As Wyss was being led to the Goddess of Winter’s castle by her hounds, memories of his life of struggles and horrors flooded his mind. He had been an undead warlock for as long as he could remember, and had fought countless battles just to survive.
But now, as he reflected on his past, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of regret. The countless lives he had taken, the innocents he had hurt as collateral damage, and the darkness that had consumed him – all of it weighed heavily on his soul. He thought of himself as nothing more than a monster created by the Cave Mother, a sick twist of fate to punish his fear of death. But this was the chance to atone for the blood spilled by his failure
He looked around at his allies – Davarian, Daki, Tolinn, and Kalius – and worried for their safety. Davarian, who had recently come back from the dead, weaker and craving revenge – Wyss knew that feeling all too well, and part of him wanted to satisfy that bloodlust despite the threat they had learned the goddess was trying to stop. Daki, a tiefling rogue, had a dark past that Wyss hoped he could escape from – Wyss thought of him as the brains of the group, despite joining at the same time, he was cunning, insightful, and dangerous. Tolinn, a young dragonborn, had already experienced so much suffering, and Wyss hoped he could eventually know peace after this conflict – he had suffered from some malady or curse, and lost his heritage; Wyss could empathize with that feeling all too well. And then there was Kalius, a tiefling paladin who Wyss didn’t trust, especially after he had taken the Calicks Stone relic – maybe it was the radiant magic he wielded that could rip him from his very core, but Wyss couldn’t help but shiver whenever their eyes had met.
The cloaked warlock worried that this would all end in a violent conflict with the goddess, and that his dark powers would stand no chance against her wrath. He hoped he could convince her to work with them, to join forces and destroy the evil that was breaking from its seal within the glacier. But in his gut, he knew they were marching towards an inevitable and insurmountable conflict.
He did not fear death, for he had been one with it for most of his life, but he feared for the wellbeing of the allies he fought alongside. Despite their differences, they were bound by the winds of fate; caught in the same flurry of snow that encompassed the lives of all trapped within the borders of Icebeach.
As the hounds pulled them closer to the castle, Wyss closed his eyes and breathed in the cold air – something he rarely did, but in this moment felt right. He knew that he had made many mistakes in his life, but he was determined to make things right, even if it meant sacrificing himself for the sake of his allies.
The castle loomed before them, and Wyss steeled himself for what was to come.
