It has been a century since the immortal witch Baba Yaga last visited the world, and the hour draws nigh for her return. But when she fails to appear in the frozen realm of Irrisen to usher in its newest ruler, pockets of winter begin to grow throughout the Inner Sea region. After 1,400 years of perpetual winter, the icy curse of Irrisen is spreading! What links do these strange blizzards and swaths of wintry landscapes have with Irrisen, and is there any truth to the growing rumors that the Witch Queen Elvanna has taken full control of the realm? Can her plans for the Inner Sea be thwarted, or will the Reign of Winter engulf the world?
Morning arrives, and with each day that passes, the chill in the air seems greater than the one before. After a quick breakfast at the Silver Stoat, goodbyes are said, especially to Landa and Zym who will not be making the return trek to the lodge and beyond. You stop by Iskar's to pick up the snow shoes of which he made three pair, "Unless you're able to do something about this, looks like I can keep making, then selling these blasted things!" Without any further delay, Eòghan and Kolya venture out of Heldren to seek out the source of this unnatural pocket of winter.
In retracing your steps, you figure it will take about three hours to reach the site of Lady Argentea's ambush and abduction. This will be the easiest leg of the the return trip as it is a main road. The first half-hour is awkwardly quiet until Vrixx breaks the silence, "Are we there yet?"
Number Two:"You are number six." Number Six:"I am not a number, I am a free man!" Number Two:"Muh ha ha ha ha!"
What was once a group, is now a pair. Eòghan travels in silence, he's actually quite used to traveling in small groups and in silence. His family were nomads mostly traveling the boarders of the Irissen and the Lands of the Linnorm Kings from village to village. The Ulfen has new snowshoes strapped on his pack, and over his shoulders hangs the yeti cloak that Zym was using. The Brewmaster gave it to Eòghan before leaving, saying 'Its better you take it, I don't need it in Heldren, not yet.'
For the trip he stalks silently forward, over his shoulder a long pole with a cage and the Imp Vrixx in it dangling there. At his side, trotting along or ranging out and back is Grip, the large wolf hound that saved his life last week when Eoghan first 'arrived' in the forest. He never did find out where the dog came from, but his bond with the beast only grows stronger each day.
Kolya notices that as the weather gets colder that Eòghan does too toward him a witch (if you ask Eòghan, regardless of what the man says about himself). Its a witch that's causing this strange winter, and a witch that has his hatred burning in the man's heart. He rubs his face and left eye socket as the march. Until a week or so ago he had both eyes, now he has only one, a result of the magical explosion that brought him to these lands. Still not used to it, he touches the scabbed over socket often, and is forced to crane his neck to the left to look that way over his blind spot, so he keeps Kolya on his right 'where he can see him'.
"No Vrixx, we are not there yet." He shakes the cage a bit.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
Kolya is quiet as they move forward. He can tell that Eòghan is in no mood for conversation. Besides, the winter warlock is lost in thought over what all of this means. Eòghan was right about one thing, it was almost certainly an Irissen witch behind this - one of Kolya's blood. No wonder the barbarian was distrustful of him. This just firms Kolya in his resolve to distance himself from those who gave birth to him and then abandoned him to die. In fact, that was one of the main reasons he insisted in calling himself a warlock and not a witch.
As the move, out of courtesy to Eòghan, Kolya keeps to the man's right side, not wanting to trouble him by getting into his blind spot.
"We've still hours to go," the warlock adds, breaking his silence. "You'll have to get used to it." He's not certain exactly how he feels about Eòghan's treatment of Vrixx. But the little creature didn't do much to ingratiate himself. Maybe he did deserve this.
"Do we have a plan when we get closer?" he asks Eòghan, willing to ask his question now that the quiet has ended, at least temporarily.
Eòghan looks over at Koyla, "I haven't really thought that far ahead have you? We need to be extra careful now that we have lost Landa and Zym. I've been trying to think on that fact since we left Heldren and other than miraculously finding a clan of Ulfen warriors out here to help I haven't figured it out. I suppose we need to scout, stealth and secrecy will be our friends in this now. I'm good in the wild with moving unseen, well better than some, so perhaps we will be fine. My goal is to find the Witch doing this and kill her. From what you've said, you have no problem with that, heritage or not, correct?"
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
"Not at all," Kolya replies. "The witch who was no doubt my natural mother left me out in the wilderness to die. It was the caravaneers that saved me and raised me. So far as I'm concerned, anyone who would leave a baby out to die deserves nothing less than the same."
"I may not bear the same scars that you do," the warlock adds. "But the Witches of Irissen have tried to harm me no less than they have you."
The one eyed Ulfen touches the scar there on his face, "They are nothing but baby killers these Witches. Those that aid them are no better..." he gulps down hard, realizing that what he's just said means his own parents are no better. He pauses, mid stride, and then just moves over to a downed tree and sits on the log. He hangs his head and breaths heavy.
Vrixx starts to say something but he tosses the cage and stick off to the side, "NOT NOW VRIXX!" he shouts at the thing. He's having a bit of a panic attack, "What do I do? What do I do if I see them again?" He looks up and the only one there is Kolya and that's no comfort at all to him.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
It takes a while, but the silence is finally broken, albeit by Vrixx who is collecting himself after his cage had been tossed aside. An in depth discussion with Kolya, followed by some introspective thought seems to have been a bit much for the Ulfen. After a brief rest, the two continue on along the road. At the three hour mark, you come across the familiar wreckage of Lady Argentea's caravan. You take heed and find it undisturbed and free from potential harm. The ease of the road will end here as your new path will take you from the road and into the woods. You decide a brief rest is in order and begin to gear up for the more treacherous travel. Boreas swoops down and chirps a Kolya. The Warlock confirms what you have thought for a while now. You are not the only ones on the road...
Please welcome both AdamDaBomb11 and Scout89 to the game. Go ahead and post (Adam and Scout) walking along the road and coming upon two people at the wreckage...
Number Two:"You are number six." Number Six:"I am not a number, I am a free man!" Number Two:"Muh ha ha ha ha!"
Eòghan's panic attack leaves him, and he manages to keep pressing on. now more silent than ever. He has a Imp, a witche's familiar in a cage as a companion, and a warlock, basically a male witch, who claims to be nothing like those they hunt, but who knows. Its no comfort to the Ulfen warrior so far from home, so much on his mind. So he focuses on walking, and striding strong and with purpose. Eventually he reaches the wreckage.
Now:
The large man reaches the wreckage and looks around, "Doesn't seem troubled since last we were here. I suspect the Lady will send someone out to collect it, Zym and Landa will know where to get it for her." He avoids the bodies, the corpses that were zombies, and now collect flies and rodents and perhaps a vulture or two. Moving around the carnage he taps one of the broken cases with a foot and then plants Vrixx's pole in the spokes of the wagon so it dangles out and he can see things without being jostled around. At the Ulfen's side comes loping up a large wolf hound, it licks the man's hand and he remembers that not all his companions are so 'fell and fey' as he's starting to think. "Good boy." He plops down on the a broken tree and pets Grip, rubbing his head and scratching the dog behind the ear. "I didn't forget about you. Here." He takes out some jerky from his pack and feeds the hound with a rare smile.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
"Not quite what I was expecting. You should fit in just fine." Nyria says with a big girlish grin, making it obvious that she is joking. "I guess we should go introduce ourselves."
I was told by a merchant not to go alone, so I showed up with Scout89
Morning arrives, and with each day that passes, the chill in the air seems greater than the one before. After a quick breakfast at the Silver Stoat, goodbyes are said, especially to Landa and Zym who will not be making the return trek to the lodge and beyond. You stop by Iskar's to pick up the snow shoes of which he made three pair, "Unless you're able to do something about this, looks like I can keep making, then selling these blasted things!" Without any further delay, Eòghan and Kolya venture out of Heldren to seek out the source of this unnatural pocket of winter.
