Loose threads Where did the perpetrator flee to?
Participants
Locations
Second Peak of the Mountain Range East of New Hezrath
Short summary:
Went to New Hezrath to find out the source of divine essence found in the parent quest. Fought elementals, the cold weather and a depressing enchantment as we climbed the mountain. Relived an altered version of a battle from the Dragon's Civil War, slaying an illusory Livinyas. Gained an Empyreal Dragon's essence in the process.
Full Report
Prompted by Yamazawa Eiko we discovered a stone enchanted with strong divine ki. My ally and fellow Assembly member, Luz, wished to study the divine aspects of the art of Cultivation, and the originator of this Ki could be a potential master for Luz to study under.
Thus, we set out for the Elemental Shrine on foot, rested at Roanokae passed through New Hezrath and headed on our way the mountain range east of the Radiant city. Our destination: the peak of the second mountain, at the base of which this ki-stone was reportedly found by Eiko.
On our way, we were led wayward by a blizzard and soon found ourselves attacked by a pair of Ice Elementals, imitating draconic serpents. Their attack was sudden and relentless, but in the end, futile. Standing as an invincible bastion of light, Sato Tamiko ensured our safety while Young Elder commanded a small army, taking out of one of the threats. Towards the end, Luz shattered the remaining one with a solid punch allowing me to ignite it from the inside, culminating in a glorious fiery explosion of ice crystals, dispelling the blizzard.
We patched up and made our way to the town at the base of the mountains. We stayed the night at "The Whispering Bridge" where Luz spent his time meditating while Tamiko and Young Elder conversed with locals. I myself went on a quick jaunt, hoping to scout ahead, but the blizzard made it impossible to glean much information.
The next day, we began the climb and were immediately hit by an oppressive aura originating from the top of the mountain. It filled us with a defeatist attitude, completely crushing our self-worth. Still, we persevered, each in our own way. Tamiko's kind words were a balm to the soul and Young Elder managed to motivate himself through sheer spite. Luz, Sigillaria and I pushed ourselves to the fullest and soon we arrived at a plateau. The peak was within reach with only two Earth Golems blocking our path.
These creatures, Stone Bulwarks, were the worst match-up possible for a cliffside battle. They rushed at us, threatening to push us along with their stride. They hit hard while resisting most of our attacks. Fortunately, my Pocket Library revealed their vulnerability. Tamiko encased one of them in a bubble of force, allowing Young Elder to drown the other one with Cold spells, triggering its vulnerability and destroying it. Meanwhile, I placed a decoy Fire Elemental at the cliff's edge. The trapped Golem broke through Tamiko's spell and immediately rushed at my Summon, pushing it off the cliff. And at that instant, it found a claw of acid pushing it off the cliff, courtesy of yours truly. Our victory was ablsolute.
Recovering from the battle we arrived at the peak. Not long after our arrival, we were drawn into an illusory world. An Empyreal Dragon, Sova, asked us to flee the battlefield. From the context, I figured this was the Dragon's Civil War and realizing we weren't mere bystanders, Sova left her rider with us while she flew off to fight. This rider turned out to be Vaelindra Cielo, Luz's wife, or rather an illusion of her. We were sure she was an illusion, although neither my spells nor Luz's sensitivity to aura could identify it. Soon enough, Sova was killed out of the air by Livinyas who immediately attacked us. The Ice Dragon swopped in with her breath and when that didn't prove particularly effective, she went out of her way to kill Vaelindra. Unfortunately for Livinyas or rather the sadistic monster who orchestrated this, Luz had debilitated the Dragon's offense and Tamiko's timely intervention turned a fatal bite on "V" into a mere fleshwound on herself. Sigillaria and Luz then proceeded to finish Livinyas off in spectacular fashion.
The illusion dispelled and as it faded, Sova's essence implanted itself into Luz's soul. The perpetrator fled before we could interrogate them, however. And thus, we recalled to First Landing.