Needs Leads to Misdeeds

## Synopsis

In Season 2, Chapter 16: Needs Leads to Misdeeds, Praxis invited Graven to participate in a dice game during their evening watch – the two of them discussing a bit of shared history that had since been forgotten by our worldly cleric.

This wasn't the first time that Graven had sought out a guide in the Rapra Mountains, having previously done so under the instruction of Q'usñi to hunt down an Ettin some twenty years ago.  Having witnessed the considerable power that Graven demonstrated at the time, Praxis was curious why he now traveled with a group – and about what purpose the Coldlight Walker served, given that it could simply be avoided rather than confronted.

As always, it was difficult for Graven to piece together what he could no longer recall – but we also received more warnings about the dangers of what we were chasing.  Perhaps the most important piece of information was that the walker had a kind of hypnotic effect on people who got too close and looked into the light – a strong enough compulsion that they might even come to the creature's defense if we tried to attack.

All of this was good to know, but we didn't want to get ahead of ourselves – so we turned in for the night and tried to enjoy what could be our last comfortable rest for a couple of days while we worked our way through the frigid mountains.

In the morning, we began our journey through Ozryn's Pass – and while this trail was hardly a secret, we were surprised that after only a couple of hours we were already crossing paths with other travelers.  Identifying them as Rapraliers, the wealthy and often inexperienced thrill-seekers, Praxis immediately had the notion that "relieving" them of their belongings would save us having to look for a village… where we'd waste valuable time while we resupplied.

Resorting to brigandage left a bad taste in our mouths (and thanks to Praxis it left the taste of *blood* in theirs), but the mission was paramount and the road south was close enough that we didn't feel we were endangering their lives.  Food, warm clothes and healing potions were our reward – and as we rode forward we hoped to make the most of them to justify the method of their acquisition.

Our first real ascent from the lowland pass came in the early afternoon, where a winding trail led to what Praxis called *Upper Ozryn's* – and it was there we'd consult with his scout regarding the best way to approach the Coldlight Walker.

Getting up the slope was easier said than done, however, for though it was wide enough to take the horses – a pack of Winter Wolves were lying in wait in the hillside's many caves and crevices.  Praxis thought their presence was suspicious given their preference for the higher elevations, but we barely had time to consider the "why" before our intimidation tactics broke down and we were forced to fight.

Charging at us with ferocious bites and frosted breath, we knew immediately that these beasts were to be taken seriously – but with an extra ally and a wolf of our own, we held the line and even managed to keep our horses from becoming lunch by skirting them away from danger.

One of our biggest weapons became the terrain itself, something we'd do well to keep in mind as we did battle in these peaks – and it was Erland's Open Hand technique that sent the alpha of this wolfpack tumbling to its death, giving us an opening to make the rest of the climb to Upper Ozryn's.

From there it was a chilly but mostly uneventful stretch until we saw smoke signals in the distance – where just as we'd hoped, Praxis's scout Bahira was waiting to give us news of the surroundings.  From what she had seen, bad weather and unstable ground would be limiting us to two options for getting up to the Eastern Skybowl: the *Tapered Tunnels* or *Heckler's Hills*, each of which posed their own unique challenges.

Ultimately we opted for the route where the harsh climate was less of a factor, trusting our skill in combat to carry us through whatever was making a home in the Rapra tunnels and we got one final surprise regarding Praxis's plan for moving swiftly down the mountainside.

## Trivia

* Natural one count: three natural ones were rolled in this Chapter. 1 each by Anthony, Riley, and Matt.