The Frost-Forged Dragon
Rog Hodun
54th Day of Winter, 217
Roux, Astarael, Vanja, and Bax departed with Samsel from the camp with the plan that Ethan, Sav, Talith, Danica, Paloma Shale, and Lumotu would later move the camp into the near-surface ruins revealed by the earthquake in order to reduce the travel time between expeditions and better conceal themselves.
The group would survey the ravine through the broken pillar and deal with the large crystal creature there, before reconvening with the others.
Samsel lead the group to the mouth of the ravine. Though there was no immediate sign of the large crystal creature, they could hear the intimidating sounds of something large moving beyond the ravine.
The group used a shelf of cliff on the high walls in an attempt to sneak by the small creatures that occupied the pass, including a dangerous frost wisp.
However, they soon found their narrow walkway blocked by a frost jelly and decided to attempt to knock the jelly down into the ravine and continue beyond it.
They succeeded in knocking the jelly into the ravine, but doing so alerted the large crystal creature to their presence — from the cliff-tops above they saw emerge a creature of shifting jagged crystal with broad wings, sharp claws and crystal teeth, and long neck — the Frost-Forged Dragon.
The gargantuan monster leapt into the ravine and engaged them with frost and ferocity and in the perilous battle Roux was crushed and torn within the creature’s mouth and dashed against the rocks, but where any other man would have died, Roux rose time and time again without relent, his constellation of the Fox burning on his shoulder.
The party was pushed to the dire edge, but when all seemed lost they pressed the monster from all sides and brought it crashing to the ground, the Frost-Forged Dragon defeated.
However, as Roux stood atop the ruined beast the glow of his constellation faded, a fog overtook his eyes, and he fell to the ground—dead.
The others rushed to the side and Vanja urgently pulled a precious diamond from her satchel and channeled the magic of The River to bring Roux before he passed entirely into death.
There came a fog that filled the ravine and obscured all around them, and the group found themselves coming ashore on the bank of a river—and as the fog cleared, they saw a pale and muted landscape and atop the near hill stood a broad and leafless tree filled with cawing ravens.
There stood at the base of the tree a woman in a gray hooded cloak with pomegranate hair. She looked on those strangers to her realm, the still-living, and opened her palm in a silent gesture to ask what they had brought to offer in exchange for Roux, while another woman in a tusked elven mask watched on.
Vanja offered a precious gem, but it was with a wordless agreement that Bax paid the cost to bring Roux back. She agreed, and Bax Demir had but a moment to reassure his friends and bid farewell to prepare them for what would happen next.
The group found themselves returned to the moment of Vanja’s casting, the diamond shattered and Roux gasped back to life. They saw there too Bax, but it didn’t take long to realize he no longer recognized them or even himself.
Though his body and his life remained, Bax Demir gave the memories of his life, his experience, and all that he was in exchange for Roux’s return.
There was little time to come to terms with all that had happened, danger still all about them, and Samsel quickly told them that she would continue forward to find Harvey, despite the others being in no condition to continue. They agreed to let her continue alone, that she would stay hidden, and that they would find her after regathering their strength — the halfling agreed and departed to scout ahead.
Gravely wounded and on the brink of exhaustion, the party moved to return to camp, but upon reaching the buried town they planned to use as their new camp, they heard the sound of strange voices.
Astarael moved quietly ahead and saw a Painted Swan soldier standing over a wounded Lumotu with Ethan held struggling by his arms by two more soldiers, with a dozen more lying dead on the ground around them.
The soldier began to move to put a sword in Lumotu’s throat, but Astarael used her magic to mesmerize the soldiers, giving Ethan the opportunity to produce a dagger from his sleeve and slice the throat of one, while Astarael speckled herself in blood as she butchered the other two mercilessly with her sword.
Ethan and Lumotu revealed that they had been attacked suddenly on the surface, fought in retreat into the cave, and that the soldiers had said things to each other that suggested they knew the location of the other main camp.
Ethan and Astarael quickly ascended to the surface and rushed back toward the camp to scout ahead. They found the tents burning, the goats slaughtered, and two dozen Painted Swan soldiers going through their supplies.
Astarael spotted a group of wagons and soldiers with several hours worth of a head start descending the southern portion of the mountain. They would be slow moving in the terrain, but had both superior numbers and a large lead.
Though Astarael demanded to go after the wagons alone, Ethan convinced her that he would trail the wagons and keep a tab on their location, while she returned to the others and prepared to follow South after him with everyone at fighting strength in order to rescue their friends—there is currently no clear sign of the whereabouts of Danica, Paloma, Talith, or Sav.
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