Rayland is held in a small shack with guards posted. His armor and weapons have been removed and his hands are bound, but he does have a reasonably comfortable bed and fresh food and water. His skin is still transparent: one of the guards brings the saltspray ring by periodically.
"Hello. You found us, right? It's so hard to remember anything that happened. My head is a mess. I'm Rayland Arkley, but you probably already knew that."
"We did. And we were looking for you for quite some time. We're glad you're safe." He considers the pulsing vessels beneath Reyland's skin.
"Your head is a mess. Is all of it a mess? Do you remember events described in these words?"
He then recites the circumstances in which the Oathsworn encountered Silas Weatherbee's spirit, and its anguished wails of why, Rayland, why, continuing into the contents of Una's note.
"Did you kill Silas Weatherbee? Did you struggle for authority with Eliza and the others?"
He listens carefully to Purpose’s words. ”Silas is dead? I guess they all might be. It may well have been my blade that did the deed, but I have no memory of it. If only I were not so weak of will. I should have fought it off. I should have been stronger. I let my people down.” He hangs his head and tears drop down his transparent cheeks.
Joli takes to praying over the captives each day, assessing whether they are still enchanted. He attempts for some days to understand the nature of their possession.
He also attempts to assess the weight of the captives' spirits, determining if strong evil resides within them.
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Days before
Having determined that Raymond and Eliza were dominated, Joli considers the visions brought to him by Jalaitali. A scheme emerges. "It’s possible the fiend who captured their spirits can see through their eyes. Hear through their ears. Perhaps we can use that to our advantage. Mislead them with tales and draw them out."
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Silt walks back and forth holding a rass-berry branch, wordlessly shaking its berry-laden end at certain points of the interrogation.
Rayland seems completely broken and exhausted. Cedar suspects he has no capacity for deception right now. "I'm not even sure. Eliza, she...she let something out and it changed her. Not just took over her actions, but her whole mind. She was a completely different person. We were arguing about the colony, and then she asked to meet that evening. I showed up and suddenly, everything went dark. I don't know. Things made a lot more sense in the Eagle Knights.
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Joli, you sense an evil presence on both of them, but also an evil aura from Eliza herself.
Days before
"Friends, I've observed our captives with Jalaitali's wisdom coursing through me. The spirit that has them enchained has a powerful malevolence about it. But I think Eliza's got a foul heart in her own right. Tis a shame."
He considers, frowns, and his face lights up... Before becoming serious again.
"We do not know what this puppetmaster has in mind. Should we interrogate them while it still lurks, we may draw it out. Learn from its lies about the force against us. Return a tale with tales of our own. Purpose, have you glamers or figments that might aid our tale?"
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Now
"I believe you, Rayland. But tell me, what did she want the colony to do? What plans did she have?" He says a prayer and a fine mist fills the room.
Days before
Purpose Creche shakes his head in quick, brief motions. "I have been called 'disturbingly forthright.' I have no talent for lying. No other means of misdirection. But that does not mean we cannot plant misinformation." He pauses. "What information? We don't know what this entity wants. What it plans for the colony. If anything at all."
~~~~~~~~
Now
When the man begins to cry, Purpose Creche bows his head. "I'm sorry, Rayland." He waits patiently for others to answer; he does unfurl one finger when Silt approaches with the raspberry branch, a gentle statement of now may not be the best time.
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Days before
Joli says a prayer and a basin fills with salt water. Iggi crawls out from under his hat and clambers down into the brine.
"Hm. Well maybe we ought simply ask. 'Eliza, the thoughts inside your head. What does this entity desire from our young settlement? Is there some benefit that we might gain?' And likewise ask poor Rayland what he thinks. Perhaps we'll hear its words in their voices."
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Days before
Joli spends some days praying to his patron for tales and trickery. He surrounds the rooms in which they're kept with sounds of marching, troops, and what not.
Occasionally he prays for the form of imposing humans and borrows armor from the guards, appearing before the still-possessed Rayland and scrutinizing him.
Mostly, though, he checks in on Rayland and Eliza. After some attempts to draw their puppetmaster out, he contents himself with monitoring their condition, counting the days until they're free.
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Silt stomps around the building with Karl, discussing the goings-ons around town.
Each rass-berry in town has been razed by the Karls. Thank you, Karl. The red border is secure: green goblins and grindyglows now cower behind the thistles.
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Joli doesn't get much from Eliza as she is kept under sedation, thanks to the team's descriptions of her psychic spell-casting. Rayland is a little more interesting. He periodically moans and mutters nonsense, but during one of Joli's attempts, he hears a distinct and sinister chuckle. "...they think they can fool me...ME!" He hears nothing else afterward.
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Rayland looks to the ceiling as he tries to recount the arguments with Eliza.
"I...isn't that odd. I can't remember what the fights were about. I think that it...it did something to my memories, even the memories before it controlled me. I have no idea what could even have that kind of power."
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Toby mostly avoids the places where the 'captives' are held, shuddering whenever he thinks of them. It's so creepy, someone invading your mind, making you do things. He shudders at the thought. The see-through skin, too. Ugh.
Instead, he spends those days practicing new ways of using his abilities, watching Silt patrol for raspberries, and helping out around town wherever he can. By the end of the week, Luetin has to kindly but firmly shoo Toby out of the forge, where he had been poking around, asking about all the different tools and how they're used, generally getting in the way.
Purpose Creche spends much of Rayland's convalescence outside the door to his cell, cross legged on the ground, perfectly still. He pays careful attention to whatever the man says in the hopes of gleaning some scrap of useful information.
~~~~~~~~
"No specific memories of what happened. A shame." Purpose Creche considers. "What would you like to do now, Rayland? Tasks help recovery. There is plenty of work in Talmandor's Bounty."
"Go home, I suppose, if Ramona will let me. Hopefully, a priest can fix whatever happened to my skin. I had so much hope for this new colony, and I let everyone down. Staying here would only remind me of my failure."
A thin hand waves towards Silt. "Is it the kelp's fault when the tsunami destroys the farm." The wyrwood cocks his head. "Is it the thatch's fault when storm winds scatter it to the sky."
"You have not failed. I know of magic and those who wield it. You stood no chance against an entity the likes of which controlled you. That is concerning. Powerlessness is concerning. But it absolves you. If you do not yet know that, use my assertion as a step towards that knowledge."
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Cedar runs his knotted hands down his face and lets out a low sigh.
”Is your mind weak? Did you fail? I don’t know. We’re up against something powerful, as Purpose said. And I agree, you’re no more guilty than the sword you swung.”
”But I also understand your desire to leave. I have the same high hopes for Ancorato, so I can imagine how you must feel now having, you know, betrayed people. If leaving is really what you want, I can talk to Ramona about it.”
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Sensing that Rayland doesn't really want to leave, Cedar smiles and adds:
"But you should know that we could really use your leadership and experience. Most of the villagers are new to this sort of thing. They need your guidance. We all could. If anything, your story is one of good triumphing over evil. You're living proof that we can resist this thing, whatever it is. You should be proud. You fought it and survived, and I think there's still fight left in you."
Joli nods at Purpose and Cedar, smiling at their kindness. "Rayland, tis also true we've yet to find the others of your expedition. While we continue searching, the settlement needs to train. To fortify. Your experience will help."
He ponders. "That said, we'll need a plan to guard against the fiend who did this thing. Our priests can pray to know if someone's body's been usurped. But else I do not know. What would you suggest, brave Rayland?"
He seems to soften at Cedar and Joli's words, but then looks at Joli in bewilderment. "That's a question for the folks who know magic. I'm trained to fight."
You think he's giving some thought to the idea of staying.
"I and many others are not. Recent events prove we need to be. Antona Sedgewick has taught me some swordplay. If you were to train the colonists, she could perhaps assist."
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Silt puts down the branch and peers at Rayland and takes a deep breath. Not used to talking at length, his words start out stilted but gain impetus as he continues with his story.
There is an invisible worm that creeps into a salmon's eye and tugs on the strings connect to its brain. It wants to make the fish act like something other than a fish.
When the salmon is young the worm helps it to hide — even if the little fish is hungry, it cowers in fear and hides from predators instead of swimming free in the cool waters. It is better at hiding than other salmon, because of the worm.
And so, the lonely salmon grows old and tired and hungry… but it is also safe. And when the fish is finally old enough… the bug forces the salmon to kill itself! It pulls the strings to the brain, and the poor fish swims straight into the teeth of a grinning predator! Silt slaps his big hands together like a mouth snapping shut.
The fish does not know the why, but it sees the truth of death in the grinning teeth, and knows it was never free in all its life.
You have been that fish — but you are free now. You think things and know things, and can see truth with your eyes.
Silt pauses, and whispers to Rayland:
I worry there are invisible worms in our village, even now. Why would they go away?
They are hiding, waiting like they do in the young fish. We may all be the young fish, content to hide here where it's safe. We may only know truth in that moment, when we march weeping into the teeth of oblivion.
I do not wish this. I wish to be free. You are strong, and you have survived a harsh trauma. You can help us all in more ways than fighting. Train the village, but be seen by the village: they should know these worms can be beaten! You are trained to fight, but you are more than that. You are not just a sword, you are a shield of hope. Together, we pull the invisible worms from our eyes.
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"Well put, Silt. It's true, we all want to be free of our invisible brain worms." Cedar tries to maintain a neutral expression, but for a moment he looks a little shaken by Silt's words. "I think we need to know what Eliza found, so we can destroy it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need some fresh air."
Cedar steps outside and gives the guards a nod as he passes. Once out of their sight he slumps against a wall. He wipes the sweat off his face and closes his eyes. He takes a few calming breaths and tries not to think about dominating entities or mind control or turning into a monster. He flexes his knotted fingers and tentatively turns an ear toward the ocean. He listens for something, a calling, just above the roar of the crashing waves. Satisfied that he doesn't hear anything this time, he collects himself and heads home.
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Rayland looks uncertainly at Silt as the locathah begins speaking, but his eyes grow wide at the words spoken. He pauses for a few moments and you can see his veins pulse as his heart beats faster, then he apparently makes up his mind.
"You are an odd fellow, for certain, but your words are full of wisdom. If the village will have me, I will stay and help."
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Joli nods in approval and takes his leave to hold a meeting with Eamon Caranth and Kurvis Nurpico at the village's newly designated inn. He perches on a chair.
"Rayland has agreed to stay and help us protect the settlement. But it's not arms alone that will see us through. We must fortify our minds and watch for further manipulation. We know not the form of the threat — only that it has strong magic to bend people's will."
He whistles a moment into the breeze "But perhaps our gods can help us guard the flock. I suggest daily prayers to make visible those who've succumbed to enchantment. As well as wards against evil. What are your thoughts about how we might protect our people's spirits?"
Joli stops and listens.
Purpose Creche stays with Rayland a while to discuss the man's reintegration. Once done, he tracks down Sil'tchaak and takes him aside for a brief chat.
"Silt, your invisible worms speech was useful. Motivating. But I have thoughts about it that I'd like share. As someone who spent much time and effort learning how to communicate with those unlike me."
Something stirs under the locathah's hat, and Purpose Creche tilts neck back even more. "Ah. Hello, Llyu-Llyu."
Father Nurpico scratches his chin. "We could have people report any odd or unusual behavior. Try to suss out anything strange."
Father Caranth protests, "But Kurvis, we can't encourage paranoia! That will encourage neighbors to turn against each other, for Erastil's sake. We must preserve the community."
Father Nurpico rolls his eyes. "Very well, we will pay attention to anything odd ourselves. Father Toli, you will ensure that the troubleshooters are free from domination? We will let you know of anything odd going on around the town."
Joli smiles broadly. "Ah, no father yet. My créche is yet to come. For now I’m but a brother. But there is no reason to encourage paranoia when you have the ears of gods and spirits. Would you permit me to sing a prayer, to demonstrate the magic I suggest. I imagine Abadar and Erastil grant similar prayers." If they agree Joli prays and senses any enchantment in their midst.
They agree. Both priests seem clean.
When the time comes to interrogate Eliza, Joli is ready to sing a prayer of peace in the room. He stands by quietly as others speak, measuring the woman's words.
"Joli, how...how are things with the...people? Captives? With Rayland and Eliza? Are they still acting so weird? I've been too creeped out to go talk to them."
Ramona locates Eliza in her documentation on the colonists.
"Haniver...Haniver, Eliza. Oh, right. She's a bit of a sad story. Her father was a log driver for the lumber company, died in in an accident when she was just a kid. You know how dangerous that run from Darkmoon Vale to Oregont is. She and her mom just got by on seasonal work by charitabe farmers. She seemed quite personable in her interview though. She said it would be a chance to start a new life, and her farming experience made her a good fit."
Joli smiles as Toby's squeamishness. "Their souls seem free now. Seems Rayland'll stay with us to help defend the village. Eliza... Well, we'll see what she has to say. She knows more than she's saying, that's for sure."
As Cedar shares his intelligence, Joli nods. "Not an easy life, but I guess we've all seen our share of trouble. Want to go chat her up?"
Eliza is kept much like Rayland, though Ramona warns you to be careful of the spellcaster.
The woman glares at you with bright green eyes, made profoundly disturbing by being able to see into her eye sockets through transparent skin.
"You. You're the ones who ruined everything. What do you want now?"
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You slept in ruin; you ate in ruin; tricked your friends into ruin; worked your natural body to ruin. Why do you rage at ruin now? Natural: ruin makes ruin. Silt shrugs as if all this is obvious. If not us, others.
Silt nods at Joli, Cedar, Toby, and Purpose.
"As for what we want." Purpose Creche taps quietly up to Eliza, only a foot or two away, and sits cross legged in front of her chair. "Information. Where did the colonists go. What hand did you have in it. What entity contacted you and Rayland. Dulin, Barnabus, Una—what was your relationship with them."
His gaze traces the flow of blood beneath her skin, her twitching muscle fibers, before concentrating on her face. "Many questions. Where would you like to begin?"
She narrows her eyes at Silt, and then rolls them at Purpose' question. "I was only supposed to help get them to the tower; I don't know where the skum took them from there. The entity...I suppose that's one way to put it. It has...indescribable power. It's just as I said, I opened that tank with the key, and it was a survivor from Ancient Azlant. I just didn't realize it was a prison. It flooded my mind, and even though I was blinded, I saw for the first time. Just being close to such power...I begged it to uplift me, that I would serve it and maybe get just a tiny fraction of its power. I think I amused it, for it agreed. My abilities, the ones I've had to hide my entire life, changed and grew more powerful. I wasn't afraid of everything anymore. I had touched something great and powerful..." Eliza's reverie drifts off. Purpose, you don't get any sense that she is deliberately trying to deceive you.
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Joli leans against the wall in shadow, letting his voice announce his presence. His voice is as stern as it has ever been, yet soft.
"Tell us of its form. Surely it gave you some notion of its intent. I’d like to make a case against the common sentence for treason, if you help in earnest."
"I don't think I could tell you what its form was. I only glimpsed it for an instant before it blinded me." Eliza rolls her eyes again. "Everything comes with a price, and I paid this one over my entire life. When the opportunity came, I took it. As for the villagers? I don't know. That's what it wanted. It didn't explain things to me; its understanding is so much greater than ours."
"So why did you remain there in the tower? What were it’s instructions to you?"
"I was waiting for you, obviously. We knew there was another wave coming, but it would have too suspicious if you'd found just Rayland and me in a empty town. Don't worry though..." Eliza smiles with a disconcertingly large grin, and you can see her back teeth through her clear cheeks. She whispers, "It knows about you now..."
And we would know about Eliza… what were the talents hidden? What was the lifetime of price paid?