The Black Rider

"We are under attack!" Casia called out.

"You were hit from behind?  There is a whirlwind in front of us!" Jorgen cried in return.

"How do we attack a whirlwind?" Santrel asked.

"Just don't get caught up in it." Milos suggested.

Turning around Casia saw a small sprite in the air behind the party. "We should attack the magic user first." she added.

The party organized themselves to attack and found that the mephit did not take full damage from the bolts and arrows fired at it.  The whirlwind moved over several of the party and tried to pick each of the them up but failed each time.

The the flying mephit breathed on the party and they felt more cold than what was outside already. The party then attacked once again. The whirlwind again tried to pick up several of the party but once again failed and then stopped the whirlwind and became an elemental.  The mephit regained health and came down from flying to attack.  The elemental slammed into the party.  But the group was well positioned and effective in their attacks.  The enemies began to fail and eventually the party was victorious over the ice enemies.

At this point the group once again was in need of healing and Milos was getting low on spells as was Santrel.  The group found a secluded spot nearby to take a rest as the path seemed to be approaching the goal.  The night was uneventful except for the noise of normal forest creatures. 

Interrupting the normal morning routine, Fanara asked Santrel if he would like magic help or would the party be more favorable to fighting help.  Santrel indicated that he thought battle help would be best.  Fanara went about her normal meditations but at the very end called the party to join her and she touched each to bestow a boon on everyone.  When all the preparations were complete the group headed toward their destination.

 As the party approached what they thought would be their destination heavier snow blew toward them, obscuring all sight beyond 5 feet. The trail became buried under 3 feet of snow crusted over with frozen sleet. Heavy ice burdened the trees to either side, bowing their branches until many touch the ground, becoming one with the wintry landscape. No tracks were evident as the snow obscured all.

The party inched forward until they came upon two igloos about four feet tall on either side of the path.  Looking inside one Jorgen saw blankets, furs and a chest as there was less snow swirling around inside the igloo.  A small hole had been cut into the low ceiling to allow smoke to escape, but no fire had been lit. As he moved to the other igloo Jorgen noted a well packed trail of large heavy footprints heading north and west.  The second igloo's interior of was bare. Several ice blocks extended from the igloo's interior walls, forming small shelves and recesses.  On two shelves were small dim lights, which Jorgen knew were the Winter touched sprites and he backed out and alerted the party.

Meanwhile Milos had moved further north and found another igloo with the same furs, blankets and chest similar to the first igloo.  Amadeo was looking into the first igloo and the party was a little spread as suddenly a tremendously loud clap of thunder exploded in the area.  Jorgen felt a stone or rock hit him in the back just before the thunder and then he heard nothing.  It appeared as if the party were under attack but they could not see an enemy.

The next thing the group knew a vivid cone of clashing colors surrounded Jorgen and Casia.  Jorgen fell to the ground.  As the party maneuvered to battle position against the sprites, Fanara felt as if she had been hit by a spell but nothing happened.  Again this seemed to come from above but nothing was in sight.  Casia and Amadeo managed to find the sprites and attack but they were also hit by the arrows of the sprites.  Fanara joined in fighting them while Santrel tried to find a spot to use burning hands.  Fanara was hit by a sling bullet.  

Milos was moving to the west following the tracks in the snow when a monster appeared in the snow. It was a large and lanky moss-colored humanoid with an elongated, toothy snout and appeared to be covered in bits of foliage.  The creature attacked with a large spear. The rest of the party seemed busy with the other creatures.  The sprites fell quickly but the attacks from above kept happening sling bullets flying through the air.

The moss covered creature was large and difficult to hit.  The party was not able to help Milos until Fanara showed up followed by Amadeo.  Meanwhile, Santrel with little to do pulled the unconscious Jorgen into the nearest igloo.  This one once held the sprites and as Santrel entered he fell into a twenty foot deep pit.  Jorgen teetered on the edge of the pit but a few seconds later he fell on top of Santrel.  Jorgen was still stunned and blind but not unconscious as Santrel struggled to move him around and stand on the bottom.

Outside another diminutive creature appeared next to Casia, after casting Cause wounds.  The party then had two enemies to attack as they could finally see this flying creature.  The battle quickly turned in the party's favor as both enemies were dispatched.  

While the battle was raging Jorgen finally could act and see although he was deaf.  He used his rope and grappling hook to allow himself and Santrel to escape the pit.  The exited the igloo just as the battle ended. The group then looked around and seeing no other enemies decided to follow the prints to the west where the moss creature seemed to come from.  Milos grabbed the spear which reduced in size to accommodate Milos smaller stature.

A bank of quill-like icicles speared outward in a ring, seemingly grown from a heavy sheet of ice covering the ground . A second ring of giant icicle-shaped monoliths stood inside the outer ring, surrounding a swirling cylindrical vortex easily ten feet in diameter. Icy winds and driving snow blast from the vortex, creating the wintry weather in the clearing.  The wintry portal had a strong aura of conjuration and evocation magic. 

A surge of wind suddenly blasted from the swirling vortex in the ring of icicles, gusting outward in a stinging spray of snow and ice. Suddenly, a gaunt horseman with curling ram's horns and wearing coal-black armor lurched through the portal astride a black warhorse, surrounded by tendrils of cold, dark mist. The rider slumped in the saddle, a shard of blue ice jutted from his back. As rider and mount come to a halt in the snow, the horse suddenly dissipated into black smoke, and the horseman fell to the ground with a groan.

Santrel immediately looked for magic in or around the fallen rider.  The robe wrapped around the rider were magic.  Seeing the party's concern the man shrugs off the robe and the frightening visage fell away leaving an old human man, exhausted, pale from blood loss, and close to death.  Milos stood forth and cast healing on him.  Casia and Milos tried Health checks and saw that some poison was coursing through the man's body.

"Ah, a party that can help me," he wheezed in a raspy weak voice.

"How can we help you?" Casia inquired first, "And who are you?"

"Once, I was called Illarion Matveius. Now I am known as Black Midnight. I am Baba Yaga's Black Rider, harbinger of the Witch Queen's return." he replied.

"You are very hurt.  Why were you attacked?"

"Something has happened to Baba Yaga. She has not appeared as planned, and Elvanna intends to slay everyone loyal to her mother. She hunted down those of us who would herald Baba Yaga's return
and slew my associates. I am the last of the Three Riders. Queen Elvanna has other plans, it seems."

"Who did this to you?"  Fanara piped up with a quizzical look on her face.

"The servants of Queen Elvanna, ruler of Irrisen and betrayer of her own mother."

"What are Elvanna's plans?" Casia interjected ahead of Fanara.

"To take Baba Yaga's place, and claim all of Golarion as her personal kingdom. Irrisen is a land of endless winter, created by Baba Yaga's magic. Elvanna seeks to cover the entire world in ice and snow, using portals like this one."

"That is a terrible threat.  We would all die without food after the killing snows." Casia said with heightened concern. "How can we close the portal?"

"You can find its source in the Pale Tower, on the other side, but this portal is but one of many. Through them, Elvanna will spread a new ice age across your world, consuming it for all eternity. Closing this portal might save your kingdom, but Golarion would still be doomed."

"How could we stop that from happening assuming we can close this portal?"

"You must find Baba Yaga. Only Baba Yaga can defeat Elvanna. Only the Queen of Witches can undo what her daughter has done."

"How do we find Baba Yaga?"

"You must use her Dancing Hut to follow her. The hut is a powerful artifact that can cross great distances, even travel between worlds . If you can control the hut, it can take you to Baba Yaga."

"We saw a hut following the pathway to this portal in the woods.  Does her hut have chicken legs?"

"That is not her hut even if it has chicken legs. Elvanna stole the hut and put it on display in Irrisen's capital, Whitethrone, as a symbol of her power. You must go through the portal to Irrisen and find the Dancing Hut."

"Where is the hut? How will we know it?" Fanara asked.

"It is in the Market Square, which is overgrown with thick forest.  You will recognize the hut when you see it."

"Is there a way to control the hut?" Santrel chimed in.

"The hut has many keys - objects attuned to the hut - that can take it almost anywhere. I managed to secure two of these keys, but Elvanna stole their power to prevent anyone from using the hut to find her mother. Once they are reactivated, placing the keys in the hut's cauldron will retrace Baba Yaga's path."

 More questions followed, but ultimately, he grows weaker as he explains the danger and what they must do. Knowing his time is running out, the Rider explains that he's no longer capable of carrying out the mission as signed to him - finding and rescuing Baba Yaga - so he must pass the task on. He produced the two keys to the Dancing Hut - a lock of white hair from a frost giant's beard and a plague doctor's mask. Santrel determined that the two keys were perfectly normal and mundane in every way.

"How can we make the keys active once again?" Fanara asked.

As Fanara finished her question the Black Rider slowly drew a dagger and slit his own throat, bathing the two keys in his life's blood. As he expired, his magic robes melted away like ice in a fire, leaving behind the body of an old man dressed in a simple black tunic.  The group felt a flush of power as their chosen ability improved from the mantle of Baba Yaga.

Santrel tried to grab the robes but there was nothing left of them.  The keys not glowed with faint magic as the party gathered them up. Casia was ready to leave through the portal but the party indicated that the igloos should be searched before they left, maybe there was no way back.  A search of the igloos did not turn up any magic or items of interest, just blankets, furs, and other small items.  Jorgen followed the large footprints and found a cave.  Two bearskin rugs covered most of the damp floor in the cave, surrounded by crates, barrels, and other supplies. The ceiling rose fifteen feet overhead, where icicles of frozen condensation hung from sharp stalactites.  The crates had mundane supplies, including farm equipment and seeds.  The barrels were filled with wine and whisky.  By the central table was a lockbox that was indeed locked.  Jorgen pulled out his thieves tools and picked the lock successfully.  Inside was a small iron coffer and several items of jewelry and fine art work.  Also there were many coins of the realm.  Inside the coffer were four potions which Santrel was looking for.  The coins and some of the other items were divided up among the party.  The group also found alchemical items on one of the winter touched creatures along with a scroll and potion.

Finally they were ready to march through the swirling vortex. After being blasted by the vortex the group emerged on a wooded hillside in deep snow.  The air was just a cold as it was in the Border Wood.  The sun was low in the sky and the party could see faint light from a village in the distance, the only evidence of habitation they could see.  Away from the sun a storm was brewing, a possible blizzard, so the party headed off in the direction of the village.

Stumbling through deep snowdrifts, the party soon happened upon a band of local travelers.  The travelers had come under attack from two giant mantis.  One of the mantis holds an unmoving body in its mandibles.  Three other humans are stepping down from dogsleds to try and drive the mantises away.  The are being commanded by a woman clad in a white fur cloak and matching hat, her armor hidden beneath.  She was wielding a longbow apparently to fire away at a mantis.  Help Us she yelled out in Skald as she saw the heroes approach the scene.

The party leapt into action, slowly as the deep snow reduced their movement ability.  Amadeo had snowshoes and tromped toward the closest mantis. Casia fired and arrow but came up short.  Jorgen tried his crossbow but gave up soon after.  Santrel moved to get into spell position as Fanara and Milos trudged forward.  The mantis continued attacking and the peasants try their best but other than the woman they do little to stop or drive away the creatures.

Fanara noted that one of the mantis flapped its wings as if to fly but they were loaded with snow and maybe ice so it did not get off the ground.  The party moved closer, still doing little damage but as they drew near, Santrel twice used burning hands and the others attacked with swords.  Amadeo was grabbed and thought he was done once again, but a driver hit the monster from behind and it died.  The other creature had grabbed Fanara but soon it was also dead.

The drivers hurried to the their downed compatriot and Milos followed and called everyone over to receive healing.  This was sorely needed and the party was relieved when the fourth driver stirred to life.

"Thank you for your help.  I am Nadya Petska a trader from Waldsby, the nearby village.  Where are you from, not local I can see."  the woman said appreciatively as everyone was recovering.

"We came from far away through a vortex of snow and ice.  We have no way to get back that I can see." Casia related.

"I would warn you that you would be under great suspicion wandering uninvited into the White Witches territory." Nadya warned them. "We are returning to Waldsby.  You should come with us.  I can give you shelter, food and possibly some proper gear for survival here in the icy north."

 "That sounds excellent." Fanara added in.  "Who are the White Witches? and are we in Irrisen?"

"Yes this is Irrisen.  The White Witches are relatives of Queen Elvanna, she does not suffer strangers easily." Nadya related. 

As the weather worsened, Nadya explained the necessity of setting up camp to rest and keep warm while riding out the storm.

 DM's Notes: The party earned 1100 XP for the night and are on their way to third level.