Skald Magwyn
Warm regards, friend.
Farewell.
Meet us at the top of the mountain.{^n}{^n}There we shall end this calamity or perish!
I will see you there.
That's ominous...
Travel safe.
Farewell.
I am told the great beast Beronath's rampage has carried it all the way up our sacred mountain.{^n}{^n}I fear if it reaches the peak, then it will usher in an age of darkness upon Asterkarn from which there is no turning back.{^n}{^n}This wicked taint will only grow, spreading to Erulan and beyond. None will be spared from the void's all-devouring influence.
Is it too late?
Perhaps, but we must not drown in despair just yet.{^n}{^n}I will travel with my pupils to the Aurora Peaks, beyond the glaciers to the north of the Dread Wastes. There we will carve the ancient runes and prepare for the ritual.{^n}{^n}We have already asked much of you, but I must ask for your aid once more: will you join us on the Roof of the World and face Beronath?
I will see this through.
I need some time to prepare.
There is no way I am doing this.
What is so special about this mountain?
I do not know what instinct drives the beast up there, but it is no coincidence.{^n}{^n}The Aurora Peaks are sacred to my people. Their tallest mountain, An'Shalar, or Roof of the World in your tongue, pierces the heavens and looks out upon the brilliant lights, the breath of the gods.{^n}{^n}The veil is thin in those mountains. If Beronath's taint corrupts the peak, then the valley will soon follow, and with it the rest of Cairn.
I will meet you on the peak.
I need some time to prepare.
There is no way I am doing this.
I'll be right back.
I hear you have already mustered the necessary materials.{^n}{^n}You are a gift from the gods.
What of the beast?

I'll be right back.
It is heartening to see one work so tirelessly in defense of Cairn herself.
Who did you need me to speak with again?
My three apprentices, Koryn, Talgir and Witra are here in Kurnhold, doing their part in preparing for the ritual.{^n}{^n}Speak to each of them in turn and together we can make this shared dream a reality.
Farewell.
I have some questions.
Farewell.
Wisely, young Yigra has sent you to me to deal with our present calamity.{^n}{^n}As you will soon learn, you are uniquely qualified to aid us.
What do you need from me?
I believe Beronath may yet be saved, but it will require a ritual that has never been performed, with materials that have not known the touch of mortals. It is a fool's errand by every measure, but in this slim hope may lie redemption.{^n}{^n}I have tasked each of my three apprentices with identifying the source of the materials we require. They will all downplay their skills, but they are each of them a master of their respective domain and worthy of succeeding me in my duties as skald. Speak to Koryn, Talgir and Witra right here in Kurnhold and they will talk at length of their charge. With a ritual this untested, we must leave nothing to chance.
I will speak to them.
Good. I had no doubts you would do what is right and necessary.{^n}{^n}Not just by my people, but all of Cairn.
Farewell.
Why was this ritual not performed before?
Following the great war and the conjuring of the Voice of Ch'thon, the Kurn were greatly diminished. We no longer had the strength of arms to subdue Beronath, nor to boldly cross into distant lands and seek out the materials I now require. The means to perform the ritual were beyond us.{^n}{^n}We have become figuratively trapped in our very home. No Kurn has stepped outside the reaches of the valley in centuries.{^n}{^n}You are not so limited in your reach. You can open doors with our former enemies and cross into forgotten lands.
I will speak to your apprentices.
We will speak of this again later.
One moment, let's continue this later.
Sorry, I will be right back.
Found time for old Magwyn among all the commotion?{^n}{^n}You are kind, lowlander.
May I ask some questions?
A pupil in need of learning!{^n}{^n}I would be delighted.
What is it you do as Skald?
It is my role to serve as the historian of the Kurn. I gather our stories so that future generations will not forget the lessons of the past.{^n}{^n}I have learned to read the ancient runes and interpret their signs, much like those utilized by your inquisitors.{^n}{^n}Incidentally, this has turned me into a living repository of Kurn magics and rituals.
You know of our relics?
Oh yes, admittedly not all, but many modern runes of power have roots in the ancient tongue.{^n}{^n}The Luminari have a crude understanding of the runes, enough to achieve moderate success, but they often miss the nuance outside of their destructive potential.{^n}{^n}Ancient literature is a wondrous world of lost possibilities.

That was all. Thank you.
I have another question, if you don't mind.
That was all. Thank you.
What is Beronath?
The Great Beast and protector of the Kurn was already here when the first humans entered the valley. It guided us in our nascent days and taught the Kurn how to live in harmony with Asterkarn.{^n}{^n}But it very nearly tragically lost its long life when some of our people turned away from nature and embraced the false promises of the deep dark. Our guardian stood by our side even in those bloody days of the war.{^n}{^n}Faced with a flood of void incursions, Beronath endured a thousand cuts in our place. What we did not know at the time was that each injury was like an infection, sapping the demigod of its strength and weakening its resolve until at last the dead god's blood had taken its toll. Beronath was transformed from protector to destroyer.{^n}{^n}It took what remained of the Kurn's strength to bind the Great Beast, for we lacked the resolve to end it and did not have the means to cure it.{^n}{^n}The fate of our protector is our greatest failing.
I have another question, if you don't mind.
That was all. Thank you.
What can you tell me about the High Chieftain?
High Chieftain Yigra has served our people for over ten winters. She may be but a pup in my eyes, but you would be a fool to mistake her leniency and savage gaze for weakness. She is sharp of wit and ruthless in battle.{^n}{^n}The blood of Mogdrogen courses through her veins, as it did in her ancestors. Few claim the loyalty of the white wolf as she has. He is ever by her side. There were none surprised when she rose to claim the mantle of High Chieftain after her father was gored during a mammoth hunt.{^n}{^n}May her reign be long and her judgment guided by the wisdom of the gods and stars.

I have another question, if you don't mind.
That was all. Thank you.
What is that giant wolf beside the chieftain?
He is the son of Mogdrogen, the wolf, a ferocious ever-present companion to our High Chieftain.{^n}{^n}If you bear us no ill will, then you need not fear his fangs.
I have another question, if you don't mind.
That was all. Thank you.
Why have I never met any Kurn before?
After the war with Erulan, we retreated to our founding lands. There we licked our wounds and rebuilt.{^n}{^n}With Erulan still on the rise, we saw little value in reigniting long forgotten conflicts, so we sealed the valley and sequestered ourselves to Asterkarn. In time, the pompous imperial court in Erulan's capital forgot about our existence.{^n}{^n}And we were not without our own problems back in the valley. The tribes were scattered and the Bloodbound never vanquished. We shattered our teeth upon Erulan's sword. Only time could heal such wounds.
I have another question, if you don't mind.
That was all. Thank you.
What can you tell me about the Great Annihilator?
The Great Annihilator bears many names, but to all he is known as Ch'thon, he who dwells below creation.{^n}{^n}He is father to all, torn asunder by his children so that we, mortals, may live. Our blood is his blood, and with every cut he suffers our pain. As an elder god, he cannot truly die, but nor is he alive in the depths of the void, a tragic and terrible fate.{^n}{^n}The Dying God desires nothing more than to reclaim what is his. But that would mean our destruction. Some foolishly believe that to return all blood to Ch'thon would mean that true balance could at last be achieved, but they are misguided.{^n}{^n}If Ch'thon was ever benevolent, I doubt any spark of mercy remains in a being tormented by the lives and deaths of countless mortals throughout the millennia. It is folly to desire the return of such a being.
I have another question, if you don't mind.
That was all. Thank you.
Actually, nevermind.
We can talk later.
Ah, so the runes spoke true.{^n}{^n}The distant star has sailed upon the tapestry to arrive at the grimmest hour.
I am here to see the High Chieftain.
Yes, you should speak with our chieftain.{^n}{^n}She carries much on her young shoulders and stubbornly refuses to share the weight of her responsibilities.{^n}{^n}To be young again...
I will see what I can do.
I'm not sure I can help.
I...what?
Oh, pay this old hag no heed.{^n}{^n}*Magwyn smiles*{^n}{^n}Carry on your journey, lowlander.
I am here to see the High Chieftain.

Farewell?
I...need to go.
Farewell.
