The eastern lanterns blink again through the snow. Their glow reveals low watchfires and moving silhouettes along the pass, while the wind carries ash toward the hidden refuge.
Borealis
The central signal stone lies beneath that broken ridge. Every lantern answers it, and the final command will send the cordon toward the lodge.
Borealis points through the snowfall. Luna, her silver scales bright beneath her cloak, keeps the snow leopard cub close. Cryos spreads his wings beside Crystalious.
Cryos
Rrha... the larger hunting party tightens behind the ridge. Many feet move east, while a smaller group circles south toward our returning path.
Borealis
Maelis and Brynja remain at the lodge with the rescued family and dragons. They can hold the ward, but they cannot hide a command carried through that stone.
A shuttered lantern opens atop the ridge, spilling amber across a carved black stone. Blue-white magic threads from it toward the distant lodge.
Luna
We have one opening before the signal resolves. We can strike the relay, mislead its path, or withdraw before the hunters close around us.
✓ Quest Accepted
Break or redirect the hunters’ signal relay
“theres one way to bring down that relay, I say as hold rimebreak close”
crystalious
There is one way to bring down that relay.
Crystalious holds Rimebreaker close. Its blue flame answers the wardlight, and the carved black stone atop the ridge begins to tremble beneath the gathering signal.
Borealis
The blade can sever the relay at its heart. Strike the stone with its warding edge, and every lantern will lose the path.
Crystalious raises Rimebreaker. Blue fire runs from the hilt to its tip, then leaps across the snow in a clean line toward the ridge.
Cryos
Rrha... Cryos sees no danger in the old path. Let the blade finish what the ward began.
Rimebreaker strikes the signal stone. The carved relay splits beneath the blue flame, and its magic collapses inward without a sound. One by one, the eastern lanterns go dark.
Luna
It is done. The command cannot reach the lodge, and our family remains hidden beneath the ward.
Escape the hunters’ cordon
Quest Complete
Break or redirect the hunters’ signal relay