Ajuni refused to armlessly travel further, so Tobias obliged his sister. Hidden in the Svalich Woods, the group built a makeshift forge using Shredder's scrap platemail; with a little magic and a lot of know-how, the artificer built a gold-transmuted metal prosthetic that had a wind-up flip-off function. While camping, they all chastised Mormeros for the chaos he stoked in Krezk, and Pip felt particularly betrayed when the mouse realized that the tiefling had never cared about him. Tobias had a conversation that only left him colder towards Momo, who was unapologetic about his actions or towards Ajuni's state.
The half-elf, meanwhile, bonded with Ghalwin over their disabilities and half-siblings, as well as his worship of colours. Both realized that they could learn from the other: Ajuni would teach Ghalwin Sylvan to deepen his relationship with the land, and Ghalwin would teach Ajuni Celestial to deepen hers with the heavens. She went to bed thinking about the mysterious divinity in her blood, and was again contacted by an outside force promising to offer her insight and power.
The trip to Argynvostholt took four days. On their travels, the party braved an unseasonable cold snap, a remarkably unproductive intervention attempt, and a run-in with a recognizable skeletal horseman. The "Bonerider" continued past them but left a stone key of unknown origin behind. Their third day of travel was remarkably mist-free, so they stuck to the roadside woods, and encountered sixteen Vallakians looking to capture foreigners at Fiona Wachter's command.
After some resistance, Tobias managed to convince Ghalwin to hide from the villagers, but Geronimo's big metal bug ass stuck out from the bush. This was noticed, and Mormeros prepped to blow up the entire crowd; to avoid needless death, Ajuni invoked the power of Delban, the Star of Ice and Hate. The people were blasted by icy winds, which provided enough distraction for Ajuni to turn Geronimo invisible. As they left, confused and worried, Mormeros conjured an illusion of a large bird to subtly warn the Vallakians of potential roc attacks.
The morning before they approached Argynvostholt, Dr. van Richten confifed in Ghalwin the nature of living as a spirit. He remarked on the knight's headstrong sense of justice and self-sacrifice, similarities he shared with Ezmerelda, as well as his own fears in seeing her again. Arriving that evening, they scoped out the fortified mansion, finding it so old and decrepit that even the draconic trap guarding the front door failed to activate. The south side of the mansion had been destroyed in some battle long ago, and they avoided a massive spider on the ground floor, as well as revenants in chainmail praying in the chapel. Outside the fog-shroud cemetery was Ezmerelda's magic wagon, and Ajuni noticed a figure watching them from the top of the tower.
Rather than taking the fort head-on, the party elected to find this observer. Using Potions of Climbing and Tobias' last pack of Pixie Dust, they ascended to the mansion's roof. Much of it had been caved in, and the gnome discovered a draconic statue that spoke:
"When the dragon dreams its dream
Within its rightful tomb,
The light of Argynvost will beam
And rid this land of gloom."
Two Phantom Warriors launched spectral arrows at Mormeros from the tower, and the party chased after their aggressors. He and Ajuni nearly lit the rooftop ablaze as Ghalwin and Tobias ascended, with the ghosts coming in and out of the Ethereal Border to surprise attack the weakened ones. Geronimo climbed along the wall like a beetle to avoid cave-ins from the derelict floors, and Tobias shot yet more fire down through the cave-ins he caused. As the party mages fought off these ghostly fighters, Ghalwin made his way to the apex, expecting to find Captain Vladimir Horngaard. Instead, he encountered an altogether stranger sight: Ezmerelda D'Avenir was bound by necromantic energy, unconsciously floating above the floor.
He had climbed the tower, but could not rescue the princess until Mormeros eventually made his way up, covered in wounds and ash. The warlock dispelled the wall of force and necromantic energy that kept Ezmerelda in stasis, and Ghalwin caught her as she fell. She barely seemed to recognize him as he healed her, but she awoke. Ez introduced herself to the party; but as far as she knew, she was dead.