Heat things up.

With Lauo to your side, firmly grasped between your fingers, you scan your eyes across the coming battlefield with a sense of imminent danger constantly pinging the back of your skull. Though you can't tell the exact level of the threat around you, as the environment greatly works in the monster's advantage, your Kitty Sense warns you that there are far more than you first thought--creatures of solid ice, with blades sharper than most swords, masked by snow and unhindered by the terrain, and only one contains the core, yet you've yet to see it yourself. "How many?" you simply ask beneath your breath.

Nearest to you is Xue. While he has no weapon in his hands, he seems more than prepared to defend himself. "While impossible to be sure, likely a couple dozen. Maybe more."

"Behind us."

You turn, as do many others, to see the coming of three humanoid shapes made from ice just as the other is opposite of them. These, however, all have tall shields as part of their left arms, and in their free hands they wield spears of the same. They're blocking the only way back, and the first which spoke guards the way forwards. To both your left and right, there are only steep icy hills which would be incredibly difficult to scale, especially in a timely manner, and worst of all, much of the danger you sense comes specifically from those angles. It's an ambush.

While the first doesn't budge, the three move forwards in perfect unison. Their shields are up like a small phalanx of ice, and with each step, they near first and foremost the pile of snow which contains a buried dwarf, though the rest of you are hardly a few steps beyond. You wonder which you should strike at first. If you were to leave the party now, a threat could come from any direction and you wouldn't be there to protect them.

The moment the pile wiggles again, the three bodies of the frozeman freeze and stare towards it. They pull back their spears, readying themselves to strike with no hesitation. Like a trained army, the soldiers pull back, prepare, and then thrust forth.

"This island is a pain in the ass!" screams Bekram as he explodes from the snow, sending shrapnel from the detonation in every direction. His eyes light up like burning flames, and with his maul squeezed between both his hands, he swings its hefty weight with incredible speed and power to absolutely obliterate not only one of the frozeman's bodies but two using a single cleave. Ice shards scatter across the area around him, and the final one remaining steps back, either in strategic retreat or perhaps genuine fear. "I'm a dwarf. I can handle the cold. But you know what isn't found deep underground? Snow!"

Immediately after, the gates of battle blow wide open. Three more frozeman bodies appear on the rightmost cliff side, though they wield bows. As they draw back the strings of ice, arrows of the same manifest in what would be a beautiful display of magic if not coming from such a foul creature. They release their shots quickly, though just as they do, Niki raises her enchanted shield up towards the sky and once more projects her ethereal bulwark over the party's heads. It protects them from the volley like an umbrella of steel, and without a moment to spare, Lynx darts straight past her and towards the hillside.

Now their attention is on her. They turn their bows to the sunheart storming up the snowy hill, and they fire all at once. The arrows of ice penetrate through her body, at the neck, stomach, and leg, though after they do, they continue straight through to the other side and vanish from view.

One of the frozeman bodies does discover the truth, though it's far too late, as it learns by the feeling of a dagger in its back, and another through its throat. Lynx pirouettes back from the crumbling creature, and then tosses both weapons into the head of the next, dropping it to the ground as well.

The third and final one atop bursts into pieces as Vyzia's spear is sent straight through and off into the distance. She climbs her way up rather swiftly, and pulls the weapon back into her hand as she stands above alongside Lynx--eyepatch buddies together again.

Lalarin storms forwards.

The first one that spoke readies its sword and doesn't budge, which makes sense given what happens a moment later. Seven other identical creatures of ice step around the corner to back it up, though Rabbit's Foot isn't one to back down either. She doesn't flinch. All she does is swing back her bo staff and dart towards them at an alarming speed.

"We just need to find the core, right?" she shouts.

"Sounds like it!" you respond.

"Then what about... this one?!" Between the snow and ice beneath her feet, she's impressively unaffected. She's quick and agile, as should be a monk, and even though her opponent thrusts forth at such speeds that an ordinary person would be slain an in instant, she dodges beneath the attack, and spins the momentum of her weapon straight through its midsection. The body shatters like glass, and she comes to a stoic halt--staff over her shoulder, hand on her hip--as she stares the coming army down without fear. "I guess it wasn't," she says. "But we'll find it eventually."

"My staff!" Amara shouts.

Vyzia tosses the silver focus down from above, though as it plummets towards her, she realizes that perhaps it was an unwise idea to ask.

Instead, Niki catches it, and she hands it to her elven companion. "I think this is yours."

Amara smiles. "Thank you." She then stands before Fava and Dixby, placing herself between them and harm, and then slams the blunt end of her icy cold staff into the ground between her feet. "I will keep everybody safe. Take this in return, Niki. Bless!" Due to her unique physiology, Amara's spells are more potent than most. That of course comes with a certain downside as well, though she's focused enough in the moment to not be entirely distracted. It isn't to say she dislikes it, however. She casts the boon upon her ally, shivering to the tingle between her legs, and then turns her attention behind to where Bek is fighting.

Another falls to Bekram's maul, though he then looks up to see several more coming from behind, just as it is the opposite direction.

"Perfect timing," says Niki. "You got it over there, Rabbit's Foot?"

Malakae then holds up a hand. She continues to cover her bare breasts with her other, and she turns away as best she can from everybody else to hide the remainder of her shame. "... I've got it. Go. My clothes are already gone. Now that I think about it, in a situation like this one, my dragon form is more fitting. I don't have to worry about clothes while wreathed in golden scales!" she shouts a moment before dropping to her knees. Her body radiates with light, and her silhouette grows in size and mass until it all fades to reveal a large winged beast with teeth like daggers and horns still decorated in beautiful jewels. She scrapes her long claws deep into the snowy ground, and then rips forwards to Lalarin's fight ahead.

Captain Silver touches her cutlass to the side of your shortsword and stares you in the eyes. "I'm with you, Captain. All I have to command is Xue, and that doesn't tend to work."

"If you mean that, follow my lead." Then with your free hand, you grab onto her wrist and get ready to jump.