12 Doors of Christmas, year 2: Door #3

 Door #3: The Lake House Again

KABLOO: Ah, spending the Long Nights in somebody else's abandoned house! Brings back memories of home. We goblins know how to put our families first: raids on competing families!

TODDY: I'm glad you're having fun, because I'm just about ready to forfeit my paycheck and go back to Gobstop unless Nicholas tells us what's up. You wanted the thieves and we delivered; I didn't sign up to babysit your goddamn lake all winter. Let's kill these penguins already. I've got last minute gifts to steal.

NICHOLAS: The penguins aren't our problem, it's what they might have disturbed... Okay, Jampa, we've waited long enough. Take that gift out on the ice, will you?
JAMPA: Okay, but back Jampa up... Jampa has been attacked by monsters 100% of the times Jampa has crossed this lake.

With a resounding crack and a spray of ice, a tremendous nutcracker golem emerges from the ice!

JAMPA: AAAH! Why do lakes hate Jampa?!

GOLEM: NICHOLAS. You must have known that your prison couldn't hold forever.

NICHOLAS: The lake is just the first seal, spirit. A wizard takes precautions.

JAMPA: Jampa is confused about the plot but ready to fight! Is beard man done talking?

The golem's eyes gleam red, and sparkling wrappings appear from nowhere, binding Jampa helplessly in place. Calmly, the golem snatches up the magical gift.

GOLEM: Quiet, yeti. You've done nothing to us.

GOLEM: But you, Nicholas... For what you've done to the spirits, we will have our revenge!
NICHOLAS: What spirits? All I see is one uppity golem too stir crazy to remember that I've already bound him once. I'm still master of past and future, and I've got you beat on raw power, as well.

The golem swings his rod down on Nicholas with bone-crushing force!

NICHOLAS: Uugh!

GOLEM: A few decades' study of human magic and a handful of magic items? Is this the power with which you intend to hold back a force of nature?

Just then, having snuck around the golem in the melee, Kabloo speaks up from the lake!

KABLOO: No, he's got the greatest power of all: a druid on his payroll. Summon Huge Mushroom!

KABLOO: That's right, those are devilish mushroom teeth you're seeing! They cost me a few unspeakable sacrifices to the Fungus Lords, but they're worth every last victim! Look at 'em gleam!

TODDY: (huff, huff) Damn short legs! All right, I'm in position! Just give me the word and I'll hack this thing apart, Nick! I'm been taking out my aggression on animated nutcrackers since my sweatshop days in Tipsytown.

GOLEM: I'm no toy, elf. This crude wooden body is only the jail in which Nicholas trapped me, as this town is his trap for your people. I am the Spirit of Christmas Present, and I am no mortal's to command! You tried, Nicholas, and even in this form I have the strength to punish your hubris!

 Exit Spirit of Christmas Present, stage non-Euclidean pastwise.

TODDY: Yeah, that's right, asshole, you better... shit, I'm not gonna lie, I have no idea what just happened.
KABLOO: I've got some questions myself! Nicholas, you want to explain how a godlike being ended up frozen in your lake, and why I just had to sic my hard-earned mushroom on it?
JAMPA: Jampa feels like he might have missed something. Jampa has never met that mushroom.

NICHOLAS: Er, sorry, we don't have time for a complicated explanation. Just suffice it to say that some space-time-related, golem-based, doom-relevant mistakes may have been made, and now we'd better catch that golem, or Canterbury Lane might start retroactively not existing. Now let me concentrate on this spell....
TODDY: Holy shit, space-time? We're way the hell out of my pay grade. I'm here for all your golem-smashing needs, Nick, but I know what happens to thieves on epic adventures. First they become comic relief, then they become corpses. I'm not your Krillin, pal.

As Nicholas completes his spell, a stone arch appears from the ether, charging the air with a palpable hum of barely-restrained magical energy!

NICHOLAS: I can still use your help, all of you. What's a wizard for, if not to break complex challenges down into small problems soluble by violence? We'll simply use this time travel arch that I ordered the spirits to build–

KABLOO: Wait, what did you do? Why do you have this? I've hidden a lot of horrible bids for world domination in my time, and that's the vibe I'm getting from you right now, old man.

JAMPA: Little snowman is just paranoid. Jampa, for one, is ready to go through magic door to the future and fight robots. Jampa's 5th grade class took field trip to Barrier Peaks once, so Jampa is kind of a robot expert.

NICHOLAS: Thank you, Jampa. I can't promise robots, but this arch will take us to another time where we can fight back against that golem's plot. If you two want to "cash out," I understand. If you'll trust me, though, I can use your help.
TODDY: ...I'm in. You couldn't pay me enough to live in this chirpy goddamn town, but my family likes it, and living here keeps them out of my life. I guess I've gotta do it for them.
KABLOO: Gya, fine! I don't give a damn about your golem trouble, but I guess my plans for the next few nights are mainly mayhem and looting anyway, so I might as well stay on the clock. Fungo, you stay here. You're too huge and virile to fit through the arch, big guy.
JAMPA: (whispering) Psst... whose friend is that guy Fungo? Jampa does not know that guy!
 

As Fungo sighs at his exclusion, the rest of our band pass through Nicholas' arch, roughly as confused about the plot as the typical reader! Adventure and revelation lie ahead (assuming that they don't become apathetic and give up before things can become a little clearer)!

The Crunch:  The Caroler's Scarf and The Golem of Christmas Present

NEW WONDROUS ITEM
Caroler's Scarf
Aura faint abjuration; CL 5th
Slot neck Price 5,000 gp; Weight –
Description
A snowflake motif adorns the length of this long, knit, crimson scarf. A bard who wears this scarf can harness the power of her song to fortify herself and others against the winter cold. If the wearer has ranks in Perform (sing), she can expend a round of bardic performance to sing a carol to a chosen target. As long as the wearer sings, the target gains resist cold 10. After the song ends, it leaves the target fortified against cold weather as per endure elements for 12 hours.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, endure elements, resist energy; Cost 2,500 gp

NEW MONSTER

Golem of Christmas Present

This massive, looming nutcracker moves stiffly, but with an intangible life and elegance. A glimmer dances over the surface of both the golden rod it wields and the uniform of fresh scarlet paint that it wears.

Golem of Christmas Present CR 10 

XP 9,600

N Huge construct

Init -1; Senses low-light vision, darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +3

DEFENSE

AC 21, touch 6, flat-footed 21 (-2 Dex, +15 natural, -2 size)

hp 106 (12d10+40)

Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +7

DR 5/cold iron and slashing Immune construct traits, magic

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (average)

Melee +2 scepter +17/+12/+7 (2d6+5)

Space 15 ft. Reach 15 ft.

Special Attacks captivating presents, inescapable presents, Long Nights spirit, spiritual bond

Statistics

Str 17 Dex 7, Con –, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 17

Base Atk +12; CMB +17; CMD 25

Feats Alertness, Persuasive, Iron Will

Skills Diplomacy +19, Fly +9, Intimidate +19, Knowledge (Local) +17, Perception +3, Sense Motive +17

Languages Common, Celestial, Infernal, Sylvan; truespeech

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Captivating Presents (Sp)

The Golem of Christmas Present can conjure magical gift-wrap to bind a target. If the target fails a DC 19 Reflex save, he or she is bound up in magic wrappings as though tied with rope; objects that the target is holding fall to the ground outside the gift-wrapped target. The gift wrap is not airtight, but it completely soundproof and conceals the target from head to toe. It's possible to move the gift box from the outside, but the target can't move it from within. Breaking out of the gift box requires a Strength or Escape Artist check at DC 20. Despite being flexible, the gift wrap has hardness 20 and 100 hp; destroying the gift wrap frees the prisoner within. The Golem of Christmas Present can maintain a gift box indefinitely, but can maintain only one at a time. The gift box itself is magical; it can be dispelled, and disappears in an antimagic field, but is not subject to spell resistance. The gift box disappears when the Golem of Christmas Present is destroyed, or when it leaves the victim's plane or time frame. All DCs to resist this ability are Charisma-based.

Immunity to Magic (Ex)

The Golem of Christmas Present is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.

• Warp wood or wood shape slows the golem (as the slow spell) for 2d6 rounds (no save).
  
• Repel wood drives the Golem of Christmas Present back 60 feet and deals 2d12 points of damage to it (no save).
  

Inescapable Presents (Sp)

The Golem of Christmas Present can teleport without risk of error to the location of any creature it designates; the golem must know the target's name, have met the target, or otherwise be able to clearly identify it. The golem can cross planar boundaries or even travel through time to reach its target, with two limitations. First, the golem must possess one of the current year's Long Nights gifts from Canterbury Lane to cross temporal or planar boundaries (this is a special limitation of the spirit's golem form; when unbound, it can travel time and the planes freely). Secondly, the golem cannot travel to or in any way hinder a creature whom it has already met later in that creature's personal timeline. This limitation is integral to the spirit that animates the golem; it will not and cannot be compelled to harm, spy on, or even interact with a creature outside of that creature's “present.”

When the golem uses this ability, it can bring along up to 5 willing passengers.

Long Nights Spirit (Ex)

The Golem of Christmas Present can use its captivating presents, inescapable presents, and spiritual bond abilities only during the Long Nights.

Spiritual Bond (Su)

The Golem of Christmas Present shares an unbreakable spiritual connection with the Golems of Christmas Past and Christmas Future. Each one knows all that the others know. Furthermore, the Golem of Christmas Present can summon one of the other linked golems to its side across any distance as a full-round action. If the golem possesses a Long Nights gift from Canterbury Lane (from the “present” year relative to either golem), it can summon a linked golem even across temporal or planar boundaries.

ECOLOGY

Environment Any

Organization Solitary or visitation (with the Golems of Christmas Past and Future)

Treasure Standard