They had decided to start the day with a little light shopping, but Team Sparkles soon found it more… advantageous to visit their old friend Proudshard at his house.
Proudshard, now back to his usual mage-y self after the ordeal with the Tzeentch spellcasters, was obviously very thankful that they saved him, but with so many Mages now dead, he finds himself very busy indeed. In the week that they’ve been back, he has barely had any sleep, and has been…. cheating…. to stay awake. That all said and done, is is quite happy to help them open the portal at the root of Brightspear, but cannot guarantee the location each and everytime.
After opening the portal, Proudshard informs the team that he will open the portal each and every day at this time for a full week, afterwhich he will consider them dead or long gone. With that, the mage waves goodbye, as Team Sparkles dips into the void, and out into a wintry tundra.
The party finds themselves on an island of ice, floating a top a partially frozen lake. There is small dock on the island, but no boat. To one side of the lake lies sheer cliffs, but on the other lies a mountain, smoke rising in the distance from what can only be assumed as a mountain township. Thankfully Borgut is quite the large Orruk, and, together with Rocket, manages to traverse the ice sheets with minimal wetness. Once on the otherside, the party finds themselves at the edge of a large field of snow, with the mountain, and smoke, in front, but a soft wailing on the wind to their right. Curious, the party moves towards the distressing sounds.
Here they find a small pup floating on the ice, and Borgut immediately jumps into the icy waters to save the stranded wolf. Thankfully, the rest of the team is on-hand, as though Borgut manages to retrieve the little wolf, getting back proves difficult. Zodikos and Errrrr manage to pull him free though, and, wolf on-hand the party turns back to the mountain.
After managing to fight back a stray pack of wolf-riding-Gitz, the party soon finds themselves at the entrance of what looks to be a small township, now abandoned. As they get closer they hear cries for help and then see a small cottage with a man inside, bails of burning hay are stacked around the side of the cottage and a group of wild Orukks standing outside the building watching it burn with glee.
Without hesitation, Cerlana rushes through and calls for the lead Orruk. Miraculously this works, and Cerlana, readying herself, calls for mortal combat. The biggest one steps forth, and in answer, issues a mighty waaaagh! and rushes towards the lone aelf. Parrying blow after blow she begins to tire. But just as the orruk goes in for a killing blow, she manages to do the unthinkable, she rolls away just in time, casting a miniature fireball, and taking the head off of the brutal ardboy. With a cry of glee, anger, and horror, the rest of the orruks rush forward, and the party does what they do best.
After the battle, they rescue a man from the burning building. He claims to be Ukkar Lenluna, and he is the last of his village after a huge increase in orruks has seen the mountainside slowly crumble away in battle after battle. Ukkar begs the party, and in particular Cerlana to find a way to commune with the mountain spirit, to destroy the orruk hordes on top. There is simply no way to eradicate them all at this point. Only someone born of Hysh, and with magical ability can truly hope to accomplish this. The party agree, and with the aid of Lenluna, they start up the mountain in search of a place to commune with the spirit.
After fighting their way past a bridge-troggoth, the party finally find themsleves on an outcropping. At the end of the outcropping they see an alter to the mountain spirit. The moment Cerlana touches the alter, a huge storm whips up. Snow flows widely about them, and the party drops to the ground in an an attempt to not be thrown from the mountaintop.
Cerlana twirled in the maelstrom that had picked her up, the snow from the mountaintop spun about her, shifting the sun’s rays into brilliant coloured arcs of light. Colour poured over her, and seemed to knit her wounds. And just like that that her world shifted again, one whole side of her view slipping into elegant darkness, stars punching through the night’s veil. About her a voice rang out, pure and powerful, full of strength and wisdom. ‘Cerlana,‘ the voice spoke into her soul, ‘it’s time you returned to us.‘
As the voice, or voices, spoke out, ahead of her two blazing runes came into existence, the rune of the Moon amidst the stary night sky, and the rune of the Sun against the day.
‘Your time with the twin-head, the predator, is over. It is time to put the primal behind you, and begin your journey Zenith-ward.‘ Without warning, Cerlana felt something shift within her, a soothing of the soul, as if the strength, rooted in fear, that had driven her to this point had been carefully bandaged. Reforged.
Then, as she looked on the Rune of the Moon, images, or possibly feelings, flashed within her mind’s eye. The Lunar Staff, the Seeing Stone of Celennar, the mountain. Knowledge, Truth, Wisdom, and Learning.
‘So, to, your allegiance with she who gives life. You have life, and life in abundance, now it is time to seek wisdom and strength, not only life.‘ Again, something shifted within Cerlana, as her body suddenly shook, something had cut a connection she had tied in a previous time out of desperation. She felt empty now though, a vessel without a purpose, without a use.
Cerlana’s gaze turned from the Moon, and she looked upon the Blazing Sun and more image-feelings flood her mind. Shining mail, a silvery cloth, the sword, the warrior, strength, justice, honour, and courage.
‘Now, choose, daughter of light. One must start somewhere, today you start here. The Sun or Moon. That is your choice before you enter the River. ‘
Cerlana swam, or flew, towards the blazing sun.
And suddenly the Sun explodes in violent light that overtakes her body. It isn’t hot, it doesn’t burn her body, but it does burn her soul. All goes white. Beneath her knees cold seeps through to her skin. She are kneeling on snow it seems. Still though, she sees nothing. As if on instinct she bows, and a sword is felt upon her shoulder. As it draws away from Cerlana she sees it in the white nothingness. It’s all she sees. And then, as if in a killing blow, the sword strikes her right through the center of your head.
Cerlana begins to scream in agony as her entire body catches alight. It lasts less than a moment, and then all goes black. Then. A pinprick in the darkness. A mountain appears below her. She is soaring above the mountain, alight on the wind. And she sees herself on the mountain top. Glowing in radiance. Next to her sits a creature of brilliant plumage, looking up. And then Cerlana turns her beaked head, turning away from the brilliant bird in the sky and looks to her side at herself, still kneeling in the snow, shining bright as the midday sun, a silvery cloth covering her eyes.
And then all goes black again.