For various reasons, your party began our story in the small remote village of Heldren, near the Border Wood in Southern Taldor.

While hearing concerns from locals about the unusual winter weather, a near-dead Ulfen bodyguard for the Lady Argentea Malassene shows up in town. His party came under attack by bandits and winter-fey creatures and the Lady Malassene was kidnapped.

Asked to rescue the noble and investigate the fey creatures, you soon discovered that the weather grew substantially worse as you approached a particular spot in the Border Wood. You managed to free Lady Malassene, and eventually discovered a strange portal that had been opened between Taldor and Irrisen.

Before you were able to determine what to do about the strange portal, a dying horseman came through the portal—the Black Rider, the last survivor of Baba Yaga’s Three Riders. You found out that there are, in fact, many portals being opened. He charged you with finding Baba Yaga to stop Queen Elvanna from spreading Irrisen’s eternal winter over all of Golarion. To ensure your aid he blessed (cursed?) you with the Mantle of the Black Rider, a geas that strongly “urges” you to locate the witch Baba Yaga and ensure her return.

Compelled to undertake the dangerous quest, you crossed through the portal into Irrisen. Somewhat unprepared to have instantly travelled so far north, you were aided by a resourceful ranger named Nadya. As it turned out, you also happen to be in possession of a soul-gem containing the soul of Nadya’s daughter, who was murdered by the White Witch Nazhena Vasilliovna, a member of Irrisen’s ruling elite. You have yet to tell Nadya of her daughter’s demise – or determine what to do with the soul gem.

To close the winter portal and save Taldor, you successfully assaulted the Pale Tower, an ice fortress controlled by Nazhena’s apprentice Radosek Pavril. Nazhena was away when you defeated Radosek and destroyed the portal to Taldor.