She panics a little, "But...but won't that kill her? This bond was formed against her will....and used some of her essence to bind itself to her....if you break the connection...will it hurt her?"
"Lucy knows a little obscure lore that will allow someone to give Juhi a portion of their power," Konstantyná says. "But they can't get it back once passed on."
She nods, "I'll do it...I don't care. If it'll save Juhi...I'll do anything." Not even caring as a few hot tears escaped she said, "I'm getting married to my best friend. I'm done adventuring. My home is here, my family is here, my life is here. What else could I possibly want or need? Please...if it'll save her...take it from me."
Lucy brings out an old, weathered scroll and begins chanting in a strange language unheard of before. She draws a bright white light from Rajni, removing her mythic power, and channels it into Juhi.
Juhi floats in the air, cloaked by a white aura. With a sound like glass shattering, the mark on her forehead disappears. The white light then departs, shooting out of the door.
She lets out a breath she didn't even know she was holding as she goes to her mother and embraces her and Juhi, "Normal is just fine, it's better than fine. It's great. Right mama?"
"Of course I will...but we can be more relaxed about it now since it isn't quite as dire. That is if she still wants to learn." She says giving Juhi a smile.
The white light travels across Zahvroma to the darkened town of Gethcaster, the first settlement of Blackcrown. It flows through the ruined streets into the tower which was once a town hall. Laenid sits on her throne as the white light pierces her breast. Her eidolon quickly forms around her to try and shield her, but the shadowy puppeteer crumbles to dust as it is erased from existence. A bright purple mark replaces the deep red one that had lingered on her forehead for so long. Without conscious thought, she calls forth a great white lion and Laenid mounts it.
Bursting through the doors on the tower, she looks upon the traitorous summoners of House Akulov. "I am the light of justice, Laenid Zolkov, Summoner of House Volkov! You shall burn for your crimes!"
The lion charges forward, taking summoners in its mighty maw and tossing them aside. Laenid calls to the heavens and a spear appears in her hand. The Summoner of House Volkov then rides through Gethcaster, putting every last summoner who bore the name Akulov to death. Once the streets run red with blood, she rides south, tears of joy in her eyes.
The Last Punishment:
Tarja had been taken to the Cavern of Perdition, her madness nearly at its peak. Mathias sighs heavily as he follows the procession, his eyes on the ground. Ramius would join her for nearly killing his Summoner, he too gone mad from whatever happened on that one world. Hyggindi addresses the eidolon. "You understand that she will be here for a long time, Mathias?"
Mathias nods, saying nothing as Tarja is bound and lead inside. He could no longer see the being he loved in her eyes. Mathias could not blame anyone for what transpired, he didn't even know where to start. The Menders held Mathias back as she was taken to a cell deep within the cavern. The second procession came soon after and he turned away from his son. Their family, once proud, were now criminals.
After the two of them are sealed away, Hyggindi returns to Mathias. "I offer you a chance to redeem yourself, Mathias. A new Summoner for House Sokolov has been chosen. Will you be his eidolon?"
Mathias nods. "There is nothing for me here now. I shall serve him faithfully...and not fail should he go astray."
Unspeakable:
Strahd held the device aloft as the five hundred souls were freed from their mortal shells. Barovia was filled with wails as the dead hit the floor. The vampire's hair was whipped as the soulstorm formed overhead. His necrologists controlled the flow of energy as Strahd channeled the souls into the device. As soon as the chaos began, it ended.
He strode toward his castle, where the breach lay. He would return to Chalandra and follow through with her plan. In this world, he was constantly thwarted by those who sought to cleanse Ravenloft, but, with the canny vampiress, there would be no such problem in Vesaria. With a smirk, he opened the door to his chamber. The smirk faded as he saw a man dressed in a shimmering three piece suit. "I'm sorry, Strahd, but the game ends here."
"Who in the Hells are you?" Strahd demanded.
"A guardian of time itself," the man answers. "Actually, a time dragon. That device has no reason to exist and I won't allow its use."
"And what will you do if I fail to relinquish it?" the vampire asks.
"You will never know," the time dragon says.
Strahd blinks. There was nothing there but his throne. A servant approaches him. "What's wrong, Master?"
The vampire rubs his empty hands together. "Nothing. I thought I saw something."
The orange mark on Konstantyná's arm disappears and is replaced with a purple one.
As the others get ready to sit down at the table she goes to open the door, "Hey Dillon" She says with a radiant smile as she puts her arms around him and hugs him tightly.
Just so you know: what the time dragon did was erase Chalandra's ritual from her book so Strahd never came to Zahvroma. So, Maera's unicorn companion is still alive. Niccolo was buried in a potter's field with other nameless criminals and Reinhardt's ashes are still where they lie (probably less so with the weather). Oh, and Tichran's still alive, as if you knew that :P
Chalandra looks at Tichran from across the table. "The time has come to join forces, Tichran."
"And why would I care about what you have going on?" the drow asks.
"Five of us are dead, one betrayed us and another is lost," the vampire answers. "That leaves six of us who will not stand a chance against the heroes alone. The time for pettiness is at an end and we must cooperate if we wish to remain on Zahvroma. It's not like your pretty kingdom beneath the earth will last."
"Ju'ok and Wyvaire have no desire to associate with us, I have not seen Solomon since he reclaimed his mask," Tichran says. "And if Mirrin is still alive, then she is more a harm to our cause than help."
"She will be the instrument of her own end," Chalandra says firmly before returning to the matter at hand. "There has been a disturbance in time continuum. My device shattered just a few moments ago. I feel we have lost a great advantage and now we are against the wall. So, will you join forces with me?"
"After devastating loss in Gethcaster, I am hesitant to expose myself to such risk," Tichran says. "If you can convince Ju'ok, Wyvaire or Solomon to join forces with you, then I'll change my answer."
He picks up his mask from the table and exits the parlor. Chalandra sighs and snaps her fingers. Several servants file in and serve her dinner.
She smiles up at him and pulls him inside, "Things are so much better than okay. Would it be alright if we ate here tonight? We can still go for a little walk later if you want....I just...I want us to be with my family tonight. See...we're celebrating." She says gesturing to Juhi and complete lack of mark upon her head.
Mirrin opens her eyes. There was nothing by grey light around her. She looks to where the voice came from. It was Aroden. "I am truly dead."
"Yes," Aroden says. "But it needn't stay this way. You are given a reprieve from your eternal punishment to reconsider."
"Why should I? My sister is dead, once by that necromancer's hand and again by the people who 'saved' me. Jarrah gave my mothers into Vencious' hands for diabolic items. If not by providence, she would have had sold me as well," Mirrin says.
"Yet you lived to steal another necromancer's mask and kill him," Aroden says. "You survived despite the odds against you. Now you throw away your life and your immortal soul. Your sister and your parents reside in paradise and, one day, they shall be by my side again. Do you not wish to be with her?"
"More than anything," Mirrin answers. "But I am unworthy."
"It is I who judges your worth," Aroden says. "If you choose life, you must keep it. Otherwise, you shall become a daemon."
Mirrin nods. "What shall I do to prove my worth?"
"Free me and your transgressions shall be forgiven," Aroden says, removing Mirrin's tattoos. Gold ink adorns her body. "Of course, you'll have help, but you must seek it."
Mirrin nods again. "When will I..."
Before she can finish, the sea spits her out onto Valwick's shore.