Story - Part 2 - Icespire Peak

I bet that troll shaman would help if we can get her to him. If not him the elves. But we need to subdue her and he quickly starts digging through his pack for his herbalists tools looking to see if he has enough medicine for a strong sleeping tonic

While Garic fiddles with his herbalist tools Vienne tries to remove the spirit.
She tries to feel for the spirit and indeed she manages to 'grab' it. But its more that the spirit is grabbing her. Vienne can feel how she is engulfed by a feeling of powerlessness. As if someone was holding her and making her move.
Well you have chosen. Prepare to live the rest of your pity and short life in this castle that only stood as long as I wanted it to... she says with a voice that's clearly not her own

Vienne can feel the spirit lift its grip from her, vanishing into thin air. The silver glow is gone from the empress, who lies down still, you don't know whether she's unconscious or dead.
But you don't have time to check.
Everything is starting to shake. The ground is shaking, the walls are shaking, you are shaking. Cracks are forming in the walls and small stones are starting to rain down on you from the ceiling.
You need to get out of here or risk being buried alive...

Grabbing an arm Garic motions Vienne to do likewise with the other and together they run back out and up the way they came

Vienne did as Garic motioned, grabbed the opposite arm and worked to pull her out. Hopefully they would be able to move fast enough.

I can cast a spell that will speed up one of us but don't know if the delay is with the risk of reward he pants as they run

Vienne and Garic run through the caves dragging the empress along. The shaking becomes stronger. You sometimes trip on large cracks opening up under your feet. Debris rain down on you, you cough because of all the stone dust in the air. But you just make your way forward, despite the dust, the shaking, the cracks. It is clear that there is only one way: Out.
Then you see it, at the end of a long corridor in the caves the stairs leading back up to the castle. But the shaking is becoming more violent, walls are crumbling, you don't know how long the castle will stand the shaking. You need to speed up! Either by leaving the empress behind or by any other means you can think of...

"Do we have any way of making her float? Because that's all I can think of except dropping her - which isn't great but I don't really want to die." Vienne gets it out between breaths as they move. She makes an attempt to have the air underneath the empress support her weight, but isn't sure if she has any chance of success.

Pausing with Vienne Garic saysMaybe revive her? and tries to heal the elf

While the walls crumble around you, you work your magic and despite the adverse circumstances you are able to succeed
Vienne manages to generate a bit of lift under the empress. Garic's spell can't wake her up but she jolts upright a bit and seems to be able to help you carrying her by moving her legs a bit as you drag her along.
You can't expect more under these circumstances and so you press on.
You reach the stairs leading up, scale them while the castle around you is increasingly shaken.
More than once you stumble and nearly slip down but at last you reach the end of the stairway and rush through the hallways towards the exit.
You think you can see blue ghostly figures at the corner of your view but you don't have time to look. Bricks dislodge themself from the walls and rain down on the ground.
You reach the main hall through which you entered the castle, the doors are open and you dash to the exit.

With the last bit of strength you can muster, you manage to escape and run down the way you came from. Cold air rushes into your face. It's stormy and snowy. After you are a safe distance from the castle you turn around. Blue swirls circle the fortress, you hear the sound of crumbling stone, and from one moment to the other the castle collapses into itself and a deafening silence spreads.

After this ordeal, the hasty flight through the caves and castle and witnessing the destruction of the castle you have a strange feeling... peace
You obviously destroyed something evil here and you can feel how the world became a slightly better place by your deeds. Even though it's cold and windy you somehow can't suppress a smile. This must be how heroes feel.
After basking in this feeling a bit you start to feel the cold and you make your way back.
The troll shaman you encountered thanks you for freeing his people from the empress and after telling them what happened in the castle the shaman agrees to care for the empress until she's better.
On your way back down the mountain you sometimes spot trolls but the seem to be scared of you, only occasionally peeking around rocks and hiding when you turn to them.
At the foot of the mountain you encounter a fey trading delegation haggling with some of the frogpeople you encountered. The frogpeople seem to be in disagreement on how much a bucket of snails is worth but even though the are discussing with the fey both sides stay friendly.
In the distance you spot the mage's tower you entered on your way here. Colourful sparks are shooting out of the windows. Seems liike the owner is experimenting again.
You reach Flowergrove at the evening and you take a look back at Icespire Peak. Even though it's dark no lights can be seen up there. Seems like you ended the spook.
You enter your home village and head for the community hall.
As you open the door you see your companions who turned around before you could reach the castle sitting around a table. The are playing cards, one of them seems to be learning to play the flute.
Foldrat turns around to you
Oi! You back! Did you find anything interesting up there? Sit down and tell us all about it...