"Anywhere's better than here," Mari says, then quickly: "No offense, Warden."
”That’s it, then Warden, other than a stray flaming being or two we need to eliminate on the way out. Is there anything else we can do for you to thank you for keeping this great evil imprisoned, protecting world upon world from destruction without them even knowing of your sacrifice?” asks Flint.
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Turning away from the Warden's tomes with a sigh, Ordyt considers his Captain's question. "They need our help; the Malikah Group, or whoever they call themselves, have attacked them--I got the sense that their city is under occupation but things are starting to boil over. We'd be helping protect people and bloodying the nose those flamekin tyrants." He shrugs. "Plus, the DCI will have kittens over the discovery of a second city inside the sun."
"Ordyt, Sammad is standing RIGHT THERE," Belmarniss says, some of her vigor finally returning. "Kidding...just kidding," she hastily adds.
Then she gets a more serious expression on her face.
"Sounds like we might be gearing up for a more military operation...I'll be in my bloody element."
Then she turns to Flint and looks up at the Warden.
"I'll of course relay the same information to the Knights of Golarion...even if I couldn't handle the esoteric power here, there may be other Knights who can and who'd be willing in the future. At the very least, they need to know what the Eshtayiv is and what it can do. We will make sure you never have to struggle alone."
The Warden shakes its head at Mari's comment "There is no offense. Ezorod is a prison, it was never intended to be pleasant." before being visibly surprised by Flint's appreciation "For now, all here is calm. Take with you the other living visitor you have on your ship, as they are a potential risk, and keep the key-slate safe from any that might align themselves with the Eshtayiv outside. I can ask no more from you. You have already, done more than expected."
The Warden inclines its head to Bel, appreciative of her offer.
Feeling better after resting with that Colorless Space Miasma no longer causing him to be quite so pessimistic, Flint says, ”Let me take part in researching the origin of the Psychic cries for help.”
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"Uh...Flint...I wouldn't recommend more plumbing the eldritch depths...if you're not braced for it it'll hurt your brain like it hurt mine," Belmarniss cautions. "It seems like Ordyt's probably the best equipped to do that kind of research safely. Channeling the divine directly seems to make it easier for your mind to take the shock of so much "things mortal beings weren't meant to know," you know?"
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The Warden identifies the correct tomes for Flint to peruse, and Flint dives in. He's struck almost immediately by a painful surge of information - sensations and suffering, burning heat and the pain of being severed from your loved ones. He manages to struggle free from the grip of the tome, but not before it has worn into his psyche. Ordyt tries next at Bel and Flint's urging, only to fall upon a particularly overwhelming call for help - made during the sender's gradual dismemberment. The raw details of the suffering leave the oread shaking.
He tries again with a different tome, and this time maintains the degree of mental control necessary to view the tome in a contained fashion. Once he's done, he is able to relay what he saw.
"If anyone, anyone out within the blazing sky, within the depths of the burning sea, can hear me, we are in desperate, dire need of aid! Efreet attacked our home, bent on conquest. Now, they have bent my kith and kin to their purposes. Their cruelty and callousness knows no bounds - not content to simply rule us as their overlords, they now are willing to bring pain and suffering unending to our people, and the torments rise by the day. No one is allowed to die, only to despair. Those of us still fighting against them are growing few."
"I - Faeffell - Knight Protector of Khannall, beg. If anyone is out there, god or devil, hero or villain, we need you."
In the course of containing the surge of psychic information, Ordyt also learns two important things - the location of the hidden world of Kahlannal, deep within the Sun, and knowledge of the Anassan language, which was spoken within the visions.
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Mari
Flint (2 con drain, 3 cha drain)
Sammad
Ordyt (2 cha drain)
Bel
Flint intercedes with Belmarniss, though he is less convincing than usual…After her first unsuccessful attempt, he says, ”Now wait a minute, you tell me not to do it and you jump right in? Let’s let Ordyt do his thing…”
Bel struggles against the overwhelming torrent of information and emotion that surges into her mind from the tomes. Before Flint and Ordyt separate her from the tomes, her sanity has already started to fray.
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"NotgonnaletthesetomesbeatmenotgonnaletthesesecretshidefrommeI'veenduredwor sethanthisIAMBELMARNISSRYCASTANDMYMINDISMYWEAPONAGAINSTHEDARKNESS!" Belmarniss mutters with increasing urgency as she pushes past the boys to keep reading the tomes until finally everything clicks into place for her and the vision reveals itself. She gives a celebratory cackle that slowly transitions into an ugly cry.
"I TOLD YOU! I TOLD YOU I COULD HANDLE IT! HAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!"
Ordyt's expression might be concern, but it's hard to tell when his eyes are inky pool of night, black smoke or mist curling his sockets. Shifting his concerned glance from Bel to Flint, and back again, the oread sighs.
One of us needs to speak with her about this recklessness, but now is probably not the time. Go, comfort her. We should leave this place soon." he sends to Flint telepathically.
Putting his arm around Belmarniss, Flint starts guiding her toward the exit. ”Yes, you have succeeded Star-Knight. We should leave now…Thank you for everything, Warden.”
The Warden nods. "Go. It is clear you have much on your minds and much to accomplish. And thank you for what you've done here. Your aid came at a time of great need." It waves a hand and the furnishings and refreshments dissolve back into strands of magical essence.
The return trip to your ship is thankfully uneventful, the halls of Ezorod still choked with darkness but now no longer holding quite so many hidden dangers. Popoko greets you excitedly, doing loops in her holographic column, and fills you in on the state of the Colour-blighted explorer - still blighted and still unconscious, but otherwise stable. Popoko is also happy to inform you that no strange creatures have been wandering near this ship or causing odd sounds. Everything seems as quiescent as could be for an ancient eldritch prison deep within the sun.
As you start the ship up, you notice the sound of ink pens scritching once more in the back of your head. However, this time around the sound is far less ominous, and far more comfortable, after all, you've been lulled to sleep by that noise in the Heart within the Heart. Getting ready to leave, you reflect upon the dangers you faced here, and the ranks of foes still mysterious that await you.
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"I felt their pain...FELT IT! LIKE I WAS THERE! A THOUSAND INSTANCES OF PAIN ALL AT ONCE! Noma's touch was gentle compared to this! We have to act! Kahlannal NEEDS us!" Belmarniss babbles as she's escorted aboard the ship. She rushes to the pilot seat but thankfully doesn't try to steer it out right away. Being in her familiar place helps calm her down somewhat.
"We did it..."
Sammad beams at Bel as he takes a seat in the cockpit. "Yes you did, Bel...you all did wonderful in there...just like a Knight of Golarion, slaying monsters and saving the world!"
His expression turns downcast suddenly, and he looks away. "But I suppose when the enemies are all mindless monsters that won't listen to reason, there's little need for an Emissary's skills..."
Mari, all too eager to leave Ezorod, leads the way back to the ship, whereupon she quickly stows her gear and starts preparing the ship for takeoff. In the midst of that routine, when she sees Bel sitting in the pilot's seat, that Mari stops in her tracks, worry written clear across her face. The mechanic takes a step back toward engineering, stops again, and then turns to walk the rest of the way to Bel, placing a hand on the knight's shoulder.
"Why don't you go back and take a lie down, yeah? I can handle this part."
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Mari starts to say something, takes a deep breath, and pushes ahead.
"I feel that, I really do, but can you honestly tell me right now that you're in the proper headspace for that? I'm not one for being overly cautious, but it's not just your life that's on the line here, you know?"
”we also need to discuss our next steps…If we take the drained scientist back to the archipelago to get healed, we may all be helped somewhat as well…But we might alert spies of our progress as well,” suggests Flint.
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Mari starts to say something, takes a deep breath, and pushes ahead.
"I feel that, I really do, but can you honestly tell me right now that you're in the proper headspace for that? I'm not one for being overly cautious, but it's not just your life that's on the line here, you know?"
"I know...but that's part of the point...every hit I take is one you don't have to. I've handled worse! I graduated from Eclipse godsdamned Academy! I was TRAINED to endure this kind of stuff!"
”we also need to discuss our next steps…If we take the drained scientist back to the archipelago to get healed, we may all be helped somewhat as well…But we might alert spies of our progress as well,” suggests Flint.
"Unless we somehow can spoof our IFF stuff, they're going to recognize the stolen Breath of Embers, spies or no spies..."
Sammad cracks a small smile at Bel's encouraging words, turning his gaze to her.
At Flint's suggestion and Bel's rebuttal, he goes pensive again, then suddenly perks up. "Well we do need the scientist to get help...we all probably need some help...and we might be able to get something to help disguise the Breath, too! The DCI would probably have the know-how to do that, not to mention you and Mari's expertise."
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Ordyt places a hand on Bel's shoulder, gently but firmly drawing her up and away. "Bel, you've just been through a series of traumatic mental episodes--it won't hurt to let Mari take this one. As she is the closest thing we have to a ship's doctor I'm going to second her suggestion. Walk with me, I'd like to examine everyone, starting with you since the Warden's tomes seemed to hit you the hardest. Come, come, it's okay."
”An excellent plan. We go back to the DCI, get healed up and report our findings while the ship is disguised as best as possible—both physically and against sensors. Perhaps our new guest can shed some light on the events that led her team to investigate here, though the video logs show the horrifying end,” says Flint.
“But there is one more task I would put to us before we exit this place—Let’s do a deep scan for the Color out of Space and make sure it isn’t hitching a ride with us back into civilization where it could wreak untold havoc,” he adds, looking at the sensor array meaningfully.
With your team working together, you run a deep scan of the ship and local surrounds. Though the scanners struggle to detect much beyond a few feet of the ship, you're able to scan within without any issues. No life forms or unusual energy signatures are detected. If the Colour is somewhere in or around the ship, the ship's scanners aren't able to detect it.
Ordyt runs a few simple tests given the basic facilities on the ship--heart rate, pupil dilation, reflexes, a memory test. Once satisfied that there were no immediate additional dangers beyond the damage done by the Colour and the tomes, he sits down and talks with Bel about the experience of the tomes' ungentle method of conveying information. He hopes talking it out buoy's hers spirits, though he knows only powerful magic will be able to fully heal the damage done.
He repeats the process for Captain Flint and Sammad, and only then addresses the question of the verthani still strapped into her bed. "I don't know how coherent she'll be, Captain. The Colour's touch can warp mind and body, she may not be herself until a priest has had the chance to work their rituals on her. I'm not convinced it's a good idea, but I'll follow your lead."
”I agree, Ordyt…I meant she might be of help once we had returned to the DCI and gotten her healed as well. For now, if we are all functional, I think we should get underway and head back that way…What do you say, Doc?” responds Flint, realizing he may have given the wrong impression with his previous words.
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Ordyt places a hand on Bel's shoulder, gently but firmly drawing her up and away. "Bel, you've just been through a series of traumatic mental episodes--it won't hurt to let Mari take this one. As she is the closest thing we have to a ship's doctor I'm going to second her suggestion. Walk with me, I'd like to examine everyone, starting with you since the Warden's tomes seemed to hit you the hardest. Come, come, it's okay."
"A series traumatic mental episodes...my entire LIFE'S been one long series of traumatic mental episodes!" Belmarniss grouses as she follows Ordyt and accepts his examination. "Learning from the tomes was PLENTY gentle compared to...Eclipse."
The brand around her eye shimmers a bit as she speaks, as if her words brushed against some lingering magic.
"Non-disclosure. Binding. Graduation," she explains, each word seeming to make the mark pulse.
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Mari gives Ordyt a look of concern as Bel walks past her, but doesn't say anything further.
When the Breath of Embers breaches the bubble for a second time, this time in the opposite direction, you all feel the oppressive weight of Ezorod lift from your shoulders. The eldritch scritching of the Warden's tomes fades, the sensation of being watched vanishes, and most strikingly the oppressive perpetual darkness is replaced by a blazing brightness that briefly overwhelms the main viewscreen before you turn it off and bring up the scanner output. Over in your hold, the tablet calms, its purpose fulfilled.
Outside the dark bubble, you don't find any evidence of further ships or probing by the mysterious forces from the plane of fire. It seems you got through Ezorod quick enough that you managed to evade any follow up from the previous attempts to gain access to the bubble.
Wasting no time, you feed the coordinates for Asanatown's intra-stellar DCI-owned dock to Popoko and set off at full speed for the safety of the Burning Archipelago.
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Five peaceful days later, you find yourselves entering the DCI dock and setting the Breath of Embers down upon the launch pad. The final approach to the Burning Archipelago had been very strange. Attempts to hail the DCI HQ with your comms had been met with silence several times before a pale faced Taeress had finally answered your call. With deep bags under her eyes, she'd given you all a feeble smile and welcomed you back, promising to bring you up to speed when you landed.
Now, a few skittish-looking DCI employees scurry around your ship, cooling the hull with hoses spraying liquid nitrogen. Only Lurian seems to be unaffected by whatever mental specter seems to be haunting the rest of the DCI staff. She directs and harangues with her usual bad attitude. As you look at the scene, you notice all the lashunta and shirren are wearing snugly fitting silver circlets around their foreheads. Off at the far end of the hangar, Nib and Taeress, both looking rather ragged, beckon you all over.
Once away from the ship, Nib pipes up with some forced cheer "You're in one piece, which means you kicked serious behind out there! We've been killing it over here too, more or less. If we hadn't... well, we'd all be dead, ya know! All thanks to me and Tae, of course." Her grin is a little manic. Taeress, who you see is also wearing one of the silver circlets, shakes her head and says "Thanks to your find on the Breath of Embers when we first met -" She nods to your group "-and thanks to the team we borrowed from Stellacuna's Solar University. They managed to solve the symmetry problem, as well as improve the deharmonizing resonance." Her voice starts to fade as she explains. Nib looks up at her, and then over at you all, and goes silent for an uncharacteristically long few seconds.
Finally, she says "Lets get a conference room. The Archipelago is falling apart, and I bet you can guess why."
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Over the course of the next half hour, Nib fills you in on the situation. In the two weeks after you'd left for Ezorod, the psychic surges from within the Sun had suddenly grown far more frequent, arriving on a daily basis. Outbreaks of localized violence and other incidents had spread like wildfire across all of the bubbles, stretching the resources of the Sarenites and the Dawn Patrol. That had kicked the DCI's efforts to recreate the psychic blocker into high gear, breaking down Nib's pride enough to seek aid from other groups across the Archipelago.
A weary Taeress explains "Just as we were finally getting a working prototype completed, the worst surge yet hit the whole Archipelago. Even psychic-non-sensitives could feel the screaming in their skulls. For those of us more attuned, it had been like being washed away. The next thing I remember, I-" she withdraws into herself, expression pained as she recalls the memory "-I'd hurt two of the other scientists... very badly. There was so much blood. Everywhere. On my hands, teeth, just..." Nib gives her a tight hug from the side and Taeress falls silent, squeezing her eyes shut.
Nib breaks the silence by saying "It was like that everywhere. Some were lucky because they were alone, but any place where there were a lot of people turned bad. That same day the bubbles went into lockdown. People told to isolate as much as possible while the authorities for each bubble put together plans on how to deal with it. We kept getting news from them all for the next few days, but as more of these hell-like surges hit, the bubbles started going silent. Based on scans, we might've completely lost Chroma. We're not seeing the right energy signatures from its bubble any longer."
Having recovered a little, Taeress speaks up "We... we managed to get the psychic blockers done and what manufacturers we have in Asanatown have been churning them out. More or less, they're working." She raises a finger to touch her circlet "But they're not a perfect solution either. Whoever designed the original had a very unusual type of mind. While they made the psychic blocker so that it would work on us as well, there are some flaws. Namely, it dampens the psychic signals rather than blocking them entirely, so you still feel them. And with how frequently they're hitting these days, you can barely sleep between waves."
Nib nods "Even for the rest of us. You'll probably get hit by one soon. It's like an endless hangover, but with a skittermander kicking you in the head repeatedly every few hours."
Nib takes out a few psychic blocker circlets from a box at the end of the conference table and passes them out to you all. Taeress says "So that's where we are. Most everyone who needs one in Asanatown has one, and we're working on getting a couple of shipments ready. We already have volunteers with sunskimmers willing to try to make a delivery to the other bubbles, so if all goes well, we'll be getting them out to the rest of the Archipelago soon." Nib interrupts "Problem is, its a stopgap. We're under attack from something we can't detect and can't fight back against. What I'm counting on, is that you all found something in Ezorod. The tablet mentioned an improved bubble generator - maybe that would block it." Nib sounds weakly hopeful. It's clear she's at the end of her rope, grasping at straws. Taeress looks at you all pleadingly.
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On the way back, Flint kept checking with Ordyt to see if their rescued scientist was recovering at all—or Belmarniss and himself, for that matter. Soon realizing the damage would be permanent until medically or magically healed, Flint encouraged Popoko and Mari to make best possible speed back to the DCI, and he spent much of the 5 day journey with Belmarniss hoping to learn the new language spoken by the inhabitants of Kahlannal. He also tries to be a sounding board to help her unpack this obsession with learning through pain and not measuring up to what sounds like some impossibly high standards.
When they reach Asanatown, Flint is disheartened by the report of the devastation wrought by the continued psychic waves and he second-guesses his decision to spend time returning to the DCI instead of heading straight to the source of the problem. Flint helps to bring out their insensate scientist rescued from Ezrod as they disembark, mentioning the medical help needed. He follows Doctor Taeress to the conference room to hear of the desperate situation as well as the strides they have made with the psychic dampers.
Putting one of the dampers on his own head, Flint says, ”Your news is dire, but our time at the prison Ezrod has given us insight into the source of these horrible psychic waves as well as allowed us to strengthen the bonds that hold back a world-quenching terror imprisoned deep within the Burning Mother herself.” Looking to Belmarniss and Ordyt, Flint adds, ”Belmarniss and Ordyt braved madness to acquire the knowledge needed to save us all.”
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Belmarniss accepts the help Flint offers, but there's only so much she can say before the non-disclosure "kicks in." What Flint does get is the impression Eclipse Academy is a place one does not "graduate" from so much as "survive." She provides as much information as she can to him about the language she seems to have learned, but it's hard to do: it seems to rely as much on telepathy as it does speech. Without a circlet like Belmarniss has, Flint may be able to make some rudimentary communication, but may struggle to fully convey meaning in detail.
When they arrive at the Archipelago, she breathes a sigh of relief. Relief that doesn't last very long when Taeress and Nib arrive and begin briefing them. The situation was indeed bad. Flint offers them reassuring words, and Belmarniss nods.
"We seem to have identified exactly what the disturbances are: they're a psychic cry for help from another city within the Sun: Kahlannal. The Malikah's forces have already occupied it and from what Ezorod was able to detect it is a brutal conquest. Whoever Kahlannal's people are, they have powerful telepathy, as our discoveries in Ezorod imprinted an understanding of their language into the minds of Ordyt and me, along with the exact coordinates of Kahlannal itself. Clearly, there's no time to waste: Kahlannal needs reinforcements and the Breath of Embers is the only means we have to send them...us...we're going to have to be those reinforcements, before the conquest of Kahlannal is complete and the Malikah Group can refocus its efforts to an invasion of the Burning Archipelago. We...may need some aid before we do, though. Ezorod was...horrifying. We didn't make it out of there without scars, both physical and spiritual. We even recovered someone from there who'd been part of an expedition that got in there from elsewhere in the Pact Worlds. She was the only survivor, and her mind is barely holding together."
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Ordyt occupies himself with recording his thoughts and impressions about Ezorod, the Warden, speculation on The Eshtayiv, and his concerns about further interference from cults of Azathoth or Aucturn. When these concerns grow too heavy for him, he distracts himself by caring for the verthani still strapped to her bed, kept sedated but fed via an IV drip Mari helped him set up. He looks forward to some time in the Archepelago to get away from the constant stress...
...so the bad news from Nib and Taeress has the oread sitting in grim silence, listening intently. When they've finished his heart breaks at the desperate hope in their eyes.
"We...well, Ezorod had some sort of strange shielding, but I think it was integrated into the location. Mari and Bel can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it was more magical than technological--and far, far beyond anything I could attempt. I don't think we have any good news for you about bubble or shielding designs, and that place..." He shakes his head, as though dispelling the dark memories. "I wouldn't go back there unless I had to. Bel and the captain are right about the source of the psychic signal, though. We know what's causing it, and where to find Kahlannal, but its under occupation. I know the DCI is stretched to its breaking point already, but if we're going to fix this, we're going to need--" Ordyt pauses, then grimaces. "--my heart says firepower but my head says stealth. Any chance your team could install a cloaking field? We'll leave as soon as we're able."
Taeress' simple hope fades as the story you tell is far more complicated than finding a silver bullet for the Archipelago's problems. She looks positively crestfallen as Ordyt describes Ezorod's shielding as well beyond what the group could handle. Bel's detailed description of the culprit for the psychic blasts has Taeress aghast and Nib leaning forward intently. Nib follows Bel with "It sure doesn't seem like a cry for help for us here. Everyone who described it said it was more like a pain, or rage, or something like that. Right Tae?" Taeress nods. Nib continues "But if we've got a source for it, that means it can be stopped! Right? It can be stopped?" She looks from Bel's face to the rest of you, nose twitching anxiously.
Ordyt's words of action galvanize Nib, even while Tae is still processing the fact that no easy solution to the surges has come back with you all. The straight-shooting ysoki clambers up on the table. "A mission to this Kahlannal place to kick out a bunch a jerks, huh?" She narrows her eyes "You need stealth? We can do stealth! Or, we'll find whoever here in Asanatown knows anything about cloaking. Although we're kind of broke right now, we earned more IOUs from everyone around here than we know what to do with. It's going to take some time though - ship overhauls and upgrades, even with a lotta paws on them, take days. But! Don't think we can't make it happen! We will! For everyone's sakes."
For the first time, Nib takes a long look at all of you. "And you're all not looking that good - Belmarniss especially. We'll see if we can find someone willing to get you whatever kind of healing you need. As well as that really pale, greenish verthani you brought back. Not sure what her deal is, but I'm sure she's important if you found her in an ancient eldritch prison, huh?"
Nib hops off the table and back into her chair.
"And any intelligence we can gather," adds Flint, "If there is an entire army at the beck and call of the Malikah Group massacring the citizens of Kahlannal, we few are but a cold wind against a firestorm. We have to strike at the head of the salamander--and decisively--before we are burned in its aura."
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"It makes sense that pain and rage are the emotions Kahlannal is sending: they're enduring a cruel subjugation and are in the fight for their lives and freedom," Belmarniss says. "As for the Ezorod survivor, I'm not inclined to think she's IMPORTANT important. She was just lucky, as the only one the Eshtayiv's influence hadn't broken yet."
Then she looks at Flint.
"While it's true we're only a small group, consider what we've already fought through, Flint: Asanatown, Corona, Noma and now Ezorod...I'm pretty sure our small squad's taken out at least a platoon's worth of enemy combatants single-handedly!"
Smiling at Belmarniss’ confidence, Flint says, ”You are right, of course. But Ordyt has a good point too…We need to go in stealthy and undercover until we can assess the situation, then aim our killing blow most precisely at the weakest link in the Malikah Group’s armor.”
”For us to succeed, we need to have weapons suited to taking down fiery creatures in addition to the stealth and subterfuge already discussed. And we will have to pull it together quickly…the whole Archipelago hangs by a thread, it would seem,” he observes.
Nib looks less confident about the weapons than the upgrades to the ship "We're cut off from Foundry and the Brass Bazaar, but someone's got to have some UPBs lying around! Even if thing's aren't running like they should, we've got our UPB printers here, and someone could scrounge up some schematics. So we've got you covered."
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Mari is unusually quiet for the return trip, but her turn towards stoicism is as nothing compared to her stunned silence when faced with the devastation wrought upon the Burning Archipelago in their absence. So many dead...so many survivors with wounds that will take years to heal, if ever.
"However we do it," she adds, finally speaking up, "we're going to make them answer for what they've done. I'm tired of only showing up in the aftermath of their atrocities. It needs to end. They need to be ended."
In the intervening time, Flint tries to help our in Asanatown—maybe starting with the skittermander policeman they saved before—or at least learn more about what has gone on in his absence. He also contacts Don Burns at the Radial Cathedral and reports in, hoping to spread some hope and maybe learn more about their enemies.
Flint finds Asanatown in frightfully poor shape and with an undercurrent of fear running through its residents. Casualties from the surges have been mounting, and its only the widely circulated circlets that have returned a small amount of normalcy to day-to-day life in the bubble. Officer Mims is busy all-sixing some building repairs when he crosses paths with her, but she knows less than the DCI staff over what's been happening in Asanatown.
Flint's attempts to contact the Radiant Cathedral go unanswered, leaving the fate of Don Burns and the others unclear.
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Several days later, you find yourselves in a guest room in the DCI headquarters. From Nib's message, upgrades to the Breath of Embers are done, but before you leave you decide to check in with the verthani you rescued from Ezorod. The middle-aged woman looks completely different now that the full range of color has been restored to her, but a hollow-ness in her gaze speaks to a mind not fully recovered. She doesn't look up when you all enter, unwilling or unable to budge her eyes from the patterned quilt covering her. Nevertheless, she speaks up "I understand I have you to thank for pulling me out of that place. And some of the doctors here for putting me back together. Stringing my soul back to my body." She pauses, speaking hollowly. "You should have killed me."