On Thin Ice

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Gaia's recent ordeals have left her rather more subdued than usual.

— In-game description

Rewards

The emergence of the dark force within Gaia has provided few answers to the questions that remain concerning its origin and true purpose. With the mysterious entity nowhere to be seen and its host having regained her senses, the rest of the group resume the plan to revitalize the element of ice, this time using Shiva as a basis for the summoning. Upon hearing of the manner in which Ysayle made herself a vessel for the primal's power, Ryne states her desire to use a similar approach. As ice naturally tends towards stasis and stillness, it is the element most closely aligned with Light, and would require far more effort to draw forth and rebalance. She claims this difficulty could be greatly alleviated by directly influencing the flow of aether by using her own body as a conduit, rather than relying solely on Eden. Your role, as ever, is to defeat the primal, although considerable care must be taken to disperse the aether without harming Ryne. As one might expect, Thancred vehemently opposes the plan at first, though he is forced to concede when met with the steely determination in her eyes. You and Ryne focus your thoughts on Shiva, and commence the summoning. With an even greater sense of trepidation than usual, you prepare for a climactic battle with the goddess of ice.

Despite Ryne's not-so-carefully laid plans going awry almost immediately, the battle reaches a largely satisfactory conclusion, thanks in no small part of the unexpected intervention of Gaia. Her much improved control of her dark powers is instrumental in freeing Ryne from Shiva's possession, and after the ice-aspected aether dissipates, Gaia rushes to aid the Oracle of Light. As Ryne returns to her senses, she and her unlikely savior engage in some lighthearted banter and make various plans for when they return to civilization, including making necklaces from a shard of ice left by Shiva.

Having overcome various obstacles and hardships, you and your companions return to Eden's core. Ryne, in particular, is somewhat worse for wear, although she is also the most eager to see what change has come as a result of the extraordinary events that have unfolded.

With balance restored to the last of the six elements, you return to the camp. For the first time since the Flood of Light, verdant green has returned to the Empty, with tufts of foliage peeking through the now fertile soil. It remains to be seen, however, if the work of rebalancing the ambient aether is truly complete, or if further challenges lie ahead.