Notes and Crap (entry thirty-two)

Novia, I shall skip the pleasantries in this journal entry, it has been a rough few months out here in the Wildnerness. First with Julian being beat to death within an inch of his life, an ally falling on the field of battle, patricide, and a bloodrage that I dare say would have made Aka Manto proud of me. To summarize, quite a few events to go through, only a few of them good.
 
As soon as we got into range into the range of the main camp and began scouting and finding a way in, we were approached by some Winter's Children cultists, claiming to be defectors from, remorse perhaps, but at the time, Radegast, Solomon and I found it way too convenient that they appeared out of nowhere, and offering their help. And naturally, when I bring this up, I'm insulted and threatened by said cultist... figures, though I'm no celestial either, considering I threatened to disintegrate her to dust. The cultists came through on their word though, aiding us in the assault on the Winter's Children base. There was an entire group of them that had defected, maybe around 20 cultists have been camping out for a while, their robes weathered by the elements for weeks. It's honestly a wonder how they even survived, let alone not get caught right next to the main camp just up the cliffside.
 
The raid on the camp started until the crack of dawn with our group and the defectors set up on the cliffside. I was part of the first team that cleared a spot stealthily for everyone else to come in, while everyone else came in shortly after. It all went smoothly until we set off some explosions, which got the attention of the entire camp. The next few moments went by in a blur, blades clashing, magic being cast, and projectiles being fired. I was in the middle of the crowd, channeling magic into my blade, cutting down one cultist after another. The battle was beginning to turn in our favor, until a rival gunslinger, who later turned out to be Adderly's new wife came out and started firing down upon the crowd. Radegast and I attempted to deter her, Radegast attempting to disarm, and me attempting to control her mind to cease her shooting... but it was too late... One shot fired true, followed by Kosuke and Filea screaming out Varis' name. Varis was on the ground, large hole in his chest and out the back. I swear I was seeing red after that, because next thing I knew, the shooter was nothing but dust by my hand, and the enemy Winter's Children cultists were running away in fear of their lives. For a moment... it felt... good, feeling the fear of those who wronged us, who committed such evil in the name of supremacy over others, I wanted more, I reveled in it. And for Varis? By arcane means I do not fully understand, resurrected on his own, akin to a medium or revenant of legend, those spirits who had unfulfilled ambitions in life coming back to inhabit their own bodies; dead, but not.
 
As the chaos winded down, glow from the cave began to alight, a bright, and blinding blue light. The crystal was inside, and alongside with Julian's father, absorbing magic from the ice crystal itself. I imagined for weeks how it would go in my head, all the ways what he would say to justify his actions, using the ice crystal, waging a war against the Immortal Flames, and the people of Kair's Reach and beyond... all he had to say for himself was that he believed himself better. The fight was intense, many charging in to fight Adderly, I decided to go straight for his source of power, detonating it, causing a blinding, sheer cold blizzard to envelop the cave in a raging storm. As the fight raged on, I attempted to contain the magic of the storm, but it was too overwhelming to contain, I instead used fire, which managed to dissipate and melt the icy wind away. As the storm dispelled, Gothmog got a good hit in, cleaving Adderly down the middle in two... a morbid sight.... I have grown rather used to.
 
Such a shame though... I don't know Adderly before this encounter aside from Julian's descriptions of abuse. What could have changed a man who slew a dragon to save a huge part of Kair's Reach, only to become this horrible man... must have been the crystal's corrupting influence, or perhaps he was always a bad person, a fallen Seldarine akin to Lolth's drow, bent on dragging others down to the hells with his intentions. Feelings aside, he should have been taken alive, the information we could have gotten from him would have been invaluable in rooting out the last of the Winter's Children, and actionable intelligence on the Immortal Flames. Maybe a necromancer can go up to the camp, and then get some information out of the body, or thoroughly examine the camp for anything useful. Alas, it's in the past now. I then teleported us back to Hvita to report the defeat of the Winter's Children's leader, the city guard were rather... aloof and passive to us taking care of their problem. Almost every place we have gone to, save for quite a few have been the same way have been rather passive to all these threats, at least the Goblins, Gerudo, Shadow Rose are doing something about the state of their nation.
 
Reflecting on all this while I sit in Hvita, honestly when I thought retribution was going to strike down upon Adderly, revenge would be sweet. Instead of that feeling... I only have emptiness. No funny jokes this time Novia, just take this entry as you will. On to the next cult to destroy, no prisoners.