Overview
Not knowing the nature of the person involved, Gabriel promised Niran her hand in marriage if he would bring her the signet ring of her wicked uncle (who does not exist,) who had become king of Kafiristan (which has no king) by his own hand after defeating him in combat. Lacking the sense to recognize this as a fool's errand, Niran went off on this quest to win the hand of the lovely ‘maiden’…
His whereabouts are unknown, and a rescue party is being formed by Vlad and Dylan.
Update 1
Vlad and Dylan departed on the rescue mission. They made it as far as the city of Lahore. They found some information but in attempt to steal some cold-weather clothing Vlad was apprehended by the local constabulary and set in jail, awaiting trial. Dylan was able to escape and return back to DFW to seek help.
Update 2
Dylan and Jonquil ventured out to spring Vlad and managed to bribe a judge to release him into their custody. Vlad got tired of waiting and sent a message to Niran magically to call for rescue. Niran immediately ventured forth into the snow and got lost, finally ending up with a broken leg and half starved to death by the time he was located. Healing magics helped considerably, and Jonquil and Niran shape-shifted into giant animals to make the return trip swiftly. Niran, however, refused to change back and proceeded to terrorize villages.
Update 3
Niran was convinced to return and thus concludes the plot.
Kafiristan
Kafiristan (from Persian roots for ‘land of the infidels’) is the old name of a province in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan. It is the setting of Rudyard Kipling's novela The Man Who Would Be King which was later made into a movie. It is, even today, a remote and rugged place of freezing winters and hot dry summers. The pagan religion practiced in Kipling's time has since been replaced with Islam except for those parts of the cultural region lying across the border in Pakistan.