Sub-plot: Road to Power

Plot

In the city of Tuscow, power is held with an iron grip by its ruling Boyar, a man known for his greed, cruelty, and ruthless ambition, Orest Zubarov. He has bled his people dry through excessive taxation and military conscription, living in decadent luxury while his subjects toil under his oppressive rule. However, a secret has surfaced, one that could change the fate of Kyrus.

The Boyar has been discovered to possess natural Frost Magic, a revelation that shakes the foundations of his rule. With the Divine Flame branding all non-fire magic as heresy, his position is now precarious. Fearing for his life and future, he has chosen to defect to the Ice Court, seeking the protection of Princess Sara and her mages in Tsarigrad. There, he hopes to master his newfound abilities and secure a place of power within this rising faction.

However, not everyone is willing to let him reach Tsarigrad alive. His journey is fraught with danger, agents of the Patriarchate conspire to end his life before he can claim his new future.

Path 1: Defend the Boyar

Ice Court aligned side of the plot.

Key locations:

Tuscow - The Escape

Fleeing Tuscow undetected is impossible, so the group takes to secret supply tunnels beneath the city, an old route to bypass a siege leading several kilometers away from the city. However, as they make their way through the damp and claustrophobic passageways, an ambush awaits: Mikail Sila and his thugs have tracked their escape and block the exit, forcing a clustered fight in the tight tunnels before they can break free and escape outside, leaving Sila and his thugs behind.

Dolgaya river - The Barge

Emerging from the tunnels, the group makes for the Dolgaya River, where a barge awaits to ferry them toward Tsarigrad through Vostoswat. As they cross a vast lake, Patriarchate forces launch an assault from small boats, hurling fuse bombs to cripple the vessel. The battle is frantic, with the group forced to defend the barge from boarding parties while fending off fiery projectiles that threaten to send them all into the freezing waters.

Nakhovo - The Black Market

Their battered barge barely reaches Nakhovo, a town along their route. Realizing the river route is too dangerous, they seek out the town’s thriving black market, where they secure passage through a land-based smuggling network. Disguising themselves as common criminals, they arrange safe travel across the boggy tundra of Vostoswat, bypassing roads and checkpoints. However, Patriarchate agents have followed their trail, forcing the group to evade detection and slip out of town unnoticed before their plan is compromised.

Smuggler's route - The Ambush

The group follows their smuggler guide along an isolated route through the freezing boglands, where footing is treacherous and travel near impossible, except for this one narrow path known to the smugglers by memory. The second night, they make camp, but their fortunes run out. The smugglers, having grown suspicious of their high-value "cargo," betray them to the Patriarchate. Their guide quietly vanishes into the night just before a well-planned ambush strikes, forcing the group into a desperate fight in the darkness, outnumbered and caught off-guard.

The crevasse & caves - Lost Labyrinth

During the battle, the Boyar Orest panics and unleashes his unstable Frost Magic, causing ice spikes to erupt violently from the ground. His raw power shatters the battlefield, killing both his personal guards and enemies alike, and the unstable terrain collapses into a hidden crevasse. The Boyar is separated from the group, fleeing deeper into the caves in confusion and fear. As the players navigate the winding dark tunnels, they encounter remnants of the ambush which they fight, a trail of thugs impaled or frozen by ice which they follow, and Mikail Sila lurking in the shadows, taunting them out of reach before vanishing into the depths. Eventually, they find an exit, only a few kilometers from Tsarigrad.

Tsarigrad's doorstep - The Final Battle

As dawn breaks, the group spots the Boyar and his remaining guards locked in battle against the last wave of Patriarchate attackers. Mikail Sila moves in for the kill, intent on ending the Boyar's life as the rising sun casts long shadows over the frost-covered fields.

• If the players prevail, Sila is wounded, drops his legendary sword, and escapes using smoke bombs.
• If Sila wins, the players are injured and immobilized, forced to watch as he executes the Boyar in the golden light of sunrise (a symbolic victory for the Divine Flame). He then turns to finish the players, but local authorities arrive, forcing him to retreat.

Path 2: Hunt the Boyar

Svozno Patriarchate aligned side of the plot.

Key locations:

Tuscow - The hunt begins

Boyar Orest Zubarov is on the run, but the Patriarchate will not let him reach Tsarigrad alive. Players, working alongside Mikail Sila, infiltrate the secret supply tunnels beneath the city, through which the Boyar is preparing to flee. A skirmish erupts in the darkness as the players and Sila’s forces attempt to cut off his escape. However, despite their best efforts, the Boyar and his most loyal guards manage to break through, forcing the players to give chase as he flees into the wilds of Kyrus.

Dolgaya river - Assailing the Barge

Following his trail, the players track the Boyar to the Dolgaya River, where he has secured passage on a barge bound for Tsarigrad. Determined to stop him, the players lead a strike force in an all-out assault on the vessel. Using small boats, they launch a barrage of fuse bombs to damage and slow the vessel with the attempt to board, forcing a desperate fight as the Boyar's forces struggle to hold them off. The battle is fierce, the barge heavily damaged, but their defense is too strong and the attackers have to let them go, for now. Though the Boyar barely survives, his plan is thrown into chaos. His route to Tsarigrad is compromised, forcing him to find another way.

Nakhovo - Black Market Pursuit

Badly beaten but not broken, the Boyar limps into the town of Nakhovo, a place known for its criminal underbelly and thriving black market. Here, he seeks the aid of smugglers willing to get him across the tundra of Vostoswat undetected. Meanwhile, the players and Sila arrive soon after, carefully tracking his movements through back-alley deals and interrogations of shady merchants, using persuasion, intimidation, or bribery to get what they need. Time is running out, and they must act fast before he disappears into the wilderness.

Smuggler's route - The Trap is Set

With the river no longer an option, the Boyar places his fate in the hands of a smuggler willing to take him through the frozen and marshy flats of Vostoswat, bypassing the main roads and rivers, avoiding the watchful eyes of the Patriarchate. Unfortunately for him, the smugglers have already been bribed. Unbeknownst to the Boyar, his guide has been given clear orders on where to lead him: to a vulnerable campsite where the Patriarchate’s forces will be waiting.

Under the cover of night, the players move in for the kill, surrounding the camp for what should be a decisive victory. However, during the intense fight in the dark, the Boyar grows desperate, and it is here that his latent Frost Magic erupts for the first time. Ice spikes tear through the ground, freezing and impaling men where they stand and turning the battle into chaos. The earth trembles as fissures crack open, swallowing entire sections of the battlefield. Before the players can fully comprehend what has happened, the ground beneath them collapses, sending them all tumbling into the darkness below.

The crevasse & caves - The Boyar Awakens

The ambush site is gone, shattered by the sheer force of the Boyar's magic. The survivors find themselves in a vast underground cavern, illuminated only by the eerie glow of frost-covered stone. The Boyar, now fully aware of the power within him, flees deeper into the caves, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.

The players regroup with Mikail Sila and begin their pursuit, hunting down the last remnants of the Boyar's guard while navigating the treacherous tunnels. Along the way, they find bodies of Sila's thugs, frozen in place, twisted in agony, grim evidence of the Boyar’s struggle to control his newfound abilities. As they move deeper, Sila remains eerily quiet, watching the icy devastation with unreadable intent. Eventually, after fighting through desperate stragglers, they find a way out just kilometers from Tsarigrad.

Tsarigrad's Doorstep - The Final Confrontation

As dawn breaks, the players spot Boyar Orest Zubarov at the edge of a frozen clearing, standing amidst the bodies of both his own men and the Patriarchate’s would-be assassins. He is no longer the frightened tyrant who fled Tuscow, he has changed. The frost clings to his skin like icy armor, his breath curling into mist as his eyes glow an unnatural icy blue. He does not flee this time. He has chosen to stand and fight.

With the rising sun at their backs, the players engage in a final battle against the Boyar, now a fully realized Frost Mage. The cold intensifies with every spell he casts, the battlefield itself turning into a frozen wasteland as the fight unfolds.

• If the players emerge victorious, the Boyar falls beneath their blades, ensuring he never reaches Tsarigrad and the Ice Court. The Patriarchate secures a major victory, and Mikail Sila, standing over the defeated tyrant, merely smirks before vanishing back into the shadows, his work complete.
• But if the Boyar wins, the world changes. With a final surge of power, he unleashes a devastating storm, freezing the battlefield and most everyone on it, forcing the players to retreat. His escape into Tsarigrad is inevitable, and with him, the Ice Court gains a powerful and dangerous new ally.

Resolutions

Regardless of which path is picked.

Boyar Survives

If Orest Zubarov reaches Tsarigrad alive, his presence within the Ice Court is both a blessing and a curse. As the Boyar of Tuscow, he brings political and military experience, along with his newfound mastery over Frost Magic. His arrival emboldens nobility previously hesitant to align with the Ice Court.

Yet, his unchecked ambition and cruelty remain looming threats. Will he serve Princess Sara loyally, or will he scheme from within, using his influence to carve out more power for himself? His survival is a double-edged sword, and those who protected him may later wonder, was he worth saving?

Boyar Dies

If the Patriarchate succeeds in eliminating Zubarov, their influence expands further, proving that heresy will not be tolerated. The Church, emboldened by victory, moves swiftly to silence dissenters and hunt other Frost Mages before they can rise in power.

Orest's death sends a warning to any noble considering aligning with the Ice Court, the Patriarchate does not forgive, and even their lives are within the reach of the Divine Flame. However, the Ice Court is far from defeated, and the execution of a powerful noble only hardens their resolve. This cold war is far from over, and while the Boyar has fallen, his death may be the spark that ignites an even greater conflict.

Note:

Plot armor: Mikail Sila should survive any encounter and escape due to re-appearing in other plots.