. Valentine was temporarily affected by the aura of fear that emanated from the thing. As we prepared to fight, a group of undead sprang up from the snow, surrounding us. But after Grendel killed the white walker they de-animated and fell back into the snow. It was all over very quickly.
It fell to me to divinate the body, using my brazier. I learned that it was called a white walker, a demon thing from a frozen plane of hell. It had been summoned to a plane called Golarion, and then commanded to pass through a portal to Paleolithica. It had an amulet that allowed its summoner to continue to command it and even see and hear what was going on around it. It originated on Golarion. This I was asked to put in my pack, since it would then no longer work.
Meanwhile, the bodies were collected up and shoved into my giant bag of holding to be returned to their people at the logging camp. We carried on fire-running, and checked the Frigidia portal. Apart from being surrounded by a lot of snow it was perfectly normal. Then, as it was getting late, Grendel did the warp tunnel thing and we whooshed back to camp. Where we proceeded to divinate the amulet, and decided that it should be safely buried in a box full of table linen. Sooty did a ritual that would make the weather improve somewhat.
7 Fruit
We went flying out to the next portal marked on the map. This was buried deep under a layer of mostly translucent ice. Rowan disintegrated the ice, so that we could check the portal. It led to somewhere called “Realms” and had not been used for some considerable time. Then Grendel whooshed us back to camp. We took the amulet out of its box, and learned from its aura that it had been activated, three hours ago for half an hour, and that its master was on Paleolithica. That was worrying. 8 Fruit
We flew on to the next portal which was proved to be up a small canyon and surrounded by a herd of bison, who were obviously enjoying the relative warmth around the portal. Sooty overflew it to read its aura. It led to a plane called “Tekumel” and also hadn’t been used recently. Then Grendel whooshed us back to camp.
9 Fruit
Another fruitless mission to a portal that wasn’t Golarion.
10 Fruit
We were just preparing to leave when the alarm went off. “The walkers are coming,” the call went out across the camp.


Quotes:

Some wag on hearing there was a party going out with three fire mages: “The Guild is having a fire sale…”

Flamis: “Muggle lives matter!”

Flamis: “No, I’m not Mt Doom, but I am unpredictable.”

Flash to Flamis: “…. Which is why she’s such a bird brain.”

Sooty: “We should go frolicking in the woods.”

Valentine: “You guys should get out more, looking in crystal screens all the time… “

Valentine to Sooty: “You’re an elf. You always sense danger.”

Mil Sci

Travel Order

When in tight confines

When inside or in towns.

When outdoors in open country
War Golems, Valentine?
Grendel, Flamis?
Sooty, Rowan?
Bear?

Travel Magic

  • Phoenix Wings. 42 miles/hr, 250 miles effective range (500 enhanced, 360/day)
  • Wild Fires. Does not expire when the target stops running. 48 miles/hr, 330 miles effective range (660 enhanced, 405/day).
  • Mage Current.
  • Warp Gate.
  • Instill fight. 44 mph for 6.5 hrs, 260 miles range, an object of less than 65lbs will lift 750lbs. (party can have one each)

Watch Order

Track 1: Valentine (5), Grendel (5)
Track 2: Rowan (3), Sooty (4), Flamis (3)

Daily Pattern

Travel/Activity Time: 9 hours.
Meal Time: 3 hours.
Ritual Time: 2 hours.
Sleep Time: 10 hours.

Buffs

Buffs listed in the table don't need to be detailed, other buffs not on the table must be mentioned at the time they are cast.
Y means always on, N/- means never on, 'Sit.' means when the party has time for buffs before a fight.
Weapon Spells which weapon/s it is going on normally should be noted also.

Normal Buffs; Long Duration

Enhance Enchant Rank 15 on duration is available on pulse cast spells shared with the party. Recipients pay own Ft cost with this.

Magic Rk Effects Dur Ro Fl So Va Gr xx
Circle magic (Rowan) - Ritual to cast buffs on all at once. - - - - - - -
Ithans Armour (Rowan) 8 90 pts Ablative, before MR or Armour 9 (*17) hrs 2 Ft y - Y - - -
Thermal Control (Sooty) 11 +/-4 Gauge. Immune to normal fire/smoke/hypothermia/hyperthermia. 13 (*25) Hours; 1 Ft - - Tal - - -
Ash Shroud (Sooty) 10 6 En armour (No stacking). 5.5 (*10.5) Hours; 2 Ft y - Y - - -
Force Shield (Grendel) - +15% Def, +10 Phsy Abl/pulse - 2 Ft y - Y - - -
Mind shield (Grendel) - - - 1 Ft y - Y - - -
Water breathing (Grendel?/Valentine?) - - - 1 Ft - - Y - - -
Waterproofing (Grendel?/Valentine?) - - - 1 Ft y - Y - - -
- (Caster) - - - - - - - - -
- (Caster) - - - - - - - - -


Normal Buffs; Short Duration

Magic Rk Effects Dur Ro Fl So Va Gr xx
Weapon of Flames (Flamis) 15 +16% s.c. +8DM, +15 DM vs dark/undead 20 Mins. - - - - - -
Enhance Enchant (Sooty) 15 +15 ranks to damage, duration or BC 17 pulses. - - - - - -
- (Caster) - - - - - - - - -
- (Caster) - - - - - - - - -
- (Caster) - - - - - - - - -

Calendar

Autumn

  Moonday Duesday W'ansday Th'rsday Frysday Reapsday Sunday
Lugnasad
Fruit (4)
  1 Guild Meeting 2   3   4   5   6  
7   8   9   10   11   12   13  
14   15   16   17   18   19   20  
21   Full Moon 22   23   24   25   26   27  
28   29   30    
Harvest (5)
  1   2   3   4  
5   6   7   8   9   10   11  
12   13   14   15 Equinox 16   17 Seagate Autumn Fair 18 Seagate Autumn Fair
19 Harvest Moon 20   21   22   23   24   25  
26   27   28   29 Michaelmas 30    
Vintage(6)
  1   2  
3   4   5   6   7   8   9  
10   11   12   13   14   15   16  
17 Blood Moon 18   19   20   21   22   23  
24   25   26   27   28   29   30 Beerfest
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