Chapter 3: The Shadow Broker

Frostfall 21, 1463:

The next morning the party discussed what had happened between Balthasar and Thulgak in the tent. He filled them in with the details and they came up with a plan to tackle this mysterious Shadow Broker. There was a cave near the middle village, if they moved fast today they could make it there by nightfall and rest up for the night then spend the next day hunting clues in the village. Harrow, who was feeling cold to the bone suspected he might have an illness coming on and would need his strength and so watched eagerly as people ate in the hopes that someone might leave some food behind but his companions were efficient in their clean up. The party made their way to the cave in good time with Bratmael keeping an eye out for birds to hunt on the way but was again unsuccessful. They made it to the cave as the sun was setting only to find that it had partially caved in, there was enough room to squeeze through the entrance but they couldn't see the inside of the cave well enough to know if it was structurally sound. The party volunteered Harrow to go investigate it as he was the smallest and he obliged, albeit in a grumpy manner. The squeeze was tight but manageable and the inside of the cave held a 20ft room that was currently hosting 3 supply crates baring a symbol of a broken dagger, Harrow inspected the crates and found food inside. The rest of the party joined him inside the cave and debated wether or not to take the food from the crate but collectively decided that they shouldn't as it wasn't theirs. Harrow agreed and closed the crates back up but not before sneaking a few morsels out for him to eat without the parties notice.

Frostfall 22, 1463:

The party discusses the best approach for their mission ahead. Xorin and Brat will follow at a distance while Balthasar and Harrow enter the village. As they travel in their divided party however they hear a scream nearby, Harrow rushes to the top of a nearby hill and sees a girl being attacked by multiple pixies. The party rushes down the valley and joins the battle noticing that there are 8 pixie looking creatures attacking the girl who is swatting arrows out of the air with her staff. Xorin charges in and throws a javelin at one of the creatures which misses and causes it to turn on him and fire an arrow hitting him in the shoulder and seeming to drain his energy. He pulls out his greataxe and dispatches it with some effort before moving up the valley to join the others. Balthasar summons a spectral weapon that starts hacking at the creatures and the girl screams out to the party to beware of the arrows so Brat starts making moves to destroy the pixies weapons. Harrow pulls out a crossbow that clearly hadn't been used in a while and attempts to make a shot but misses wildy before cursing under his breath as he too is hit by an arrow, realising his weapons aren't having any success he channels the power of Cryxalis to cause the earth around the creatures to begin attacking them killing one of the creatures. The girl used the ice to create a whip and slammed 2 of the pixies with it then Brat finished one of them off. She then ran at the final pixie and launched into the air to hit it with a kick but missed and almost flew off the side of the cliff before Xorin grabbed her and swung her back at the pixie killing it.

After the battle the girl introduced herself as Hilda Hardfist and told them that she was out gathering berries for her village which happened to be the village that they were looking for. She invited them back to the village and so they followed her, stopping along the way to hunt for food for the village. There they met Grund Hardfist who was the village chieftain and Hildas father. He invited them to stay the night and they had a feast with the villagers to celebrate. The party noticed that all the villagers were female except Grund and a few small boys. Balthasar noticed that many of the villagers were cut up and bruised so offered to heal them then tried to probe information out of them. It seemed the male villagers were out on a hunt in a faraway area to get food for the winter stockpile and the rest of the clan had been trying to hunt but weren't very good at it and got injured in the process. The party discussed the local surroundings and found out why The Weeping Mountains were named as such and that at the top of the Chronostone Mountains stood The Living Statue, a fascinating construct that every 5 years would appear to move and provide insights to certain travellers futures. Xorin, still feeling exhausted from the earlier battle and now full on food and ale found his way to bed while the rest of his party were still talking with the locals. The rest of the party made their way to the chieftains hut and set up a watch roster for the night before going to sleep. During his watch Bratmael heard voices talking in a hushed whisper but was unable to discern the majority of the conversation. Balthasar and Bratmael discussed letting the other 2 members of their party in on their chess code system.

Frostfall 23, 1463:

The next morning the party awoke and began discussing their future plans. Bratmael told the party about the conversation he overheard but was unable to draw any conclusions on wether or not they should be interferring, Brat eventually decides that he needs to try to get more information. He pulls out his dragonchess set and tries to entice some of the village children to play but the mothers keep the children away. Eventually, Hilda decides to join him and Brat begins to teach her chess, during his explanation of the pawns and their ability to become more powerful Hilda and Brat begin talking in code about heroes and their call to arms. Hilda asks Bratmael what they are really doing in the village and Brat explains that they are here hunting an individual called The Shadow Broker. At the mention of the Shadow Broker a wave of relief washes over Hildas face and she explains to Brat that she can take him to a place she knows The Shadow Broker will be, provided that he allows her to accompany them. Brat agrees and they decide they are going to tell Grund that the party will go hunting for more food for the village and Hilda will show them the way. Before they leave the village, Xorin suggests they play a game of "What the fuck is up with that!?", Xorin uses the game to try to find out more about Bratmael and the previous wars he has been. Brat made mention that he fought on both sides of a civil conflict, Harrow then questioned wether he had sworn and broken oaths to which Brat confirmed that oaths had been broken during the conflict. Harrow then said that if he were to give his word on anything he would keep it because without keeping the oath what are his words worth. Balthasar then leapt to Brats defence and said the might of Arak stood behind him fully. Xorin then asked why that was and Balthasar answered "42 - Document 42, page 42, paragraph 42." but did not feel the need to elaborate. Balthasar then joined in the game and asked if Xorin was royalty what the fuck is up with that? Xorin then confirmed that Xorin is not royalty. Harrow and Xorin then explained that the royal line in BreyxPor was usurped by Sakaar Breyx who is now standing as reagent of the region. Balthasar attempted to offer the might of Arak to support Harrow and Xorin but Harrow declined as he did not want Balthasar commiting his people to a rebellion that hadn't even got off the ground.

Midday approached and the party left the village with Hilda, she tells the party they'll need to walk a few hours away from the village before she can divulge more information and so they follow her out into The Wilderness. They walk a couple of hours before she stops and explains that 6 months ago her village was approached by The Shadow Broker who demanded tribute or he would ruin them. The village refused and he returned with a small army. Grund, not willing to risk his peoples lives conceded to give a portion of their supplies every month to The Shadow Broker however, after a few months of paying tribute The HardFist Clan attempted to rebel against The Shadow Broker, and though they fought valiantly they ultimately lost. As punishment The Shadow Broker took all the men from the village leaving only Grund, the children and the women. Hilda suspects he will try to force them into his army under threat of violence towards the remaining clan members if they disobey. She mentions that she has heard that they are due to stop at a nearby village on the 24th to collect village and will lead the party there as long as they bring her with them. They reluctantly agree and make their way towards the village, stopping for a night of rest in the vast tundra plains before setting off again the next morning.

Frostfall 24, 1463:

The party makes their way to the village with almost no incident.....the only hiccup on the way coming when Brat is attempting to hunt for food and mistakes Harrow for a giant bird. Thankfully his aim was not true and he missed the shot he fired at Harrow. By duskfall the party reaches the village to find The Shadow Broker and a few of his men are in the city square, they observe what appears to be the village elder stockpiling food and supplies in the center as tribute to The Shadow Broker and decide to use this time to try to get the jump on him. The party attempts to navigate their way through the village to get a better vantage point but are too noisy and are heard by The Shadow Broker who quickly ordered his men to go search the area where Xorin and Bratmael were sneaking. Realising their cover has been blown Brat leaps out from around the corner of a house and fires a shot at The Shadow Broker but the arrow passes straight through him as his body shimmers out of existance. The Shadow Broker then revealed his true self demanding an explanation, Xorin replied that they were here to stop him, The Shadow Broker, from terrorizing these lands. The Shadow Broker then asked where they had heard his name and unbeknownst to Xorin used magic to probe his thoughts to find the true answer, having learnt from this that a Goliath had betrayed him The Shadow Broker ordered his men to kill The Other Guys then rejoin him at his camp as his forces were going to march on the goliath to wipe him out for this betrayal.

Harrow attempted to sneak around to get a clean angle for attack but was attacked by a mercenary hiding in the shadows, having been caught unawares Harrow attempted to feign his death to take the focus off him. A large mercenary charged at Brat and took hold of him in a bear hug attempting and attempted to take him to the ground but Brat fought back with headbuts and elbows until he could find an escape. Hilda faced a similar predicament but was less successful at escaping eventually being dragged to the ground by the hulking individual before Harrow, pretending to rise from the grave, distracted him long enough for Xorin to charge in and knock him over and into the mercenary that had stabbed Harrow. Balthasar summoned his spiritual weapon and got a good hit off on The Shadow Broker before he made his escape then turned it towards an archer slicing him down. He then used inflict wounds to kill another 2 of the mercenaries before reviving Harrow and Hilda who had both been taken down in the combat. Xorin then ran to Brats assistance as the hulking mercenary had beaten him bloody and sliced him in half before finishing off the last of the enemies.

After the battle Balthasar revived Bratmael and Hilda while Xorin went and alerted the Chieftain that it was safe to come out. The chieftain, Hroth, however was not happy. He accused The Other Guys of bringing doom to his village by attacking The Shadow Broker, Xorin and Harrow were unsympathetic to the chieftains plight and pointed out that a life of servitude wasn't much of a life. He responded by saying that is easy to say when you don't hold the lives of the entire village in your hands. Brat spoke to the Chieftain in a more diplomatic approach and convinced him to let them stay for the night, he eventually agreed and provided them with rations and a bed to sleep in. As they went in to the barn Harrow found a frog and gave it a message to deliver to Thulgak.

The party then decided that they would try and find some of The Shadow Brokers men and use them to find the camp. Hildas village has an emissary from The Shadow Broker arriving in 2 days so they decide that they could go there and try to ambush them, before that however they attempt to follow The Shadow Brokers tracks from the night before.

Frostfall 25, 1463:

The next morning Hroth approached the party in the barn and asked what their plans were to deal with The Shadow Broker, they mentioned that they were going to find his camp but weren't sure where to look and that they had a magic sword that was capable of draining The Shadow Brokers power, Hroth mentioned that he may have someone in the village that could show them to the camp but he didn't want to move against The Shadow Broker unless he had written confirmation that Thulgak was going to raise his army against The Shadow Broker, the group were unable to provide this and so moved on. They made their way towards the north east following the direction that they last sensed The Shadow Broker, they made their way to the base of the mountains and found tracks leading in to the mountain but concluded that the tracks could simply be from people attempting to visit The Living Statue. The party then heads towards Hildas village and camps in the frozen tundra for the night. Brat attempts to teach the party some battle tactics but takes 3 arrows to the shoulder for his effort and, frustrated with the party not following his directions, storms off and begins playing his flutes. Realising they've upset their friend Balthasar and Harrow begin seriously discussing the strategies Brat had been attempting to explain before Harrow goes and finds Brat and calms him down. The group then rested for the night.

Frostfall 26, 1463:

Waking up with a sense of urgency the party made a fast pace to attempt to reach the Hardfist village before nightfall, with Hilda leading the party they made their way quickly back to the village, arriving just after nightfall. Hilda went inside to speak to her father while The Other Guys camped up around the village to ambush The Shadow Brokers men when they came. Hilda eventually found Xorin hiding very obviously in a bush and told them that the men had already come and gone. Xorin told her to try sneak up on Brat and give him a fright so she did that and told him the news, Brat told her to tell the others he'll be back and ran off in search of tracks to hunt The Shadow Brokers men. Balthasar saw Brat running off and followed him and together they eventually found what seemed to be sled tracks and footprints of 10 men heading east. Balthasar told Brat he'd return to the village to find the others and placed a hunters mark on him to track him and the 2 split from each other. Xorin and Harrow meanwhile left the village in search of the others and eventually ran in to Balthasar who had just gone to the village and was returning to Brat, together they went off into the night and found Brat who had set up a fire to wait for his party, the tracks were becoming harder to track because of the falling snow and Brat suspected that if they wait till morning they may lose them so the party discussed wether or not to continue through the night in the hope that they may catch up to them.

The troop took turns leading the charge as they followed the tracks that were left in the snow, eventually coming across a camp that had been set up in the middle of the tundra. The party huddled up behind some trees while Brat snuck into the camp to try and get a lay of the land by moving around the perimeter of the camp and trying to get close enough to hear conversation. Unfortunately he wasn't able to get close enough to hear anything clearly. Balthasar eventually joined Brat on the east side of the camp while Xorin and Harrow moved to the west side to try get a better look at the sled carrying the cargo, eventually getting a glimpse of an individual dressed from head to toe in leather. Xorin looked hard at the individual and in the shadow of the night the man appeared to be wearing all black so he identified him as The Shadow Broker, Harrow couldn't in the dark to confirm Xorins suspicions so the 2 went back to find the others. In his new hiding spot Balthasar quietly donned his armor then attempted to move closer to the individuals around the camp fire, covering himself with snow to get as much information as possible while remaining hidden unfortunately he wasnt close enoughnto gather more than small snippets of the conversation and eventually decided to just stay hidden until the camp went to sleep. Brat eventually found the other 2 and after Xorin described the individual he saw, the party decided to also wait until the camp went to sleep. A couple hours later the camp was silent and The Other Guys began exploring the camp. Based on their observations while they were waiting the party decided The Shadow Broker must have gone to sleep in one of the north western tents so they snuck up to that area then, using a silence spell, searched the crates to confirm their suspicions. Balthasar found a symbol of an Eye with a skull in the bottom corner of it on the crates and inside Harrow found provisions. They came to the conclusion that these must be the provisions taken from Hildas village and so began searching the tents, eventually finding a tent that was locked through some trickery of the zip. Brat cut through the front of the tent and Harrow used Hold person to subdue the individual inside. They then tied him up and Brat suggested killing him on the spot. Harrow, still unconvinced that this was The Shadow Broker wanted to interrogate him instead so, with a sickle held at the mans throat, he released his hold on him. The man identified himself as The Stranger, a travelling merchant working for the Tahlin Pathfinders, Brat was still unconvinced by this and urged the party to sneak into all the tents and dispatch of the men as this would be a significant blow to The Shadow Brokers forces. The Stranger, eventually identifying himself as Darius Lightbringer, pointed to his bedside chest where his armor was kept, and Harrow pulled the armour out revealing that it was white/grey instead of black. Brat was still unconvinced, but conceded that this may not be The Shadow Broker, instead pointing out that these men could still work for him and they should kill them to be sure. Harrow and Balthasar spoke more with Darius who advised that they are travelling merchants roaming to nearby villages to sell provisions, he confirmed that he had visited Hildas village that day, but was not there to collect tithes. Before the party could divulge any more information one of the guards came out of his tent and saw Xorin and quickly raised an alarm. The 10 guards from the camp emerged from their tents with swords and bows pointed at the party and demanded they come out of the tent and disarm themselves. Harrow asked Darius if he would treat them fairly and Darius said he'd show them the same courtesy they gave him but asked that they do not speak his real name to the members of the camp. The party then moved out of the tent and placed their weapons on the ground. The Stranger then emerged from the tent and begun questioning the party. They explained that they were looking for The Shadow Broker to bring him down and end his tyranny over the region. After some heated discussion The Stranger agreed to let the party leave unscathed but said Bratmael would not get his weapons back as he was too willing to murder innocents without proof. Brat, unwilling to be parted from his glaive, began moving and talking aggressively to which he was warned by the guards to calm down or be taken down. Sensing the situation heading towards a boiling point and fearing for the life of his charge, Balthasar made a desperate and emotional plea to The Stranger to allow Brat to leave with his weapon, The Stranger, moved by Balthasars dedication to his friend eventually agreed but charged them with a 200g fine to be paid in 6 months time to The Tahlin Pathfinders in Glacial Falls, he then offered the party one of their spare tents to sleep in and retired for the night. The party moved to the tent to get their sleep but Harrow opted to stay near the campfire as the party had a habbit of snoring and sleep talking loudly and after today he needed his rest. Xorin briefly joined him near the fire and Harrow voiced his concerns over the reckless nature of their other 2 companions before they both went to sleep.

Frostfall 27, 1463:

The next morning Bratmael awoke early and made his way to the edge of the camp to meditate before Xorin eventually joined him. The two talked about long lost loves, he explained that there was a girl called Leo, between her and his brother they made the decision to storm the front lines in the war. Bratmael was captain of the guard and wielded the legendary glaive Argalos. He explained that the spear meant everything to him, and that the glaive is not just a symbol of his nation, his family and his company, it is a reminder that he has failed everyone he has ever loved but his sister had once told him she had seen that he would one day wield Argalos against darkness and that it would bring back hope to his world. The 2 then wrestled for a little bit.

The party then had breakfast around the campfire with The Stranger and his men, The Stranger then offered to speak to the party privately. The party finished their breakfast then joined The Stranger in his tent. There, The Stranger asked them again what they were doing and who they were looking for. The party explained that they were after The Shadowbroker and that he has atleast 30 men in his employ. The Stranger then said that the only camp large enough to hold that kind of a force in the nearby area, that wasn't Thulgaks, was a camp in the mountains run by an Elf named Khayd SpringLight. The Tahlin Pathfinders higher ups have decided to offer the party assistance in their quest, The Stranger will get them inside the camp unscathed and undetected and the party would then be free to pursue their interests once inside, in return The Other Guys would owe a debt of 500g payable in 6 months which instead could be paid off in a debt of 2 missions per party member that they would be called on for the future and would be un-refusable. The party asked if they could discuss it privately among themselves so The Stranger beckoned them out of his tent and bid them to rejoin him before the camp had finished packing up. They met with Brat outside and discussed the options given to them by The Stranger, eventually agreeing as a party that they would take his assistance in infiltrating the camp. Balthasar also secured a deal for the 200g they already owed the Tahlin Pathfinders which would require a mission from Brat specifically. The Stranger handed the group a collar each which, when put on, changed their appearance. He explained that the effects of these collars would only work while within a few hundred feet of himself but would be undetectable by magical or physical means. Together with the merchant and his guards the party helped pack down the camp then made their way to The Lowclimber Clan, reaching the village before night fall. There the party spent time bonding with each other over political discussions, games of dragon chess and some light shopping from The Stranger and his men.

Frostfall 28, 1463:

The next morning they packed up camp and made their way to the mountain camp, reaching the camp by early evening. There they were greeted by Arthur Cunnington, the head servant of Khayd, who allowed The Stranger and his troupe to spend the night in the camp and advised he would bring an order down in the morning. The party helped set up the camp then Brat and Xorin moved on to explore the camp. They came across a member of Hildas clan who pulled them in to the shadows and told them that The Shadow Broker stays in the manse on the hill, the camp has an army of approx 30+ loyal men to The Shadow Broker as well as another 10-20 enslaved men. He told Brat and Xorin that there is a secret that he knows that The Shadow Broker doesn't, Thulgak is in possession of The Orbs of Unity which allow him to channel the power of the gods and while he has these he is unlikely to be defeated. He also warned the two that if they were to move on the Shadow Broker tonight they wouldn't make it out of the camp alive, it might be best to wait for the army to leave and lastly, The Shadow Broker seems to draw power from his sword so it might be best to disarm him. Brat and Xorin returned to the party and gave them the information, upon hearing about The Orbs of Unity Harrow came to a realisation that the orbs that Ivan had claimed were his family heirlooms may in fact have been The Orbs of Unity. The party devised a plan to sneak in to the food storage area and stay hidden there until the the army moved out of the camp, then tucked in for the night. Xorin and Brat went to bed early and woke up in the early hours of the morning to sneak into the area, finding some boxes to hide behind.

Frostfall 29, 1463:

By sunrise, Arthur returned with his order and gold for The Stranger and Harrow gave him a bottle of wine for the master. Arthur returned up to the mansion which confirmed that The Shadow Broker was up there and so the crew helped The Strangers men load the order into the supply area then hid amongst the boxes until the army moved out. Once the camp was clear the party snuck up to The Shadow Brokers mansion and began peering through the windows to find him, eventually discovering him in a bedroom towards the north of the house. With everyone in position Harrow sneakily opened a window and crawled in and attempted to curse The Shadowbroker but his sword reacted and coated him with a black oil that seemed to stop the curse. The other 3 party members came crashing through the window and Xorin immediately leapt at the Shadowbroker, wrapping his arms around him to restrain him. Brat wedged his glaive against the door to prevent anyone entering the room then ran over to help Xorin and attempted to disarm him but his grip on the sword was tight and he held on. The Shadowbroker struggled in Xorins arms but eventually broke himself free slashing at Brat with his sword whose dark energy seemed to drain the braveness out of Brat temporarily until Balthasar handed him Argalos to remind him of who he was and what he was fighting for. Practicing the castle formation the party had devised earlier in the week Brat, Xorin and Balthasar surrounded The Shadowbroker and engaged in hand to hand combat with him, trading blows until eventually, a glancing blow from the tail end of Argalos dislodged the sword from The Shadowbrokers hand. As the sword hit the ground the black liquid that had been covering the sword floated pooled to form an orb that floated into the air momentarily before dividing into 3 different coloured orbs and disappated. The Shadowbroker cried out that the void shard had abandoned him and turned to the party members, his face revealed now that the blank inky substance was gone had an odd snowflake-like substance covering the majority of his iris' pushing against its edge . With a look of madness in his eyes The Shadowbroker channeled a storm of ice magic around him as Balthasar reached out to restrain his hands and Xorin tried covering his mouth, temporarily freezing their limbs until Xorin searched within his soul for the strength of his ancestors and broke free of the ice. The Shadowbroker tapped into his magical abilities again and with that, the snowflake broke through his iris' and seemed to spill into the rest of his eye. Harrow attempted to push into the mind of The Shadowbroker to ascertain where he had gained The Void Shard but his mind was too filled with madness as snow and ice began pelting the party members in the room. Balthasar attempted to take The Shadowbroker to the ground but the man proved agile, reversing the take down and ending up on top of Balthasar, seeing his back exposed Xorin and Balth took the opportunity to attack him beating him within an inch of his life before he muttered "Too much power, not enough....control" and created a door on the ground that he disappeared into.

Following the aftermath of the battle the party searched the Shadow Brokers room, finding a strange key made of bone and 2 red vials but no indication of where The Shadowbroker would have gone. Balthasar stole a bunch of clothes from The Shadowbroker even though they didn't fit him and Brat took a quick glimpse into the room to the south and saw a garden. The party talked for a moment about wether or not to retreat while Harrow walked around the room and peered out the window, glancing a view of what seemed to be a study. Brat snuck into the hallway and hid in the shadows as a servant walked by, then made his way to the study. In the study Harrow found a locked drawer and used the key on the drawer, the key unlocked the drawer then disintegrated and Harrow realised that perhaps the key was a skeleton key that could have opened anything. Brat found a letter inside of a chest that seemed to be from a partner of The Shadow Broker that read as follows:

Show spoiler

K,

My efforts to combine the elemental shards were not in vain, the void's gifts favor you, as does your iron grip on our dominion.

Urgent whispers reach me: The Elder seeks to end our strife, hiring outsiders to enforce 'peace.' This must be thwarted.

Enclosed is a seal. Present it to the goliath. Ensure their journey ends. My sources indicate they head for G.F. They must not arrive. Our war fuels our rise.

Your deeds shall be remembered. When the world re-molds, we stand supreme.

I proceed to the woods for the next phase. Inform me of your needs. In peril, you know where to turn.

Stay alert, let shadows guide.

Your vareer (could mean: friend, uncle, brother, master, commander, partner)

N

On the bottom of the letter is a symbol of a broken dagger

The letter was written in Elvish but contained a word (vareer) that Brat, Xorin and Harrow couldn't translate. The party then escaped the mansion and snuck to the edge of the camp and used ropes to climb over the fence then left in pursuit of The Shadow Broker. The party then discussed where they could go to find The Shadow Broker, but didn't have a lot of leads. Xorin pointed out that the symbol of a broken dagger was present on the crates in the cave they had stayed in before going to Hildas village but the party reminded him that it was a smaller cave and not much room to hide. The party then discussed going to help Thulgak in his battle but Balthasar reminded them that Thulgak would be honor-bound to capture the party so they decided against that. The note they found in the mansion mentioned woods so the party thought that perhaps the Shadow Broker was hiding in the woods. Xorin pointed out that while Thulgak was busy fighting The Shadow Brokers army they could simply go to Glacial Falls without immediate consequences but Harrow quickly reminded him that the party doesn't actually have a true reason to go to Glacial Falls, they just decided that it was a good place to start. Xorin kept harping on about the cave but was shot down again. The party then mapped out a travel path to the woods and eventually decided that they could take a detour to the cave to scratch Xorins itch. Looking at the path they had carved out Harrow then realised they could cover the same distance and stop by the Hroth clans village. Setting off finally, the party finds themselves at the Lowclimber clans by nightfall and speak with Hroth. Bratmael approached him and let him know that the party bested The Shadow Broker in combat and that he had fled through a magic door, his army was now marching on Thulgak and that if he wanted to get out from under The Shadow Brokers boot now would be the time to rise up and join Thulgak. Hroth was still unsure but Harrow quickly reminded Brat that they have proof and so, Brat produced The Shadow Brokers sword. Hroth agreed that the hilt of the sword matched The Shadow Brokers but that The Shadow Brokers sword was black, Brat explained that as they disarmed him, The Shadow Broker yelled out something about a void shard abandoning him and, having accepted the story, Hroth agreed to shelter the party for the night and began raising a call to arms across the village. Harrow wrote out a message for Hilda and sent it to her with an animal messenger and then wrote another message for The Stranger.

Frostfall 30, 1463:

The next morning the party briefly spoke to Hroth before he gave a speech to his village who had assembled in full battle gear, men, women and children included.

Show spoiler

"Today, I stand before you not as a broken man, but as one who has found his courage. Thulgak and his warriors march against our oppressors, but they are outmatched and in dire need. This is our chance, our moment to rise and seize our own freedom while turning the tide of battle in their favor."

"I know I have failed you in the past. I know my actions have brought shame upon our clan. But today, I vow to make amends. We will join Thulgak, not just as allies in his cause, but as warriors fighting for our kin, our freedom."

"Our brothers and sisters have suffered under the yoke of enslavement, their spirits crushed, their voices silenced. But no longer! We will march into battle with the fury of a thousand storms, with the strength of the mountains that birthed us!"

With the Lowclimbers rallied and the party rested they marched off to The Hardfist clan, pushing through the low light of the afternoon and making it there after dark. There, they re-united with Hilda who had gotten Harrows message and had convinced her father, albeit with some difficulty, to rally the clan and prepare for war. Xorin suggested that Hilda join them in the battle against The Shadowbroker and while she was keen to join the party, Harrow was more apprehensive and Brat pointed out that her strength was needed to aid Thulgak. Harrow then spoke to Gruund to see if they had a way to communicate with the village to the west. Gruund told him that the fastest messenger could make it there in 2 days but how long did they have before the battle. Harrow calculated that the battle would happen in approx 2 days so asked if there was a way that he could make the members of the clan trust him. Gruund told him his sister was married to the chieftain of the village and to tell her that Bumble sent her. With this information the party discussed what to do next. It was eventually decided that Harrow and Bratmael would go to The FastRester Clan while Xorin and Balthasar would go to the cave, then the party would meet at The Lodge in a few days. And with that, Harrow and Bratmael set off into the dark of the night.

As they moved through the darkness, Harrow began seeing a blue light in the distance, he pointed it out to Brat but Brat couldn't see what he was pointing at. Harrow, straining to see the form in the light, gave his torch to Brat and moved closer to the light, eventually seeing a ghostly silhouette of a man, kneeling in front of a shadowy figure. The figure held out a knife to the man and mumbled something Harrow couldn't understand, before the man took the knife from the figures outstretched hand and ran it across his palm. From the wound spewed forth lightning, enveloping the man before taking the form of large wings. As the wings took form darkness poured from his hand and the image disappeared. Harrow rushed to where he saw the vision but could only find snow, though the snow seemed more sparkly than normal. He returned to Brat who hadn't seen anything and showed him the snow, but Brat could only see normal looking snow. Assuming Harrow must be getting tired he urged them to hurry on to The FastResters village.

Frostfall 31, 1463:

Brat and Harrow reached the FastRester village early in the morning but there was no one to be found. The houses seemed to have signs of activity in them but no one walked out in the open or came out to greet them. Walking through the village they noticed some freshly dug graves and made their way to the largest hut. They knocked on the door and called out and were eventually greeted by a young girl with a suspicious look on her face. Brat declared that they were here to tell them the clans were marching against The Shadow Broker but the girl insisted that the clan loved The Shadow Broker and that he was good to them. Brat figured out pretty quickly that the girl was talking out of terror, obviously concerned that Brat and Harrow were working with The Shadow Broker but couldn't find a way to convince her to let them in. Harrow, eventually growing frustratred with the girls reluctance and suspicion decided to push past her and into the hut where they found a man lying on a mattress with a lady near him, the man obviously over taken with a fever. Harrow and Brat spoke to the female who identified herself as Astra Hardfist, wife to Krag FastRester, who was the man sick in the bed. She explained that he was wounded while hunting by a boar who had torn his gut open. Harrow offered to take a look at the wound while they explained that they were sent here by Bumble, which was Astras pet name for her brother Grund. Using a combination of magic and science Harrow patched the wound up and told her he would recover in a few days. Having listened to their message, Astra, who was still unsure if she could trust them, asked if they had any proof of their interactions with The LowClimber, Brat produced the amulet he had received from Hroth and she looked it over then nodded, apparently convinced. She told them she would take their words into consideration and that the amulet is meant to be worn not stored. Though she could not give any more information on it. The two then left the village and started following the river to find the lodge.

Balthasar and Xorin meanwhile had made their way to the cave and found that the entrance to the cave had been cleared and ice was now holding the rubble in place. Balthasar found a vantage point to hide in that could see the entrance while Xorin snuck around the cave and, now able to hear that there is no sound coming from within the cave, took a peak inside. The cave still contained the creates they had previously found though he saw something strange near the bottom of the crate but couldn't quite tell what it was without going into the cave so he went back out to Balthasar. They decided to search the cave and made their way in. Once in the cave Xorin opened the top crate and still found that the boxes contained food however the center box at the bottom of the pile had no snow around it, despite the rest of the cave being filled with snow. Xorin decided to look in to this further and moved the crates off the pile to get to the bottom one and found that the bottom crate couldn't be moved. He tried opening the crate and found that there was cold air inside the crate. Balthasar cleared the area of snow and dirt and found a wooden platform under the box extending a few feet out but their weapons couldn't penetrate the wood. Eventually giving up, the two returned the cave to its original state and made their way to the lodge, getting a bit lost in the snow before Balthasar constructed a make-shift compass to help direct them.

Frostfall 31, 1463:

Harrow and Bratmael make it to the lodge and find no one there despite the fact that Xorin and Balthasar had a much shorter journey, the lodge is stocked with minor provisions as well as beds and blankets to take rest. Brat starts cooking his recently caught veal while waiting for Balth and Xorin to arrive and sits to have a meal with Harrow. Balth and Xorin eventually arrive at the cabin and the 2 describe the mysterious box in the cave. After some heated discussions about whether they should return to the cave or proceed on to the woods, Bratmael, contrary to his previous insistance, pushes for the party to return to the cave now finally convinced that Xorin might have been on to something. They gather their equipment and make a return journey to the cave.

Frostfall 33, 1463:

The Other Guys made their way back to the cave and encountered the unmoving box again. The cave itself appeared to be back in its original condition and snow had filled in the cave floors again except at the bottom of the same box that was untouched by snow last time. Harrow had an idea that climbing into the box and closing its lid might open the bottom of it up since cold air would re-fill the box every time it was closed and opened but before he tried that theory out Brat attempted to push down on the bottom of the box. Nothing happened to the box but, now clear of the frustration of having to solve the box himself, Xorin realised that it had a really simple solution and, using his claw, slid the bottom of the box out to reveal a ladder going down a chute. With Xorin leading the way the party descended down the chute finding a large dark room with a tunnel off to the side. Xorin and Brat snuck down the tunnel and found a brightly lit room with statues lining the east and south walls. Inside the room they could hear movement and muttering but couldn't see who was making the noise. They snuck back to the party to decide what to do. The party agreed to sneak into the cave with Balthasar hanging back because his armour was too noisy to be sneaking around.

Brat and Xorin snuck back in to the room with Harrow waiting in the shadows to call Balthasar if a fight broke out. Squeezing themselves behind 2 statues they got a better view of the room and saw The Shadow Broker about to drink a potion of some form. Sensing this was the moment to strike Xorin leapt out from behind the statue and ran at The Shadow Broker while Brat drew his longbow and fired a shot. The potion's effects surged through the Shadow Broker just as the arrow struck, and he turned to face his assailants, icy magic already coalescing around him. Glacial walls sprang up, towering to the cavern's ceiling, trapping Xorin and Brat in a frozen labyrinth. Xorin lunged, seizing the Shadow Broker by the shoulders, holding him in place as Brat drew his blade, Argalos, ready to strike. The Shadow Broker shimmered with an ethereal glow, slipping through Xorin's grasp and leaving behind a glacial doppelgänger. Brat’s blade struck the icy clone, shattering it and sending razor-sharp shards flying. Xorin and Brat shielded themselves, but the fragments bit into their flesh.

At that moment, Harrow and Balthasar entered the fray, only to find their view obscured by the icy walls. Confused, they navigated the maze of frost. Balthasar focused on healing his friends as they relentlessly pursued the elusive Shadow Broker, landing blows whenever they could catch him.

Harrow, finding himself isolated, watched in horror as the Shadow Broker passed through an ice wall and into a storm of swirling shards. These shards clung to his wounds, mending them before Harrow's eyes. With a burst of resolve, Harrow dashed into the shards, destroying them at great cost to his flesh as they sliced him over and over. The Shadow Broker retaliated with a powerful spell, nearly felling Harrow. Balthasar, arriving just in time, healed Harrow and rallied their allies.

Brat and Xorin continued their chase, with Brat destroying any shards he encountered. Xorin, fueled by a fiery battle trance, melted the ice around him as he repeatedly engaged the Shadow Broker. The clash of blades, spells, and wills echoed through the cavern, neither side gaining a clear advantage until the Shadow Broker unleashed a devastating flurry of ice, nearly incapacitating Harrow and severely wounding the others.

Desperate, Harrow downed a mysterious red potion he had found in The Shadow Brokers room. It tasted metallic and did not heal him though it seemed to infuse him with magical energy. Balthasar seeing his comrades on the brink, stepped between Harrow and the Shadow Broker, delivering a powerful declaration: "You Shall Not Pass!" as radiant spirits erupted from him, forming a protective barrier around his allies.

Protected by Balthasar’s guardians, Harrow sensed a weakness in the Shadow Broker’s defenses and cast Hold Person, paralyzing him. The party, seizing the moment, surged forward. Yet, the Shadow Broker broke free, overpowering Harrows magical hold, fighting back with desperation. Xorin, with a clear shot, swung his Great Axe Rhitta, but before the blow could land, the Shadow Broker encased himself in a tomb of ice.

The party attacked the ice, but it was impenetrable. The Shadow Broker absorbed the ice, healing himself and summoning a massive avalanche. Harrow attempted to counter the spell but was overwhelmed. The ice crashed down, knocking Harrow and Balthasar unconscious. Xorin, driven by ancestral fire, stood firm and, seeing the Shadow Broker exhausted, delivered the final, fatal strike.

As the cavern fell silent, Xorin rushed to Harrow’s side, finding him miraculously conscious. Harrow quickly tended to Balthasar, who, in a dream, had communed with Elion and demanded to return to his friends.

With the Shadow Broker defeated, the party searched the cave, discovering a cryptic note smoldering in the fire. Harrow retrieved the note, and together, the weary but victorious party left the cavern, ready to unravel the mysteries that lay ahead.

Parent Plot

The World As We Know It...The Journey So Far

Related Characters

• Balthasar
• Brat`mael
• Harrow
• Xorin