Things Too Do

Things to do dear reader?  Many things indeed!  Let us take one thing Kareem said he was capable of doing and run with that.  Bargain away the young daughter of Kareem’s to the paragon-witch: Baba Yaga.

So let us set a scene: on some distant material plane world, in the foot hills of tall jagged snow topped mountains, in the outskirts of a barbarian encampment is a lone hut; surrounded by a picket line of spears topped with skulls.  While the climate of the region would lead one to believe that the location of the barbarian village should be suffering thru yet another wet and snowy winter, the valley that houses the hut of Baba Yaga seems to have temperature and condition that is unseasonably comfortable.

By some magical assistance or perhaps upon the back of a white dragon; the cursed Kareem did arrive.  Passing bravely past the ring of skulls that encircle the hut, Kareem notices a familiar figure: that of the Elder Sky God.  Kareem remains silent; waiting what he expects to be an aged and frail witch.  The Elder Sky God is the one to break the silence with a snide remark; something along the lines of well if arcane and divine magic can’t help you might as well get a hag: a curse for a curse! Note dear reader this is a take of the soul for a soul theme.

Kareem is invited into the hut by a young and vibrate woman; not the same Baba Yaga Kareem had meet before.  Kareem’s keen mind takes several things into consideration before passing the threshold of Baba Yaga’s hut.  Oh dear reader, let us take note of the Elder Sky God waiting outside and leave other suspicions for a bit longer.

Let us now build up some the paranoia Kareem might have confronting not only Baba Yaga but what might appear to be a more powerful incarnation.  Kareem should be worried about entering the hut while most deals have been done out in the yard.  Kareem should note that Baba Yaga knows the slaadi that once held Kareem’s soul; something that Kareem himself does not know.  Kareem might know that Baba Yaga’s goal was once to regain her youth and vigor; and if it appears Baba Yaga has done that: then what is left for the witch to do herself?

So what is the conversation between Kareem and the youthful Baba Yaga like?  Well dear reader I am sure you would pay a pretty penny to have been a fly on the wall in that room.  But this Baba Yaga controls the walls of her hut; so not even a fly would get by unnoticed.  So maybe dear reader we should just talk key points.

·        Some of the Gods are not as powerful as Kareem thinks and others more so.   One should note that until Kareem does yet another Dark Deal for the God of Locks and Doors; that particular godling is still of Lesser status and not Greater.  Maybe dear reader, Baba Yaga lets Kareem know that the Elder Sky God might be in a transitionary period and not of full power.

·        Oh dear reader, do you think Baba Yaga’s restoration of youth was caused by the Elder Sky God directly or perhaps thru some work around: something that Baba Yaga did not know or could access but the Elder Sky God could.  Baba Yaga was in the Swamp of Spiritsend looking for something.  The Temple of the Elder Goblin God was in the Swamp of Spiritsend.  Somehow thru a work around the Vampire Chick was able to reawaken her sleeping godling master.  Perhaps dear reader Kareem can find a work around the Divine Curse that has stolen Kareem’s divine spark.

·        Wizards and male wizards unparticular would be wise to avoid Baba Yaga: and so most do.  In Baba Yaga’s time in the world of Birthright; Baba Yaga’s actions were focused around the manipulating weak-willed warriors.  The arcane powers of the region did not get caught up in trying to sanction the witch.  The Imperial Chamberlain did nothing to stop Baba Yaga in the guise of the Swamp Mage from deceiving both Kareem and Duke Nightmare in the Imperial City.  The High Mage Aelies got the closest but his scouting party in the swamp was annihilated.  Baba Yaga knows nothing of Seoras or his intentions, but Baba Yaga can let Kareem know that Seoras has done several things.  Seoras was indeed the one that kidnapped his daughter, Hermedhie.  And Hermedhie is being kept in some kind of temporal status in the Court of the Seelie (the good fay creatures of the Spirit Realm).  Seoras is working in the Swamp of Spiritsend, doing something to the ruins of the Temple of the Elder Goblin God.

Oh dear reader do you think Kareem had to give up his second born child, his only daughter, for several useful points of information?  Maybe but probably not.  The Shade Kareem has any items, tokens, pieces of wealth, and the like to deal with the witch to maybe not to have to give up his daughter in a dark pack. 

But dear reader, do you think perhaps Kareem secretly wanted to dump his daughter off in the pursuit of power.  Hermedhie lost in a dark deal to have one of her daughters trained and instead her daughter was turned into a hag.  If Baba Yaga was given the blood, the very soul, of Kareem’s child that it would share the same fate as the Wretched Lady in White?  Then dear reader you need to start expecting the unexpected a little more.