Geedra looks at the assorted alchemical items, and selects a few of them and stows in her pouch. She takes an alchemist's fire, the purple smokestick, a liquid ice, and the box of tinder twigs.
"Okay, human lady. Geedra ready. Group go kill Bird Lady and bad witch boy now."
After Geedra grabs a few items, Cara picks up the rest of the portable goods that neither Asgrid nor Kronek seem interested in carrying. "It would seem we've upset his alchemist business. We really should make haste to give him and his allies the least amount of time to prepare."
After rummaging through the supplies at the insistence of some of the party to move on before your enemies have a chance to regroup, Cara moves to the northern door to the left of the ice teleporter. After confirming that she doesn't hear anything on the other side, the battle-worn Kronek opens it, revealing a fine bedroom. A large bed, reading desk, padded chair, bookshelf, and storage chest fills the long, angular room and two windows provide it with natural light. Three framed paintings of wintry landscapes adorn the room.
Cara investigates the chest and seems confident that there are no traps on it, and opening it reveals a series of rolled canvas. Unfurling them shows them to be 6 additional paintings of landscapes in other seasons - summer, spring, and autumn. They look well done and are probably worth something.
Nothing else turns up of interest in that room, so you investigate the next door counterclockwise from the bedroom. Again Cara checks the door and listens and motions for Kronek to lead the way. This door reveals another bedroom, though you can tell that this one has not been lived in in some time. Only a bed and a desk furnish the room, and the bed is without linens.
The final door, also checked by Cara and cleared, leads to a short hallway and another bedroom, though this one large, circular, and stately. A large canopy bed with lush blue coverings and silky white curtains offers a luxurious rest, while a reading desk and a shelf take up most of the rest of the room. The final feature is a carved ice statue of a striking, robed woman with an owl on her shoulder, and next to it an alcove with what you can easily recognize as another teleporter.
To the south, a white curtain hangs in another short hallway, which is just transparent enough for you to make out another door behind it.
"Human lady, am that statue of Bird Lady? Would burn statue hurt Bird Lady? Lady know what am behind that door with curtain? Not sure which to first."
Cara also addresses Hestrig as she looks over the door behind the curtain, "What is behind this door?"
Asgrid has a quick glance around. In the finely appointed bedroom she tries to get a glimpse of the other teleporter. She tries to determine where it might lead. "Do you want to check this one out now, or investigate that last door first?"
Hestrig looks cautiously around the room, her narrows eyes sweeping across the walls and features. When her glance falls on Cara, she shrugs. "The only room I have seen on this floor is the ritual chamber we just fought in. I would guess that this is Nazhena's bedchamber. That sculpture is her likeness." She motions to the ice statue. "It would not surprise me if it was bewtiched."
As you question the door behind the corner, a sound catches the outer hearing of Cara, Hestrig, and Kronek. A faint rushing of wind or something similar...except it suddenly gets louder. The three raise their eyes and Kronek points at the window and opens his mouth but anything that comes out is drowned out as the window and several feet of the icy wall are suddenly smashed apart by the emergence of a large, lustrous, blue-and-white form. Fragments of ice and glass burst and rain into the room, threatening to bury Kronek and Hestrig. Kronek, despite being the one to point out the coming threat, loses his footing and falls over, sprawled out by the debris. Hestrig manages to leap back and onto the bed to avoid the ice.
Regaining your faculties, you see that the intruder is a large dragon! But wait - not a real dragon, but an icy sculpture of one...you realize that it is the same statue you saw below in the courtyard. Atop its frigid back stands Radosek, laughing wildly as the wind rushes in around him through the brutally enlarged window.
"I told you that you would regret your intrusion! You will not claim this tower!"
Surprise Round
Radosek continues laughing as the ice dragon statue clumsily lunges with its claws, reaching out to pummel Hestrig from the opening in the wall. "You'll die first, traitorous woman!"
Her footing thrown off by the bed, Hestrig falls victim to both attacks. She grunts out deeply in pain as the frozen clawed fists slam into her, nearly doubling over in agony, but she keeps her feet.
Radosek waves his hand at Geedra and mutters an arcane word of power. A sudden rush of cold surges through Geedra's mind, bringing with it a particular numbness.
Map
Init:
Radosek/Dragon: 22
Cara: 19
Asgrid: 17
Kronek: 15
Geedra: 13
Hestrig: 7
Asgrid:
Cara:
Geedra:
Kronek:
Hestrig:
Kronek Reflex:
Hestrig Reflex:
Init
Asgrid
Cara:
Geedra:
Kronek:
Hestrig:
Radosek:
Will save
"Aran, stay back for now." Cara says to her owl as she unloads two arrows at Radosek. In other situations, a flying ice sculpture would be quite impressive, but she did not give herself the luxury of gawking in this life or death moment.
Surprise Round
Geedra shakes off the effect of the daze spell, pitching her witchcraft against Radosek's to success.
Cara fires off a pair of arrows at the enraged Radosek. The first fails to pierce his invisible magical defenses but the second breaks through and punches into him. His madman laugh is interrupted by a grunt of pain and a clenching of teeth, a look of pure loathing coming over his face. Certainly, he is tired of being made into a pincushion.
Kronek scrambles to his feet, emerging from the rubble. The dragon statue's clublike fist batters him as he stands, but takes the blow famously. Calling up his bloodrage, he spins his bardiche from his back and smashes it into the statue. Chunks of ice fly from the animated beast but it shows no reaction.
Hestrig leaps forward off of the bed, taking Kronek's solid blow as a challenge. She brings her greatsword to bare against the monster and her blade sections off more pieces of ice, nearly as much as Kronek's! She gives the kellid a challenging smirk.
Round 1
The dragon lashes out, throwing a slam attack at both Hestrig and Kronek. Hestrig manages to parry the blow with her greatsword but Kronek takes the hit to the chest. He stays on his feet, but is looking weary again despite his rage.
Radosek seems to be running out of options. He looks around and his eyes focus on Cara. He sneers as he raises his strange icicle weapon and points it at her. Just as last time, the sound of shearing ice precedes an eruption of a glacial spike beneath the elf's feet.
dragon 13
kronek 9
hestrig 19
Geedra casts Ear Piercing Scream at the Mage.
Damage
Fort save D.C. 15 for half damage and avoid being Dazed one round.
Cara takes the full brunt of the ice stalagmite attack, but manages to keep her footing. She then retaliates with two more arrows directed at Radosek. "Your pride and misplaced loyalty have destroyed you, little man." She taunts afterwards.
Radosek's face contorts in a delighted sadism as the ice spear erupts from the floor, but his glee turns to fury once more as Cara, though struck, nimble moves to the side and slides a foot or two on the ice without losing her footing. As she skids, two more arrows appear fluidly in her hand and she puts them to air in rapid succession. Both projectiles swell under the effect of her ranger spell and shatter the witch's abjurations, planting hard in his torso. He drops to a knee on the dragon's back, blood dripping steadily from the new wounds. He raises a hand to clutch his chest and slowly and shakily opens his mouth in response to Cara's retort.
"I will kill -" he voice is cut off suddenly as his eyes roll to the back of his head and rivulets of blood slither from his eyes and mouth. Geedra's hand is outstretched toward him, a wicked grin of her own spread across her face. Radosek lurches and falls off of his animated beast and crumples unceremoniously to the ground.
A moment of pause falls over the room before the dragon shifts, signifying that it is still a threat.
Kronek and Hestrig both bring their weapons up to strike again, but neither are able to inflict any damage to the frigid brute this time, their blows glancing off of its lustrous form.
Asgrid watches the battle unfold. Grugkt, if only you were here! She makes a decision, drawing the handaxe from Old Man Dansby. She rushes forward, waving the blade in the air to get the ice dragon's attention. "Hey! Come chew on this, if you dare!" She slashes at the dragon statue, but the handaxe just bounces off the ice. Mmm, maybe I didn't think this through...
Spells cast
Oracle spells
1 - Cure light wounds x3
Summoner Spells
2 - Lesser rejuvenate eidolon, Magic fang x2
Asgrid HP 30/29
Grugkt HP 18/1
Asgrid runs forward to join the fray, lashing out at the dragon with her handaxe, but the weapon bounces harmlessly off of the ice brute.
Hestrig and Kronek continue their assault as well. As Hestrig's blade glances off of the ice, Kronek buries his halberd deep into the dragon's neck. The ice there cracks as bits of frost fly off in all directions until a great chunk of the statue's form breaks loose and crashes to the floor. After that, more cracks spiderweb across the surface of the sculpture and it shatters onto the floor.
Hestrig and Kronek both breathe deep sighs of relief and the latter comes out of his fury. The once stately bedroom around you has certainly been destroyed, with a huge section of wall filling the floor with rubble, the bed disheveled and broken, the bookshelf toppled. The remains of the ice dragon scattered upon the floor glint and glimmer while the fallen winter witch Radosek lies in a slump, blood still trickling from his ears, steaming in the cold, the blue icicle still clutched in his own frigid fingers.
The wind rushes in through the hole in the wall, sending the torn canopies of the bed into a dance and blowing around papers from the books. It also sets the curtain the hallway behind you to flapping, revealing a door behind it.
A search of Radosek and a casting of detect magic reveals the following:
1 blue potion (Spellcraft DC 18)
1 silver amulet in the shape of a snowflake (Spellcraft DC 20)
1 velvet azure cloak with grey fur trim (Spellcraft DC 20)
1 silver-blue ring of twisted mithril (Spellcraft DC 20)
1 blue icicle (Spellcraft DC 20)
Cure Moderate Wounds
Natural Armor +1
Resistance +1
Protection +1
Icicle Wand, 40 charges. Functions as a wand of ice spears. Counts also as a masterwork dagger that deals 1 additional point of cold damage.
Geedra uses her Detect Magic cantrip and tries to figure out the purpose of each magical item.
1 blue potion (Spellcraft DC 18)
1 silver amulet in the shape of a snowflake (Spellcraft DC 20)
1 velvet azure cloak with grey fur trim (Spellcraft DC 20)
1 silver-blue ring of twisted mithril (Spellcraft DC 20)
1 blue icicle (Spellcraft DC 20)
"Potion am Cure Moderate Wounds. Amulet is Natural Armor +1. Cloak am Resistance +1. Ring is tricky...Geedra not know for sure. And icicle am awesome! Geedra want icicle!"
"Finally." Cara says with relief as both the master of the tower and his ice beast are destroyed. "Excellent work everyone."
After waiting for Geedra to identify the magical items, the ranger says, "I would like the Amulet or the Cloak." . With the ring unidentified, she slips it on her finger in an effort to see what it does.
Afterwards, she looks to Hestrig, "Do you know where we need to go to shut down the portal?"
Kicking away chunks of ice that once constituted the dragon, Asgrid looks up at Cara and smiles. "Yes, well done. I thought we were going to be turned into icicles!"
Asgrid examines the items curiously, using her own Detect Magic orison to attempt to help Geedra to identify the silver-blue ring. "Hmm, no this ring isn't familiar to me either."
When Cara puts the ring on, all who watch notice a shimmer of bluish-white light emanate from the ring and shine for just a brief moment around the elf before vanishing.
Hestrig looks to Cara and shrugs. "I don't know much about it. I mainly just looked after the troops. I haven't been on this floor much, and not past the room where Radosek worked with his cauldron...though I'm certain that magical globe has something to do with it."
The door behind the curtain is locked, and just by looking at it you tell it would be tricky to pick as the whole door is made completely of ice. After mulling it over for a moment, Hestrig and Kronek glance at each other with a similar idea, and it isn't but another moment before Kronek pushes his way forward and smashes the door down with a few chops of his axe.
The door opens up into a circular chamber with crates, decanters, urns, and other forms of storage against the walls. A mirrored vanity and chair sit next the east window, and another womanly ice statue stands in the center, imperious at it stands pointing a sickle at the now-shattered door. Kronek eyes the statue suspiciously and moves forward, testing the wait of his axe once more. As he steps into the room, however, the statue speaks! A cool female voice fills the room.
"The uninvited shall wither and die like the frost-covered bloom...You should have never ventured here, and you'll do well to leave before my return!" A crackle of blue-black light then leaps through the floor, coursing over Kronek! He groans, his voice becoming smaller until he falls over, crumpled...you can't help but notice it seems like his hale and healthy frame has withered!
A search of the room while inspecting Kronek turns up (just going to identify everything for you):
-An assortment of scrolls (all arcane)
2 comprehend languages
2 cure moderate wounds
1 delay poison
1 dispel magic
1 Irriseni mirror sight
1 remove disease
2 remove sickness
1 threefold aspect
1 youthful appearance
-The decanters amount to
2 potions of cure light wounds
2 potions of enlarge person
3 oils of mask dweomer
2 potions of reduce person
-otherwise, you find
50 trade bars of pure silver (10 lbs each)
bag of holding type II containing
--1290 gp
--2198 sp
--2787 cp
heavy blue robe (robe of useful items), has extra patches for
--bag of 100 gp
--3 flasks of alchemist fire
--a ladder
--an open pit
--potion of cure serious wounds
--rowboat
--pair of war dogs
--window
tree feather token
bird feather token
wand of color spray (23 charges)
white-gold and sapphire ring
Heal
Geedra wasn't sure what happened to Kronek, but she figured this was a decent place to rest for a moment. She sat down in the chair and started looking at the magic items.
"Kronek!" Cara cries out as the beefy human is struck by the magic of the room and falls to the floor. The elf makes her way across the room to examine him briefly, "He's just unconscious, but whatever that was, it sapped much of his innate fortitude. Do any of you have a way of restoring lost vitality?"
Asgrid's immediate action is to help Kronek. As she checks over his wounds, her mind whirs as she casts about what magic might have embodied by the blue-black light. Nothing comes to mind.
At Cara's description, Asgrid looks up. "I'm not sure if I have anything immediately that would restore his strength. Maybe if we get a chance to rest I can attempt healing him again and help him recover. We should find somewhere safe to hide out, he's gonna be a heavy lug to try to carry around."
Spells cast
Oracle spells
1 - Cure light wounds x3
Summoner Spells
2 - Lesser rejuvenate eidolon, Magic fang x2
Asgrid HP 30/29
Grugkt HP 18/1
"Resting may be good, but I believe someone mentioned another adversary in the tower. Regardless of whether we fight them now or later, we'll need to get Kronek somewhere safe. As for the treasure, I am fine with the cloak for now, but next time we reach civilization we should split what's left after everyone takes what they need from it. Although, another healing potion could be useful to me."
"Yes, the woman in the aviary. If you think we should attend to her now rather than later, alright. I've used up most of my spellpower, but we can use some of these scrolls and potions, I am sure. Geedra's right, though. Kronek can't come with us, we'll need to find somewhere safe that he can rest and make sure that he's stable. What about here?"
"This should be okay for Kronek to sleep, unless the trap is triggered every time someone enters." Cara replies with a slight frown, "As for the aviary woman, I believe it's best to deal with her now, otherwise she might escape or alert others before we can close down the portal. Although if either of you are in extreme need of rest, I suppose we could spend another night in a safe area."
After procuring all the of valuables from the vault, everyone decides to make one final push and take ou the last adversary; the priestess raven-keeper. Hestrig agrees. "With her gone, the tower is fully ours. I will lead the way. Your friend Kronek should be safe in here, I imagine."
The group gets Kronek comfortable in an out of the way nook, taking care to hide his form as well. Hestrig then leads the way out through the room where you first battled Radosek, where the slowly spinning, glowing, ghostly globe draws your attention with its mysticism. Surely, if there is a way to close the winter portal, this room is the key to doing it.
Back down the ice teleporter you go, and then down a curving hallway to another that you have not yet used. Hestrig instructs everyone to gather close to it and readies her blade, looking around at everyone before giving a firm nod. She speaks the words of magic in Skald and you are hit by the sudden and familiar sensation the teleporter entails, being swiftly frozen in blocks of ice and then whisked away.
This time you are emptied out high above the ground in the icy aerie. The north and south sections of the wall around you are open to the sky, where the harsh Irrisen wind blows sharply and fervently against you at this altitude. The ice floor is littered with bird droppings and straw, and the soft cries of ravens can be heard above. Looking up, you see wires crosshatching the space a few feet beneath the roof, upon which a half dozen black birds sit. From this angle, you can see the courtyard where the dragon statue once stood a hundred feet or more below. The raven-keeper is nowhere to be seen.
Hestrig looks irritated and stomps around the room for a moment, but it is evident that there is nowhere to hide here.
"She's not here...and most of the ravens are gone. She was present at the tower this morning. Either she is hiding in her room now, or she fled with Radosek's defeat...I have seen her fly, on occasion," she says, looking out into the grey sky.
"In this case, let us return to the ghostly globe and shut down this portal. If the woman returns, we will deal with her, but the portal is the reason we are here. It's better to stop that now than waste time looking for someone who may have fled." Cara suggests to the others.
"Woman am big chicken. Scared of group, and Geedra," the goblin cackles, quite pleased with their successes so far. "Cara right. Time to close portal now!"
"I agree. Hestrig, any ideas how we should proceed?"
"I suppose we should return to the ritual chamber," Hestrig says with a shrug. "Seems the most likely place."
Following your new ally's suggestion, you once more traverse the tower by way of glacial teleporters until you return to the room where you first encountered Radosek. Suspended in the air, the globe revolves slowly, bristling with arcane energy. Before you begin assessing the situation, you check in on Kronek who is still unconscious but stable in the vault.
Maps, books, notes, and other papers cover the tables in the room, although several were scattered by the wind when Radosek fled through the window in your fight. It takes a fair mount of time for them to be gathered up and sorted through, but eventually you start getting things in order. Much of what you uncover leads back to the globe, and while the more magically inclined of you investigate the writings, Cara examines the globe itself.
Spellcraft
Cara approaches the globe and studies it intently for a few moments, tapping her chin lightly with a finger as she gets lost in thought.
"What a mess! I hope there's something here we can use. Cara, anything stand out with that globe?"
At Long Last....
Cara paces around the globe cautiously, her elven grace as apparent as ever as she surveys the strange magic present here. Her eyes sweep across the landmasses, stopping to focus on the individual points that pulse and glow. Beams of light extend inwards from those points through the interior of the globe in straight lines until they touch others points on the surface. After a few moments, she stops and has a sudden realization.
Cara is able to spot Taldor on the globe, and sees that one glowing spot in the southern reaches of the kingdom hums in the center of a forest - the Border Wood. Following the beam of light from that point, it leads to another glowing dot in the south of Irrisen, a few days away from the obvious tower on the map.
The Border Wood in Taldor and the portal's location in Irrisen are linked by more than just happenstance. Powerful leylines beneath Golarion's surface connect those places. This would explain why the portal was opened in Taldor and why the effects of it were so swift and so strong.
By this reasoning, all of the other points on the globe represent other leylines and foci of power.
Meanwhile, Asgrid and Geedra sift through all of the materials at hand. As Cara explains her findings, everything seems to piece together. The plan of Queen Elvanna seems to be opening multiple portals like the one in Taldor to spread the unnatural Irriseni winter throughout the world.
Fortunately, the spellcasters are also able to uncover a ritual that could close the winter portal. Strangely, it doesn't even seem too complex, but perhaps that is due to Geedra's abilities as a winter witch herself. After another hour of preparation and legwork, the ritual is prepared. Reagents and components gathered from the supplies of the room are collected and laid out in specific points and Geedra uses the innate magical force of this room to bolster her own witchcraft. Speaking the eldritch words of the ritual, she moves around the globe and the two points in Taldor and Irrisen begin to flicker. Several minutes of intonation and gesture pass until finally the ritual comes to a close. For a few moments there is nothing, but then a flash of light fills the sky to the south, visible through an open window. After that, the two dots on the globe disappear.
The portal is closed.
Part II: The Shackled Hut
As the flashing pillar of light fades away after piercing the ever-present crepuscule, somehow you can sense that the portal in the outlying forest is closed. Some sort of ethereal feeling that you cannot quite place gives you each a peculiar inkling of confirmation. That same feeling then wastes no time in tugging at you internally, and you all collectively shift your eyes out the northern window of the tower, gazing out across the endless tundra. Without a word from any of you, you all know what comes next, and you know that you must traverse the unforgiving, arctic wastes of Irrisen to Whitethrone.
You do a final sweep of the tower, collecting the items and gear you found and gathering Kronek up as well. He remains unconscious after the trap's magic. Using the ice-teleporters, you make your way to the base of the tower and back into the courtyard, now missing it's ornamental dragon in the center. You are greeted by the barking of dogs and Nadya rushes forward, stopping short when she realizes it is you.
“You're alive!” she exclaims, jubilant as she throws her weapons to the ground. “I saw that flying witch make the statue come alive and break the tower...I thought you might all be goners against that thing, but -” she cuts herself off as her eyes fall upon Kronek's beleaguered form being supported by Hestrig. “Oh no...Kronek...is he...?”
You inform your guide that Kronek yet lives and that seems to ease her spirits. “Good..good, here, bring him over here to one of the sleds where we can lay him down and bundle him up...and just who are you?” she adds with a scowl, looking at Hestrig.
“Hestrig,” your new ally replies. “Former barracks commander here, now...well, a traitor, I guess. Here's your Kellid. He fights well, albeit recklessly.” Hestrig and and Nadya ease Kronek down onto one of the sleds and the latter throws a few blankets on him. She also mentions something else that she witnessed during your storming of the tower. “After that dragon went off with the man, I saw some person actually fly from the highest point of the tower. It did a pass around and then went away, followed by a bunch of crows...very strange.”
You fill Nadya in on the finer points of your expedition as she tethers the dogs to the sled again and you gather to return to Waldsby for a bit of rest and re-provisioning. Nadya one more leads the sleds across the snowy fields, the grey clouds above ominous in their endless umbral display. The winds are no gentler than you remember, slicing through leathers and furs and wool, forcing the cold down into your bones and pelting you with the sting of snow and ice. After several hours of travel, you see the small collection of buildings that is Waldsby appear on the horizon and Nadya pushes the teams harder to make the last leg of the journey the quickest.
You glide back into the town square, and it isn't long before much of the townspeople have come out of their homes and shops to crowd around you. They seem anxious, nervous, but also hopeful, and form a ring around the sleds as they come to a stop. Nadya stands up and clears her throat.
“They have done it! The jadwiga of the Pale Tower and their minions and servants are slain!”
The villagers give up a murmur of cheer. It isn't the most jubilant of celebrations, but it is certainly the highest morale you have seen these people have. Certain villagers – Iziamar the smith who you saved from execution and his wife Tula, Nadya's hunting companions Rolf, Olavi, Harald, and Bjorn, as well as Brother Halzberg – are more receptive to the news. You can tell that though the people are gladdened to know that the local tyrants are disposed of, they are worried about what exactly that means and if Whitethrone may have a response. Still, as you disembark from the dogsleds, you are thanked and given pats on the back and handshakes by the villagers. Rolf, one of Nadya's friends whom you have met before, approaches.
“You have all returned, and the tower is clear? You honor your ancestors, to be sure. All has been quiet here since you have left...Emil, Birgit, and Katrina have been detained and watched, but it would seem their tower-masters are slain, so we need to figure out what is to become of them.”
Nadya thanks Rolf and is about to respond but her children come crashing through the crowd, crying out in joy. Nadya kneels down to accept them and they fold into her arms. She kisses each of them on the head, tears forming in her eyes. After she releases them, both boys sees Kronek laying in the sled and run over to him.
“Oh no, oh no, is he all right?” they cry.
“Don't worry, my loves. He is just sleeping. He fought very hard and needs a rest,” Nadya says with a smile. They both then stand straight and close their mouths to not wake him and tiptoe away. “Speaking of rest, you all must be exhausted. Let us withdraw to my cabin for the night, and we can speak more on the next move tomorrow. Hestrig, is it? I suppose you are welcome as well.”
Hestrig shrugs. “Looks to be a tavern over there, I'll be fine.” Without another word, she marches off to it.
You return to the cabin with Nady's children and their caretaker Kashka in tow. When you get inside, you find that the fires are already lit and a cauldron is bubbling with stew. Kashka quickly gets to the front of the pack and begins to ladle out the stew and puts a hard piece of bread in each bowl, and sets a pitcher of mead on the table as well. Nadya and Cara lug Kronek into a bed and Nadya removes his armor and heaps blankets atop him.
“Eat and drink your fill,” she says when she returns. “You have more than earned it.”
To her surprise, the elf finds herself happy to be in the company of the human villagers, especially now that she can relax slightly in the knowledge that the tyrant in the tower has been defeated. "Thank you for all of your assistance, Nadya. Your strength and bravery is an example to us all. I do not believe we could have succeeded without you." Cara says earnestly to the human woman, "I am not sure yet of our next move, but we should not stay long here to avoid putting the village into any additional danger."
"Geedra am worried that crow person bring reinforcements back. Agree best am to move on tomorrow," she mutters, slurping up the soup and tearing at the hard bread with her sharp teeth.
She doesn't interact too much with the children, mostly studying her new wand before heading to bed for the evening. "Group need set watches," she asked or demanded, as she curled up on the closest soft mattress.
Asgrid gratefully accepts the food and the chance to rest. She's famished. She makes a point of remembering to leave aside some stew for the domovoi, the spirit of the house. She also enquires after the health of Heldred, who had been suffering from glacier plague and was being looked after by Brother Halzberg.
"I agree. Let's get some rest now while we can, but move on soon as we can tomorrow. But which direction? Cara, you mentioned when we were looking at that globe in the tower that there were more of these portals and ley lines connecting them. Were there any others near here? Maybe we should try to thwart Queen Elvanna's plans by shutting more of these portals down."
Asgrid checks on Kronek's recovery and offers to take watch through the night. However, she feels like she could sleep a week.
You spend the evening discussing your next move, eager to set a plan into action on the morrow's light. You drink warm mead and fill your bellies with a simple stew of venison and turnips in a clear broth as well as crusty black bread. Nadya ushers the children off to bed at an early hour so she can better focus on your lot, particularly Kronek, who she regularly inspects for signs of consciousness or worsening. Kashka stays for a few hours after the children are asleep, but leaves herself when twilight usurps the Irrisen sky.
Nadya stands near the door leading to her room where Kronek is asleep, nursing gingerly a hot mug of mead. She has unbraided her long red hair and let it drop in an avalanche down her back - the first time you have seen her in such a way. Without her armor and her leathers, without her fur cap, with her hair let loose, without the stern face of a warrior and a provider, you see her in a different light. She sighs audibly and traces a finger along the rim of her cup.
"I thought I would feel a great sense of relief or something after everything with the tower, but I do not." A tear forms in the corner of her eye but she is quick to cast it away. "My husband is still dead. My daughter is still dead. Nazhena, the vile witch, yet lives. I am glad we have momentarily taken the shadow of the jadwiga off of Heldren, but I do not know what the future will hold. When Nazhena learns of this, she is sure to be wrathful in her revenge. I am not so prideful to think that I could kill her myself. She is powerful. Of Queen Elvanna's own lineage. Perhaps in your travels you will find and kill her and some of the burden weighing on my heart will be lifted, but I do not know. Right now I must lay down my thoughts of revenge and focus on my boys and my people. But I still wish to help you in whatever ways I can. Please don't forget that. You have made great moves and greater sacrifices to aid me and my people, and I won't forget. So tonight, all I can offer you is a warm meal and a place to sleep, but tomorrow hopefully it will be something else."
The evening goes on. There is conversation, and you take time to investigate and stake claims on the treasures you have collected in your forays. Eventually, sleepiness claims your minds and bodies, and you retire to bed.
This night, you dream.
You walk the emerald forests of Kyonin. The scents of fruit and flower dance gleefully on the summer breeze as you step lightly upon the trail. Birds sing merry songs in the branches above, giving serenade to your journey. The wild magic of nature in all of its glory swirls around you - how long as it been? You had almost forgotten the feeling. You step across a crystal stream as it bubbles and ebbs over smooth stones and stop to take a sip, gathering moisture in your palm and taking it over lips.
Further on through the trees the land climbs slightly, and the mighty oaks and elms and willows around you begin to widen the path, as if presenting you to the scenery ahead. When you crest the rise the final branches usher you forward to look upon a marvelous settlement. Glimmering white structures in sinuous structure, spires and balconies and monuments all done up brilliantly, glowing a warm coppery gold in the blazing sunlight. Your people move about the structures, and you feel so warm in coming home.
Another step forward and a crunch beneath your foot gives you pause. You look down to see a patch of ice and frost. But this cannot be, not here, and not now. A cold wind creeps eerily behind you, whispering to give you shivers. Turning around, you see that the brances of the trees are stripped bare and where leaves once clothed them now the dead white of snow and the haunting blue-clear of icicles are their ornamentation. No birds sing. No scents of fruit or flower. The entire wood is bare and lifeless, frozen in time.
You turn again, the town is broken. The buildings are cracked and crumbled, all of the immaculate architecture sundered. No elves cavort now, but monsters and blue-skinned giants and witches. Your heart grows numb, your voice freezes in your throat. Your exhalation conjures a ghostly mist.
You feel a hand on your shoulder and turn. Beside you now is an old man with a white beard, clad in jet-black armor atop an onyx steed. He shakes his head slowly and sadly.
"This is what the world will be, Cara Shalandrael. This is the future if you do not find and free my mistress. I can ride no longer..." His horse turns to black smoke and he falls to the ground next to you, his legs shaking from the impact. "You must ride now. " His fingers tighten on your shoulder and he pivots you so that you are looking north. On the horizon, piercing the sky in icy spires ringed in freezing fog, you see a city. "To Whitethrone must you ride, Rider. Within the hut will you find your purpose. The hut knows the way, and you must break the chains." You turn to face him again, but he is already dissolving into black mist. You breathe sharply and inhale him.
It feels as though you have been running forever. You can still hear their jeers and their insults and their abuse in your ears. Their threats and their torches and their flames. But now you have finally stopped running. The cold is far behind you. The vile creatures of your tribe are behind you. And now you are free, and how glorious! Behold, the treasure! In a throne you sit, in a lair all your own, with Fox poised by your side. Look at all you have found and gathered through your powers! Your hexes and manipulations of fortune have made you the one with fortune. Piles of gold! Sacks of gems! Goblets of silver and troves of magical goods! And a single, beautiful green jade held above all other treasures in a special case.
A grin spreads across your whole face, ear to ear, and you pat Fox on the head. Fox gives you that Fox smile and you wave your hand. Witchcraft flows through you and poof! More treasure. And meat! And no other nasty goblins to be seen. What glory in life, what magnificence in riches. All for you, and Fox. Fox did help a little, after all.
You toss your treasure and bask in its glow, look at your reflection in gemstones and crystals. The gold glows warmly, and with such warmth you are filled.
But why then, why is it so cold?
You look up from your many treasures and see snow blowing in on the floor of your lair. What is this nonsense? You are far away from snow.
Goblins arrive. Blue-skinned, with giants as well. They take your treasure by the armfuls and walk out of your lair with it. You scream and stand on your throne but they keep taking and taking. You sling spells at them, but the bounce off of invisible shields.
A cold woman enters then. Human. Her silvery hair and porcelain skin and wicked beauty marks her as jadwiga. She tsssskks you, wagging a finger. You sling a spell at her, but can't. You look to Fox to guidance, but Fox lies dead at your feet.
"No, no little witch. You are no true master of hexes. You are no jadwiga." The witch smiles and holds out her arms and ice and snow erupts from her and you can do nothing. The giants and goblins take all of your treasure and leave you with nothing. No gold, no silver, no jade, no magic.
You feel a hand on your shoulder and turn. Beside you now is an old man with a white beard, clad in jet-black armor atop an onyx steed. He shakes his head slowly and sadly.
"This is what the world will be, Geedra Horsebiter. This is the future if you do not find and free my mistress. I can ride no longer..." His horse turns to black smoke and he falls to the ground next to you, his legs shaking from the impact. "You must ride now. " His fingers tighten on your shoulder and he pivots you so that you are looking north. On the horizon, piercing the sky in icy spires ringed in freezing fog, you see a city. "To Whitethrone must you ride, Rider. Within the hut will you find your purpose. The hut knows the way, and you must break the chains." You turn to face him again, but he is already dissolving into black mist. You breathe sharply and inhale him.
The Silver Stoat tavern is full of warmth and laughter. It seems the whole town of Heldren is here! You raise mugs with your friends - Geedra, Kronek, Cara, even Grugkt is here! And Nadya and her two boys, and Lady Argentea, and Yuln, and Hestrig and all you would name a friend. For the first time in a long time you feel you have found a home, and here in Taldor of all places. Three Devil Ale flows freely from kegs and Xanthippe spreads gossip and laughs of her own.
What joy and happiness you feel! Friends you have come to know as family all gathered around and sharing stories and camaraderie. No longer are you an outcast. No longer are you shunned. No longer are you on the run. Everyone is in grand health and cheer and raise their mugs to you for all of your aid and support and make toasts to Asgrid and Grugkt.
More people come in every few minutes, but there is always an empty stool or chair. Geedra sits next to you and grins ear to ear as Fox runs circles on the table and Grugkt howls with laughter. Kronek and Nadya seem extra friendly as they sit close, the two boys climbing all over the big Kellid as he laughs as well, red-faced and boisterous.
Old Man Dansby enters, and even his crotchety demeanor seems lessened by the joy of the tavern. But you notice something strange - is that snow on his shoulders?
You try to get out of your chair to ask him, but there are too many people and you lose him in the crowd. No one else seems to have noticed. The door opens again and you look to see the ganrled ice troll Teb Knotten with his huge spear. Behind him are scores of fey and trolls, all with murder in their eyes. You scream out a warning to the gathered crowd but they are being too loud and cannot hear you. The monsters pour in. A cold wind enters with them and snow and ice ride upon it. Violence is everywhere as trolls and few and other strange creatures butcher in savage glee. You see your friends cut down everywhere you look. Geedra is overrun by tiny blue faeries and Kronek dies fighting a troll with his bare hands to protect Nadya's sons. Grugkt's howls of laughter are now howls of pain as a witch has bound him in magic. The savagery seems to go on for hours until you are the only one left.
The tavern is in ruins around you. All you know are dead or taken, and you are alone.
You feel a hand on your shoulder and turn. Beside you now is an old man with a white beard, clad in jet-black armor atop an onyx steed. He shakes his head slowly and sadly.
"This is what the world will be, Asgrid Hjalterskell. This is the future if you do not find and free my mistress. I can ride no longer..." His horse turns to black smoke and he falls to the ground next to you, his legs shaking from the impact. "You must ride now. " His fingers tighten on your shoulder and he pivots you so that you are looking north. On the horizon, piercing the sky in icy spires ringed in freezing fog, you see a city. "To Whitethrone must you ride, Rider. Within the hut will you find your purpose. The hut knows the way, and you must break the chains." You turn to face him again, but he is already dissolving into black mist. You breathe sharply and inhale him.
The next morning you are visited three times.
The first visitors are Tula and Iziamar.
"You have done us great service," says Tula. You notice she speaks mainly to Cara, and it would seem the husband and wife have warmed to her the most. "Not just Waldsby, but especially us. We thank you so much." Iziamar steps forward and produces a quiver from his sack.
"Cold iron arrows from the sword," he says gruffly. "To kill all fey." Surprisingly, he also pulls another item from his sack - a suit of exquisite leather armor, fur-lined and tanned a deep russet. It looks strikingly similar to the magical armor you saw at the general store. "And to protect you from them."
The second visitor is Brother Halzberg.
"We have been cataloging the warehouse previously lorded over by Birgit. I have done some divine research and have uncovered some...well, witch-like items, that I thought would be of use to our good goblin here," he says with a knowing twinkle in his eye.
The third visitor is Heldrid, who Asgrid prepared a tonic for to cure her illness.
"My dear...I feel right as rain now, for the first time in months. I can never repay you in full for my life and my health, but I can offer you this...". She unveils a case about two feet long, well made of dark wood and embellished with bronze clasps. She undoes it and produces a rod of some sort, two feet long and made of sturdy iron chased with mithral. The head of it is sculpted almost to look like an hour glass. "This belonged to my great grandfather, who said it was passed down from the Winter War. He once told me there was magic in it, but I've kept it locked away out of superstition. It's yours and I hope it is of use to you. And please, also take this pendant...this was my grandmother's, and the most valuable thing I have. I am old and will not live for decades more and I have no family left, so I would like you to take it. I won't take no for an answer!"
Asgrid wakes, troubled by her dream. She reaches over to her pack, drawing out the lock of white hair. One of the two keys the party received from the dark rider, Black Midnight. The lock of hair and the plague mask. The rider had said that they were keys, and had to be thrown into the cauldron of the hut. Was it all connected?
The dwarf is touched by the gifts from the villagers of Heldren, especially Heldrid. At first she tries to refuse the rod and amulet, then realizes that to do so might cause even more hurt than to accept them. "Really, I can't accept, these are family heirlooms..." Eventually though she takes them with what she hopes is good grace.
Concerning preparations, Asgrid's main concern is summoning Grugkt back to this realm and using her magic to heal him back to full strength. Apart from that, Asgrid takes advantage of some free time in the morning to inventory the pile of treasure that the group has been slowly accumulating. Her eyes gleam with dwarven greed as she tallies coins in a corner away from public view.
Geedra woke up in a cold sweat, cold even for her. She didn't mention her nightmare, but she noticed he others seeemd a bit off kilter as well. That rider probably appeared to all of them. "Group need go Whitethrone and get Hut. Bet Hut am guarded like crazy. Group am need be sneaky."
Geedra takes the items offered to her with a smile. "Yes, Geedra am mighty witch. Geedra use all items, yes.". When she felt the gen, she knew exactly what to do, and ground it to a grainy consistency, pouring water on top of it and mixing it all around. She laps greedily from it and allows Fox to have a few sips as well.
Upon waking up, Cara confides to the others, "I had a terrible dream of the winter witches covering the world in everlasting snow. I believe it may be prophetic, as the Rider made an appearance as well and told me to go to Whitethrone and find some hut. So, I agree with Geedra, that should be our next destination."
* * *
Upon receiving the visitors and their gifts, Cara appears a little shocked by their generosity, "Thank..thank you. I will never forget your kindnesses. Please stay safe as we leave this village onto our next trek. Your gifts will be most helpful and ever appreciated."
"Agreed. Let's go to Whitethrone." Asgrid invites Nadya to join the conversation. "How many days travel to Whitethrone from here?"
"Whitethrone, eh?" Nadya says the next morning. She sips a mug of hot mead and stares distantly out of the window of her cabin. "A long journey. Ten days by sled if travel is good." She turns and sets her mug on the table and looks around at you all with a smile. "Fortunately for you, I mush a good team of dogs."
Before anyone can respond, she continues. "Aye, I'm going with you. I know the way, I have the sleds, you need me more than you think. Further, I know someone who lives in the Fishcamps outside the city. My late husband's uncle, if he's still alive. Getting into Whitethrone isn't as easy as walking through the gate - you'll need a reason to be there, and Uncle Ringeirr can likely help you, if I talk to him." She sighs and her voice lowers slightly as she goes on.
"I won't lie. I'm afraid for my sons if I stay here. Ever since I found out what Nazhena...did to my poor Thora, I've had thoughts of getting my family out of this village. Now that the tower has been sacked, it is likely that Nazhena or her agents will come for revenge...and Nazhena already knows me as an enemy. She killed my daughter for a juvenile insult...I shudder to think of what she would do to me and my sons for this. This seems like the perfect opportunity to get my children to a new place where they will be safer, and I can continue to help you. You are the first real hope Irrisen has seen in, well, as long as I have been alive. I believe the fates and ancestors have touched you, and have brought us together for a reason."
You spend the morning getting supplies together. Brother Halzberg visits during this time to look in on Kronek,but he has some grim news.
"My friends, I'm afraid Kronek is not just sleeping off a long bout of exhaustion...I was checking him over, I opened his eyes, and they are solid blue, so dark they are almost black. His fingernails as well. He suffers from the iceblood...a terrible sickness. I don't know how it comes about, but going to that tower with all of its foul magic and fey horrors and such, it is likely the cause. Fortunately, the disease is not fatal...his body is akin to being frozen within, which will preserve him, but he will remain un-moving, unresponsive, comatose...I do not know how to cure it outside of powerful magic. Her has made a terrible sacrifice for us all, and my only wish is that I had the abilities to cure him, but I cannnot..." He holds his hat between his hands, turning it over and over as he speaks, head hung in sadness and defeat.
"Do you plan on taking him with you? If not, you could leave him in my care. I can try anything I can think of to heal him. It is up to you, of course, but I offer my services in any way I can."
Regardless of your decision, Nadya seems more devastated by this revelation than you would expect. As Brother Halzberg speaks you can see her wiping away tears before she looks away and puts her back to the priest, her fists clenched. When he finishes speaking she goes into the room where Kronek lay and doesn't come out.