Ulivik may be an accomplished warrior now, but out of all the tales he's told you about his adventures; he still hasn't faced anything like the wendigos and he's going to get himself killed or worse if he goes into this with just the hope of some magic bauble around his neck. As much as you're loathed to go through this again, you decide to help Ulivik.

"Alright I'll go, but as soon as I think we're in a shitload of danger that we can't handle, you better listen to me, because this isn't going to be the fun adventure you think it's going to be. Understand?"
"Sure, but I really don't think it's going to be as bad as all that."
"No, it'll probably be worse. Now if you don't mind I'm going to get some sleep and get my mind focused on this fool's task."
"Fool's task? You're coming with me."
"Yeah, which says more about my own foolishness than yours, because you don't know any better. I know we got these magic amulets or whatever, but these… things are going to try to get inside your head and if they succeed, it's all over. If that happens to you, I won't hesitate to put a sword through your head, and I expect you to do the same."
"Ha ha you'd kill me so easily?" Ulivik laughs, but you're in no mood.
"Hello, I don't believe we've met…by the gods have you remembered nothing of the stories of my past? Of course I'd fucking do it so easily! I've killed innocent men and their entire families just because they disagreed with how the Empire was doing things, hell I even killed one of my Eternal brothers because of it. Wouldn't be anything to kill someone who was turned into a mindless beast even if…"

You stop yourself right there.

"Even if what?" Ulivik asks.
"Even if…he's too stupid to see this is a really bad idea! Anyway, I'm ranting and I'm tired. I'm going to bed, you can let yourself out. And don't say that I don't have to go, because I'm already committed now. I gave you my word as an Eternal."

Ulivik knows when you say something like that, you're being serious, so he just nods and tells you he'll be by tomorrow morning before leaving. As for you, you head off to bed with a myriad of thoughts going on in your head.

"Can't believe I nearly said he was like a son to me. What the fuck am I thinkin' about? Better get your head in the game old man, because wendigos are going to thrive on that. They live on weakness." You mumble before drifting off to sleep.

The next morning you and Ulivik set off for the infamous Wendigo Hills. Along the way, you go on about your own major conflicts with them, even when they were originally just thought to be people infected with lycanthropy like the rest of the old barbarian tribes around Rask. Ulivik listens to you in fascination like he did when he was much younger as you've never spoken of your experience with the wendigos before to him except in passing. It's good to know he's still listening.

"So after that battle, no wendigo has ever left those hills?" Ulivik asks.
"Eh, we had a couple that still managed to snag bodies and kill a few people before being brought down and exorcised by some of the local hedge wizards we recruited later, but that was mainly due to people idiotically still going into the hills in the first place. Sort of like what we're doing." You say.
"But if they're spirits can't they just float about possessing people?"
"You'd think so, but for whatever reason they can't leave these the hills in pure spirit form, they need a body. That's why when they're killed they immediately try to hop into a new one or else they get pulled back to the hills. Dunno why, and I don't think anyone's bothered to learn the history either. Everyone's just glad they were deprived of nearly all of their bodies by a certain Eternal decades ago."
"Ha ha, but what about animals? Couldn't they just possess animals and leave the hills that way?"
"Always wondered that myself, but again if they could I'd imagine they'd still be a major threat. Besides, when I traversed those hills I didn't see a single animal, not one, of course I assumed that they probably ate them all. The wendigo are basically consumption and hunger in its purest form. They aren't big thinkers in the scheme of things and it's fortunate that they never organized past their barbarian tribal hosts."
"Sounds like it, but if they are all spirits as you say, then we shouldn't experience any physical combat at all and with these amulets and our steel trap minds we should be fine! We might even find some sort of ancient lore about how the wendigos came to be tied to those hills!"
"Well you're as optimistic as ever. I suppose that's good, it'll keep your mind better prepared when the wendigos try to oppressively crush your free will. Y'know, now that I think about it, I think that's what partially saved me. My mind was so dedicated to the Empire back in those days, the wendigos were trying to crush something that wasn't really my own to begin with."
"And now?"
"Now? I got my impenetrable cynicism to protect me, which I'll definitely put more stock in than this ridiculous magical amulet that'll undoubtedly fail to do anything."
"Looks like you're off to a good start with your cynicism."

The after a couple days of travel, you eventually make it to the base of the Wendigo Hills. The markings and warning signs line stretch up, down and all the way around as far as you know. No real physical barriers of course, but even those dumb ass ogres that can't read know better than to pass the line. Of course they usually knew better to begin with, which proves that they're smarter in that respect. You take a deep breath and step past the markings and make your way up the forested hills.

It's at this point your amulet starts to glow a brighter blue, Ulivik claims "that's how you know that it's working!" Great. Still, you don't hear any sinister whispers yet, but there is still that dead silence you remember. As if nothing living is here.

Ulivik, mentions that he found a crude and well worn map of some of the Rask area during his trip through Eternal Dominion lands and wants to explore some ruins that are clearly marked on it. You mention you haven't been here in a long time, but you don't remember ever seeing any, so you can't be as of much help as he might've thought. Ulivik says he doesn't care though, he's just glad to have you along.

"That map is probably old Empire. Like really old Empire, and much might've changed since then. It could also be inaccurate to begin with."
"Yeah, that's true, but we might as well find out. It's the journey, not necessarily the destination that's important! That's what adventuring is all about."
"Funny, I always thought it was the misguided hope of finding lots of loot and the avoidance of a real job." You reply.
"That's just a bonus." Ulivik comments and you allow yourself to chuckle. Never thought you'd do that while in this cursed place.

After a half hour or so of walking, you start to get an uneasy feeling of being watched. You mention this to Ulivik and he says he's getting that impression too. You ask him if he's hearing anything, but he says he isn't except the snow crunching under foot. Neither are you, maybe the amulets are working, but it's obvious the presence of the wendigos is near.

Another hour of travel and you and Ulivik see something you didn't expect.

"Do you see that? That's a rabbit! I thought you said nothing was living here?" Ulivik says.
"When I came through I didn't see a living creature, so I just assumed there wasn't. I guess there is though." You reply.
"Maybe the wendigo aren't here anymore and everyone has been scared of this place for decades for no reason."
"I wouldn't go that far. Something is definitely here and just because we're seeing rabbits doesn't mean it's safe. It just means animals must not be suitable hosts for them."
"Well…hey that rabbit it's hopping towards us. Hmm, a little larger than average and hopping towards people is rather unusual behavior for a ra…"

Before Ulivik can finish, his leg is leaped upon and viciously attacked by the rabbit. After some hollering from the surprise, you grab the little furry beast and break its neck. You toss its lifeless body in the snow while Ulivik examines the bite marks in his pants

"Fuck, that thing chewed through my pant leg and broke the skin! You never mentioned killer rabbits on your travel to here."
"That's because I didn't encounter any, and I doubt if that was really a rabbit anymore. It would seem that animals CAN be hosts after all, they just need a human one or something similar to leave the hills. Anyway, we should really get out here, there are more coming."
"What? So? I'm sure we can handle a few overgrown possessed rabbits." Ulivik says still preoccupied with his very minor wound.
"A few, sure, but how about hundreds of them?" you say and draw his attention to literally that number popping up all around you.

The glaring red eyes of hundreds of possessed bunnies are upon you and their herbivore buck teeth have now been replaced with the toothy fangs of a carnivore hungry for flesh. And they look like they haven't tasted a bi-ped in a long time…

You fight your way to the ruins

You've come this far, no sense in running back home now especially not from rabbits, even if they are possessed by wendigo spirits.

"Come on let's get to that ruin of yours, hopefully we'll be less out in the open there!" you shout slashing out at the nearest bunch of bunnies.
"It should be nearby, this way!"

The pair of you run chopping up rabbits along the way as the "little" nippers are hopping after you and occasionally leaping on you and get a few bites in. This might all be very comical if your life wasn't in mortal danger. After about fifteen minutes of this, you're still practically waist deep in rabbits and no closer to your goal. You're starting to regret your initial decision.

"Ulivik, what the fuck man? I though you said it was close by?!"
"It is! It is! I just need to look at my map again!" Ulivik says fumbling with his map.
"Ulivik we don't have time for all that! We're getting surrounded, and like normal rabbits they seem to have multiplied severely. They're going to wear us down by attrition if this keeps up."
"Hold on I, agh!"

White rabbits, which were blending into the snow, suddenly pop up and bite at the legs and ankles of you and Ulivik. This causes Ulivik to fall to his hands and knees in the snow as they continue their attack.

"Get off! Get off!" he shouts killing them, unfortunately one the rabbits jumps on his back and with his teeth takes the amulet chain and leaps off with it.

"Ulivik no! Your amulet! We need to get the fuck outta here now!"
"Arrrrgh! My head feels like it's going to explode! Shut up! Shut up!" Ulivik yells.

The mental assault has already begun and you tell Ulivik to quickly try to think about other things and drown out the wendigo voices, he's obviously in pain though. In the meantime you're attempting to drag him back the way you came while still fighting off rabbits.

More and more of the ferocious furballs leap on to you and Ulivik, and sure enough your own amulet chain is eventually broken off as well.

"Welcome back Bane of Rask, we always knew you'd come back." You hear in your head and then a gray rabbit the size of a bear comes bounding out of a hole in the ground. It is at this point, the wendigos make their awful howl in unison. Ulivik screams in pain and you're not feeling so great yourself, but you refuse to be beaten by an overgrown rabbit.

You quickly run over to the wendigo leader and hack at its head, putting out one of its eyes. The beast roars and succeeds in smacking you to the ground with its claws.

"Foolish mortal! You cannot hope to win this battle! Give up now and let me take over…"

You ignore the taunts of the wendigo leader, you ignore the whispers of the wendigos' mental assault, you ignore the countless bites into your flesh from their hosts. You just focus on one thing. Killing that gray sonofabitch.

You roll out of the way the leader's attack and shove your sword in his side and then using your dagger you put out his other eye. Blind and still enraged he clumsily tries to lash out against you with his claws again, but once again you dodge and pulling your sword of his side, you shove it into his head this time and twist it back and forth making sure it cuts through skull, brains and everything else.

"You haven't won…" you hear in your head while stomping on some nearby rabbits still biting at your ankles. Ulivik is staggering towards you with a trail of his own dead rabbits in his wake.

"Ulivik, come on we still need to get outta here, before the leader regroups with a new body!" you say and grab at Ulivik to help pull him towards you. Ulivik stares at you blankly for a moment, and then his demeanor changes to a less friendly one.

Your heart sinks knowing what has happened, and you try to let go, but his own grip becomes very tight as his nails dig into your flesh.

"I told you, you couldn't win."

In Ulivik's body, the wendigo is much quicker than you and manages to knock your sword out of your hand and then knock you to the ground. You scramble for your weapon, but you feel a kick to your head followed by a couple of stomps to it. Bloody and dazed, you lose consciousness before you are made into the wendigo's long awaited meal.