The frost woman leads Spartacus, Hadrian Marcius Majoris, Commander Titus, and their Arcadian division through the narrow pass. Bow carriers watch from the heights beside massive white wolves, their breath steaming in the blue dusk.
Beyond the pass, Frostenstiege's capital fills a snowbound valley. Timber halls ring a crowded central court, while ice-bright banners snap above packed citizens and carved wolf standards.
At the court's far end, Aurora, a young adult woman, sits small and straight-backed upon a throne forged from swords. Her fiery white hair spills over a fur-lined blue coat, and sharp eyes survey every armored outsider.
Aurora
So this is Arcadia's king. I expected someone less enormous, or at least less heavily armored. Does the helmet come off, or is there a smaller king trapped inside?
A few onlookers laugh nervously. Wolves resting at Aurora's feet lift their heads, then settle again as she raises one hand, silencing the court without surrendering her crooked smile.
Aurora
You may stand there glaring like a fortress. But tell me plainly, king: have you come to trade, threaten, or count how many of my people you could defeat?
The question hangs beneath the snapping banners. Hadrian Marcius Majoris's gold-plated armor glints beside Spartacus, while Commander Titus remains still and the assembled Frostenstiege watch for his answer.
✓ Quest Accepted
Establish formal relations with Frostenstiege