In the frigid Crown Holding mess hall, the air grew heavy with tension after the furnace’s destruction, leaving the party shivering in the oppressive cold. Pato Loco, the cunning catfolk rogue, ventured into a small adjacent bathroom, but found only emptiness. The group’s thoughts turned to the stairs leading to a mysterious room with a round table, and despite a pervasive consecration effect dampening their abilities, they ascended, the howling wind beckoning from beyond a door at the top.
Upon opening the door, they were met with an upper balcony where a massive frost roc loomed, its presence sending a chill down their spines. Pato Loco attempted stealth but was quickly detected, prompting the beast to unleash its wrath. In a flash, Prince Bernard the Third summoned a horde of ghostly spirits to shield his allies, while Kaida Arashi, embracing her Ghost in the Storm stance, charged forward with an electric blast that the roc barely resisted. Aguta the Dreadice followed suit, launching an Elemental Blast that partially bypassed the creature’s defenses, while Pato Loco closed the distance, slashing with his sawtooth saber to inflict a debilitating effect.
The battle erupted into chaos as the frost rocs retaliated, unleashing a blizzard of icy feathers that scattered Prince Bernard the Third’s thralls. Undeterred, he repositioned his horde, coordinating attacks, while Kaida Arashi managed to confuse the foe, momentarily stunning it. The first roc slammed Aguta the Dreadice into a wall, but she countered with a Slashing Gust. As Pato Loco switched to a rotary crossbow, landing a hit, the second frost roc swooped down, intensifying the conflict. Aguta the Dreadice cast Scintillating Safeguard to protect her allies from the cold, and Kaznail Fancy Pants exploited the rocs’ weaknesses with fire ammunition. The tide began to turn as Kaznail Fancy Pants’s careful gunfire and Prince Bernard the Third’s Wailing Dead unsettled the rocs, while Kaida Arashi’s Ocean’s Balm revived Pato Loco, who treated his wounds and rejoined the fray. In a decisive moment, Aguta the Dreadice unleashed a final Elemental Blast that sent the last frost roc crashing down, and Pato Loco eagerly harvested feathers and flesh from the fallen beasts.
With the immediate threat quelled, Kaida Arashi initiated a group healing session, restoring their strength as Aguta the Dreadice and Kaznail Fancy Pants staged the avian corpses to appear as if they had battled each other. Prince Bernard the Third analyzed the bodies, confirming their elemental weaknesses and tactics. However, their preparations were interrupted by the sight of guards outside, heightening their urgency. As they scouted the area, they discovered several locked doors, and Kaznail Fancy Pants skillfully picked one to reveal the General’s Bedroom, complete with a large bed, an oak writing desk, and a bloodied altar glowing with a magical stain. Pato Loco identified the blood as human but was thwarted in tasting it by a magical barrier. Plans to dispel the altar’s enchantment faltered when Aguta the Dreadice’s attempt failed, and an armed figure entered, igniting a swift escalation into combat.
The chaos of battle unfolded as Pato Loco attempted to tumble through the doorway, missing his strikes. The Rock Rider unleashed a freezing mist, but most of the party managed to resist its effects. As Prince Bernard the Third targeted foes with Electric Arc and Kaznail Fancy Pants fired his pistol, the entrance of a Goremite Veteran shifted the tide, swiftly cutting down two of Prince Bernard the Third’s thralls. Yet, the party pressed on, employing their skills and spells in the cramped confines of the bedroom. Through strategic teamwork, they fended off their adversaries, using healing and elemental attacks to their advantage. Ultimately, they emerged battered but victorious, ready to delve deeper into the mysteries that awaited them.
Threads to Watch:
- The nature of the magical protection surrounding the altar.
- The elemental weaknesses of the frost rocs and their connection to their trainers.
- The potential consequences of the guards’ heightened alertness.
- The identity and motives of the armed figure that interrupted their plans.
- The implications of Pato Loco’s actions in harvesting from the frost rocs.