Many weeks later, after the horrors of the Moonscar, VC Vuvu Zuella calls everyone together.
Fellow Venture Captains, I have been away for quite some time, while you were relaxing the Decemverite sent me to meet with Queen Elvanna of Irrisen. As you know...well maybe not...as you do not know she is nearing the end of her Reign and really wants to extend it. She thinks by obtaining the Torc of Koscthkie she can do this. The Decemverite is convinced that she will most likely succeed and this offers us a chance to study it before turning it over, and, of course earning her gratitude. So they have asked me to negotiate with her and me, being me, I have succeeded. We are sending you out to the Veil of Tears to recover the Torc. Now, to be sure, there are other players in this game. This is going to be messy. I would like nothing more than to join you, but sadly I cannot. I am being sent into Opparra on a separate mission...one that requires my more than stellar looks and tongue. But I am sure you will be fine. Questions?
Well I certainly won't miss NOT trying to go into a tomb behind a frozen waterfall...sounds frigid to me.
As he speaks he plucks out a chord on a summoned instrument.
I would expect that minions of Kostchtchie are none to happy about the idea of it getting out... he muses.
Let me share the legend of the Vale of Tears. Nearly 500 years ago, the Witch Queen Tashanna, Ninth Daughter of Baba Yaga, sought the
means to overcome her mother and rule Irrisen unopposed for all time, sparking the short but
exceptionally bloody rebellion that became known as the Witchwar. Baba Yaga ruthlessly crushed
Queen Tashanna’s rebellion, and the Old Crone executed all her wayward daughter's loyalists, placing
them in a frozen tomb in the far north. There, it is said, their spirits remain entrapped alongside the
wealth looted in their short-lived coup—left as an object lesson by Baba Yaga for any who would
ever dare to challenge her power again and risk the fate of the Witchwar Legacy.
Irrisen drew near its end, and the time approached for her
to abdicate her throne and abandon Irrisen—and even
Golarion—or other worlds and dimensions. Tashanna,
however, chose a different course. Rather than give up her
throne and the kingdom she had so carefully nurtured
for nearly a century, she sought to depose her own
mother, Baba Yaga, and retain her rulership of Irrisen.
After years of research, she was finally able to locate
the Torc of Kostchtchie, an artifact containing the mortal
soul of the Demon Lord of Giants and Cold. Knowing of
Kostchtchie’s hatred for Baba Yaga, Tashanna used her
possession of the torc to convince the demon lord to ally
with her in a rebellion against Baba Yaga. This short but
bloody rebellion became known as the Witchwar.
Unfortunately, Tashanna underestimated Baba
Yaga’s personal power. The Old Crone had created both
Kostchtchie and the torc, and possessed the means to
undo them. Baba Yaga first faced Kostchtchie and savaged
him with her magic, sending him fleeing to Iobaria to
lick his wounds while her loyalists decimated his giant
forces. The Queen of Witches then turned her attention
to Tashanna and quickly defeated her rebel forces as
well, capturing her daughter and ignobly parading her
before her own defeated troops.
Baba Yaga executed every one of Tashanna’s followers
and created a huge magical necropolis wherein she
interred Tashanna’s defeated army and purportedly the
deposed witch queen herself, along with the magical torc
that led to her downfall. Known as the Veil of Frozen
Tears, this hidden necropolis, filled with traps of the Old
Crone’s devising and foul guardian spirits, remained
inviolate for 5 centuries
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"Ok, maybe I'm just some dumb, indolent noble from Taldor, but why does this Queen Elvanna think this exercise is going to go any better for her than for her predecessor? And really, more to the point, do we get on Baba Yaga's bad side if we go fetch this trinket? I don't much care for the notion of riling someone with enough power to swat a demon lord. I'm going to have to agree with Lithuan on this one. "
Vuvu bursts into a laugh.
I am just kidding. We are not working with her. Through she did approach us. She will certainly have a team or more after it. We plan to get it ourselves and study it and if needed destroy it.
Vuvu pours himself some wine. I got you guys good.
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"Are you trying to make sure we don't miss you Vuvu? I hope one of the larger noble ladies of the court takes an inordinate interest in you while in Oparra.
In any case that certainly sounds like a better plan, though I'm not sure I like the idea of a race to a prize. The time constraints could be a problem. "
Well you can expect me to scry on you...Any other questions? It is going to be cold gent.
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"I agree Lithuan.. Our Mindblank spells will cover us, so we just need 3 non-detections to cover the rest of the party.. We can split that up however you like. Im going to purchase a wand of endure elements as well so we'll be covered in that department.. Ive updated my spell list as well to include some things that might come in handy.. Oh how the money goes.."
Vuvu frowns, Now where is that healy fellow that I told to meet us here...
Ah, our healy type I presume. So I have an important job for you. So these fools let me die on our last outing, then this one died, this one, and this one got turned into babes practically and this one...well this one managed to avoid it all. Vuvu says points to himself, then Lithuan, then Vars and Woo, then Avoreal
You job is to keep them from messing it all up.
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"It is a pleasure Darvik. Your hammer and divine power are most welcome here, as is your wit. Avoreal is a transmuter of great skill, And of course you know Vars and his skill at arms and Duhwoo and his folk songs. I still favor my bow and spell. Would there be anything we should know of your recent exploits, and the empowerment you have found through your faith?" The elf speaks without the jocularity of the others.
His songs... pfffftt! Vuvu Grumps a bit and launches into a song
string
Oh before I forget. We all know that the Decemverite is cheap as the hells. So you are on your own to get there...also I do not recommend trying to teleport directly into the Veil...
OK lets get moving. Sivahna knows who is already at the Veil, get moving!
oh come now! Aren't you the smartest person alive? You tell me!
Clearly he is enjoying being the teacher right now.
Vuvu smiles. no one knows the area, you know super dangerous tomb that could piss off Baba Yaga, the current Ice Queen and a demon lord... But avoreal there knows it as well as anyone alive, but if you want to be grumpy...I would recomend speaking with Fritz, he is probably the best in town, but as I said he won't know anything more than Avoreal. He usually stays at the Severed Head...but I bet he will tell you try to greater teleport into the tomb. As I said that is a painful mistake
Vuvu says trying not to laugh at the grumping
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"Ah shorely do likes that Fervor thing Darvik does sometimes, what gives ya a choice on whut to make it do: I yooosually make it make my sword hit a l'il better, but sometimes I go extra fast when I needs ta..."
Duhwoo gets a look that he gets when a clue bird finally lands on him:
"Wait, Vuvu -- are you NOT goin' with us? Am Ah s'posed ta be the battle singer this time? Cuz Ah kin only do a little bit compared to ya'll in that dee-partment..."
Then, when the topic of travel comes up:
"Ah loves teleportin'! Kin we'alls jump ta WhiteThrone, then conjure up one o' them thar Phantom Chariot thingys to go from there?"
your songs shall strike feat into the hearts of the foe.
At the question of travel Vuvu blinks. I am not sure if magic would have let me fully understand that question.
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"Welp, if'n Ms Starseeker has been to Whitethrone b'fore, Ah reckon she kin telly-port us there -- an' that'll git us prit' close ta that thar Veil place. Then there's this spell Ah lernt 'bout call'd "Phantom Chariot", whut makes fer a cool an' fash'nabul ride on long cross-country trips! Ah reckon ain't no thang to buy up a scroll fer her to copy that spell inta her book, an' then she kin use it when we need to git to and fro betwixt Whitethrone an' that Veil place. That chariot's got these fast horse-kinda thingies that'll go more'n a hunnert miles a day -- over any terrain!"
ah then yes, that certainly would work.
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"That's jus' my ideer, tho -- might be other thoughts that are better. Ah reckon, we oughta go see that other feller ya mentioned -- "Fritz", was it? Ah def'nately wants ta meet that guy! Whut a super-cool name! Fritz! We gits Fritz! Who gots news an' bits? -- it's Fritz! Ah kin say that name all day, an' never git tired of it!"
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"I suppose a teleport and mass fly would work as well.. Yall gather round.." When eveyone is ready she teleports them to outside Whitethrone..
gtg..
The group pops in safely and on target.. Avoreal whips out her Endure Elements Wand hits everyone with a charge.. She also casts a few buff spells.
Casting:
Mindblank
Moment of Prescience
Greater false life
and she casts Nondetection on Duhwoo..
She then points in the direction of the veil.. "We head that way.."
As predicted it is frigid, everyone notices a frozen snotcicle on Duhwoo. It is shockingly long.
Before long it begins to snow some, which does little to our heroes other than make it harder to see. Soooo I will need a perception check after about 3 hours.