Broken Towers (Inactive)

Game Master JonGarrett

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GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

"Thank you. I appreciate not being hurt, frankly. Although given my lack of biology the sensation is difficult to describe." Shaking it's head, the avatar of Nexus continued, "In this event, Deus' efforts would be a struggle. Most of my power is still limited, but I suspect our enemy has the ability to repair that."

Pausing, Nexus considers. "The simplest method for killing something like me would be in two parts. The first would be to destroy the crystal columns that generate my power. Without it my functions are significantly curtailed, and I will eventually be forced to sleep. The second part would be to destroy my mind."


A HP: 69/69 | Mythic Points: 9/9pd | Ki Pool: 4/4 || R HP: HP: 42/42 Persona time left: 9 mins, Ext Persona 1/1
Aiday:
AC: 20 + 4 Deflection Bonus when moving, T: 16, FF: 14, SR: 11| Fort: +4/6, Ref: +14/16, Will: +8/12 | CMB: +7, CMD: 23 | Init: +8, Perception: +11
Rinat:
AC: 18 Human, 20 Hybrid & Wolf | T: 11, FF: 12 Human/13 | Fort: +7, Ref: +4, Will +6 | CMB: +4; CMD: +15 (19 vs trip as wolf) | Init +2, Perc: +6. Personas may differ.

Aibek shifted uncomfortably and jotted down a few notes. More time was needed...more time to help Nexus repair, to help expand Azerna's comfortable movement area, to help Rinat and the group...

There was not enough time to be so scattered. Or to dance around the obvious issue, but Aibek tried it anyway...

"Is there anything we can do to better protect your mind from Deus's efforts?"


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

"That is a...difficult question to answer," Nexus replied thoughtfully. "The simple answer is almost certainly that there is, but I don't know what it is. I don't even know the actual location of my mind, for fear that I would edit it."


A HP: 69/69 | Mythic Points: 9/9pd | Ki Pool: 4/4 || R HP: HP: 42/42 Persona time left: 9 mins, Ext Persona 1/1
Aiday:
AC: 20 + 4 Deflection Bonus when moving, T: 16, FF: 14, SR: 11| Fort: +4/6, Ref: +14/16, Will: +8/12 | CMB: +7, CMD: 23 | Init: +8, Perception: +11
Rinat:
AC: 18 Human, 20 Hybrid & Wolf | T: 11, FF: 12 Human/13 | Fort: +7, Ref: +4, Will +6 | CMB: +4; CMD: +15 (19 vs trip as wolf) | Init +2, Perc: +6. Personas may differ.

Taking a deep breath and fists tight on the table, Aibek looked over to Azerna for a moment before returning to talking to Nexus, "I'm not sure how to phrase how I feel about others keeping your mind from you, but... right now, just doing the first would give more time - but to take the fight Deus is risky, both for those who go and those who remain, with a lot of ifs and maybe..."


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

"It is almost certainly one part of how Deus came to be. I can change my mind and form my own opinions as I am - but unlike humans, with direct access, I could alter it. It would be both tempting and dangerous."


Witch 8/Arch. 3 | HP: 75/75 | Melee: +5, Ranged: +7 | AC: 26, T: 13, FF: 23, DR: 8 (Blu/Mag) | Fort: +6, Ref: +5, Will: +8 (+4 vs Chan. Ener.) | CMB: +5, CMD: 18 | Init: +12, Perception: +23 |

"Everybody wants to improve themselves." Azri observed. "Can't actually fault that. But consider this: Great changes have a way of attracting notice, often from greater powers on the lookout for threats. Even if it is tempting in the moment, such behaviors can often be much more dangerous in the long run. Take me, for example. I would probably have been destroyed long since if someone hadn't put me on the right path first."


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

"I agree, Councillor. It is my suspicion that it was through some alteration that Deus was created. But when there is an emergency and such a change could save those you care about, I understand the long term consequences can pale compared to the short term gains."


A HP: 69/69 | Mythic Points: 9/9pd | Ki Pool: 4/4 || R HP: HP: 42/42 Persona time left: 9 mins, Ext Persona 1/1
Aiday:
AC: 20 + 4 Deflection Bonus when moving, T: 16, FF: 14, SR: 11| Fort: +4/6, Ref: +14/16, Will: +8/12 | CMB: +7, CMD: 23 | Init: +8, Perception: +11
Rinat:
AC: 18 Human, 20 Hybrid & Wolf | T: 11, FF: 12 Human/13 | Fort: +7, Ref: +4, Will +6 | CMB: +4; CMD: +15 (19 vs trip as wolf) | Init +2, Perc: +6. Personas may differ.

"Even with what little we know of our counterparts in Deus's time, I would not be surprised if one or more of them attempted to make alterations and it backfired. Having another make the path, or know & control it more than you can, has its own risks. If they do not care what price you or others pay for it, destruction becomes more likely..." Aibek's gaze was far off for a few moments before Rinat, wiggling around on the floor in the doorway, yipped.

"Yes, right. The risks for those who go and those who stay behind. Whatever other thing Deus is working on, I can't imagine destroying her crystals columns will be easy or that she won't either attack us directly or attack Khalharum to get us to back-off. Or both I guess is a possibility..." Aibek sighed. This needed an army or specifically trained task force, but how could either be expected to prepare for something like this?


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

"Assuming that the way Deus detects enemies is similar to mine, I might be able to develop some spell or materials that will allow you to move unobserved. Speed would be of the essence, and surprise, for an attack to be a success."


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

There was a sudden dimming of light. "Correction. An attack has begun via the damaged weapon platform." Nexus' avatar rippled for a moment as she checked. "There is an estimated 400 enemies in the underwater facility. Attempts to contain them in the passage are being made. They will fail."

Within the central tower the massive crystal column began to spin faster, the runes of divine and arcane power flickering as it spun. Nexus was gathering it's power. "The tower guard is being rapidly overwhelmed. Prototype units are holding at checkpoints, but will not hold long." The construct flickered again. "Additional energy build up has begun being fed from the weapon platform. I am unable to cut it off. Attempting redirection."

Outside the main tower the large arcane cannon that had been the cities primary defence roared. The shot flew far past the city walls and out into the bar. "Redirection partially successful," Nexus reported as the water plumed and a second shot rang out. "Slowing corruption. Barrier raised on weapons platform. Unable to destroy connection. Contact disruption with guard. Switching to autonomous mode." The word spilled from the construct in rapid, sharp tones as they attempted to keep up with the flow.

"Deus control. Forcing. Unable to block. Cannot sever. Resisting." The avatar didn't crumple to there knees. Nexus wasn't organic. But parts of it were flickering in and out of existence. "Failing." The word was a whisper.

Nexus struggled against the vastly more powerful alternative of itself. If things were different, if it's masters had been different, perhaps it would have crumbled. Perhaps it would have given in. But the connection to the Council was what made Nexus what it was. That was why it took one of the few choices left. "Attempted core destruction."

The massive crystal core span faster. The thing screamed as it began to heat, spinning faster and harder. One core against the Fates alone knew how many Deus possessed.

And then it began to slow again.

"Anticipated." Nexus's voice was filled with struggled as they attempted to explain what was happening. Deus knew how Nexus worked. Deus was Nexus. Almost. But not quite. There was one final choice. The spell the demonic body jumper Khaul had used to take the city.

Nexus remembered it.

"Cannot stop. Delay. I'm sorry. Find me." Nexus stared imploringly at the Council and then...was gone.

Almost the city's entire population suddenly found itself at the docks. The docks were newer than Khalharum. People were screaming in fear and surprise as arcane power poured through the city. The population - rescued slaves, towns folk, immigrants and others - poured onto the ships in the harbour as the city trembled. Merchantmen had there cargo thrown into the bay as the city groaned, shaking and trembling furiously.

The stragglers were still on the docks when, slowly, the city began to rise. In a flash it began clear that the city of Khalharum had not been the great city-building yard of the Shori - it had been what it was building. The seven islands rose slowly, ponderously above as the docks began to collapse.

People screamed and struggled to board the vessels but the docks held long enough for the populace to board, the ships themselves pushed away by the displaced water.

For a moment it seemed Deus' attack was foiled. Khalharum taking to the air would surely sever the attack and free Nexus. But a tendril of pipes and cables, covered in the same horrifying biological matter that Nexus' creations were made of, rose from the water as well. There was no escape as the tendril flexed and warped and grew to keep up with the slowly rising city.

As the ships gathered themselves, water rocking and turbulent, the city slowly glided over the open bay. But slowly. Very slowly. It was clear that Khalharum did not have the power for this. Ancient stones slowly dropped from the edge as the city shuddered. Smoke began to rise from the central tower as it flew.

But it kept moving. The horrifying umbilical was nearly corrupted to the city's base when the tower stopped above the underwater weapon platform. A sound like the ripping of the air itself happened and then...

Khalharum was gone.

The city vanished in a flash, behind only one thing - as mass of stone work. A building. The city arsenal. Cut free from the now-vanished city the massive of stone dropped into water behind the rapidly vanishing tendril, it's mass vanishing beneath the waves with a massive splash. After a moment the bay rippled again as the weapon platform was crushed beneath the waves, ending the threat.

----

With the vanishing of Khalharum, things changed. It's people spread around the inner sea, taking the tale of the city with them. Okeno took control of Stonespine Island once more, at least in theory. And the Shattered Glass gnolls were less than thrilled about the arrangement. It was rumoured that a vicious war broke out in the hidden slave holds in the mountains.

The region was safer, too. Okeno's yellow sailed ships found the passage increasingly hard as the underwater nation beneath the sea and waves honoured it's treaties, aiding those who fought against the slavers. Only with the support of Khatapesh did Okeno survive at all.

The strange village of mechanical people vanished soon after Khalharum did. But unlike the city it did not stay gone long. Soon it became clear that it was not gone, merely...moved to a more suitable place, a Demi-Plane dedicated to the existence of mechanical life. Worshippers of Brigh soon took note of this place, and in certain temples portals to the plane were constructed.

Grimrod Guthook, ancient and still berserk, reported that he had found those that had killed Zhen Halfblood. A cult to Asmodeus that had seen part of the contract that had created the very world itself, and believed there Master was to be the inevitable victor in it's dominion. They had sought the power of Khalharum to create a spell that would dominate the entirety of Golarion into worshipping the Dark Prine, if only for a short time. It would have given him an immense boost in strength.

Some of the cult survived the furious Barbarian's chastisement when they used the empowered and reanimated corpse of Zhen himself to allow them to escape, but their planes were in tatters. Without the city, they could not succeed.

As for the Council of Khalharum, they went about there lives. But even as they spread across Golarion the Marks of Authority never stopped, and the Symbols continued to function for them alone.

Khalharum was still out there. Somewhere.


A HP: 69/69 | Mythic Points: 9/9pd | Ki Pool: 4/4 || R HP: HP: 42/42 Persona time left: 9 mins, Ext Persona 1/1
Aiday:
AC: 20 + 4 Deflection Bonus when moving, T: 16, FF: 14, SR: 11| Fort: +4/6, Ref: +14/16, Will: +8/12 | CMB: +7, CMD: 23 | Init: +8, Perception: +11
Rinat:
AC: 18 Human, 20 Hybrid & Wolf | T: 11, FF: 12 Human/13 | Fort: +7, Ref: +4, Will +6 | CMB: +4; CMD: +15 (19 vs trip as wolf) | Init +2, Perc: +6. Personas may differ.

Epilogue - Aiday and Rinat Aibek

Jumping up as the flickering began, desperately wanting to do something, but utterly helpless. Councillor Aibek called out Nexus's name and apologized over and over as she gripped Azerna's hand tightly.

In the panic, Aiday Aibek felt the warmth of Azerna and Rinat by her side. She hadn't noticed Rinat had shifted to their human form, until she felt a tight grip on her other hand.

I'm so sorry, I thought we had more time...

Those last words stuck in her mind as she sat in an inn near Katapesh's docks. Aiday had spent those first chaotic weeks trying to be the advocate councillor the people of Khalharum needed - helping them get out, helping them figure out where to go next, dealing with authorities and others who didn't really like hundreds of people suddenly coming in under weird circumstances.

Eventually, when most of the dust had blown in various ways, Aiday invited some of the women from her training group, the ones she had been giving special training, to a meal before they all went their separate ways. She gave them all a gift, some of the leftover Druchite material that she had carved with sigils during those early sleepless, before saying "Rinat and I are going to Absalom, I'm going to talk to Selena, tell her what happened, and then Rinat and I going to start looking for interdimensional experts who might be able to help. Absalom has some of the steadiest connections to some of the other planes so seems a place to start. Between that and the drops I was making...when I find them, I'll try my best to get in touch.

She held a pile of papers in her hand. She checked and double-checked their information. The papers were covered in names. So many names - Ayreth, Azri, Kara and Dosa, Xandrius, Elie and her family, Quera, Pelar, many members of the Yao clan, as many people as she could find, covering pages. Names of people and where they were intending to go. She rolled the papers up and put them in the map case with her sketched up maps of Khalharum, the unclaimed islands, surrounding seas with markers for the merfolks, and a page with the other list of names. Those who weren't there, the ones who made it not quite everyone - That Which Walks Besides, Kosi and her whelp, those of construct village, and a few others. There was one name she couldn't yet bring herself to write down among the missing. There was a familiar tree down the right hand side of a page.

That night, she stood with Rinat on the docks near a large ship taking on cargo and passengers. "I know you really wanted to run back. I did too - so so much. Thank you, for staying and helping. I'm not sure how I could have done this without you."

"We're going to find her, I'm done losing those I love. Maybe I couldn't win as a Shadow Champion or as a Councillor, and I don't know how long it will take, but we're going to find all of them, bring Khalharum back, free our friend from Deus, and be back in that inn eating your mother's cooking someday."

"You think so? Really?" Rinat shifted uncomfortable under the backpack. Spending so long in human form had been tiring.

In the faint light of the docks, she held up her hand with a bittersweet smile. Her symbol was still changing and in the last week, alongside the other three lines, a fourth green line had appeared wrapped around her first finger where Aiday now wore her wooden ring. Azerna was out there somewhere, safe with her tree and Nexus. They were all out there somewhere.

"Not all the time, but I'm going to do what I can to make it happen. I have promises to keep, my whelp." She gently ruffled Rinat's soft green hair, much as her own parents used to do, "and right now, we have a ship to catch."

Aibek's to-do list updated

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