Wrap up (Various)

[Ebiris]

"We'd need something capable of holding it without shattering," Afina says. "But there might be something around here," she leaves open the possibility, looking around before she starts to walk towards the shrine directly ahead from the direction they were travelling while floating on the water above.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Afina: 215+20/215, glaciante's spiteful ward (CL 24 attached to epic mage armour), heroes feast (CL 20), mind blank (CL 17), planar tolerance (CL 7), epic mage armour (CL 24), moment of prescience (CL 24), fortunate fate (CL 24), control temperature (CL 24), good hope (CL 24), haste (CL 24), greater heroism (CL 24)
AC 69, spell resistance 39, blindsense 30, immunity to fire, water, earth, cold, disease, poison, fear, 50% miss chance, freedom of movement
Spell charges: 6/7/8/5/6/6/0/5/7/8/3/0

Init: +24
Attack: unarmed +368(1d4+7 +5d6 skirmish +2d6 swift +1d6 sudden strike)
Saves: Fort: +21 (+25 vs poison), Ref: +34, Will: +29

[Corwin]

"Doubt it, even enchanted things break when they touch that water. But maybe you could, uh, bring your ice along?"

Divine Insight and Sign are always on, as a reminder.

[Anastasia]

Mirajane recasts divine insight on herself. Are you going to recast it on Hanna?

The party walks along as Hanna shakes her head, "Not worth the trouble," she says, as it's mostly crumbled ice rather than anything solid.

The shrine is a simple building, the size of a large room supported by pillars of ice. There's no door, just an archway within. Here sits a gelugon - head bowed and with no weapon nearby. As you approach, he speaks in common, "I am the northern star of Ice." His voice chitters and crawls, like a bug scurrying on the ground.

[spoiler]

Hanna http://www.soulriders.net/forum/index.php/topic,103876.msg1078446.html#msg1078446
HP: 285+20/285 regeneration 11
Spells Active: Mind Blank (CL15), Fortunate Fate (CL24), Planar Tolerance (CL7), Epic Mage Armor (CL24), Heroes Feast (CL20), Freedom of Movement(CL24), Good Hope (CL24), Greater Heroism (CL24)
Bonuses: +20 armor bonus to armor class, +1 morale attack rolls and Will saves, immunity to fear and poison, +2 morale attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, skill checks and weapon damage rolls, +4 morale attack/saves/skills.
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used: 1 rage

Mirajane http://www.soulriders.net/forum/index.php/topic,103876.msg1078449.html#msg1078449
HP: 341+20/341
Spells Active: Mind Blank (CL15), Fortunate Fate (CL24), Planar Tolerance (CL7), Epic Mage Armor (CL24), Heroes Feast (CL20), Good Hope (CL24), Greater Heroism (CL24), Divine Insight (CL23)
Bonuses: +20 armor bonus to armor class, +1 morale attack rolls and Will saves, immunity to fear and poison, +2 morale attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, skill checks and weapon damage rolls, +4 morale attack/saves/skills.
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used: 1 rage, 1 turn, 1 9th level spell, 2 2nd level spell, visions (1 hour recovery time)
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[Corwin]

Blue ice might do the trick, and there's clearly some here, Jaela muses as she refreshes the Divine Insight spells on Afina and her mother.

[Ebiris]

"I am Afina Devilsbane," Afina returns the introduction, knowing her very name is a provocation to devils, but she doesn't plan on starting anything. It helps a bit that gelugon are somewhat under-represented among Bel's forces and don't really look like typical baatezu so the innate revulsion doesn't come on as strongly. "What is your role here, Northern Star of Ice?"

Spoiler: ShowHide

Afina: 215+20/215, glaciante's spiteful ward (CL 24 attached to epic mage armour), heroes feast (CL 20), mind blank (CL 17), planar tolerance (CL 7), epic mage armour (CL 24), moment of prescience (CL 24), fortunate fate (CL 24), control temperature (CL 24), good hope (CL 24), greater heroism (CL 24), divine insight (CL 24)
AC 68, spell resistance 39, blindsense 30, immunity to fire, water, earth, cold, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/7/8/5/6/6/0/5/7/8/3/0

Init: +24
Attack: unarmed +35 (1d4+7 +5d6 skirmish +2d6 swift +1d6 sudden strike)
Saves: Fort: +21 (+25 vs poison), Ref: +33, Will: +29

[Anastasia]

Hanna stands behind Afina and Jaela, arms crossed. Mirajane takes the rear.

"From the north comes the arctic winds that bring winter. You who seek Absolute Zero, what is winter to you?" The gelugon asks, his bug-like eyes never leaving the party,

[Corwin]

She'd thought about it before, while in Auril's realm. They'd offered her a proper place in Lifasa to represent winter, because-- "A necessary part of life, isn't it?" Jaela voices, giving her own answer. "If it's a cycle, then there has to be a time where the land is renewed, where preparations are made for a fresh start. That's winter to me."

[Ebiris]

This, Afina can answer with confidence. The seasons are central to sylvan philosophy even if she's personally aligned with Summer, but more than that she has more clear memories of being Unseelie and favouring Winter after her time in Yggdrasil. "Winter is the end," she replies. "A cessation of the rhythms of life. It is when growth is pruned back, when there is no recourse but to shelter, be still, and endure."

[Anastasia]

"It's the cruelty of life in the mortal world. Unavoidable, inevitable. The strong survive and prosper in it, and the weak wither without help." Hanna adds, "It's a challenge to overcome that."

The gelugon listens to it all and nods once. "Past the shrine is the trial of the arctic winds. Proceed if you can survive the cycle of winter, the end and its cruelty. Otherwise, return and choose another shrine."

[Ebiris]

"Are you all willing to attempt this trial, or would you rather investigate the other shrines and decide after seeing all of them?" Afina asks her companions, personally quite happy to attempt this one.

[Corwin]

She'd literally been in the heart of winter, so Jaela doesn't see a problem with this for her. "I'm good to go for it," she voices. "Though it'd be nice to know where the other shrines are. I'm pretty sure we've been everywhere?"

[Ebiris]

"Outside, there were four visible from where we landed, in all four directions," Afina tells Jaela. "I just picked this one because we were already pointed towards it."

[Corwin]

"My bad, I was too excited with the whole thing," Jaela responds. "So that's two of us going. Mom? Mirajane?"

[Anastasia]

"We're fine," Mirajane says, just as Hanna opens her mouth to speak.

[Ebiris]

"Then we'll go," Afina says, stepping out of the shrine and walking around it to continue Northwards into the trial of arctic winds.