Chief Nalvanaq nods at the party and points to a small tunnel in the wall of the ice-covered cliff overshadowing the village. "At the end of that tunnel is where our shamans have communed with the spirits. Be warned--they will recognize you as outsiders, and will not parley with you willingly."
"Thank you for the warning, Chief Nalvanaq. We will take great care, and seek to find out how the spirits may be appeased." Kasha says with a respectful slight bow.
With that, the party takes their leave of the village and makes their way down the tunnel in the cliff.
Icy winds blow to-and-fro within the narrow, frost-covered passageway. The icicles hanging from the tunnel's ceiling stretch to lengths almost as long as a man's arm, catching on errant bits of clothing and locks of hair as the path begins to gently slope upward. The chill of the air falls to the point that even Valeria's innate resistance to the cold begins to falter--though Friday, as always, seems unperturbed.
As the party climbs the slope leading upwards, the sound of something rhythmically beating starts to fill the air... it sounds like wing beats. The wing beats of something large.
"If it is indeed a dragon take care spread out so we arent in a single line for its breath weapon. I will do my best to keep its focus."
He whispered back to the others taking a deep breath and drawing Suishen.
The passageway gradually widens as the party climbs the icy slope, and the winds surrounding the group begin to howl and keen as they soar past the party. Fresh snow starts flying down the tunnel, driving into people's faces and eyes, stinging them with the relentless force of a gale.
The source of the howling wind becomes clear when the party reaches the end of the tunnel. Stretching out before them is a large, cylinder-shaped cavern with an open ceiling letting the sun shine through. Several smaller ledges are on the opposite wall of the cavern, separated by a long drop to the ice-coated floor far below.
The wind picks up again, this time swirling about the party with such rage that it threatens to knock some of the party off their feet. A voice can be heard within the whistling wind, cutting sharply through all other sounds.
"Another has come to our domain. Ones untouched by the frozen north."
"Well, here we go, I'd say I hope they're in a talkative mood, but what I know about white dragons doesn't make that likely."
As she spoke, Valeria started shaping a protective illusion around herself. She wasn't sure if the dragon would be able to see through it or not, but it was the only defensive spell she had prepared.
The howling winds and increasing cold make Kasha glad that she'd inured herself to the climate with her morning meditation, here eyes, ears...and other, stronger senses taking it all in serenely has her hair whips wildly around her face. She could not only hear the voices of the spirits howling around them, but feel their presence, and their anger.
Calling upon her experience reaching out to the spirit world she steps forward, calling out to the spirits whirling in the air around them. "We may indeed have been untouched by the Frozen North until recently, but I am no stranger to the great spirits throughout the natural world. We are honored to enter your presence and seek to know how we can help restore harmony."
"Humility..." The whistling voice speaks. "...yes, this one is different. Untouched."
"A great wrong has been done. Children lie murdered, their shells broken and ruined--children of a great being who sought only solitude." The spirit's breath cuts past the party in a stern breeze. "The hand responsible for such wickedness shackles us--enslaves our kin and drives them to such fury that their hunger and rage unmake all who seek passage to the lands beyond."
"We have no instrument with which to undo this madness..." The spirit sighs. "Once, but no longer."
"You speak of instraments to undo the madness? Can you describe them for us? Do you have any ideas whom took the them?"
He asked lending his voice to the discussion. He slowly eased the blade down so that it was apparent he wasnt here for violence.
The voice seems to turn its attention to Kavell.
"...instruments... like your friend. One who entreats with us, makes offerings, performs the rites." The wind's breath turns hot for a moment before it's replaced with a harsh gale across the cheek.
"Ours went by many names--first Aqakuktuq... then Nootaikok... then Kallik... until Tunuak."
"So your connection with the tribes that live here, the one from the people who can touch and entreat with the Spirit World had been lost? Corrupted?" Kasha asks, beginning to understand the source of the problem and the reason things remained unresolved.
A warm breeze gently circles Kasha. "Yes..."
"...the Thing that Binds saw his heart. He was bitter--his age and his wavering faith doomed him. When She called, he listened--and in listening, lost himself." The spirit's voice sounds... almost mournful.
"He is Our Instrument no longer. His hands broke the Children, turned infinite possibilities into one. Vegsundvaag of Many Glaciers mourns them, and in her grief, seeks to punish all of his people for the sins of one."
"So the attacks, the blistering cold, and impassible storms are all this Vegsundvaag's vengeance, directed against the Iqaliat to punish Tunuak's actions." the shamaness says solemnly.
"No."
The spirit's reply comes swiftly. "Vegsundvaag is as much a victim as Iqaliat. Were you not LISTENING?!" The voice roars with a howling gale.
"She of Many Glaciers has not the power to shackle us. We are bound by One of Five Storms--a demon, Katiyana!"
"Sorry...Now I understand. The Five Storms...they are using her, just as that binds you. Controlling powerful entities to play out their goals." Kasha says maintaining a calm, even tone. "The Five Storms are our enemy, as they are yours, and we will find this demon and put an end to her, and in doing so, her ability to control you, or bring harm to the Iqaliat."
"Yes..." The breeze sighs before suddenly going still.
Another gale starts to blow through the grotto... but this one feels wrong. The chill it brings feels not of winter, but of something far more sinister.
"...no. No. NO! She knows! She KNOWS!" The voice howls in a swirling mass of panic.
Looking up, the party sees that a roaring gale is blowing snow everywhere across the hole leading to the sky--or rather, three gales. Three currents of winter air given a vaguely humanoid shape fly down through the grotto's hole, with countless snowflakes trapped within the twisting jet streams making up their bodies. One of them is decidedly larger than the other two. Blazing blue motes blink where a humanoid creature's eyes would be as they advance, their hostile intent readily apparent!
”I usually try not to stab the air,” Friday muses as he steps up to the howling winds, unsure if he’d even be able to do anything.
Friday's spear strikes one of the smaller elementals right in its centre mass--and meets a lot of resistance as his blow lands. There's a sharp *HISS* of air as his weapon makes contact!
The large elemental bears down on Kasha while the two smaller ones lunge for Friday!
The elemental spirits batter shaman and warrior alike with slams of gale-force winds!
Medium Elemental 1: 16/30 HP
Medium Elemental 2: 30/30 HP
"Are you good Friday?"
He asked the stalwart spearman even as he closed with the Large elemental harrying Kasha. Suishen's blade lit up with flames as he struck at the large elemental.
The howling winds blow Kavell's strike aside.
Valeria tried to recall what she could of beings like this, while accelerating everyone.
Staggering back from the powerful blow, Kasha brings her hands up, uttering an incantation as she draws upon the energy flowing through her via the Fire spirit, sending a gout of flame washing over the elementals
Kasha's burst of flame takes to the winds, but the chill of the air causes the burning magic to not do as much harm to a couple of the elementals. One of the smaller ones is unable to escape the full force of it, though.
Medium Elemental 1: 10/30 HP
Medium Elemental 2: 18/30 HP
"Fine," Friday simply calls out to the paladin before stabbing back at the elementals.
It appears that Friday isn't entirely used to being under the effects of a Haste spell--while his first spear strike is enough to cause the first smaller elemental to disperse, his follow-up strikes are wild and clumsy. The other elemental dodges them with ease.
The larger elemental swings at both Kasha and Kavell, hammering them with bursts of air!
And the smaller remaining one keeps trying to batter Friday!
"Good.... ow."
He started to call out before he had to grit his teeth from the force of the elementals blow. Who knew the air could hurt so much. He took a deep breath and focused slashing at the large elemental twice.
"Alright, let's see how this works out," Valeria muttered to herself as she considered everyone's positioning before unleashing the fire.
Kavell's strikes manage to land, but for the most part they don't do as much damage as they should.
Valeria's fireball explodes in a burst of sudden steam and flame, completely incinerating the elemental attacking Friday and badly burning the one battering Kasha and Kavell!
Friday clucks his tongue and tries to compensate for the new speed before stabbing again.
Friday's spear jabs three times--only the second strike is tangled in the winds and blown aside. The remaining elemental lets out an agonized howl of rushing wind as its form is thrashed to the verge of complete discorporation!
Kasha's hand ignites as she wildly swings at the air elemental pummeling her.
Kasha thrusts her lit hand into the gusting air around her, but unfortunately the air elemental manages to dance away from it.
In what's likely a final act of desperation, the elemental lets out a howl of rushing air, sending snowflakes scattering with wild abandon and swirling frost around the party with gale-force winds!
With his reflexes enhanced by Valeria's magic Friday evades the gusts and lunges at the heart of the storm again and again.
Friday's spear drives right into the heart of the elemental, finally bringing its suffering to an end--and quieting the winds.
The walls of the bore are silent--only a few weak zephyrs flowing across the hole in the ceiling make any noise that doesn't come from the party.
"So...it looks like we have this ice demon's attention." Kasha says wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth.
He was caught up in the creatures whirlwind but only for a minute as Friday quickly ended things. Slighty dizzy and well aware his friends did take some measure of damage from the things he grasped the holy symbol of Shelyn and channeled positive energy.
"Is everyone okay?"
"Thanks, all better now." Kasha replies, taking a deep breath.
Dusting herself off as Kavell's healing did its thing, Valeria looked over the battlefield. "Fine now, though I worry I may have used too much of my magic on that fight. I know it was only two spells but they were two of my strongest."
"If they alre4ady know we're here and onto who's really responsible, I doubt anyone is going to let up." Kasha replies. "We should take Tunuak with us and see if that appeases the dragon." she says firecely.
"I have a feeling Tanuak will not be happy to see us, since it appears if I am understanding it correctly, he sold his services to the Five Storms."
He frowned slightly at that, he didnt like having an unknown ominous enemy. They would have to be warier than he preferred to be. Still if the spirits here werent much more help they would have to return to the village.
"Has that friendly spirit fled? I...we need to know more of this Katiyana. I think that is what they said the demons name was."
His eyes flashed a brighter blue when he mentioned the demon and his grip tightened on the blade Suishen for just a moment before his normally serene features returned.
As everyone is getting themselves together and preparing to return, the party hears the sound of heavy, booted footsteps running up behind them. The ragged gasping of a woman's exhausted voice cuts through the silence.
"Finally... *pant pant* I... I caught up with you."
The voice's owner is a dark-haired, pale-skinned woman dressed in thick white furs. Her hands are on her knees as she struggles to catch her breath.
"...I was... *pant pant pant* ...I was supposed to meet up with you. But Tunuak got involved first. I'm with the Frozen... *gasp* ...Frozen Shadows."
Kasha casts a glance at her companions, before turning to greet the newcomer. "I'm glad you were able t catch up without encountering and danger from the weather, you're to help us as a guide or is there a message?"
"Are you one of those ninja's? I thought they wore a different get up, though i suppose in this weather something more weather proof is sound."
He asked tilting his head slightly. He still wasnt sure he fully trusted these frozen shadows. But their grandmaster had seemed... on the up and up still. . .
He paused and concentrated on the newcomer trying to sense if she was evil.
"I'm glad you were able to catch up without encountering and danger from the weather, you're to help us as a guide or is there a message?"
"Well..." The woman straightens herself up. "...I've got information you'll need to hear if you want to make it across the ice here."
"Are you one of those ninja's? I thought they wore a different get up, though i suppose in this weather something more weather proof is sound."
"I'm more of an archivist than a ninja, really." She sheepishly chuckles. "My name's Mei-Ling Zhou, but most people just call me Mei."
"Well then, nice to meet you Mei. An Archivist? Do you intend to archive our travels or just help us make the crossing?
He visably relaxed suddenly as if he studied the woman's soul and found it confortable enough.
Mei looks up at the hole in the grotto's ceiling. "Maybe we could discuss this where spirits can't hear?"
"That would be a good idea, let's head back to camp." Kasha suggests.