The loooooong span lies between him and his beloved.
And time is very short.
Usawoti takes off, dashing down the bridge, slamming one foot after the other.
RAGE
REST
PASSION
DETERMINATION
MONEY
PRIDE
The emotions slam into and through him one after the other.
> The way is lost. <
Fury. Exhaustion. Longing. Drive. Value. Arrogance.
> You have done well. <
Like chains they pull on him, demanding, pushing, holding him down, even while flooding him with their power.
> More than any, save I, expected from you. <
Like a discordant song that scratches at the ears.
> But I knew you - knew what you could be; <
Like a sacred dirge mourning the lost.
> I knew - knew! - of the hero you could become... <
Like a cry of pain in the night.
> ... MY hero. <
Like a prophecy inescapable.
> A hero that would do the impossible, and break the seal. You redeemed me. <
As Usawoti begins running through the gates, he begins calling out, ” Yephima, Ladies of the Coven, we must flee. We were successful conquering several layers of the tower, we entered the chamber of the keys, Inarus was able to activate three of them. But they are not what we thought. They open and close portholes but they also set of a failsafe mechanism that will flood this dimension with cleansing fire and kill all within. To open the portholes, Inarus sacrificed himself to open a way out for us. There is a porthole to our world, Golarion, on the bridge we have twenty minutes to get any survivors through it. All else will be lost!”
Usawoti tries to fling the words through his voice, through his mind, through his spirit and connection. Searing pain, like fire, floods through his hand.
> I am sorry we could not last longer. <
He stumbles, but only briefly as, he pushes his way into the eternal night of the coven's realm.
Stars.
Infinity.
Void.
You are very, very small.
There was a brief moment of total darkness and silence and loneliness, so complete and absolute that nothing like it could exist in nature, and then Usawoti passes through, in the briefest of instants, into the infinite night sky.
Below him is a black void going on for eternity in which stars are scattered like diamonds shining in light only they possessed, lasting forever into antiquity and for an eternity still yet to come. Before him, behind him, above him, and to all sides... the same.
The smallness of Usawoti's existence is pressed upon him, his insignificance in the face of something so vast, so grand, so... impossible, yet true.
And it is a nightmare.
Corpses of giants, fungus, and black sludge from the sea lie scattered around in the "infinity" in an ichor of disgusting carnage. Several giants are held upside-down with very precise slits in very important parts, their blood being ritually drained from their bodies into fungal bowls.
Usawoti arrives just in time to see a disgusting creature facing away from him - top half akin to a fungal woman, bottom half merely a monstrous bulb of rotting fungus - holding up a decrepit, green-skinned woman in one hand, and ripping the literal heart out of her. There is a brief flare of green fire in the shape of a woman, which is (screaming) quickly sucked into the beating heart... a heart that shrivels and shrinks and turns into a hard, shiny gem.
"And now at last I have done it, sisters; I have destroyed !" she declares.
She glances at the obvious corpses of her sisters. "Well, I suppose that I will ." she shrugs.
beware! Usawoti's jewelry cries to him, mentally, that is our former master!
Echolocation(+)forced quiet -> range halved to 20 ft., not auto-detection (unlike normal for blindsense)
Blinded: she cannot see;
> : she takes a –2 penalty to AC, loses Dex bonus to AC (if any); all foes have total concealment (50% miss chance) against her
> All checks and activities that rely on vision (such as reading and Perception based on sight) auto-fail;
> she must make a DC 10 Acrobatics skill check to move faster than 1/2 spd (v. fall prone)
> and takes –4 penalty on most Str–/Dex-based skill checks and opposed Perception skill checks
CURSE
> when adjacent to damaging area, it expands to include her
> can’t heal naturally, and 1/2 magic, fast healing, and regeneration (minimum 1)
> take damage, fort v. staggered for 1 round
> plagued by sounds and lights only she can percieve; thus distracted (+5 to Perception DCs), cannot take 10 on skill checks, and must succeed at a concentration check (DC 10 + spell level) to cast
> –12 penalty to wisdom and charisma (Wis 8, Cha 16), and –6 penalty to constitution and dexterity (15 Dex, 19 Con)
> –8 penalty on attack rolls, saves, ability checks, and skill checks
> unluck: (3/hour) target must reroll any roll decided by the GM and take the worse result
"Do you see now, " she cries to the vast infinity, "Do you see how I - I out of all my sisters - have eclipsed all things, "
She exults, for a moment, declaring, "I have done it! I have exceeded your treacherous son Treerazor, brought this entire world to heel, and will now devour their corpses, " she cries, dancing (you think) in a small circle, ooze slipping from her eyes almost like filthy and disgusting tears of perverted joy.
Echolocation(+)forced quiet -> range halved to 20 ft., not auto-detection (unlike normal for blindsense)
Blinded: she cannot see;
> : she takes a –2 penalty to AC, loses Dex bonus to AC (if any); all foes have total concealment (50% miss chance) against her
> All checks and activities that rely on vision (such as reading and Perception based on sight) auto-fail;
> she must make a DC 10 Acrobatics skill check to move faster than 1/2 spd (v. fall prone)
> and takes –4 penalty on most Str–/Dex-based skill checks and opposed Perception skill checks
CURSE
> when adjacent to damaging area, it expands to include her
> can’t heal naturally, and 1/2 magic, fast healing, and regeneration (minimum 1)
> take damage, fort v. staggered for 1 round
> plagued by sounds and lights only she can percieve; thus distracted (+5 to Perception DCs), cannot take 10 on skill checks, and must succeed at a concentration check (DC 10 + spell level) to cast
> –12 penalty to wisdom and charisma (Wis 8, Cha 16), and –6 penalty to constitution and dexterity (15 Dex, 19 Con)
> –8 penalty on attack rolls, saves, ability checks, and skill checks
> unluck: (3/hour) target must reroll any roll decided by the GM and take the worse result
===================
CE Medium plant (extraplanar)
Init +18/-2; Senses blindsense (lesser, echolocation) 20 ft. darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception -4
DEFENSE
AC 24, touch 12, flat-footed 22 (+2 Dex, +2 Dodge, +12 natural; )
hp 164->76 (18d8+72) {+6 HD}; +40 temporary hp
Fort +15, Ref +9, Will +5
Defenses Evasion; DR 10/cold iron or good; Immune electricity, plant traits; Resist acid 10, cold 10; SR 29 ->
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft.
Melee 2 claws +20 (1d6+7), 4 tentacles +15 (1d4+3 plus grab) -> 2 claws +12 (1d6+7), 6 tentacles +12 (1d6+3 plus grab)
Special Attacks compel plants, constrict (1d6+7), create spawn, energy drain (1 level, DC 22), multiweapon mastery, sporepod
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 13th; concentration +8)
> Constant–detect (good, thoughts (DC 15)), tongues
> At will – veil (DC 19, self only)
> 3/day – charm monster (DC 17), suggestion (DC 15) , contagion, desecrate, poison, unholy aura
> 1/day – dominate person (DC 18) , mind fog (DC 18) , power word (stun), slow (DC 16), unhallow
STATISTICS
Str 25 , Dex 15, Con 19, Int 22, Wis 8, Cha 16
Base Atk +13; CMB +20 (+24 grapple) +12 (+16 grapple); CMD 32
Feats Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Disguise), Leadership, Skill Focus (Use Device), Improved Natural Attack (tentacles)
Skills Bluff +21 , Disguise +27 , Knowledge (dungeoneering) +12 , Knowledge (planes) +24 , Perception +8 , Sense Motive +17 , Spellcraft +22 , Stealth +23 , Use Magic Device +27
Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Azlanti, Draconic, Giant, Orc, Shory, Thassilonian (Shoanti, Varisian), Undercommon; tongues, telepathy 100 ft.
SQ plant empathy +25
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Compel Plants (Su)
A fungus queen’s mind-affecting powers and spell-like abilities (and spells, should the fungus queen gain the ability to cast them) affect plant creatures (but not mindless plant creatures) as if they weren’t immune to mind-affecting effects.
Create Spawn (Su)
A creature that would normally be slain by a fungus queen’s energy drain attack is not killed–instead, it immediately loses all negative levels imparted by the fungus queen and transforms into a fungus-infested minion of the queen. Such creatures gain the fungoid simple template. Fungoid creatures are under the control of the fungus creature that created them, and remain enslaved until their mistress is destroyed or until they are cured of the infestation (see the facing page). A fungus queen can communicate telepathically with her fungoid spawn at any range as long as they are on the same plane, and may have a number of Hit Dice worth of enslaved spawn totaling no more than twice her own Hit Dice; any spawn she creates that would exceed this limit become free-willed fungoid creatures. A fungus queen may free an enslaved spawn in order to enslave a new spawn, but once freed, a fungoid creature cannot be enslaved again (although it can still be influenced by the fungus queen’s compel plants and plant empathy abilities).
Energy Drain (Su)
A fungus queen’s energy drain functions identically to that of a succubus. Creatures killed by this attack do not die–they instead become infested with the fungus queen’s spores (see Create Spawn). The save DC is Charisma-based.
Plant Empathy (Ex)
This ability functions as the druid’s wild empathy, save that a fungus queen can use this ability only on plant creatures. A fungus queen gains a +4 racial bonus on this check. Mindless plant creatures are imparted a modicum of implanted intelligence when a fungus queen uses this ability, allowing her to train such creatures as guardians.
Sporepod (Su)
As a standard action, a fungus queen can cause a Medium pod of fungal material to burst out of the ground at any point within 60 feet of her current location. Once created, a sporepod cannot move. If the fungus queen travels more than 120 feet from a sporepod, it is destroyed. A fungus queen can maintain a number of sporepods equal to her Charisma modifier (three for this one, at present). As a move action, she can instantaneously travel to one of her sporepods as if using transport via plants. She can also choose to spread out her tentacle attacks among her sporepods, attacking a creature within 5 feet of any sporepod with a tentacle–she is still limited to making only four tentacle attacks as part of a full-attack action, or one as a standard action. A sporepod is an object that has an AC of 15 and 20 hit points; damage dealt to a sporepod does not harm the fungus queen.
=========================
The black edges of this twisted dual-blade seem to suck in the light, as the red bone-like hilt (wrapped in fleshy leather) pulses with the cold chill of power.
This +2 adamantine dagger is a of variant heart piercing nine lives stealer that grants all the benefits of both a a sacrificial dagger and a heart ripper blade when it steals a life (and functions as those even after its nine lives are stolen).
In addition, when it rips out the heart, instead of actually devouring it, the heart is transformed into a jewel, and the creature killed is transformed into an incorporeal undead - either a specific kind of incorporeal undead associated with the creature, or (if there is none) a dread wraith with a spectre's resurrection vulnerability plus light blindness - which is then sealed into a gem created from the enemy's heart. This gem is a nigh-invulnerable tiny object (hardness 35, 200 hp, break DC 50). When broken, the gem releases the undead spirit it created - it is not controlled, and may use plane shift once to arrive at a plane of its choice.
While held, a creature may imbue it with spell-levels and blood in order to access the power of the creature within, and allow you to access that creature's full power. As a full-round action, you may take 1d4 damage per level you possess and invest one spell level per hit dice of the creature (). Doing so grants you the full use of that creature's abilities (at the cost of your own) for 1 minute per level. This grants only abilities natural to the base creature - not class abilities or similar - and only as the creature was prior to death. Certain rituals and effects may change how this ability functions, subject to GM discretion.
Unlike a standard nine lives stealer this weapon can only use its life-stealing ability once per week (seven days).
Additional spells used to create this item: blood money, create greater undead, enemy's heart, flesh to stone, polymorph any object, plundered power, soul bind, and trap the soul.
Price: as this is a portion of three demon lords dipped in a mythic concoction, and hardened over an abyssal volcano, this is effectively an artifact.
One of these three daggers contains one use, another three, and the final contains seven.
Clutched in the fungal woman's hand is the device used to rip the heart from the other woman - a black, twisted two-pronged dagger - almost as if two dagger blades were twisted into one. Currently the former heart (now a gem) is wedged between the two pronged blade.
she is a terrible creature - she intends to devour all living things mentions your ladies.
"Don't be dumb, master." Mope says to your spirit. "I'm going nowhere without you." he snorts in your mind, amused. A surge of hope fills your spirit.
She snarls, blindly, then, sniffing, flings herself back a pace, her hands and whipping tentacles stretching grotesquely and seeking your body.
Claws
,
,
,
Tentacles (if the attack is successful, she gets a grab attempt; if grab is successful, she can deal constrict damage)
,
- ,
,
- ,
,
- ,
,
- ,
,
- ,
,
- ,
A creature with temporary negative levels receives a new saving throw to remove the negative level each day. The DC of this save is the same as the effect that caused the negative levels.
>>> -5 all d20 checks, CMD, saves, and skills. -25 hp
> Bracers of Defenselessness that also provide greater versions of the benefits of bracers of spellguard and spellsight bracer, and the long arm and bonebreaker and mighty fists (+3: frost, shock, and thundering) and skilled maneuver.
> > -5 AC
> > +2 concentration checks (3/day re-roll)
> > continuous detect magic, +1 resistance to will
> > (3/day) widen on one SLA (chosen at the beginning of the day)
> > (3/day) swift: extend reach by 5 ft. (-4 atk w/ weapons; no penalty with natural/unarmed) to start of next turn
> > +1d6 cold, +1d6 electricity, (on crit) +1d8 sonic
> > +2 grapple
> > (1/day) melee attack forces Will DC 14 v. reduce physical score of her choice by -6 (minimum 1; recovers at a rate of 1/day, immediately restored by heal, regenerate, restoration, or anything that breaks a curse)
"Don't be dumb, master." Mope says to your spirit. "I'm going nowhere without you." he snorts in your mind, amused. A surge of hope fills your spirit."Hah, Master!" Mope says to your spirit. "I'll do as I can, but I'll see what I can do!" he snorts in your mind, amused. A surge of hope fills your spirit.
Usawoti, attempting diplomacy but ready for an attack, twitches as the plant thing rages at him.
Even as his fingers begin to break the device, he feels a voice speak to his soul. Not Mopes, nor those from his jewelry.
You always were pretty... amazing with words. is says, wryly, then You are mine, and I will see you victorious.
He feels an enormous hand on him, briefly, as a power floods him, and he suddenly doesn't feel cold anymore.
Usawoti then hears a familiar, faint snap, sound, as he feels the hammer break in his hands, so recently turned to a matching solid blue ice.
--------
Rnd 1
Ice body persists for 18 minutes.
pop -> this is quickened and goes off the same round as ice body; this will persist for 180 minutes
Rnd 2
bop -> this is a swift action and will go off the same round as "glop" (below); this will persist for 180 minutes
glop -> this is a standard action and is used in conjunction with "bop" (above); this will persist for 18 rounds (one minute, 8 rounds)
Rnd 3
trop -> this is a standard action and is used in conjunction with "yop" (below); this lasts for 18 rounds
yop -> this is a swift action and is used in conjunction with "trop" (above); this lasts for a single attack
Rnd 4
hop or hop (depending on need)
... plus swift action collapse the "demiplane" on top of anything that's left, leaving it all on a bare island.
Each effect will apply (spell level) negative levels (that's 6+7+4+6+3+5 = 13+10+8 = 23+8 = 31, v. her 18 HD -> death that doesn't get better*) each delayed by (1 minute plus 1d6 -> 6 rounds). She can make a few other spell effects, as needed. Generally, the effects are limited to a limited wish or miracle (imitate weaker spells only) once per round each; one quickened, one standard. She is in bad shape - bleeding and dying of wounds anyway, and her soul-pact (made with Treerazor, by which she is manifesting these powers) will kill her, shortly, now that the coven is no longer there to actively protecting/sustaining her, even if those are soon healed/stopped (which she can't do for herself). Even if she didn't use these abilities, she would only last ten times as long.
*
There is a sudden whoosh of air that's more... tangible than anything else.
The thin vapor that almost invisibly covered everything simply... vanishes, for a moment; it seems to almost expand, but, instead of engulfing everything, it's all just suddenly gone, leaving a very clear picture of the carnage around, and the brief outline of an enormous, smiling transparent woman outline only revealed by the sudden pressure (); a shattered hammer turning into a gentle snow drifting down from Usawoti's fingers.
As time seemed to slow to a crawl, the absurd moment of delicate beauty - shattered ice disintegrating into delicate snow - seemed to last for a brief eternity.
Mope attempts to pass through the door - but finds himself unable to move through the "wall" of eternity.
Welp, that went more poorly than expected, more quickly than expected., notes Usawoti's steed, wryly, to his heart. The brave creature shows no hint of fear - the two are together... and are also ice, for some reason.
And this was the last moment that much of anything truly comprehensible happened for a while.
--------
"curse your planning eyes " began the demonic fungus woman. It was cut off, instantly.
There was a kind of wave of sorts, though it's difficult to describe, what, exactly, kind of wave it was, that erupted from some place around near where the human's fingers, that gentle falling snow, and that wave slammed into everything nearby with a crushing force, moving through time, space, and reality itself.
Things curved and folded around that space along the arc of that expanding wave of raw power.
Hot on its heels, so to speak, was snow, sleet, and hard pelt, blasting in a hard, indescribably fierce explosion outward, ripping and slamming into everything in a nearby radius, much like the wave before it, slipping through the corridors of time, space, and reality and pushing through it all in a frigid blast of absolute cold. At the exact same time, bolts, akin to lightning, arced from individual flake to individual flake, along each part of the human, its icy steed, and icy plants (jewelry and allies) and mouse, through any skeletal structures and nervous systems, their internal organs, and liquids and solids, and anything else they had. Lightning raced through them, repeatedly, showing off each individual piece with a brilliance that couldn't be directly stared at.
And all of this was followed by another wave of power, and the electrical ice, and wave, and electrical ice, and wave and so on, until, suddenly, the area was flooded with an opaque, black cloud, starting to drop hissing rain that quickly turned into a familiar-looking green (chlorine) gas that flooded in so quickly after the lighting-and-frigid doom that it's impossible to say if it didn't happen at the same time, even as Usawoti felt further righteous power flood him.
--------
The incredibly intense lightning that flooded through the area, blinding everyone and everything with its intensity, and slamming into the ice sculptures that were once heroes with the power of a thousand normal bolts of lightning was almost a relief, after the alternating nearly seizure-inducing waves of alternating effects.
That the entire region was covered with nearly-opaque acid gas only made it that much calmer. For Usawoti and his nearby allies, time seemed to slow to a crawl, as a crystallized clarity rang forth - a surety and swiftness of movement.
And again, the sudden downpour of hail only seemed to add more white noise to the sensory-overload that was this storm, as the acid, and lightning, and hail created a drowning chorus...
--------
The fungus reals from the storm, then the spear pierced through her entirely, causing her to collapse - while valiant, the hooves of the spirit steed and claws of the hawk seem to have no real effect - though, the plant seems to be taking shuddering breathes, as the fetid monster's body seems to be attempting to knit itself back together, even as biting frost and cackling electricity emanate impotently from her hands and wrists.
I am here. speaks Yeye to you, Finish her, quickly!
i have found her speaks Qui'Gaz'Er to your mind, your beloved is over there - an area near where the impression of Yeye was is indicated.
The fungus (heating unevenly inside and out) explodes in a vile burst of disgusting slick abyssal filth, leaving just another mangled pile of gore where a creature once was.
A woman appears, and collapses to her knees, as she makes a snap with her fingers. At the sound, the infinite reality around you makes a scrhipping sound, and suddenly the infinite void... crinkles, and then falls away, like cloth sinking to the floor, save it simply vanishes upon full collapse, leaving a (cleaner but still-) gore-slicked flat and empty stone island with a singular seven-sided stone alter (looking similar to the ones in the tower, though having seven crude sides instead of being a cube) about eighty feet away from you.
"" she nods, exhausted, at the mess. Her hair is matted with the sweat dripping from her flesh, her eyes glazed, slightly, and her breathing shallow. You see few obvious wounds - some bruising, perhaps, but nothing she can't survive - yet something seems... weak about her, her complexion sallow and seemingly thinner than you recall.
She is smiling, but it isn't a pleasant smile - it's a fierce one, a warrior's smile at victory over the defeated.
It turns softer when she turns her gaze to Usawoti.
"" she pants, ""
"" she pants, smiling kindly.
Her flesh rounds, a bit, becoming more healthy, though still clearly sweating. You examine her and locate a... leak, of sorts - not a particular stab wound or anything, but with fluid coming from here, nonetheless. You quickly take some leaves and cloth and similar material and manage to stop it up.
"" she says, still breathing heavily, though better, "" She smiles as she intentionally controls her breathing.
She winces when she breathes, a bit, then, smiling, "" she teases.
More seriously, "" she notes, with a small smile. She nods around.
She unsteadily heaves herself to her feet, and begins heading toward your steed.
"Big'un." says Mope, looking up.
She gives a wry look, a single eyebrow arched, "" she says, flatly.
Mope shrugs. "Hey, he likes ya, so that's what matters." the horse adds.
Her smile softens, and she nods, once.
- the eternal seeds think for a moment, before splorching out of you and around her
"" Yephima starts in surprise, but then - after shuddering for a moment - shakes her head and continues to Mope.
After a moment, we are sorry, dear heart, but we are not able to assist her in any real way your jewelry notes, apologetically.
"" she looks at you wryly. "" she notes, amused.
"... but yes." she says, shrinking, to merely being a very, very big woman.
She is still injured, but, looking at you, she sighs, and waves a hand, visibly healing... slightly. "There." she says "Now do what you need - I'll be fine." she admonishes.
She waves a hand, when, suddenly, Usawoti's negative levels are erased.
"... I am sorry." she grimaces, smiling apologetically. "I understand - we have all lost much."
With the help of his plant-jewelry, over the next minute, Usawoti finds three sets of weirdly flesh-toned (three different shades) bracers, that have a spongier feel - made of fungus, apparently. One set was worn by his foe - two others were worn by similar creatures, also deceased. He finds three similar-looking daggers - pitch black devices each of two twisting blades, and a bone handle wrapped in some unidentifiable leather, the energy and power of the thing thrumming in his hand. One has a black rock still pulsing within it - he finds five other similar nearby rocks. Several sets of giant armor are... almost intact (more so than the creatures who wore them), and a brief flick of the wrist from Yeye has them removed, cleaned, and mended for him (even if they are too large for him to wear). Similarly, an array of simple weapons, and giant bags.
"Here: allow me to help." she says, creating a very small cloth... that opens into a very large space. "Just don't put in any bags, gorgeous." she says. The mundane giant gear and sacks are quickly slipped inside - also by magic from her. "You'll want to check over that way as well." she gestures. Usawoti finds the alter to be rather enormous stone chest, practically immobile. A second cloth - that opens into a hole - appears and she uses a magical hand to help him move it over the chest and close it on the other side.
One minute of searching and another of collecting accomplished.
Yephima pats Mope, softly on the mane.
"Hhhhuh." Mope says, mildly surprised. "You jus' got a lot lighter, or I jus' got a lot stronger."
"The latter." she says. "So I take it you are the spirit steed of my betrothed's tribe?"
"Yes'm." he nods, still looking forward.
"Well Usawoti could not have better. He is blessed." she says, warmly.
"... that he is, m'am. And we are moreso ta have him." says Mope.
"Indeed." she nods. "More than any may realize/"
With a pained grunt, she shifts back on Mope's saddle, and pats the area in front of her. "Here," she pats the horse (who is uncomplaining and un-tired), smiling at you, "take this ride with me, good sir. Take me... home." she smiles, softly. Her eyes filled with emotion.
================
Inarus watches as Iya-iya works at escorting ever more through the portal. The smaller creatures who can fly are sent above, while those smaller who can't are carried.
She flies low over the ground (though the defensive darkness has started to come unraveled) and across water that seems to be dying in front of her.
"" she cries. ""
The giants seem to be responding to her call, and mobilizing, but it is no easy task.
"" she admonishes.
Children are held above the heads of moving parents. With permission, she snatches numerous giant infants and a few slightly grown children onto her back to fly them more quickly than their parents across the waters to the portals, a race against time, making flight after flight in a desperate bid to save more lives.
Her spirit and mind sails to Inarus. "This is all I can do for you, Inarus." she thinks. "I am sorry. But perhaps you can sleep. Maybe discover how to hibernate! And in sleeping, you can dream! ... perhaps." she says. "But whatever you do: you, Inarus, are a hero. Thank you."
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'Now you understand why I did what I had to do... I should feel vindicated, but it doesn't really make a difference now, does it?' He thinks to himself but does not voice it out.
"I don't feel very heroic."Inarus says despondently. 'I just want to go home...but I don't think it's possible now. My freedom for theirs...a trade. I accept. '
But not wanting to dissappoint her, he adds, "You've done well. More then I could hope to expect."
He tries to explain things to Iya-iya."I can't rest, yet. I need to keep an eye on all of those who made it to Golarion. Teach them how to blend into Golarion so they can live with the inhabitants of Golarion on harmony. I will need your help for that. And shield those who did not manage to get to the portals."
'Is that is all that will sustain me throughout my lonely servitude? Duty?' Inarus feels hollow inside as he thinks those thoughts.
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’Friend? So long before he realized that everything I was doing was for him?’ Inarus gives a bitter mental grimace. He thinks briefly about giving a snide comment, then decides against it, not having the energy to. ”I don’t know. It’s one huge mess right now – Iya-Iya is trying to evacuate the giants – help her if you can – as for the other group – I’ve lost contact with them. I don’t think there’s any use counting till everyone gets out – what matters is to get as many people out as possible.” He answers Usawoti honestly.”Sorry about the Coven…did you manage to do anything about the demon fungus queen? She must not be allowed to get to Golarion.”
He reaches out of his lethargy as he stretches his thoughts to ask Iya-Iya, ”How’s the evacuation going on the other side – can you reach them by telepathy? Are they having issues?”
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”No, I did not know. It comforts me that the demon fungus queen wont’ be troubling anyone any longer – I was worried she would interfere with my people’s exodus, or worst still, go into Golarion and corrupt OUR world.” Inarus answers. Inarus feels a slight pang of regret for the passing of the Coven, but it soon fades. ’There wasn’t anything that I could have done to help them from here, stuck in my ivory tower.’
”Cross over, but don’t ever come back.” Inarus gives the room a wry smile. ’I doubt you’d be able to come back once you crossed over anyway’
”Remember that Erevel made us sleep in the mehir stones at a specific time – I believe the portal to this place opens only under very highly specialized circumstances. And after all the trouble we went through to open a portal to Golarion? Yeah it’d stay open – for 21 minutes. After that I doubt you’d ever be able to find a way into this place, even if you wanted to.”
”I highly recommend you do something productive with your life rather then waste it trying to accomplish the impossible.” This time, Inarus’s mind voice is rather snarky.
-----------
As the dragon continues to place ever-more giants in, somewhere, far in the distance, a high whining sound begins.
Well, you're welcome to look in, as much as you like." Iya-iya tells Inarus through their link... a link which, slowly, seems to be fading. A minor but dull ache is in her hand.
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Mope turns about, and heads off across the bridge. Black sludge has become excessively aggressive, and even reaches onto the bridge, but Mope handily manages to avoid any entanglements (literally or otherwise) as he moves past the first gate. Usawoti feels something... go out of him, leaving. The gate - pride - flares with energy, and suddenly a field of shimmering essence causes Mope to halt... before sniffing through the ruse and passing beyond the illusion - an illusion that keeps at bay the the bizarre black water.
"... Usawoti." says Yephima. "... I... I need to ask." she waits a moment. Then, "Do you love me?" she barely breathes.
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Inarus senses Iya-iya's pain through the link. Worried he asks her, "Are you all right?"
Inarus thinks what are the consequences of not sealing the portals.
Inarus senses Iya-iya's pain through the link. Worried he asks her, "Are you all right?"
"I... am." she replies. "I'm uncertain what's going on with my foreclaw, but it's minor. It seems to be... shared, though." she nods. Inarus senses the same from Usawoti.
Inarus thinks what are the consequences of not sealing the portals.
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”Do you know what caused it? Did you cut yourself someplace?” Inarus asks, concerned.
”I think I may need to seal the portals permanently.” Inarus informs both Iya-iya and Usawoti gravely. ”The site is not safe and there are risks of some really nasty accidents, should people who don’t know anything about it accidentally key the portals opening. So do not think about returning here for me.”
'We get to the bridge and get Yeye's people through, now that I have her we will rescue as many as we can. What was that ...loss? ... was that the blessing from pride?...Why is Mope slowing? Ah an Illusion, good boy I could always trust you.'
As Yeye speaks his name he turns looking over his shoulder, leaving the direction they are going to his noble steed, "Ask what ever you need dear heart."
In response to the question, Usawoti smiles, "Yes my beloved I love you. I was drawn to you the moment I saw you. As we spoke I knew our fates were intertwined. Your presence with me in the tower grew into a love that I would die for." Disturbed by the timing of the conversation, he nods toward the bridge. "I look forward to growing old with you surrounded by our great grand children."
"If you love me, then do this for me. Turn back, and then stop with me, for a moment, on that shore." she says, pointing back to the tower. "Permit me a last gift: a moment with you, now."
A mildly shaky breath. "I will not survive this bridge's span." Her breath catches. "And I have a gift for you."
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"500 years is a long time. Humans don't live that long."Inarus tells Usawoti through the mental link. "And attempting to extend your lifespan never works well." Inarus warns Usawoti gravely.
Inarus has a brief thought about the ache in his forepaw.'What was that?', then decides to ignore it, since he's experienced worse, like breaking the shard.
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"So you would give up your life in Golarion to remain here?" Inarus asks Usawoti.
’What? Will not suirvive? ’Mope turns as she asks, we need to find out what she is talking about.’ As Mope turns toward the shore, Usawoti turns and his head toward YeYe his voice cracking from emotion. ”Will not survive this bridge's span”? What do you mean? If you cannot leave this place we can go to the tower. We have the means to enter again. We can stay there with Inarus. I would rather live there with you than return to Golarion, there is nothing there for me without you.”
Mope quickly turns and dodges the increasingly violent black waters, as he carefully rushes back through the gate of Pride, Usawoti feels a brief surge of arrogance, before he arrived at the doorway down.
After trotting toward the protect tower as she indicates, avoiding the hole down, Yephima slides off the saddle, and turns, nervous toward Usuwati.
"I must confess: though you are my chosen, I have fooled you. For I am already dead."
She gestures to herself.
"The simple truth is that I never had enough power. Never enough to help what I loved, what I served, what I cared for."
She laughs, bitterly.
"Ironic, right?" she shakes her head. "A princess, a veritable titan, and it's simply not enough."
She sighs, wistfully. "And so, at one time, when I was myself and yet not, I created a bargain. I gained power in exchange for my soul. Don't fear - I did think I was clever, after all, and made sure that if it was never used it would cost me nothing, and if it was used it wouldn't automatically cost me everything - nor would it corrupt my essence to pervert me to evil or any I affected or anything like that. What's more, I ensured that it could be used for any purpose I wanted, and the outcome would follow my desires as I interpreted, not those of any others poorly interpreting my will." A wisftul smile. "But it was, in the end, too perfect. It went exactly as advertised. Of course, what I couldn't know is the cost of my soul-price would not come immediately, and, while my desires were my own to fulfill as I desired, I could not fulfill the desires of any other - it must be selfish power for my purposes and none other."
She looks at Usawoti, evenly.
"I have discovered a loophole, however." she says. "You."
She smiles, sincerely, shyly.
"But I need you to trust me. To accept what I ask. And to do as I say." Her face twists with embarrassment. "I need you to trust me enough to become a tool - an instrument of my desires - and to express your love in that."
She breathes, shakily, and as she's about to speak, a sudden spasm seizes her, and she clutches her chest, sending her to her knees. She coughs. "Hm. Less time than I thought."
She looks up at him, apologetic, yet pleading. "Will you do this? Will you trust me? Allow me... to use you... for my selfish desires?"
"... I ask only that you trust me, accept a cost - not your soul - with no fight, and believe in me - believe and know that our life together will be, despite any cost." She coughs. "Please."
"Done, then." Yephima says, softly, nodding once.
After a wracking cough, she places a piece of snow, apparently made from... nothing?... - little more than a hard-packed ball - into Usawoti's hand.
"Take this, and swear to me you will do right by my - now by our - people, and claim the title as Prince for fifty-nine years before retiring both of us from that place. If you swear this, after one week, I need you to fling this into a warm spring."
She falls into another coughing fit, this time producing much fluid on the floor, some of it blood. She relaxes into your arms, seemingly no longer able to stand. With a rueful smile, she says, "And, you know, though this doesn't make for the most romantic scene," she trails off, biting her lip, then, has fully, "... children would be nice." she finishes.