“That would be an honor Mylord. To learn under one of your smiths will surely provide me the skilsl I lack today” replies the Norscan. 

Jex places a hand on Thurston's arm

"Perhaps my friend, this is a skill best learned another time? Unless you intend to miss the fight that's surely coming? We should perhaps take up the offer of the connection and try to pick up the order on our return." 

Lord Keltin nods gracefully in understanding.

"Lady Rimehand, if you would care to accompany me back to the hall, I will have Damdor take your measure. Then I can write to Lord Daith's artisans and ask that they forge the cuisses, braces and so on that you need to complete your armour. Do you have the coin with you? I will need to send it to Torgovann with haste."

Val departs with Keltin, his guards and a heavy sack of gold, before meeting the rest of her companions an hour or so later on the forest floor, ready to venture north into the hills.

As the Acharnost depart and begin their northward trek, discussions of the game plan pick back up in earnest. Bründir suggests that the first stop ought to be the basilisk farmer Caroline. There is doubt as to whether or not it would be worthwhile to risk facing off against the monstrous reptiles again, and whether or not they could even trust the gnome who had worked for the Morrigan and helped in their evil schemes. Val suggests that Vark reach out to her as he’s done before with his magic, and the mage is of course eager to prove himself useful. After a cautionary warning from Jex, Vark takes the codex in his hands as they break for a moment.

”Hey Caroline, this is Vark. We just wanted to check in. Is there anything to report? Has the Morrigan made any moves?” The runestone crackles and glows softly with each word.

After a few moments, Caroline replies.

"What? Vark? Where 'ave ye been? It's been weeks! Yes, of course they're back. 'Ere and t'the south. Since you 'it 'em, Megren 'as-" she manages, before the spell cuts her off. The gnome sounds more afraid than she did last time.

Vark gives a concerned look to his friends as the response comes through. As quickly as he can he taps the shifting faces of the codex again, honing in on Caroline again. “I’m sorry, we were... caught up. Please continue, what did Megren do?”

"Oh, after you 'it 'em twice, Queen ***** pulled 'er precious sisters and all 'er other favourites back to Morcloth," Caroline explains with exasperation. "They've been preparing for some-"

“Preparing for what?” he asks frantically, a few stray sparks flying out as he gets excited.

"Aren't ye listenin'?! Some kind of ritual," Caroline snaps. "'Ascension', they call it. Should be any day now, so if ye goin' t'make ye move, ye'd better-"

Vark balks at the response. “A-Ascension?” A nauseous pit opens up in Vark’s stomach and for a moment it looks like he might vomit. With wide eyes and a face drained of color he looks at the rest of the Acharnost. “She... she said they’re... s-s-some kind of r-ritual... an Ascension, b-but... ascending to what? I have an awful feeling about this. We have to hurry.”

Aiden furrows his brow. "They may be trying to become the actual Morrigan, rather than just being namesakes." He nods. "We need to stop this."

Val speaks up. "Maybe its something similar to what we--- what you all stopped beneath Sheercleft?" She clenches her fists at the burning reminder of her weakness during the retaking of their town. 

"Well" Jex shrugs, "Time to take them out then. Perhaps their eyes will be focused inward."

As the conversation dwindles and the group has their destination in mind, Val leads the way through the wilds of the rolling hills. As they progress, she discovers an ancient, dried riverbed hidden behind several hillocks that runs in the general direction of the basilisk farm. The relatively flat and straight path cuts nearly a day of travel as the group no longer needs to either scale or bypass around the myriads foothills in these lands. Also, with it being lower than the hilltops, it keeps the group well hidden from view for most of their journey. So it is, just a short two days later the come to a point where it is time to leave the path and as they work their way around the lower confines of a tall hill they can see the faint grey trail of smoke drifting into the sky far off in the distance.

Venturing ahead unseen, Jex goes to take the lay of the land. The hills here run right up against the lowest mountains in the east. Where one meets the other, the fortress stands built up against the mountains' base. Two looming watchtowers flank the ramped approach, which leads to a great keep in ancient dwarven style. The ramparts are clearly manned by sentries, watching the surrounding lands.

As short while later the rogue returns and relays whats he’s seen. Vark nods along with his eyes focused and his jaw tense. “Okay... well we definitely shouldn’t go in directly, and if we can find a way in the side or the back without making a big noisy distraction that’d probably better than letting them know something is up. Aiden, do you think you can help me conjure some fog to cover us as we get closer?” With an affirmative nod from the cleric the two storm-wielders step to the front of the group. Vark begins with a primordial chant, calling forth the elemental magic imbued within him to billow out from his form in wisps and curls of cloud. Aiden chimes in next, his Norscan prayers causing the cloud bank to grow dense and spread across the cold, rocky foothills. Slowly but surely the way up to the base of the fortress is swallowed by grey and white. As their cover settled into place Vark suddenly looks up to the sky with concern. “I think the wind is about to shift, we’ve gotta move fast!” And with that the Acharnost dive into the sea of clouds towards the inevitable danger that lies within Morloth.

With his hammer in hand Thurston nods to Valaith before following her into the summoned mist. Long has he waited to end this threat to the valley and the news of an Ascension ritual has worried him. They cannot afford to release other dangerous entity into the world. This would end tonight.

Vark charges forward, propelled by the currents of elemental air that surround him. For a moment he closes his eyes and floats, distracted by the blissful freedom. He opens them again just in time to find himself face to face with an imposing figure emerging from the mist, arms outstretched as if ready to strangle the young mage. “AH-“

The cry is stifled in Vark's mouth as a hand reaches out of the fog behind him and grasps his face. Jex's voice hisses in his ear: "Quiet now, don't want to be making this whole trip pointless so early. Keep your eyes open and your mouth closed."

Jex had run into the fog with the others, assuredly retracing his steps at first then doing his best to pick out the route he had seen earlier from the few remaining signs on the ground beneath the swirling mists. He had spotted the stone figures from a distance and taken them for rocks, now though he noticed the horrors of the contorted faces, scrunched in fear. It was no surprise though, they were well aware with the sisters' experiments with basilisks. 

For now though, he leads the group the rest of the way to the wall, Brundir surprisingly the furthest ahead by his side (perhaps he got used to moving whilst seeing less Jex considers.)

"Wait here, I'll drop a rope." Jex begins to unfasten the grappling hook and rope from his bag and look for handholds in the wall.

Bründir passed the statues and felt his heart sink. A thick lump welled in his throat that he struggled to push down before he choked words out, "Yer sure about this way? Other side may have arrows, but I don' want t'meet what did this..."