Malkiel quickly sets about looting the corpse, picking up the bracers and trying them on before any of the others can think about it.
When they find the evidence of the larger invasion, he asks "Who's surprised here? Sounds like this Yrax fellow needs to be taught a lesson."]
"There's always a bigger fish." Natalya says with a grin, having returned from a rather gruesome power display which involved swooping over the drakelands army with Malsinder's severed head held in one hand. "The Commander said he'd give us the eagle, but there's still another key out there so maybe we can make a deal about helping him with Yrax in exchange for his finding the other one for us? It's something about a bearskin I think...?"
Commander Pharamol is grateful to you for your help but troubled by the information you uncovered. Although the threat to Spurhorn has been removed, the entire Skyfire Mandate faces an even greater danger. But there may yet be hope. Pharamol believes that much of Yrax’s barbarian army only serves the dragon out of fear. If the draconic warlord could be killed, the barbarian armies would likely flee back to the wilds and the border would remain secure. You have already done much for the Dragon Legion by helping repel the assault on Spurhorn, but Commander Pharamol asks for your help once more—this time to travel to Ivoryglass and kill Yrax himself!
For all you have done, Pharamol is more than willing to give you his rare two-headed eagle right now, but he points out that leaving the bird here in Spurhorn might be easier and safer than bringing it with you to Yrax's fortress of Ivoryglass. He will gladly hand over the eagle to you on your return.
"Sounds like a plan." Natalya says, "Just one question. Where is Ivoryglass and how do we get there?" That's two questions, but they seem pretty relevant and linked, so she doesn't care much. Although she does shoot a look at Mal just to quell any snarking.
Fortunately, among the documents recovered from Malesinder's tent is a map to Ivoryglass. The white dragon Yrax's stronghold is located 200 miles northwest of Spurhorn, within the Vahara Glacier. It will involve travel through the relatively hostile Drakelands, but Commander Pharamol assigns Nevra and a few other dragonkin to carry you into the Drakelands. Nevra volunteers to accompany you into the glacier itself.
"Ready to depart once you are!" the blue dragonkin says happily, smiling at Natalya.
"Looking forward to it!" Natalya replies, placing her forehead against Nevra's for a moment. "You ok to carry me Nevra? You can have Izzy if you like, she'll be an easier carry. But you'll make me sad..." She pouts theatrically. "I'm good, but the others might want to gear up a bit more before we leave."
Nevra's tail rubs against Natalya's leg affectionately. "I am bigger than you and I am stronger than you, off-worlder. Carrying you will not be an issue. Just hold on tight so you do not fall off!"
"Oooo, now that sounds like fighting talk!" Natalya says, grinning like a cat. "I killed a dragonkin general today, what did you do?" She's clearly teasing as she reaches up to swing herself onto Nevra's back via her spines.
"Come on you two! We'll be late for the war!"
"You're always so impatient Natty." Izolda chides. "Aurora isn't keen on this idea. No offence Nevra but you're a lot bigger than her and smell dangerous. She's a very clever rabbit!" Indeed her snow white familiar can be seen trembling inside her cloak pocket.
Once Aurora has finally been calmed down with the help of some treats Izolda approaches her designated travelling companion. "It is nice to meet you." She rumbles in draconic. "What is your name, friend?"
Izzy recognizes the silver dragonkin as the one you rescued when he crashed into the courtyard during the siege of Spurhorn. "My name is Shatha," he replies, bowing his long neck gracefully. "I am grateful for the aid you rendered me earlier, and now I intend to return the favor. I will ensure you make it to Ivoryglass safely and swiftly."
"Late for the war? Who is ever late for a war? I think we should arrive at said war precisely when it's most appropriate for us to do so. Which would be after it was over if you ask me." Malkiel comments, shaking his head as he rolls his eyes at his friend.
He turns and offers his thanks to Shatha for the travel assistance.
When you are ready, you mount your dragonkin allies and take to the skies, traveling west across the frozen plains of the Drakelands. You are carefully to fly swiftly and carefully to avoid any unfriendly encounters.
After a few hours, though, you come upon a wolflike humanoid creature under attack by a pair of giant furred insects. These enormous, insectlike creature are covered in downy white fur, broken only by glossy black claws and portions of exoskeleton. Each one has a pair of iridescent eyes that gleams above a horrid three-part mouth dripping with viscous fluid.
"That person is no match for those ursikkas!" Nevra says. "We should help them!"
Mal looks to Greta, knowing how she would like to help a wolf-like creature before nodding. "Let's do it.", he agrees.
Turning he invisible, he moves into position behind one.
"Careful! They spit!" Nevra says as the dragonkin dive down to deploy you into battle. The furry insects trill as they turn to face you!
Izzy chants strange words, empowered by her studies with Baba Yaga's cookbook. Huge black tendrils erupt from the ice, grasping at the creatures with a sickening spell!
Malkiel returns to visibility as he slashes at the back of one of these creatures. He does his best to dance around the black tendrils erupting from the ice as well. "Ewww, nasty!" he comments with a frown at Izolda. "Can't you attack them with rainbows or unicorns or something, Izzy?"
The conjured tentacles grab one of the furry insects while Greta and Malkiel bite and stab the other one. It trills in pain as it attacks the rogue while the other breaks free of the tentacles. The monster bites Mal, dripping freezing saliva all over him, before slicing him with its claws.
Natalya swoops in on her fiery wings, her sword cleaving through the cold air.
"All out of rainbows I'm afraid!" Izolda replies as the insects disappointingly break straight out of her tentacles. Since they are doing more harm than good now she dismisses the conjuration with a thought and applies something a little more... direct.
Knowing there isn't a chance in hell he is going to burst free due to his muscles, he slashes and cuts at it until it releases him. Afterwards, he cuts some more!
Izzy puts one insect to sleep as Naty and Mal make short work of the other one, slicing and stabbing it until it collapses to the snow. Nat executes the sleeping bug!
The wolflike woman you rescued bows before you. "Thank you for your aid. I am Baknarla, and it is my honor to meet you. The destined ones from beyond the sky!"
Natalya smiles and nods before climbing back onto Nevra - keen to get back in the air and meet the draconic warlord she is going to kill!
"It is our honor." Izolda replies, "What were you doing out here? We are headed into a perilous mission but we may be able to take you somewhere on our way if that was helpful."
"I have been looking for you!" Baknarla proclaims. "The stars have spoken about the coming of ones from beyond the sky who will give my people back our lands. We inhabit the frozen wastes near the Vahara Glacier, but the tyrannical dragon warlord Yrax has harshly oppressed us and driven us out of our traditional tribal grounds. As aliens to Triaxus, you are destined to defeat Yrax, allowing my people to reclaim their ancestral domain.
"Unfortunately, most of the other shamans in my tribe do not share my beliefs, and they have shunned me. So I went seeking the destined ones on my own, and here you are at last!
"I have a plan. One of my people’s most holy sites is a place called the Rimekeening Crevasse, located in lands that the dragon has driven us from and forbidden us from returning. Although it is taboo for outsiders to set foot in the crevasse, I am willing to guide you there, in the hopes that you will help me find the last resting place of a legendary adlet hero named Sarnok. Sarnok was a mighty warrior-shaman who lived long ago and slew more than one dragon with his magic spear. He was also renowned for his wisdom, bringing about peace treaties between the adlet tribes and several Drakelands realms. The old tales say that one day Sarnok set out to explore the depths of the Rimekeening Crevasse and was never seen again, but that he will return some day to guide his people to glory once more.
"If we can locate Sarnok’s grave, I hope to find a holy relic of the hero that I can bring back to my people to restore their hope and my own position in the tribe. At the same time, I believe you will find Sarnok’s legendary spear, which you can use to slay Yrax. Furthermore, I believe there is a hidden way from the crevasse into Ivoryglass. Once you have the spear, you can then approach Ivoryglass through the crevasse, thereby avoiding the soldiers that patrol the glacier surrounding the palace.
"What say you destined ones?"
Malkiel shrugs, a smug grin playing on his face "Yeah, sure. Why not. Legendary spears? We're on it. Reclaiming ancestral domains was next on my bucket list anyway."
"I like weapons." Natalya adds with a grin once Izzy provides translation.
"Avoiding the soldiers seems like the more important part to me." Izolda says, her tone a slight rebuke to the others. "Still we accept your help Baknarla. Please lead the way."
Baknarla bows and leads the way to the Rimekeening Crevasse. The Rimekeening Crevasse cuts deeply into the Vahara Glacier, and runs from the edge of the glacier to Ivoryglass. The crevasse is a holy place to the adlets; they believe the sound of the wind whistling through the crevasse to be the howls of their ancestors, and only during rare sacred rituals do they approach close enough to hear these wails. It is forbidden for outsiders to even set foot inside the crevasse, but Baknarla is willing to break the taboo to find Sarnok’s grave and help her people.
She guides you to the edge of the vast fracture, which stretches off into the distance in both directions. The rift is about 500 feet wide at this point, but it narrows sharply as it descends into the glacier. Freezing winds whistle through the crevasse, producing an eerie wailing that at times seems to sound like the lonely cry of a grieving woman.
The crevasse drops almost 200 feet below the surface of the glacier. Your dragonkin allies help you make the descent. The bottom of the crevasse is narrow and cluttered with sharp rocks and jumbled, snow-covered boulders. Several hundred feet along the crevasse is the jagged maw of an ice cave in the cliff wall. An ancient pictogram is carved above the cave entrance.
"That is the personal sigil of Sarnok," Baknarla says. "It is a sign that he went this way, long ago. Are you ready to proceed?"
Natalya nods, removing the heavy cloak she's worn while flying to free up her wings and arms.
"Ready."
"Yes," Izolda says, shaking her head at Natalya's bravado. "We're ready." She mentally reviews her magic, which is now pleasingly strong, and casts a couple of preparatory spells.
"Let's go."
You make your way down into the crevasse and navigate the icy cave's tunnels. After traveling for several hundred feet, the ground begins to tremble. Moments later, an enormous frost worm bursts out of the ground in front of you! It clacks its mandibles as it glares at you with its single red eye!
The worm opens its maw and exhales a blast of frozen air!
Natalya is caught on the hop and that makes her extremely cross!
Though he no longer has the heroism spell, Malkiel does what any true hero does when danger arrives -- he runs. His movement allows him to completely avoid the blast from the creature and he continues running until he's on the other side, behind it. He closes in and tries to cut it.
Izolda goes for her best trick and attempts to close the worm's mind into sleep!
The worm falls to the ground, sleeping fitfully. Mal and Nat pounce on it, hacking it apart before it can recover. As it dies, though, it explodes in a shower of icy shards!
The blast lands Natalya on her back on the barbarian actually looks somewhat the worse for wear.
"That was a good fight!" She declares. "Sneaky worm!"
Then she adopts a look that would suit a small puppy better than a six foot woman with wings.
"Izzy... can you fix me up?"
Deftly dodging dangerous debris, Malkiel slides away from the explosion.
Slapping Natalya on the back, he laughs while shaking his head. "Only you would call an exploding worm a good fight, Nat."
Slapping Natalya on the back, he laughs while shaking his head. "Only you would call an exploding worm a good fight, Nat."
"And that's why you love me Mal!" Natalya replies, slapping him on the back in return and sending him face-first into a snow drift.
"Sorry..."
Izolda takes the full blast of the worm's death and ignores the byplay as she pulls out her healing wands and sets to work patching herself up, confident that Natalya will survive until she's done.
"Right then." She says once everyone is patched up. "Shall we press on before more of those things turn up?"
You continue on from the worm's remains. After several hundred more feet, you reach a jagged, frozen grotto, riddled with cracks and fissures. Sharp icicles hang from the uneven ceiling and thick ice covers much of the walls. A vertical sheet of ice fills the western end of the cavern, and the frozen remains of several creatures are visible within the ice, sealed within the frozen wall.
Malkiel eats a face full of snow and grumbles loudly about it.
---
"Suspicious, no? I surely hope we don't get closer to inspect what has gotten these unfortunate souls trapped in ice occurs to us?"
Turning towards his group, he suggests "Perhaps Nat should fly down there and check it out, telling us what she sees and if it's safe. I'll guard the rest of the women up here."
"There will be a freezing monster down there." Natalya says with certainty. "I will destroy it and free the trapped ones!" She seems remarkably confident of this fact as she spreads her flame-hued wings to glide down into the grotto - heading for the frozen wall.
Eager to approach the ice wall, Natalya doesn't notice the creature lurking in one of the fissures in the ceiling until it is too late. Sticky tendrils shoot out to lash at the barbarian, emerging from an upside-down, conical creature! A huge eye opens in the monster's front, just above a toothy mouth!
Fortunately, the strand misses the aasimar!
"Hah!" The barbarian cries, lashing out with her mighty blade at the long strand. "What did I say?"
The last thing Mal wants to be doing here is climbing, but seeing no other way about it, he turns invisible and sets to it.
Izolda vacillates for a moment between trying to end the fight in a single spell, or preserving her more powerful magics in case of the draconic warlord. Deciding that Natalya has this handled she settles for a light coating of glitter that would blind the creature.
The monster shriek's as Izzy's glitterdust gets in its one big eye. Malkiel clambers up the ice wall to get to it as Nat flies up to meet it, scoring a good hit thanks to its blindness.
The creature snaps wildly at Nat, missing her. It manages to blink the dust out of its eye.
Now that she's in position Natalya sets to work blinding the creature in a more permanent way!
"That's enough of that!" Izolda declares, hexing the creature into oblivion.
While hanging on, Malkiel pops out of invisibility and lashes out with one of his daggers!