Unrelenting Calamity

A Conquest of Gratitude, Part 1

       Gratitude is a powerful thing. Camilla was grateful for the power that had been given to her, however she did not know what or who had gifted it to her. She therefore decided that to make the best use of her powers, she would use it to cleanse the world of any evil she could find. Alongside her was Eleanora, a Paladin who had taken an oath to protect. Together they embarked on a conquest of gratitude, inspired by the desire to show their thankfulness for the powers they had been given.

      They trekked through their native home, the forest, and eventually reached the tundra. A snowstorm raged above, but with a simple spell cast by Camilla the snow melted in an aura around them, and slid down an invisible barrier. It was unnaturally warm inside, caused by the inherent hot nature of Brimstone Magic. As they reached closer to the center of the storm the spell began sizzling as increasing quantities of snow fell upon it, and eventually they reached the center. They came across a haven, a town of ice, and as their spell faded it became apparent that the civilization lived in temperatures far below zero.

      Camilla cast a spell that warmed the two to bearable temperatures, but this was noticed by the people living within. They emerged to see what could be causing this warmth that was unnatural to their icy domain, and stared with curiosity at Camilla and Eleanora.

      "What brings you here? We only wish to live away from the coming conflict," said the one who appeared to be their leader.

      "I'll answer a question with a question. How are you able to live in such frigid temperatures comfortably? By all accounts, it shouldn't be possible," Eleanora inquired. She was truly perplexed by the nature of the tribe they had encountered.

      "I suppose I should explain who we are. A while ago I discovered the power of magic inherent to the tundra. I meditated on that spot right over there," he beckoned to a shrine in the center of their town, "and was enlightened. I brought my tribe back here to live in peace. The Elementals have been lying to us. They are not the only ones who can wield magic. We have discovered their lies, and only wish to remain here to avoid the eventual realization that they are false idols. It will inevitably result in war. And as for how we survive here, we just tolerate the cold," he winked and a smile appeared slowly on his face.

      "I will return the favor and explain my presence here. My friend here, Camilla, fell into the underworld while on a routine expedition for resources. She almost died there, but her soul refused to give up, and she was able to harness another kind of magic, different from what you use. It is called Brimstone Magic, and it is how we made it through this storm. As for myself, I am but a humble protector. I do not wish for battle, I do not wish for war. But if faced with either of those things, I will not hesitate to engage."

      Eleanora's speech fell on curious ears, as the tribe mumbled to each other. They did not realize that magic was not an exclusive discovery to them. They pondered for a few minutes, before asking another question.

      "What brings you to our village, if not for war?"

      "We are making the best of the gift we have been given, we intend to use it to cleanse the world of any evil we can find. We began our adventure just a few days ago. Do you mind if we rest here for a day or two to recover our strength?"

      After a long conversation it was agreed that the two could rest in the village as long as they didn't burn it down by accident with their fiery magic. On the dawn of the second day, a very interesting fact was revealed to the two adventurers, by the chief of the ice tribe, or as they called him, the archmage.

       "We have decided on a mission as well, shortly after we settled here we determined that we needed a protector. Ice magic has the power to slow down the processes of life, and can thus be used to extend one's life. But theoretically, if a mage powerful enough was born, they would be able to permanently freeze their aging process and live forever. This is who we seek. We will live here for generations, waiting for the true archmage to be born. Their name, would be Permafrost."