Shadows of the Dungeon and the Ice of Pale Bank

Through Danaya’s Eyes:

The malicious maw of the crimson mass opened so wide that no one could have imagined, and the Nameless was drawn inside. In the next moment, the creature spat out the monk, and Essu returned to his usual form, apologizing for momentarily losing control. The monk looked utterly exhausted. Ignoring the worried glances of his companions, he began lifting bodies, now free from the dark force, to give them a worthy rest.

The goblin king Rax descended into the dungeon, demanding explanations about what was happening. At that moment, a voice echoed from the temple: “Bring him.” Essu led the goblin inside, Danaya followed them, and Aden stayed behind to cover the rear, peering into the darkness of the corridor.

The goddess demanded a sacrifice. In an attempt to avoid undesirable consequences, Danaya grabbed Rax by the elbow and cast a spell to transport them outside, but magical interference interrupted her casting. Then she tried to pull the goblin out physically, but at that moment, a dark figure addressed Rax directly: “Serve me, cleanse the neighboring village.” The goblin, though frightened, accepted the task.

Leaving the dungeon, Danaya, waving off Essu’s raptures about the goddess and Aden’s questions about the temple’s interior, took the kitten on her shoulder and set off to the neighboring village of Pale Bank to warn the residents of a possible goblin attack.

Night caught up with her. Constructing a hammock from her cloak, she climbed into it, hugged the cat, and tried to forget this terrible day. In the distance, strange, sometimes frightening sounds were heard, but no one disturbed her peace.

In the morning, Danaya set off again and soon entered the settlement. Her attention was drawn to a crowd of locals gathered around an icy statue of a dwarf. The surrounding people looked despondent; one dwarven woman was weeping openly. Danaya questioned her and learned that the “statue” was a dwarf named Ungor. Two weeks ago, he returned from an expedition to the Eiselcross mountains, after which he became sluggish and constantly complained about the cold. Danaya tried to lift the enchantment, but Ungor remained an icy figure.

She was greeted by a tall elf, the head of Pale Bank — Elro Aldataur. From the crowd emerged a tired and disheveled Aden. The cat Bahamut looked at him suspiciously but did not hiss and remained calmly sitting in the hood.

Danaya introduced the elves to each other. Elro spoke to Aden in Elvish, but he replied in Common, explaining that years among humans had made it difficult for him to maintain a conversation easily. Moreover, there was little time—the goblins had captured the Nameless and were holding him prisoner. In the tavern, gathered around a table, they discussed the plan. Nearby sat an unusual family: human parents with two little tiefling daughters.

Aden insisted on decisive actions against the goblins, while Danaya proposed secretly freeing the Nameless to avoid bloodshed. In the end, Elro sent a squad of guards with Aden to rescue the monk, and Danaya stayed in Pale Bank to help stop the epidemic of turning into icy statues—another resident had begun to freeze.

Through Essu’s Eyes:

The monk is swallowed by the monster, but instead of dissolving in it, he found himself in darkness. Suddenly, a creature attacked him, its blows weak and clumsy. Looking closely, the monk realized that the attacker was Essu, but with brown-golden feathers, accusing the monk of cruelty. Suddenly, black claws stopped him, and the current Essu appeared, sending the former into the depths of darkness with words that there is nothing more to fear—he is protected.

Turning to the monk, Essu accused him of helplessness and said that his actions only bring more suffering. At that moment, images of an old man, a dwarf who sacrificed himself, and the body of a dead infant flashed before the monk’s eyes. With these words, Essu stabilized the monk and pushed him out of the vision, and then out of the monster.

Returning to his guise, Essu appeared before his patroness. Overwhelmed by religious euphoria, he was ready to fulfill any of her demands. Soon he heard about the birth of a dead infant among the goblins. Deciding to use this, Essu proposed a ritual to breathe life into the infant. However, this angered his patroness. As punishment, she deprived him of his magical abilities.

Then, taking on the form of Aden, Essu arrived in Pale Bank, where he convinced the head of the settlement to gather a squad. Disguised as Aden, he set off to attack the goblins, hoping to regain his mistress’s favor.

Through Aden’s Eyes:

Aden calmed the Nameless after a horrific experience. The monk decided to return to the monastery, and Aden chose to accompany him to protect him from new dangers.