As the sun rose, veiled by the gray cover of cloud hanging above the Marrow Valley, FCG pressed onwards towards the looming Ashkeepers. Danbol and Brett shared some redbull along the journey, while Endrin elected to float rather than trudge through what amounted to waist-high snow for the gnome. Having reached the foothills of the mountain range, the weary party made camp and settled in for the night under cover of Triple J’s tiny hut.
Throughout the first part of the night’s watch, Triple J lead Endrin and Eris in another of his spiritual seances centered around his beloved skull. Touched and mildly disturbed by the experience, the three eventually came to and readied for bed. As they prepared to wake Conan for the next watch, the three of them heard voices in the shadows beyond, carried on the winter wind. Wasting little time Triple J made Endrin invisible, and the wizard flew off to have a quick look around.
Nestled behind a nearby hill, Endrin discovered three individuals lying in wait, seemingly scouting out FCG’s position. These mysterious figures were not soldiers however, and instead bore unmarked robes of deep maroon. Among them was a tailed dragonborn, a half elf, and a human, it seemed. Endrin returned to his comrades with haste and informed them of the impending danger. Conan gathered his armor while FCG hatched their plan of attack.
Eris made the first move, summoning her steed and taking off to the north in an attempt to flank their adversaries. The dragonborn, Jehri, roused her companions, Zyrel and Nyx, and warned them that it looked like Eris was attempting to flee. Nyx bolted upwards and unleashed a fire bolt with near deadly accuracy across the snowy fields in Eris’ direction. The rest of FCG, now mobilized, charged out into the night to engage their pursuers.
Conan charged fearlessly into battle, despite his inability to see in the dark, and engaged tree and snow well before he met his quarry. Endrin and Brett took to the skies while Triple J provided support, by means of faerie fire, from the rear. Spells lit up the sky as Brett was the first to engage the band of murderous wizards. As soon as the rest of FCG joined in however, they were all met with a torrent of fire and ice as the would-be assassins coordinated their attacks on the clumped up party. Endrin fell from the sky while Triple J ate snow. Conan was too blind to be truly effective, and Eris, crippled by her illness, struggled to reach her comrades in time.
When Eris did finally appear on the field however, her presence alone seemed to turn the tide, bringing Endrin and Triple J back from the brink of death. Inspired and bloodthirsty, Conan finally caught ahold of Nyx in the shadows and tore into the sorceress with his sinister blade. Unable to weather the warrior’s onslaught, Nyx fell.
With one of their own down, their chances of success looked grim, and the other two mages began retreating… violently. In an attempt to dissuade pursuit, the two mages continued to bombard FCG with arcane ice and might as they began to fly away. Endrin and Triple J attempted to stop their escape utilizing the force of gravity and bursts of disorienting color, but their efforts proved fruitless. Too weary to continue fighting, FCG instead turned their attention to the fallen mage at Conan’s feet.
As the snowy foothills grew quiet once more, the party bound and roused Nyx, Conan restoring her with a healing potion. At this point, FCG collectively realized that Nyx wasn’t quite as human as was initially reported. There was an air of the divine about the bloodied Aasimar, her beauty apparent to all.
Eris was unimpressed however, and immediately began the interrogation of their captive. Realizing she had already been left for dead, Nyx spared no detail in the disclosure of her mission, even offering Conan the lay of a lifetime for sparing her. Nyx informed Eris that she was a member of a group called the Volstrucker and that her orders were to capture Eris and return to her master, Trent Ikathon. Nyx also informed them that Eris was being tracked by powerful scrying magic, and that Eris would never be safe without arcane protection.
At this point, Brett’s cries for Danbol interrupted the conversation. Apparently, Danbol had fled sometime during the fight and was nowhere to be found. Distraught and confused about the sudden disappearance, Brett suggested they continue on to Ashaguard Garrison all the same, and that the captive Volstrucker was an even greater prize than a forsaken Kryn operative. Too tired to pursue or even argue, FCG took shelter beneath their hut once more, and bedded down for the night.
