With a nod to Kiku, Allen agrees. "Yes, while my companion is driven by other morals, I find it enjoyable to do good in this world."
The Pathfinders make their way outside and head for the southern longhouse, but are stopped by Kuokei hooting and fluttering his wings in an agitated manner as he stares at Kiku.
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"Oh dear...so you are such a devoted bird, Kuokei. Tanagaar is smiling at you. The path may be dangerous, so if you don't mind, I would rather make sure you have some protection if you are to head off on your own."
If Kuokei will let her, Kiku will use a charge from her wand of Mage Armor and cast Resist Energy (cold) and Heroism on him.
"As for the message, we may want to send something more detailed since we can write it out anyways. People are more receptive to suggestions when they understand the reasoning and the you show concern for them."
Kiku rests her hand on her chin. "Maybe something like 'We learned there is an ancient evil under the ice that needs to be resealed. Do not melt any more ice, and reseal what you can while staying safe. A group of us is on the way to help. PS: Kuokei is a very good bird and deserves many treats."
If Kuokei was less worried, he might have blushed at Kiku's complements. Once Hamish finishes writing the message and tying it to his leg, the snowy owl takes off into the cold air and wings his way north.
The Pathfinders, meanwhile, head inside the southern longhouse where they are greeted by the smell of smoke and rum. "Ah, welcome back!" the Ulfen man says as he pulls himself upright on the bar inside. "I took the liberty of pouring you all a drink while I waited for you to finish your business at the smoke lodge. Took the liberty of drinking them too when you all took too long. Why don't you all sit down and tell me what I'm on the hook for providing to you this time while I pour you some fresh ones." He groans loudly as he heaves himself directly over the bar and comes crashing down on the other side before standing up with a pair of bottles in his hands.
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Hamish lifts an actual eyebrow at Edgar, then shrugs. "No reason not to be friendly and one never knows when their time will be to visit their judgement. I'll have one too, but then we will need to be moving along to our task."
He sits up at the bar next to Edgar and sets the campfire stone in front of Shiro with a half-smile, "go ahead, get your bauble envy outta the way. There won't be a place for it out there."
"The site?" Bjorn asks with a raised eyebrow as he pours nine small glasses of whiskey. "Oh, you must mean Svala's expedition. Sad to see her leave - tell her owl I still owe him a drink, will ya'?"
As he takes a seat at the table again, his smile fades and he furrows his brow in concentration. "Dogs, tents, sleds, whiskey... Did you know those Winter's Favored folks have a shrine up north?" he interjects, clearly not thinking in a straight line. "Can't say whether they appreciate the offerings folks leave 'em, but enough sloppy drunks come back with tales of giant beasts with white fur that there's got to be something up there, and folks round 'ere know their critters... Firewood, food, vodka..." His voice trails off as he pulls out a scrap of paper and begins messily making notes on it.
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Noke is surprised.
”Thank you very much for the information on the Winter’s Favoured! Should we visit them? This is a very hard choice as we do not know these powerful creatures that you are talking about and we do not even know if they still exist and could be of any support! What would you decide you are our shoes or who could support us?“ Noke asks Bjorn.
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Glancing towards the sorceress, Edgar shrugs. 'We all have our rituals.'
Leaning in close as the man talks, his eyes go wide. "Well now...that sounds interesting. Did Svala head up there?"
With a nod to Noke, he adds "Depending on how powerful these unearthed foes are, it could be beneficial to have additional friends...What do you guys think? Is it worth the delay? I realize it's a risk either way."
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Hamish points out, "haste is quite important regardless. But if avoiding this shrine causes us to be attacked and delayed, it won't be worth it. And... I do agree with Edgar that additional allies would be valuable. As much as I hate to delay dealing with undead, it does seem prudent to leave an offering and maybe attempt to contact these Winter's Favored."
He turns to the alcoholic quartermaster, "what offerings are generally left at the shrine?"
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Shiro passes on the alcohol, sliding his glass to Bjorn to enjoy; though he does ask for water if there is any around. "I am open to go to either destination," the tengu says as he spins the campfire bead on the bar surface to catch and reflect light from a nearby torch. "Though, I feel that Kiku might enjoy the experience if we detour to the shrine."
"There's no way my feet could fit into your shoes," Bjorn tells Noke with a sloppy wink, "and also no way I could tell you what to do. Gave up adventuring because it gave me decision fatigue - now all I have to decide is what kind of spirits will keep you warm in this frigid place, eh?" His latest sloppy wink is directed at Yojimbo.
He shrugs at Hamish's question. "Food, maybe some small carvings. Offered to send a bottle of firewater up with the latest bunch, but they just glowered at me and said no. Can't imagine why - if folks were leaving offerings to me, you can be sure what kind of gifts I'd be rewarding."
As the Pathfinders decide to visit the shrine, Bjorn dusts his hands and goes into the backroom. "Make yourselves comfortable," he calls over his shoulder. "Sleds will be ready in the morning. Blankets over by the fireplace." The sound of a door opening and closing announces his departure from the lodge, and the Pathfinders have the evening to themselves to rest and prepare for the long journey ahead.
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As light breaks through the longhouse's windows, the smell of strong cheese and sound of sizzling meat fill the room. "Rise and shine, sleeping beauties!" calls a voice that is way too cheerful for this time of day. As the Pathfinders break their fast, Bjorn goes over a map of the region with them and points out both the shrine and excavation site. "It'll take you about 12 days by sled to get to the shrine," he says, drawing a line with his finger. "From there, it'll be about 14 days to the excavation site. You've got enough food and firewood to last you the journey - assuming you don't get lost, of course. Not much in the way of landmarks up here. Better perhaps to think of it as sailing in the open ocean. Alright, finished eating? Well, off you go!"
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"Sleds will be ready in the morning. Blankets over by the fireplace." The sound of a door opening and closing announces his departure from the lodge, and the Pathfinders have the evening to themselves to rest and prepare for the long journey ahead.
Shiro will gather up some of the blankets to make a nest and will settle down for the night with his head tucked under a wing. A small statuette that dangles from his pack glimmers during the night, casting a protective blessing over the tengu as he sleeps.
As light breaks through the longhouse's windows, the smell of strong cheese and sound of sizzling meat fill the room. "Rise and shine, sleeping beauties!" calls a voice that is way too cheerful for this time of day.
While continually striving to perfect his physical prowess, being a morning person is not high on Shiro's list of life goals. The tengu opens his eyes blearily at the overly awake Bjorn, and begins engaging in calisthenics and stretches to begin his day while others have breakfast. When the group is ready to depart, Shiro will gather his belongings and join them on the dog sleds.
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Groaning as the man drags himself to the bar, he silently eats the offered food. Once having eaten, he makes his way to the corner and pulls a number of bones from his pack. Laying the out in a spiral, he scribbles a name at each end. Finally, the man walks around and around the bones, praying to the Lady of Graves.
After about an hour, he picks up the bones and stows them again. His color returned and his eyes more open, he smiles. "I'm ready as I'm gonna be. Lets hope they've over exaggerated the chill out there, eh?"
With a nod, to Allen, he opens his coat to allow his friend to get comfortable.
The Pathfinders depart the village, heading slightly north of the direction Kuokei was last seen. The wind cuts deep into their clothes, but between the gifts of the village and the legacy of the Pathfinders' own adventures the party is able to press onwards without hinderance.
After a week of traveling through featureless ice fields, the Pathfinders once more make camp. As the sled dogs huddle together in a large floofy mass, tents must be set up once again and a fire lit to cook the evening's dinner. Packed into this day's rations is a small bottle of spirits with a note from Bjorn - To your warmth!. All is quiet on the tundra, except for the never-ceasing wind. In the distance, a herd of caribou are barely visible against the horizon.
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Each morning, Kiku says prayers to Desna, as well as Tolc Snow-Strider—Empyreal Lord of cold, frozen wilds, and survival—and Pulura the Shimmering Maiden—Empyreal Lord of constellations, homesickness, and northern lights—asking each of them help guide the journey and protect them. Each evening, she gives thanks to them for the progress she and her companions were able to make.
At those evening camps, she asks to learn more about each of her companions. She is particularly interested in their religions, but doesn’t pursue theological debate, wanting to maintain a spirit of cooperation. Should anyone be willing to listen, she tells stories of the gods she worships: the empyreal lords, her mother’s good-aligned gods of Tian-Xia, and her father’s gods of Desna and Pharasma. Soon after everyone else has gone to sleep, she goes out and dances in the moonlight as her obedience to Ashava.
On this particular night, a week into the journey, she will be goinf through the pack to retrieve the rations and give an embarassed grimace at the sight of the bottle of spirits. ”I am afraid that I do not drink unless called to for religious purposes. I shall have to give Bjorn my sincerest apologies when we return.” She offers up the spirits. ”Do not let me sour the mood, though. Thisamet the Blithe Spirit would not be pleased with me. Please, feel free to drink.”
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Hamish takes note of the complicated rituals and procedures of the devout as they prepare each morning. Instead of something similar, he simply reads the next passage of his holy text and meditates upon the meanings found within.
Confident in himself and his allies, he enjoys the solitude and beauty of the wild snow-fields as they travel.
Once the hidden gift is discovered, he enjoys a sip or two each evening as they chat around the campfire. Once things settle in for the evening he begins his watch.
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Each morning while communing with Allen for his daily spells, Edgar performs his religious ritual. If asked about it, he gladly shares how it shows the circle of life. At one end of the bone spiral, he places the name of a newly born and a recently deceased name at the opposite. Through this recognition, Pharasma blesses him directly each day.
The man gladly partakes of a drink of the bottle, smiling as Kiku refuses. "No worries. I can understand how religion guides us in this life. Admittedly, you are the first I've traveled with to actively worship more than one god. It's quite intriguing."
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Narika's eyes light up at the gift of spirits. Her new friends notice that before she drinks, she seems to always pour out a few drops like an offering. If anyone asks questions, she quietly states that it is an act of worship to Cayden Cailean, but does not say more. They also notice that she is drinking very moderatly, but with enjoyment.
The Pathfinders, having gotten used to traveling with each other by this point, set up camp with quickness born of experience and repetition, and the evening passes without incident.
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After almost another full week of sledding, a small collection of rocks and trees breaks the featureless landscape. With the ground too rough to risk the sleds, the Pathfinders leave the dogs behind and walk on foot towards what must certainly be the shrine to Winter's Favored. Weathered stone steps lead up to the top of a small hill, and the small shrine itself is barely visible under a lone pine tree which towers above the other greenery nearby.
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Kiku’s face breaks into a weary smile as the group finally sights the shrine.
”We should take care, in case the influence of the evil spirits has reached out to here as well.”
Kiku casts heroism on herself, more for how it assists her memory and interpersonal skills, should she need to treat with anyone. She taps Yojimbo with her wand of mage armor.