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“So, did we win?”
"T'ain't my decision to make..."
“Yeah, I agree with Rudzik and Dunia. Seeking guidance from Fen and Lucija is a better idea, Paracountess.”
As she is seldom asked for her opinion, Eadie can’t help but add, “But if it was up to me, I’d pick the one that lets me eat the most Gummy Bears.”
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"Paracountess. This is not a decision to make lightly. Should you succumb to the desire to sate your vengeance, what then? What fills that void? Too often we have all witnessed what can happen to those who are driven by the darkest parts of their souls. Consider Grandmaster Torch. Should he ever manage to dismantle The Pathfinder Society, what would be his next undertaking? While he will always be a broker of information, I doubt very much that it would hold the same allure knowing that his endgame has already been achieved." The detective takes a moment. "You are not the same woman who came to Absalom years ago. She was arrogant and headstrong. So much so that she would not have inquired as to how others might feel about her course of action, especially those she thought of as mere subordinates."
Looking into her eyes, "I do not suggest you forget the wrongs that have been done. I do ask that you decide if allowing your life to be controlled those events truly liberates you from them. To rise above it, refusing to dedicate your life to it, that is how you take control of your own life." He gestures to the captured soul of Gellius, "Don't let your desire for revenge become your own cage. Stay here and start to live a life free of the expectations of others. Live for yourself."
Fen turns towards his friend, "Yes Eadie, we were victorious." He leans in just close enough to the warrior so only she can hear, "The red ones are the best."
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"Paracountess. This is not a decision to make lightly. Should you succumb to the desire to sate your vengeance, what then? What fills that void?"
As if on cue, an eerie but familiar voice replies:
"A long vacation amongsst the more-underappreciated layers of the Abyssss can do all manner of wonders for 'filling voidsss'!"
Lucija's freakish Protean vizier emerges literally from out of nowhere...now covered from teeth to tail in finest garishly-colored Abyssal cherry/chocolate/pistachio mush.
Once again, his(?) second head bursts out before the larger can close its mouth:
"ENTROPY FOR FUN AND PROFIT, AND-TRIPPY FOR PUNS AND TOPHETS! LAYER 438,114 SUBLAYER ϐ, ALSO HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! RECENT RUMORS OF INFERNAL INSURGENCY ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED BY DUMB, SCARED INEVITABLES WHO'VE NEVER BEEN! YOU LOOK LIKE YOU ARE ENJOYING YOUR NOODLES, SIR! PATRICK THE MAD BLASPHEMER IS NOT A REALM OF HOPLITES! ANYWHOO, MANY A DEMON CAN MOST ASSUREDLY FILL ANY VOID IN AN ANTHROPOID, AND VERILY FOR SUCH A WH-mphbphmph...!" The lesser head finishes as the larger sucks it back up like a succulent, crazed noodle before continuing:
"...My point being, why not have and do it all? Revenge is not as bad for the soul as some of the sillies in Heaven may claim. I do not believe that one such as you truly wishesss only to lurk in a Dark Archive for the rest of her time on this orb. STRANGULATE your old burdens, free yourself to climb a new mountain, and leave a void of thine own to be filled imminently by an altogether new face for us to test, try, and taunt!"
Again, the smaller head escapes the larger's maw, this time looking in Eadie's direction:
"BOOOOOOOOO LITTLE BEARS! LONG WORMS AND PRETTY SPIDERS, HURRAH!!!"
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"I...quite agree," Echoes Lucija after a moment's uncharacteristic pause as she rejoins her prodigal Eidolon.
"I have consorted with Trade Prince al'Hakam, and then, Paracountess, with you, I should like to see what lies beyond thresholds yet to be breached...and I would also watch you paint the dark glories of your retribution with great interest!"
With the hellmouth closed, the Grand Lodge returns to its usual relative peace. Zarta takes several days leave to contemplate her future after hearing the party’s advice, and Ambrus Valsin turns to the group to provide reports on their exploits in Hell. As the majority recommended that Zarta take her vengeance, rumors soon begin as to whether she’s leaving and who her replacement might be.