The mercy of Auril.

[The Ice Hag]

She succumbed to the bitter rage of the mother's fury, her final moments spent cursing the names of her hated enemies.
She had traveled deep into the upper reaches of this desolate landscape to seek communion with her goddess, demanding revenge upon those who had dared taint her domain with their vile blasphemies.

She sought power and strength, divine guidance and wisdom, but most of all she sought the destruction of those who would dare stand against her.
Hatred had been her constant companion, her one consuming emotion, her unbated fury driving her footsteps ever closer to her destiny, but at the end of her journey she had found only the welcoming hands of death awaiting her arrival.

An endless void stretched out over the horizon, limitless in its expanse, devoid of substance or form. The great white nothingness of this realm broke her spirit and assaulted her senses, it's forboading despair clutching hungrily to her blackened heart.

Was this death?

Was this to be the final reward bestowed upon her?

Was this the inevitable result of years of devoted faith and suffering?

The sound of the voice was but a whisper in her ears, but its soothing words assuaged her turmoil and appeased her rising doubts.

"My child...my dear, sweet daughter." the voice spoke.
"You cannot possibly fathom your purpose, nor understand the power hidden within your ancient bloodline."
"This is not the end...,but merely the beginning."

The sound of the voice grew distant, softer, fading to nothingness with its final words..

"Sleep now my glorious fury so that you might find your reward within my cold embrace."

Her vision blurred as her sight grew dim. The blinding fields of pure white slowly faded from grey to black as she drifted into a deep slumber.

In her mind's eye she bore silent witness to the scene: Gossamer strands of ice, like some spider's web expanding to entrap its struggling prey, wove about her body in a chaotic dance of rebirth and renewal. Her fruitless struggles ceased abrubtly as the final delicate strands firmly settled into place, enveloping her body in a chrysalis of solid ice.

"Rest now child, for the truth of your destiny is soon to be revealed." the haunting words called out to her from beyond...the final words the creature known as the Ice Hag would ever hear.

[Gamling]

Nulinus could not deny the chill he felt when he was within that creatures presence despite the camp fire being so close. He could not understand the relationship between this creature and his friends and allies. The cold eminating from the creature, and the evil presence he had felt, was proof enough to him that she, him, it was no ally.

He had grown heartbroken, seeing his paladin friend, Hano, argue with the creature, and the others stand hopelessly. Nulinus's head swirled with frustration, knowing that him, of all people, would be the last to negotiate with one bent on doing harm. "How do you keep talking to her, Hano?" Nulinus pleaded with him, trying to dissuade him from her help, when Hano replied. "Nulinus, friend, prejudice will blind your vision of the true, innocent before proven guilty." Nulinus began to speak, but cut himself off at Hano's words, that cut him deep, for it was he who had taught Hano this lesson. "I...I am sorry...I must go." The defeated dwarf walked solemnly toward the crossroads.

He sat broken, knowing that he was making the wrong choice, he grew angry at Hano. Enough friends had died to teach him a lesson that trust is not something you merely give away, or on the whims of promises. He stood up, determined to give him a piece of his mind, but as he drew closer, standing behind the wagon, he heard the deal being sealed, and this was enough to make Nulinus boil. He stormed out and stared the creature in the eyes and said. "I, we, maybe not Hano, but the rest of us will not use your aid." He looked to Hano. "If you accept her help, I will not back you in this, I will not aid you. You are on your own if you make such a choice." Hano spoke, lightly, with a saddened tone. "Nulinus..." Was all he had said. "No, you know what is right, but if you accept her help, then you go against everything Balthazar had taught you." Nulinus said. The Ics Witch, possibly growing annoyed spoke. "What makes you think I am so evil, dwarf?" Nulinus looked her in the eyes once more, frowning with a confident expression. "The malice pours off you like a waterfall." Nulinus looked back to Hano. "Make your decision, she wishes to help you, but if you accept, Me, Yashia, Balthazar, and no doubt the people of Sundren will aid you if they find out about this, which they will." Nulinus waited his response.

[Lollercide]

Hano looked into the pleading eyes of the Dwarf.. He could see himself in them, he remembered times he once made the same plea to Nulinus.. To Osclow. "What am.. I doing? How could I come so close to embracing such an obvious peril? How... Could I almost trust a stranger to betray such an old friend?" His eyes narrowed as he recalled. Recalled everything that he stood for, what his allies stood for.

"No. If down the path I have always followed, I embrace this fate... If it is to end in mine and my allies death, then I will have no regrets. I have lived believing in the Truth and will continue to do so. I do not need your help - I have my allies and The True. He will see to it I have everything I need." He looks to the Witch with his eyes flaring up in passion. "If you want to help us, then swear your loyalty to Torm. Then we can talk."