Praxim looks up at the open air where the roof used to be. "Well, you know what they say, when the wendigos move in down the street, there goes the neighbourhood."
With the passing of the wendigo, and the final rest granted to the Karivek brothers, a sense of peace and normalcy descends on the valley. The storm abates, and a gentle snow falls.
Tomaru, faithful of Desna that he is, wishes to continue on now, but Lym advises resting after their eventful day.
Any chance of crashing at Castle Lym for the night?
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Yes. Castle Lym is doable.
"If restin' is the plan, then that's fine with me. Whether it's restin' or keepin' goin', doesn't matter ta me."
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According to the Vekkers’ directions, your next step is to continue traveling up the Kazaron River until you reach the second tributary. The ledger identifies this river as the legendary River Avah, yet it also says the winding route between the Kodar Mountains is not one for the faint of heart. There are no banks to walk along and the river itself often rises in cataracts of up to 300 feet in height as it climbs ever higher into the mountains. The waters of the River Avah are freezing cold, yet they themselves never freeze.
The journal further explains that as you follow the river upstream, the air grows thin and the sky a deep blue. From leaving the Kazaron to the point just south of the 'Icemists' (here there is a rough sketch named 'Xin-Shalast region'), you will climb thousands of feet to a height of just over 15,000 feet above sea level.
Eventually, the journal says you will reach the River Avah’s source: a frozen swampland shrouded in glittering clouds of ice crystals known as the Fen of the Icemists. Yet even then you will find no indication of the ruined spires of Xin-Shalast. Here, the ledger tells you that you must fast and wait for a night with a full moon, whereupon the remainder of the route will be made clear to you.
Let's rest here. The rest of our journey will prove strenuous and we don't know if or how magic will be effected. In the morning, we can start off again.
The Vekkers were, if nothing else, thorough in their description of the journey to Xin-Shalast. The climb into the very highest peaks of the Kodar range are arduous to say the least. Gratuitous use of Flight and Air Walk make the elevations passable, but the thin air and bitter cold test even the most powerful magic.
Eventually, you reach the headwaters of the mystical Avah River. The Fen of the Icemists stretches before you. A large lake, transformed by volcanic activity in the region, bubbles and freezes simultaneously. Large hummocks of solid ground and rock mix with frozen mud and icy silt. There are no plants in the Fen, just stalks of strange pale fungi and clots of floating lichen.
The namesake icemists swirl and eddy over the waters. As you stand on the edge, the freezing mists form thin ice crystals in your hair, beards, and eyebrows. Here is where you must fast - according to the journal - in order for the road to the city be revealed.
If we need to fast, then we fast. We'll make camp using Tiny Hut or Secure Shelter (is there wood or something to warm the Secure Shelter). Tomaru will use Endure Elements to help against the cold too.
Does anybody have a lantern? The warmth from a lantern would heat up a secure shelter eventually. Or Lym could setup the secure shelter, then fireball the inside before we got in.
Tiny Hut can be warmed, but Lym will have to stay inside of it.
Or Lym could setup the secure shelter, then fireball the inside before we got in.
Tomaru will definitely explore. He'll look for interesting things and good places to meditate and pray.
Lym will read (I presume she has books) and will go on walks with Tomaru. Mostly she'll stay near or in the shelter.
Praxim will spar with Rexil, hopefully drafting Thordak into helping as well. The ensure elements may protect from the effects of the cold, but the cold is still there, so moving about feels good.
They should take turns standing guard. A summoned guard could be dismissed without a sound and thus give no warning.
The Fen is eerily quiet at all times. There is next to no air movement here, despite the almost-constant driving wind you experienced in your climb into the peaks. And yet the mists swirl and twist slightly of their own accord.
There is a feeling of oppressive brooding, of angry watchfulness, about the Fen. While each of you experiences the Fen in their own way, these feelings are common.
Tomaru's explorations ultimately come to naught. Despite being an experienced traveler and explorer, all excursions seem to lead straight back to the hut after a short walk. No amount of magic or craft seems to help. It's as if the Fen is actively keeping its secrets safe.
Lym finds it hard to concentrate on her reading. She finds herself reading and re-reading the same passages over and over, often before she realizes it. Even her walks with Tomaru cannot reset her mind enough to focus on what she reads.
Praxim and Rexil, along with Thordak at times, can't find the will to train with any intensity. Rexil makes the same mistakes over and over, often not remembering what the instructions were. Praxim frequently cannot recall the point he was trying to make, and ends up starting from the beginning.
Everon feels a sense of seething anger directed towards him, as if he is stranger unwelcome in a harsh land. This feeling is most intense when he is alone during a watch, and only lessens when he can spend time with his companions.
Thordak's watches are tense affairs. Dark shapes move in the mist, shifting shadows that are only seen when the mists gather enough to be opaque. Once the mists dissipate, the shapes are gone.
After three days, you are exhausted and hungry. Thordak is on watch again late in the night, and the shapes once again plague him. Deep into the night, the dwarf has almost stopped caring about the shadows when it occurs to him that the most recent shape he had ignored did not go away with the mists. He whirls about, facing a dark silhouette.
"Why are you here?" it whispers.
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Thordak simply stares at the silhouette, waiting to see if it's going to do anything else but talk. After a moment of nothing, Thordak looks around to make sure that it is talking to him. Seeing no one else awake, he looks back to the whatever it is. "We are here to kill Karzgouge. No wait, Kougarg. No I don't think that's it either. Kardog? Karisgoz? Karbumagog? Blast, I'm pretty sure it's somethin' with a 'Kar' in it for cryin' out loud! Look, I don't remember his blasted name because I'm tired, I don't care, I'm hungry, I don't care and I'm tired. Honestly, all I really want to do is rest," he states matter of factly. "I just want to rest. I'm just so tired. And it's all the time, ya know? And I'm not just talkin' about here recently just because we haven't eaten for, like, I don't know, 12 days or whatever it's been but ALL the time. I just... want... ta rest," he reiterates, sighing deeply, yet, quietly. "But I can't. Not until we finish this. We have to rid Golarion of this guy or we're ALL gonna be in a world of hurt. He's one of those ancient fellas and he was the 'Greedy' one, I believe. Do ya understand? I sure hope so because this is really hard ta explain."
The silhouette does not move, does not speak, for a long minute. For a dwarf like Thordak, it seems like an eternity. But he knows it is watching him, evaluating him.
Finally it speaks. "I know you, Thordak Ironheart. As I know your friends. Lym Blackhand, Tomaru, and Praxim. Two of your compatriots I do not know: the giant, and the one who is two. I would speak with you all."
Suddenly, the rest of you of are very awake and aware there is a powerful presence outside the hut, and it is waiting for you.
Tomaru takes the time to cast his daily spells, though they don't have time for Hero's Feast. He waits for Lym and walks out.
Lym calmly casts two spells on herself, pats down her robes ... then draws her falchion and steps outside.
"Well," she says as she steps up next to Thordak and grounds her sword. "Who is this, who has come upon our camp, in this cold and dreary place?"
Everon wakes fitfully, eyes heavily bagged and sunken in, and gazes at the figure with his arcane sight.
Praxim will hold off on bonding with his bow, since this may not be an enemy, or at least not hostile. He emerges from the shelter with Rexil and scans it for evil.
Thordak looks to Lym, to the silhouette and then back to Lym again. "No idea. But it knows us. Well... except for Rexil and the one who is two." He then ponders that a moment before looking over at Everon. "Hey, elf! The newest elf not the old elf. What in the Nine Hells does 'the one who is two' mean? WAIT," he quickly holds up a hand, "I don't want ta know. Sorry I asked. Just pretend I never said a word." He then turns back to Lym, "Anyway... so there ya go. It knows us but we don't know it. Seems nice though. It hasn't tried ta blast me ta smithereens so that's good," he concludes, nodding matter of factly.
He then looks back to the visitor, "Okay... umm... you. You wanted ta speak with us all? Go ahead, we're all ears."
"Some of us are a good part mouth, too," Praxim mutters as he uneasily watches the strange form.
"And I know I have eyes."
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From the deep dark of the silhouette's shadow steps a lithe, naked figure. Elven in form, and female in shape, the creature takes your breathe away. Her skin has a purplish hue, her hair raven-black. The color of her eyes matches her hair, and looking into them makes you feel as if you are peering into a bottomless well of emotion.
You could not imagine a more unlikely creature to find in this bleak land.
When she speaks, you get the overwhelming sense that this is a voice you could listen to for an eternity if she let you.
"Your camp?" she says sternly, "The Fens belong to me Lym Blackhand, and you are here because I wish it to be so. You cannot find your road without my forebearance" She pauses. "Yes, I know you, Lym Blackhand. And your compatriots Thordak, Praxim, and Tomaru. I had heard there were others. A human, Kellen, and a Varisian woman, Rhianni. Yet I do not see them, nor feel them in the Fens."
Her brows furrow as if she is concentrating on something. "No. They are not with you. Yet you bring these with you. A giant..." she practically spits the word, "and one who is two. And as she speaks these last words, her voice grows in power, and her form seems to grow until it looms over you. The whole of the Fens is lost in the gathering gloom that surrounds her. For a moment she raises her hand as if to bring down mighty magic upon you...
...and then she laughs. "No! You have nothing to fear from me. I am Svevenka, mistress of the Fen of the Icemists. This not Whitewillow, but I know the last time you were there, it was not much better of a place than the Fens."
"Forgive me," she says to Everon, "I do not know you, but you travel with those that saved my kin from a horrible fate, and that is good enough for me."
"As for you," she warns, speaking to Rexil "take care in the accursed city, for it is dangerous for those of your kind." Svevenka stops, as if sensing something about Rexil. She turns to Praxim. "Your guardian is more than...worthy...of keeping you yourself." she continues to Rexil, but her eyes do not leave the paladin.
"Yes. I remember well the Lady Myriana and her love. Both Lym and I wield powerful magics, but that day, I witnessed a power greater than any other before." Tomaru looks lovingly at Lym. "Their example inspired me to pursue the one I desired. I think things are going well." He smiles. Tomaru starts to turn to Svevenka, but keeps his eyes on Lymfor a moment longer. "And if you know us, Lady of the Fens, then you know of our service to the Myriana and why we are here now. So I ask, will you help us?"
Praxim relaxes his hand from his bow and puts it on the forearm of his cohort. "Have no fear, my lady. I will both vouch for him and protect him. We liberated his people from evil much like we did in Whitewillow, and in return for that aid, he offered himself to learn and grow and improve himself and his people. His purpose is noble, and though he doesn't yet possess the raw power and skill that the rest of us have, yet he continues to brave all the same dangers."
Everon, despite his racing heart, had slowly floated to an upright position as his brows furrowed in preparation. But when the fey revealed their intentions he gave an audible sigh. A powerful force indeed, not one to be trifled with. He inclines his head respectively to her, trying to keep himself from trembling. "Their goals align with others, so I am here to help them in the last leg of their journey." He says vaguely.
Lym politely inclines her head.
"Greetings, Svevenka. If you know, would you tell us how Whitewillow now fares? We have not had the opportunity to return and see. So much to do..."
The Wizard shakes herself, and sheathes her falchion.
"Have my thanks for your timely appearance. I beseech your help. We need to advance. We must defeat the dark one whose slaves have brought such sorrow to the world. I cannot shake the feeling that time is blowing in our teeth."
"Truth be told," she says to Tomaru, "I do not know why you are here. I have been observing you for the last three days. I can see you are fasting, The only reason one would do that is to find the road to the accursed city."
As Svevenka speaks, she engages each of you, but it is on Praxim that her eyes linger most.
"The waters carried the news of my kin, Myriana, and the role you played in her salvation. The waters told me of your arrival. Beyond that, I know little. Whitewillow has returned to some level of normalcy, but it will never be what it was without Myriana's presence." she says sadly.
"I will help you as I can. I will open the Fens to you. You may come and go as you please, and rest here. The powers that dwell in the city have not - as yet - penetrated the mists to find me. It is only a matter of time before they do."
She moves closer to the group, addressing Everon. "This last leg of the journey will be the greatest challenge. The power that is awakening in the city will be a severe test for all of you. It has been gathering strength now for decades. The city is swarming with giants of all types, converted to evil. Some willingly, some enslaved. They are the most minor of what awaits you. More than that I cannot say."
"And that," she says coming to Praxim, "brings me to you." The nymph places a hand on his arm, standing uncomfortably close. "Your ward may be valiant and true, but the powers that wait for you have been enslaving whole tribes of giants to their cause. There are giants there that I have never seen before. Massive, black skinned, covered in red runes. They rule over the tribes in the city. Be careful." She draws away, her fingers slowly running down Praxim's arm as she separates.
Rexil looks uncertain as everybody talks over him (which is hard to do to a giant), but he steels himself.
”I go, lady. My people did wrong. I help fix it. Nothing else matters.”
”Is there any way you could describe these runes to Lym? Some disguise potential might not be the worst thing in the world to have.”
"Lovely idea. If only I'd prepared some disguise spells for the day..."
Thordak watches Svevenka as she speaks, completely entranced by her every word. When she finally stops, he shakes himself mentally free of her voice and looks to the others curiously. "Disguises? We don't need no stinkin' disguises ta disguise ourselves with. Whenever we see a giant, we're goin' ta kill 'em. It's as simple as that, lad. I'm not wastin' me time tryin' ta 'blend in' or whatever. They're goin' ta know that Thordak Ironheart is comin' for 'em. And when they see me, and they will see me, they're goin' ta know that I'm bringin' Hell with me," he states candidly.
”I wasn’t suggesting we disguise you,” Praxim says. ”Isn’t enough red paint this side of Absalom to keep folks from seeing you coming,” he adds more quietly but not nearly quietly enough.
"Aren't these the angry people? Infighting is probably the norm. They won't even consider the possibility that something's wrong until we've taken out two of them."
"Nope. These are the greedy ones."
”I wasn’t suggesting we disguise you,” Praxim says. ”Isn’t enough red paint this side of Absalom to keep folks from seeing you coming,” he adds more quietly but not nearly quietly enough.
The dwarf looks to the elf through narrowed eyes as he mentally goes over what it was he just said. Unable to clearly find an insult in there anywhere - although he remains skeptical - the dwarf simply shrugs. "Ya darn tootin'. And don'tcha be forgettin' it!" he states with an emphatic nod.
"I have not been close enough to the black giants to describe the runes to you." Svevenka says ruefully. "I just know that where they go, whole tribes of giants cower in fear. Not just the small ones, like your ward. The big ones, from the clouds and the storms as well."
"Rest now. I am sorry to have woken you in the middle of the night. The darkness is my closest ally when facing potential foes. Nothing will harm you here in the Fens. In the morning you will find your road."
And with that, she turns away and walks away, fading into the dark mists around the hut.
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The next morning comes quickly, but you are fit and well-rested. Svevenka was correct: there is a faint path illuminated through the Fens near where your hut is placed. It leads north into the Kodars, towards the highest of the high peaks.
Xin-Shalast, and Karzoug the Claimer, await...