Winter Witch (24 page)

They woke late the following morning, not to the light, which had come hours earlier, but to a commotion of angry voices in the village center. They ran to find the entire village gathered around the ashes. Ellasif stood atop one of the split logs that served as a bench and shouted down the arguments. Jadrek stood beside her, for once his head lower than hers.

Olenka whispered a translation as Ellasif shouted down the crowd.

“It is not only my right, it is my final decision,” said Ellasif. “I choose Jadrek as White Rook’s battle leader. Like Red Ochme before me, I go to wander the world, perhaps to fight and die upon the deck of a dragon ship as she did.” Her eyes found Declan standing in the crowd.

Declan felt his heart rise to stop his throat. Blinking, he turned to see Olenka’s reaction to the news. Her face twitched, torn between joy, sorrow, and disbelief. When another man shouted to Olenka to add her voice, she shook her head. She replied to him in their native tongue and repeated for Declan, “I will not tell my sister what to do.”

Ellasif presented Jadrek with the greatsword, and with a look of mischief thrown toward Olenka, kissed him hard upon the mouth before leaping down from her perch. As her cloak—her usual one now, not the wolf pelt—spread like wings, Declan saw Laughing Erik’s sword at her hip. She grabbed a pack that had lain unnoticed by the log and ran toward Declan.

“I couldn’t believe you were going to accept the honor,” he said. “And then I couldn’t imagine you’d give it up.”

“The word of the battle leader is indisputable,” she said. “Only by accepting the honor could I give it away again, and none can challenge my decision.”

“You are very clever. But what about Jadrek? When you went off with him last night, I thought...” He shrugged.

“It is like families. What you said is true. It’s complicated.”

“So now you’re free?”

“Yes. Will you come with me?”

Declan had been dying for her to ask. His answer was a lopsided grin. “Do you mind if I bring my familiar?”

As if in reply, Skywing plunged down from the trees to strike him hard in the shoulder and then hang there, his little claws pricking through Declan’s clothes.
Not your familiar
, said Skywing. Declan saw from Ellasif’s reaction that she had heard the thought as well.

But you told me you were my familiar
, he protested.

Skywing shook his head in a startlingly human gesture.
No
, he sent.
I was telling you that you are mine.

Ellasif laughed and took Declan’s hand, pulling him along as she ran out of the village. Declan followed, noticing that as they fled, the argument behind them died, and the villagers bowed to Jadrek. Olenka had gone to stand beside him.

“Where will we go?” Declan asked. Ellasif made no allowances for his lesser endurance, and already he was panting with exertion. If she wanted to keep up this pace, he would fall on his face before another hour had passed.

“Tonight,” she said, “let us look up at the sky and see what the first star has to tell us.”

About the Authors

Elaine Cunningham lives in a fantasy world. Several of them, in fact.
The Serpent’s Daughter
, coming in 2012, will be her fourteenth novel in the Forgotten Realms. She has also written novels and short stories in such diverse settings as Star Wars, EverQuest, Spelljammer, and Ravenloft. Previous contributions to the Pathfinder setting include “Dark Tapestry,” a serial novella in the
Legacy of Fire Adventure Path
; and work on the Pathfinder Campaign Setting
Guide to the River Kingdoms
.

Dave Gross is the author of
Black Wolf
and
Lord of Stormweather
, among other stories set in the Forgotten Realms. His first Pathfinder Tales novel,
Prince of Wolves
, features Pathfinder and Chelish aristocrat Varian Jeggare and his hellspawn bodyguard, Radovan, whose earlier capers appear in the novella “Hell’s Pawns” in the
Council of Thieves Adventure Path
and the web fiction story
“The Lost Pathfinder,”
available for free at
paizo.com
.

Acknowledgments

Elaine

Most people, including Ellasif herself, would describe her as a warrior who’s just one raiding ship away from Viking. While that might be true, she owes her existence to the generations of Slavic storytellers who passed along a rich legacy of trickster tales, and to the folklorists who preserve and translate these tales. Many thanks to Andreas Johns for his excellent book
Baba Yaga: The Ambiguous Mother and Witch of the Russian Folklore
, and to the folks at Paizo for including this iconic Slavic figure in the Pathfinder setting. Thanks also to James Sutter for his keen editorial eye, and to Mark Moreland and the dozens of others who make the PathfinderWiki a valuable tool and an interesting reading experience. And to Dave Gross, who helped Ellasif and Declan find their way, no thanks are sufficient. Many people write in shared worlds, but only a few manage to capture and portray the essence of a setting. As far as I’m concerned, Dave is the voice and the heart of Pathfinder Tales.

Dave

First and foremost, thanks to Elaine Cunningham for welcoming me on her journey to Irrisen. Thanks and kudos to Mark Moreland, the ever-present reference librarian of Golarion, for his stewardship of the invaluable PathfinderWiki. Grateful thanks also to James Sutter and Chris Carey taking the editing marathon at a sprint, and to Amber Scott for ninja proofing. Most of all, my love and eternal gratitude to Lindy Smith for failing to realize she’s far too good for the likes of me.

Glossary

All Pathfinder Tales novels are set in the rich and vibrant world of the Pathfinder campaign setting. Below are explanations of several key terms used in this book. For more information on the world of Golarion and the strange monsters, people, and deities that make it their home, see the
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook
or any of the books in the Pathfinder Campaign Setting series, or visit
paizo.com
.

Acadamae
: Notoriously effective and amoral school of magic in Korvosa.

Avistan
: The continent north of the Inner Sea, on which Irrisen, Varisia, and the Lands of the Linnorm Kings all lie.

Baba Yaga
: Queen of all Witches, a strange being who came from another world to conquer Irrisen, and returns every 100 years to install a different daughter as its ruler.

Baslwief
: Mining village along the Sarwin River in southern Varisia.

Blackravens
: A force of Ulfen warriors that patrols the border between Trollheim and Irrisen, hunting down monsters from the Witch Queen’s lands.

Bone Road
: A main thoroughfare in Whitethrone. Paved with skulls.

Brinewall
: Mysteriously empty and possibly haunted port in northwestern Varisia.

Bugbear
: Large, humanoid monster related to the goblin. Extremely violent and ill-tempered.

Cantrip
: A minor spell.

Castle Korvosa
: Enormous castle in the center of Korvosa that houses the city’s ruler.

Chelaxian
: A citizen of Cheliax.

Cheliax
: Devil-worshiping nation in southwest Avistan.

Chelish
: Of or relating to the nation of Cheliax.

Crooked House
: The largest wooden structure in Whitethrone, home to a long line of talented woodcarvers. Somewhat sinister in reputation.

Cyphergate
: Strange arch of stone that stretches over the entrance to Riddleport’s harbor.

Demon
: Denizen of the Abyss who seeks only to maim, ruin, and feed.

Desna
: Good-natured goddess of dreams, stars, travelers, and luck.

Devil
: Fiendish occupant of Hell who seeks to corrupt mortals in order to claim their souls.

Divination
: Spell that enables you to predict the future, learn secrets long forgotten, find hidden things, and foil deceptive magic.

Dwarves
: Race of short, solid, and civilized humanoids that generally live underground. Frequently characterized as gruff and hardworking.

Elemental Planes
: Four planes—Air, Earth, Fire, and Water—that surround the Material Plane as part of the Great Beyond.

Elves
: Race of long-lived and eminently civilized humanoids.

Elvanna
: Current queen of Irrisen.

Erastil
: Stag-headed god of farming, family, hunting, and trade.

Familiar
: Small creature that assists a wizard, witch, or sorcerer, often developing greater powers and intelligence than normal members of its kind.

Fey
: Creatures deeply tied to the natural world, such as dryads or pixies. May also have ties to the First World.

First World
: The rough draft of existence, which still exists behind the Material Plane. Original home of fey creatures and gnomes.

Flayleaf
: Plant with narcotic leaves.

Floes, The
: District of Whitethrone made up primarily of frozen islands.

Freyr Darkwine
: Castellan of Trollheim.

Garund
: Continent south of the Inner Sea, renowned for its deserts and jungles.

Glacier Lake
: Large lake in central Irrisen.

Gnomes
: Race of fey humanoids known for their small size, quick wit, and bizarre obsessions.

Goblins
: Race of small and maniacal humanoids who live to burn, pillage, and sift through the refuse of more civilized races.

Golarion
: The planet upon which the Pathfinder campaign setting focuses.

Gorum
: God of battle, strength, and weapons. Also known as Our Lord in Iron.

Grand Mastaba
: Four-sided pyramid that forms the base of Castle Korvosa.

Grungir Forest
: Large forest in the southern part of the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, just north of Jol.

Halflings
: Race of humanoids known for their tiny stature, deft hands, and mischievous personalities.

Harrow Deck
: Deck of illustrated cards sometimes used to divine the future. Favored by Varisians.

Harrower
: Fortuneteller who uses a Harrow deck to tell the future—or pretends to.

Harse
: Village in southern Varisia that serves as a gateway to Korvosa’s inland holdings.

Hell
: A plane of absolute law and evil, where evil souls go after they die to be tormented by the native devils.

Hellknights
: Organization of hardened law enforcers whose tactics are often seen as harsh and intimidating, and who bind devils to their will. Based in Cheliax.

Hellspawn
: A human whose family line includes a fiendish taint, often displayed by horns, hooves, or other devilish features. Rarely popular in civilized society.

Hippogriff
: Aggressive flying creature with the hindquarters of a horse and the clawed forelegs, wings, and head of a giant eagle.

House Drakes
: Slang term for the tiny, intelligent cousins of true dragons commonly found in the rooftops of Korvosa, where they feed on lesser vermin and combat the imps that infest the city.

Ilsurian
: Settlement located at the mouth of Skull River on Lake Syrantula.

Imp
: Weakest of the true devils, resembling a tiny, winged humanoid with fiendish features. The most commonly found devil on the Material Plane. Often used as a familiar.

Inner Sea Region
: The heart of the Pathfinder campaign setting. Includes the continents of Avistan and Garund, as well as the seas and other nearby lands.

Irrisen
: A realm of permanent winter north of Varisia, claimed by Baba Yaga and ruled by her daughters. Currently controlled by Queen Elvanna and her bloodline, the jadwiga Elvanna.

Jadwiga
: The descendents of Baba Yaga and the nobility of Irrisen. Most have only a tenuous, distant connection to the Witch Queen, and do not necessarily have any magical ability themselves. Every 100 years, a new bloodline is created or rises to power as Baba Yaga installs a new daughter as queen.

Jadwiga Elvanna
: Direct descendents of Queen Elvanna. Currently the highest caste of nobility in Whitethrone, though the time of Elvanna’s replacement draws near.

Jol
: One of the major cities in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, located in the rugged uplands south of the Grungir Forest.

Katapesh
: Mighty trade nation on the eastern coast of Garund.

Kellid
: Traditionally uncivilized and violent human ethnicity from northern Avistan.

Korvosa
: Largest city in Varisia and outpost of former Chelish loyalists, now self-governed. For more information, see the Pathfinder Campaign Setting book
Guide to Korvosa
.

Lands of the Linnorm Kings
: Northern kingdoms ruled by the Linnorm Kings. Sometimes called the Linnorm Kingdoms.

Linnorm Kings
: Warrior chieftains who dominate the larger settlements of the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, each of whom must defeat a linnorm to claim a throne.

Linnorm
: Immense, snake-like dragons with two forward legs and rudimentary wings.

Material Plane
: The plane of existence on which Golarion resides—the “normal” world.

Melfesh
: Korvosa’s largest inland holding.

Mindspin Mountains
: Mountain range that forms part of Varisia’s eastern border.

Necromancy
: Magic that manipulates the power of death, unlife, and the life force.

Nethys
: Two-faced god of magic, pledged to both destroy the world and protect it.

Nolander
: Of or relating to the region of the Nolands, or one of that region’s savage residents.

Nolands
: Unclaimed region in northern Varisia where criminals and outcasts war and raid in rough, violent bands.

Nymph
: Beautiful fey guardian of nature’s purest places.

Ogre
: Large, half-witted humanoid monster with violent tendencies and repulsive lusts.

Opir Eightfingers
: Linnorm King of Jol, who claimed his throne by presenting a rotted linnorm head, and whose rule is therefore tenuous.

Osirian
: Of or relating to the region of Osirion, or a resident of Osirion.

Osirion
: Desert kingdom ruled by pharaohs in northeastern Garund.

Pathfinder Society
: Organization of traveling scholars and adventurers who seek to document the world’s wonders. Based out of Absalom and run by a mysterious and masked group called the Decemvirate.

Pharasma
: Goddess of fate, death, prophecy, and birth. Ruler of the Boneyard, where mortal souls go to be judged after death.

Pixie
: Small fey humanoid with gossamer wings.

Ravenmoor
: Settlement in Varisia along the Lampblack River.

Riddleport
: Notorious Varisian port city full of mercenaries, thieves, bandits, and pirates.

Roderic’s Cove
: Settlement at the mouth of the Chavali River in Varisia.

Sable Company
: Elite Korvosan military unit of hippogriff riders.

Sanos Forest
: Large forest in Varisia stretching from the Storval Plateau to the Mushfens.

Shoanti
: Indigenous peoples of the Storval Plateau.

Skald
: Language spoken in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings and by most Ulfen. Can also mean a bard or minstrel.

Sorcerer
: Spellcaster who draws power from a supernatural ancestor, and does not need to study to cast spells.

Spellbook
: Tome in which a wizard transcribes the arcane formulae necessary to cast spells. Without a spellbook, wizards can cast only those few spells held in their mind at any given time.

Spring Palace
: Bathhouse in Whitethrone fed by hot springs and open only to the nobility.

Storval Plateau
: High, rocky badlands making up the eastern portion of Varisia.

Taldan
: A citizen of Taldor.

Taldane (Common Tongue)
: Most widely spoken language in the Inner Sea Region.

Taldor
: Formerly glorious nation, now fallen into self-indulgence, ruled by immature aristocrats and overly complicated bureaucracy.

Theumanexus
: Magical college in Korvosa. Less prestigious than the Acadamae, yet also less stained by devil-binding and other questionable practices.

Thileu Bark
: Bark of the Varisian thileu tree, exported as a spice and claimed by some to have a narcotic effect.

Tiren’kii
: Word used in some villages of the Linnorm Kingdoms to describe strange spirits that sometimes inhabit children at birth. Poorly understood, but believed to potentially be a manifestation of a witch’s inborn power.

Torag
: God of the forge, protection, and strategy. Father of creation.

Transmutation
: Magic that changes the properties of some creature, thing, or condition.

Troll
: Large, stooped humanoid with sharp claws and amazing regenerative powers.

Trollheim
: A currently rulerless Linnorm Kingdom on the border with Irrisen.

Ulfen
: Race of Viking-like humans from the cold nations of the north, primarily Irrisen and the Lands of the Linnorm Kings.

University of Korvosa
: Seat of mundane higher learning in Korvosa.

Varisia
: Frontier region northwest of the Inner Sea.

Varisian
: Of or relating to the region of Varisia, or a resident of Varisia. Ethnic Varisians tend to organize in clans and wander in caravans, acting as tinkers or performers.

Velashu Uplands
: Region in northern Varisia extending from the Red Mountains to the Mierani Forest.

Vjarik
: Strong spirit brewed in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings.

White Rook
: Small village in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, situated near the border with Irrisen.

White Witches:
The granddaughters of Baba Yaga.

Whitethrone
: Capital city of Irrisen. For more information, see the Pathfinder Campaign Setting book
Cities of Golarion
.

Winter Witch
: A member of the jadwiga with magical abilities.

Winter Wolves
: Large, intelligent white wolves that breathe out blasts of cold.

Winterfolk
: Slang term for residents of Irrisen, generally used by Ulfen residents near the eastern border of the Lands of the Linnorm Kings

Witch
: Spellcaster who draws magic from a pact made with an otherworldly power, using a familiar as a conduit.

Wizard
: Spellcaster who masters the art through years of studying arcane lore.

Wraith
: Shapeless undead creature born of evil and darkness, which hates light and living things.

Yondabakari River
: A mighty, heavily traveled river in Varisia stretching from the Mindspin Mountains to the Varisian Gulf.