Tamien absorbed the information, though he was feeling better now it still washed over his head.
"Wait, okay. So open the other gates and then we'll have to hunt down some of these other "gods" he says, using air quotes "uh, actually no. I don't like it. Let's call them immortals. We'll eventually have enough power to hunt down some of these other immortals before they take too much power. Which apparently we kicked off by finding the ocean shrine. In this case, you'd need 10 of these gates in order to readily shield Urth from the Demon Lords Power, but the more the better."
He scuffs his feet on the ground.
"What if we fail and one of these other gods gets a bunch of the gates opened to it instead? Could they handle the power? Is there some sort of upper limit that they'd likely hit and couldn't handle? Or is there a learning curve to your power that you think they just wouldn't have time to understand in order to properly shield this world? I can't imagine they'd want to see it destroyed by the Demon Lord.
For that matter, you mentioned the Dark Gods. What about the New God? Where does he stand in all of this. From the bits of lore I've heard, I've always had the feeling that his power came from a different source. Would he be another god to be concerned about?" Now that he could think clearly, the questions began pouring out of Tamien and he had to stop himself to let Gax answer.
"THE TROLLS AND THE FAE BOTH HATE GENIES, AND WOULD LIKELY TRY TO TALE THE POWER FOR THEMSELVES, BELIEVING THEMSELVES STRONG ENOUGH TO DEFEAT THE DEMON LORD. DO NOT BE FOOLED; NONE OF US WILL EVER BE STRONG ENOUGH TO DEFEAT THE DEMON LORD. WE CAN ONLY HOLD IT AT BAY. I BELIEVE FATHER DEATH AGREED TO JOIN MY FIGHT ONLY BECAUSE HE WISHES TO DIE.
"IF WE FAIL, THE WORLD WILL BE CONSUMED AND WE SHALL ALL PERISH. UNLESS YOU CAN SOMEHOW CONVINCE WHICHEVER CREATURE TAKES ALL THE POWER TO WILLINGLY SACRIFICE THEMSELVES SO SAVE ALL OTHERS. ONLY THE GENIES HAVE EVER BEEN SHOWN WILLING TO SO SUCH.
"THE NEW GOD IS FALSE. DIABOLUS INVENTED IT IN ORDER TO GAIN MORE POWER AND MANIPULATE THE REST OF THE FAE. UNFORTUNATELY FOR DIABOLUS, FAITH HAS POWER, AND SHIFTS THE GODS INTO FORMS IMAGINED BY THE FAITHFUL. DIABOLUS IS TORN, WITH PART OF HIM REMAINING THE DEVIL AND PART OF HIM BECOMING THE NEW GOD. HE IS TRANSITIONING."
Ah, simpler than I thought.
"What? You mean... Ah. So the New God is actually Diabolus, who is a Fae. But he's turning into what he pretended... agh, I hate this!" Tamien exclaimed running his hands through his hair for several moments.
Then he gripped his hands into fists and exhaled sharply. "Okay! So faith apparently does have some measure of power, good to know, I guess. But from what we know, it took a long time for this effect to manifest and would too much work and take way too long for it to finish transforming Diabolus into a 'true god' who isn't draining your power. If I'm even understanding this right. Okay, so he needs more time and is a non-starter. Setting that discussion aside..."
"So we're at odds with the Trolls and the Fae directly because they're overconfident idiots and the insects are also running for the gates.
You have 2 gates in your name. So I guess the next thing is... what are you able to do for us now? The first gate gave me a rush of power in this world and also promised something I'm not exactly thrilled to be trying out even if it does work. Can you aid us now that you have more power or is that something only the person who opens the gate gets? Meaning Nick."
"I HAVE TWO THINGS PLANNED FOR YOU RIGHT NOW. THE FIRST IS SOME GEAR TO HELP YOU ON YOUR JOURNEY."
Gax pauses for a moment, as if in thought. A few moments later, the door opens and several monks come walking into the room carrying various items. They lay the items out before you. You see a pendant, a stone, a pair of sturdy boots, and a ring.
One of the monks bows to you. "The first item is the Flame Pendant," he says. "Long ago, genies shaped the worlds. To assist them in their endeavors, they created elementals to assist - the gnomes to shape the earth, the undine to fill the oceans, the sylphs to move the winds, and the fiery salamanders to protect them all. This pendant was forged by the salamanders so that others may survive the heat while working with them. Over time, the magic within began to grow, so that a bit of that fiery essence would transfer to the bearer. When worn, you become inured to fire and flame, and your fire magic becomes more potent. It is here in our care because the genies will it to be here."
Next he gestures to the stone, "This is the Sepsis Stone. This stone has been passed down from master to apprentice in a secret guild for generations. We know not how it was first created. It is in our care because the last owner found herself here at our temple, during her final days. She did not impart any further knowledge other than this: When you sharpen a blade with it, your blade glows a poisonous light."
Moving to the boots, he says, "These are Jumper Boots. Created by Nigel Schumacher, a wizard of the Tower Arcane in Caecras. As you can guess by the name, he grew up as a cobbler. Despite being a wizard, he still loved shoes. With these boots strapped to your feet, you can quickly travel short distances with them."
"And lastly," he says, gesturing to the golden ring, "The Ring of Life. This ring is a one of a kind - created by the First People before the rise of Ashrakal. It is very powerful; you can use it to bring someone back to life."
"You may each take an item of your choice. In addition, we have plenty of other gear at your disposal. Weapons, armor, clothing, and more. Please, help yourself."
Keri tries to absorb all of the information Gax is dumping on them. Despite having no evidence to support it, she feels that the being is telling them the truth. "I'm not looking forward to having to fight the gods, but I don't see that we have any other choice," she says. "We'll save Titania for last. Maybe we can find some other way to resolve things by that time."
She eyes the Flame Pendant eagerly and, assuming their are no objections, slips it over her head, feeling the power thrumming against her chest. She also browses through the other gear for a few items of power.
"You said you had two things planned for us," she says to Gax. "What is the second thing?"
Tamien eyes the various enchanted items with some interest. Aside from the Sepsis Stone which just didn't work with his planned build at all, he found the other items somewhat interesting to marginally useful and was contemplating ways to use the Jumper Boots most effectively. That was, until the Ring of Life was displayed. Then his eyes lit up.
[i]So soon? We never got anything like this until it was close to end game in Bookrat's games.[/b]
The lesser power of the ring would be handy, of course. But the revival ability could be downright game changing.
"I want that ring!" Tamien said after a long moment.
He would need a lot of practice he realized, 24 hours of concentration was no easy feat for anyone, let alone him. But he figured if he could learn to do it anywhere, a monastery would probably the the best place for it.
"I'll probably need some help learning how to focus and quiet my mind, however."
He was already making a mental list of what other gear he might need and what they could possibly need for later when they were leaving. But that could wait.
Keri's question brought him back to the moment at hand. There was the second thing Gax had planned for them. So he refocused his attention.
Vultan joins the meeting and listens long and quiet. He opens his mouth to ask questions but Tam beats him to it.
He seems to be speaking better, I'm going to let him have the stage.
He follows along, but has his own burning question. He addresses Gax when the conversation leaves an opening.
"Gax, undoubtedly you are quite powerful. I am convinced of your mission. However, I serve Titania, and I'm not alone. It is my belief that she will be angered if I serve you explicitly in this way, and that belief is not without evidence. Would you be much angered if we opened a gate in her name to improve our ability to serve your interests, which seem to be in the best interest of all beings in this plane? Titania would be thankful for the power rather than scorned at our service to you, and we would be that much more capable of putting your goals within your grasp and saving all life as we know it."
There's enough gates that she should be able to keep hers at the end, too... Maybe it will curry enough favor for the gift I'm looking for.
Regardless of the answer, he eyeballs the gear. He thinks through his character, his purpose, their goals, and his self-actualization.
Fire stone, definitely for Keri. Life ring, I could...
He watches Tam take it, then thinks a moment more.
No, it definitely makes more sense for that to stay with someone more resilient than I am.
Ok, boots and... Sepsis stone. Hah. What a name.
He steps forward and takes both in-hand. He hands the stone to Con and looks longingly at the boots.
It would be a decent utility for me or anyone, but it would actually manipulate Con's capabilities by a large margin. I want to see the look on that organ filch's face when Con closes the distance.
A wicked smile crosses Vultan's face as he eyeballs the boots in his hands. He presses them to Con's chest and gives him a too-knowing nod.
"It's gonna be a pleasure to watch you work, good buddy."
As Con was called from chores to meet Gax, he was nervous. Glad to be done choring, but unsure what to expect from this god. Their first meeting went fine, but beings of power can be so fickle.
The loudness didn't bother him, he was used to that, but the power he could feel made him shiver more than the cold.
He is quiet, deep in thought trying to make sense of everything, while the others ask their questions. The details of their quest became a list in his head with a few tasks already checked off. However, he made a mental note:
We really need a map, damn it, I miss Google...
When Vultan hands Con the boots and the stone, he returns the nod, smiles, and shrugs with a knowing look.
"I also have a question..."
He piped up nervously, turning as best he could to face the great Gax.
"...Why us?"
Gax takes a moment to pause at the questions...
YES... the immensely powerful being ponders, YES, I THINK THAT WILL BE FINE. YOU MUST FIRST CONVINCE HER TO JOIN MY SIDE AND HELP ME, AND THEN YOU MUST WORK HARDER TO GAIN ALL THE NECESSARY GATES CLAIMED IN MY NAME. BUT I THINK IT WILL BE OK FOR YOU TO GRANT A GATE TO THE SUMMER QUEEN.
After a moment, the genie then addresses Con, I DID NOT CHOOSE YOU. I REACHED OUT INTO THE MANY DIMENSIONS TO FIND SOULS WHO COULD HELP, WHO MIGHT BE WILLING TO TRY. YOU ARE WHO SHOWED UP.
AND I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN YOUR QUESTION, KERI. MY OTHER GIFT OF SUPPORT IS THIS.
When the being says "this" you all feel a surge of energy flow into you.
The rush of power that hit Tamien was both expected and welcome. His budding fear about missing out entirely by not being the one to open the gate directly was silenced. Now he merely began to wonder if there were some potential benefits he might have missed. He would have to ask Nick about that later.
For now he felt the need to shape this energy into something more, an expert class that would help him survive. He'd already done some extensive research from the books they'd had access to into several good options.
His mediocre stats were not terribly inclusive toward more magically based choices as he'd already opted not to increase them once. There were only 3 chances to do so in most campaigns and aside from a rare encounter he'd had in his first campaign that Bookrat had added in, he'd only have one more after this.
He'd wanted to go with a straight Strength and Agility build. But there already seemed to be a lot more horrific things they'd run into early on in this campaign and he was worried about going crazy too soon. It could kill him if things went really wrong. Agility was tied to his defense and he could get away unarmed combat thanks to them being a finesse type attack. So he'd already come to a decision. He would let strength go by the wayside fo until he could reach a Master Class.
For his Expert Path he chose the Mystic Path.
Keri gasps as the genie's power flows into her body. She instinctively clutches the holy symbol of the Queen of Summer, and the energy surges into it, causing it to glow orange like the morning sun. As the glow fades away, the elf can feel her connection to the goddess has been strengthened, her faith and resolve bolstered to prepare her for the great challenges that lie ahead. "Goddess be praised," she breathes, exulting in the feel of Titania's warmth.
The energy that hit Con was like a tidal wave. It surged up through his feet, into his arms, and swirled around his mind. Things became cloudy and he responded in anger, clasping the sides of his head in pain. The muscles in his body flexed and grew, splitting his skin slightly with the sudden changes; it was the only thing he could focus on.
He falls to his knees as the moment passes and he is left breathing hard, trembling, and in a state of shock.
Inside himself, he felt a newfound urge to kill any enemy put in his path without mercy.
He was now a Slayer.
The rush of power faded, but not entirely. His capacity was notably greater. He felt better, more balanced, his hands felt like they were notably stronger. He could actually feel a small well of the strength he could call to.
"Enchanted items, gear, and power. Well, we're better for it."
And I guess we get to skip over the weeks or months of training... although maybe some of that is still in order.
"Alright, Gax. Where is the next closest gate? Preferably an unoccupied gate? Also, can you warn us about what is going to start happening now that 3 gates have been opened?"
"WITH THREE GATES OPEN, THE VEIL TO THE VOID IS STARTING TO TEAR OPEN. DEMONS WILL START TO ENTER INTO THE WORLD, CAUSING CHAOS, DESTRUCTION, AND DEATH.
EXPECT THAT YOUR RIVALS WILL START TO GET DESPARATE IN THEIR OWN QUESTS FOR POWER, AND WILL SEARCH FOR THE REMAINING GATES IN EARNEST. THERE IS A MAP IN THE OTHER ROOM; THE MONKS WILL SHOW IT TO YOU. FROM THERE, YOU MUST DECIDE WHAT SHALL BE YOUR NEXT GOAL.
He studied the map with the others, looking over the circled parts of the maps.
"Great, areas I know next to nothing about. It looks like the fastest path would be hugging the north-western facing side of the mountains, it's probably the fastest route but it also looks pretty barren. We might want to stop at the Kingdom of Skulls to get a better idea of it, or maybe cut around the Patchwork lands... anyone know anything about those places?" he asked, looking quizzically to the others.
”The Kingdom of Skulls doesn’t sound like a very pleasant place,” Keri muses. ”We should look through the books later to learn more about these places. But I agree that we should probably head to the gate in the Shield Mountains first.”
You spend the next several days resting and getting used to your new equipment and talents. With warm clothing and full bellies, you're ready to depart. The skies are clear and the air is crisp. It's hard to remember the last time you breathed in air so fresh and pleasant.
It's a long walk to the bottom of the stairs; and while you may have suspected it would be easier, it wasn't. Walking down steps is almost harder than climbing up; you're constantly having to stop yourself from falling, praying you won't slip.
You find the same landing you had camped at originally; do you camp or keep going?
You know that when you reach the bottom, you'll (hopefully) find the boat you left behind. The one you carried all this way. Are you going to use it to travel east, likely hitting land even if you go off course? Or will you return to the lighthouse and seek guidance from the sailors?
What do you do?
The days at the monastery were relaxing and something like a vacation. Good for helping him learn to become familiar with his new abilities and how tough he'd become.
Heh, vacation. That word has practically lost its meaning. he thought sardonically.
The time spent came to an end too fast however. They couldn't stay here for too long. Tamien said his goodbyes to the monks and then Nick. He headed out with the others from the monastery with a troubled look.
Nick had completely changed after coming back as a Revenant, he'd forgotten who he was. But that happened, he realized. Thinking back on a lot of the Isekai anime shows he'd watched, aside from a few notable exceptions, most of the characters became completely different from who they started out as. A character arc.
He glanced back one more time before they descended too far down and let out a sigh. There was a lot of stairs they had to go down.
...
Remembering the difficulty they had when not taking the monk's advice, Tamien holds up at the spot they'd camped at.
"Hey, I think we should probably camp here for the night. No sense getting back to our rowboat and being too tired to continue. It may be best if we return to the lighthouse and talk to the sailors. They are actually from here and have probably traveled or heard more about the lands we need to travel through. If nothing else, they'd be able to tell us when the best time to go across the ocean would be."
Keri gives Nick another hug before they leave. "You take care of yourself, okay? I'm sure we'll see each other again once this is all through." She then takes Vultan's hand as they leave the monastery.
The climb down is rough, and Keri's legs are burning by the time they reach the landing. She nods to Tamien. "Yes, let's take a break. We'll finish tomorrow. I think getting the sailors to help out would be best, too. No sense it getting lost at sea!"
"Sounds fine to me."
Con says, agreeing with the others.
Having already said his goodbyes, he lifts his new pack, weapons, and armor and begins the long hike back down.
He felt more confident about himself than ever and was surprised to find himself less than tired when they reached their old camping spot. Old habits die hard, however, and he was the first to sit down and start a fire for their dinner.
He was appreciative that Con was willing to get the fire going.
"Thanks, Con. You make it look so easy."
It wasn't that he was unable to do so, but despite having been a boy scout for several years he'd never had an easy time getting fires going.
...
As they finished setting up camp, Tamien stopped and looked back at the others.
"Here we are again, huh? A couple of misfit heroes, camping in the wilderness. Trying to figure things out. A race against time! Fighting off things trying to kill us and trying to stay sane. Fighting the good fight, in the shadow of the Demon Lord."
"Ha! Ha ha ha! Ah ha ha ha!" he didn't mean to, but it struck him as funny and and he started laughing with more than a little absurdity. "Haah. Oh man..."
After several moments his laughter died down. "It's our... well MY fourth campaign, so to speak. This time we can really meta-game. Like, really, really meta-game. Do you... do you think we'll make it this time?" The smile was still there, but there was also uncertainty in his voice.
"I hope so," Keri says. "Just as long as somebody doesn't put on any cursed crowns he comes across..." She gives Tamien a stern look, but it quickly gives way to a smile and a laugh.
"We'll be alright. I have faith."
He grimaced momentarily at the memory of his first character and his decision to use that item. He made a tsk noise. "I made a lot of mistakes in that campaign. To be fair I was in my roughest state of being sleep deprived between work and taking classes, and I told Bookrat that Charles took it off from time to time, but I guess I wasn't really explicit enough.
Not to mention, Kahtia was there being all distracting." he drummed his fingers in annoyance.
Stupid, sexy Kahtia. he thought, remembering the line they'd all started using.
Keri grimaces. "Yeah, Kahtia. Sorry about all that drama, by the way. It's what Tesswyn would have done, not me as her player. It all sorted itself out in the end, though."
"Of course I know you weren't Tesswyn. If I remember correctly, you even gave her a will save which she bombed. It did end on a decent note though, sans 30 years of life. The only character of mine who got what amounted to a mostly happy ending without the looming dread of hell... Imedren and Raven though, they weren't so lucky."
He stared into the fire for a short time remembering and thinking.
His voice became somber. "We need to be careful about that. There are a lot of bad things other than just getting killed. M'ushu is mind-controlled in that hive somehow and Nick... he's not himself anymore."
You rest on the landing and continue your way down after a cold sleep. At the bottom, you find your boat where you left it, and begin the arduous journey back to the light house.
It's actually faster on the way back. Now that you somewhat know the terrain and have been given a power boost, making your way back isn't as difficult. You take advantage of the waters, especially in part to Vultan's new profession, rowing around ice sheets and avoiding having to constantly take the boat in and out of the water.
After days of travel, you find the lighthouse's beam shining. You follow it and make your way back to the house you spent so much time cleaning and repairing.
Keri does her part to help rowing the boat through the icy waters, though she relies on the greater strength of Con and Tamien during the more strenuous passages. Once again, she is grateful for the Queen of Summer's gift of the enchanted robes that keep her warm and comfortable, despite the amount of exposed skin she has on display.
One afternoon, the elf gasps and points off the boat's starboard side. "Look! Over there!" she calls. A huge shape rises up out of the water--a gray whale, cresting out of the waves! Keri has never seen such an enormous animal so close, and she stares in awe as it shoots a great plume of water out of its blowhole. The whale dives back down under the water, its mighty tail rising up as it sinks down.
Keri stares after the whale for a long time, wiping at tears that comes unbidden to her eyes. Even with all she's seen and experienced over the past several weeks and months, something about the awesome animal stirs emotion in her heart...
Gax disburses power and Vultan suddenly feels as though his stomach has dropped out, as though he's just come over a hill at high speed and has all the potential energy in the world to spend. And spend he does.
He closes his eyes and flares his wings momentarily, then tucks them in tightly as he senses his way through adopting the power he'd been granted.
Ok, lets see...
He visualizes and disperses concepts, sometimes pushing energy into them, other times shying away. He visualizes assisting his friends and grasps that, pouring in his potential, but then stops halfway.
If I have that power stripped away from me, I need something to prop myself up with. Helping others is important, but there may come a time when I need to put my own gas mask on first.
The concept of prayer informs his decision, the idea of willing divine assistance, except... what if it was his own assistance? What if he could will things to be with his own Power?
He flexes his arms and his eyes search under their lids as Vultan empties the remaining potential into himself. A small groan exits his parted lips as he pushes until he can push no more.
He lets up and takes a breath, relaxing his arms, his wings, and feels out how the new power sits within him. He opens his eyes and looks at his hands. He waves them at each other, and then waves one over his hair, not quite touching it as he does. A wave of pressure emanates from his palms as he wills it.
"Yeah, that's perfect."
As easily as breathing, he adds that pressure around his entire body. He watches as goosebumps raise on his arms as the sensation settles about him.
He turns to Keri and flashes her a winning smile, as if to say, "Here we are, having grown once more, together."
He continues to feel out his new power and search his mind for what he's learned in the process.
A new spell or two and... I can sail. Excellent. Didn't realize I wanted that so badly.
He spends the following days in contemplation, in Keri's company, and with Tam and Con as a sparring partner. He wasn't any stronger, but the additional agility was beginning to show. He was also content with the new "willpower-power" and its effects, noting that the character sheet read, "Telekinesis" and being comfortable with the powers that be interpreting his wishes in this way.
He also continues to sing. He sings to the party at the end of each day, and he sings with Keri every time the fancy strikes them.
"Some owl, I may actually be some sort of songbird..."
With their stay at the monastery coming to a close, Vultan bids the residents a warm goodbye. It had been nothing but pleasant, and with their new direction, he was excited to move forward. And down so, so many stairs.
He sits with Con at the fire and remains pensive of their adventures, both past and present. Eager to rise with Keri the sun the following morning, he rouses the party following their morning ritual.
"So... Guess who has two thumbs and can sail like a real boy?"
He gestures at himself, hoping more for exasperation than to inspire anything resembling hope.
He knew the hope would come after.
Once they were waterborne, he takes command and issues advice to everyone on how to ensure excellent navigation.
He tells everyone about how starboard comes from steerboard and means right because that's the side of the ship most commonly used for the steering gear. Which makes port the left because that's the side you'd want to have facing a port as you came in so you wouldn't damage the steering gear if you ran aground.
He does his best to portray manliness and machismo, making poignant eye contact with Keri as he did so. Much of Vultan winking and raising of eyebrows was endured by her on their journey. He felt very confident in himself after the whole becoming-a-sailor thing actually assisted with their journey a sizeable amount.
One night as they rested, he's looking up at the stars and realizes he's unconsciously marking navigation points based on their direction of travel. He couldn't draw a map or anything, but it was just so apparent why stars made for such an excellent navigational aid!
Tamien was relieved to find that going back was much easier than getting to the shrine. Despite them taking a more relaxed pace, they were making much better time.
One night while stepping away from the group, Tamien found himself getting lost in thought and memories of previous life. He wanted to go back but couldn't, not yet at least. At some point he snapped out of his reverie and found that he had no idea where he was. He tried to find his way back and couldn't.
He tried to focus his mind to call up his focus again, the ability to move faster and more easily across the terrain when he thought he smelled a faint hint of something sweet in the air. It reminded him of honey. When he opened his eyes, the smell quickly faded, disappointed he tried to focus again, closing his eyes... and there it was again. He inhaled deeply and then opened his eyes. Again, the smell quickly faded. Puzzled but curious, he closed his eyes once more and was certain he could smell it. He began walking around in a circle until he found the direction it was coming from and followed it to its source.
The smell grew stronger until Tamien was sure he was right next to it, he felt his feet step on something different. There was a small cry of alarm and he opened his eyes. The source, as it would turn out, was a colorful patch of wild flowers which grew in a circle, despite the arctic environment. They all popped up right out of the snow, defying normal expectations. He had stepped on one. It was a red one.
As Tamien stared at the mix-matched flowers of deeper colors a small orb of glowing blue light the size of his hand shot out from the center of the flowers.
"Move yer feet, mortal!" it demanded in a high-pitched voice loudly of him and Tamien hopped back, obeying the small glowing orb. The voice sounded feminine.
"Uh, sorry. I didn't mean to."
"Oh, ye poor little thing." the orb seemed to say to the flower floating over to it and seemingly reaching out, and the flower unbent itself straightening again.
"Yer lucky ye didn't break it entirely, mortal. Else I’d bury ye in snow. What are ye doin’ here anyway? Nobody's supposed to be able to find my garden." the orb asked, disdain obvious in her voice.
” I don’t know. I got lost and I thought I smelled something sweet, so I followed my nose. Are you a fairy, by chance?”
”I do be one of the fair folk, yes. Hmm, you’re not from this world, are ye? Ye seem truly taller than ye are here.”
Tamien’s eyes widened in surprised. ” Wait! You can see how I’m supposed to be?! Can you help me get home?”
” Yes, I can see yer true form. Hmm.” There was a long moment as the fairy seemed to contemplate this. Then it spoke again, the high-pitched and fast voice from before became something else. More contemplative, slower, ancient. ” It is too late for ye, mortal. Ye are beholden to a power from this world, tied to this place in a web that cannot be easily untangled. There is nothin’ I can do now. “
Tamien’s brow furrowed. ”So, that’s it then? I’m stuck here because I chose to become tied to Gax?”
”Yes, mortal.”
Tamien sat in the snow. ”Could you not call me that. My name is Pa- uh, it’s Tamien now. I guess. What’s your name?” A snowball hit him in the face. ”Hey!” He threw one back and missed as the ball of light dodged easily.
Another snowball was hurled at him but Tamien was ready and dodged to the side. ”I’ll not be giving out my name so easily, mortal. I’ll take ye back to yer friends.” The voice had changed back to the more high-pitched tone from earlier. "Maybe I could help ye get back to yer friends. But first ye must Promise to take responsibility fer that flower ye nearly crushed."
"What? The flower? How? It'll die before I can get it anywhere. It'll get crushed in my pack. It's not like I have a glass vase for it or anything."
"Don't be daft, I'll put an enchantment on it to ensure it doesn't die or easily break. Take it with you, ensure it doesn't get lost or broken. Plant it somewhere nice, perhaps I will help you more then. Promise me."
Tamien looked down at the red flower then he sighed. He didn't really have a good reason not to. The fairy hadn't been hostile towards him after all.
"Alright then, I promise I'll take the flower with me and plant it somewhere nice."
” Good." The ball of light touched the flower and faint line of blue light seemed to flow around and freeze the little red flower. Then it plucked the flower out of the ground and handed it to Tamien. It was icy cold to the touch. "Well at least it should be entertaining to watch ye now. Follow me!” With that, the ball of light began zooming off across the snowy landscape. Although perplexed, Tamien followed.
Vultan's singing is surprisingly soothing to your souls. His voice brings truly brings out the concept that music can ease your burdens and lessen your pains.
Each day you travel, the easier things become on your mind.
As you approach the lighthouse, dragging the boat behind you in the snow, you see something disconcerting. Off in the distance, far away across the ocean, there is a plume of fire. Its coming from the north, slightly to the north-east of where you are. Something over on the other shore is burning, and it's burning big.
You're welcomed back with open arms from the sailors you left behind. The lighthouse is operational, with the yellow-white light shining brightly and beaming out from the cliff edge.
Back at the house, they have warm fish soup ready to eat.
"Since the fog has cleared, we've seen some boats out there, but none have made their way to the island yet. We don't know how often they come here, but we're sure they'll come soon. The people who lived here couldn't have survived on their own for so long without supplies.
But that fire worries me. That's the direction of the Kingdom of Skulls, of Nessus, the City of Decay. I don't know what's causing it, but if the city is burning, then something big is going on."
Keri takes a few moments to flip through the rulebooks and read up on Nessus and the Kingdom of Skulls. "A land ruled by undead and ghouls. It doesn't sound like a very fun place to visit," she says. "And Nessus is mostly abandoned, with only a few farmers and settlers living on its outskirts. It might be best just to steer clear of the city, especially if it's on fire! But we may need to look for allies or assistance to help us get to the gate in the Shield Mountains..."
Tamien looks at the sailors. "If you're not sure how often boats make landfall here, it might be a good idea to try and find a way to signal them and make them come to us. Check the lighthouse keeper's journal and see if there's any instructions on how to signal boats. Or if any of you know morse code or lighting signals on how to call for help?
This isn't a bad setup we have here now and if we have to wait, then we'll be okay. But I'd like to be proactive about getting off this island."
He turned to Keri. "Well, I hate to say it but we aren't exactly the most well equipped and it's a long distance to get to those mountains from here. If we want to make allies and gain assistance, then heading towards the fires and those in trouble would be the best way to do that. Anyone got any fire fighting or brush burning experience?"
It was like he had to reason with himself to decide who around him deserved to live or not. He didn't want to be a bad person but the urges he had to kill were so strong. Fortunately, it was easy to justify not killing his friends. He needed friends to survive for he couldn't sail, or create fire, and having a distraction would allow for more killing later. The monks provided shelter and served the same lord...
The idea for a special signal turned out to be a good one. You were able to find a log book run by the keepers, and in it held codes for signalling for help. Help doesn't come quickly way out here, however. It took nearly a week before a small ship showed up. But it did provide you the means to escape the island and get back to the mainland.
"Let's go," Keri says as she boards the ship. "The Kingdom of Skulls, near Nessus. We'll start there."
You say your goodbyes and set off into the ocean, aiming to dock at Nessus, the city of decay. Nessus was once a great metropolis, with industry and a renowned magical school. But that was long ago, before it gained its name as "the city of decay." It was called so because the great city has fallen into decayed over time.
A year ago, after the emperor died, people decided to take back the city for itself, reclaiming lost land from the encroaching wilderness. At the same time, the yerath decided to take the ruins below the city for themselves. Undead were also a constant problem for all, and the yerath kept living and dead alike away from their new homes.
The Bone Queen is still a known threat.
And all of this was true until about two weeks ago, when a new yerath commander took charge of the hives below the city and made a massive move of aggression against the surface dwellers.
As you come close to the city on the waters, you can see yerath solders marching along the streets. Skeletons also walk feely in the city, suggesting that the yerath have allied with the Bone Queen. Non-yerath still alive are kept under chain, and are put into forced labor camps to rebuild the walls and buildings after the damage from the siege.
Probably the only thing good about this entire scene is the fact that yerath and undead alike keep away from the waters.
Tamien observed the destruction of Nessus with a grim expression.
"Well we missed the fighting. I admit my plan was somewhat vague and I was hoping we might find something a little easier to focus on once we got to Nessus. But Undead and Yerath. I don't know that there's much we could do without risking everyone."
Keri shakes her head sadly. "It looks like the city's a loss. Debarking there would only put us at risk. I say we move further up the coast and make our way towards the mountains on our own."
Con perked up when they neared the city.
"We could test our newfound powers here. Maybe... Recover some supplies... Avenge M'ushu..."
His body was filled with the urge for combat, though he kept his cool as they continued up river.
Con's words hit Tamien and left him feeling guilty. Mushu. he'd already nearly forgotten that he'd been here with them all. Tamien glanced at the people in chains and his guilt amplified. Could he just leave them all there. Not even daring to try and help. How would he feel if he ended up in a similar situation and he saw some at a distance?
He sighed and decided to go in with this idea. "I don't know about just going out there and avenging M'ushu, these aren't the same Yerath... or at least I don't think so... but trying to save a few people, yes. Maybe getting some combat experience against these sorts of enemies wouldn't be a bad idea. Supplies would be good too.
We don't really know where anything in the city is. So we'd probably have to go in under the cover of dark and try to rescue a few people. We could get some information. We'd probably be able to fight our way out of anything other than a full squad of defenders.
"I'd honestly rather not. Dealing with what appears to be a militarized force in anything other than a guerilla fashion is going to be deadly, top to bottom. And if we're not careful where we sleep or wait for dusk, we end up surrounded beyond anything we can handle, and thus ends our foray.
I think it's an unwise choice. The most efficient we could possibly be is to perform a single-night intrusion to gather supplies we already have at this point."
He quickly realizes he's pouring pessimism on someone else's idea and backpedals, if only slightly.
"At least that's my two cents. I'm sure there is a lot of good to be done here, but we just aren't that good yet."
He mulls over whether there might be some worthwhile information to gather but quickly decides it wouldn't be worth the risk.
I don't think we can be too risk averse, but...
He thinks back to the idea that you can't do the greater good without helping those right in front of you. It was a bizarre ideological conundrum, but he realized it wouldn't be that hard to get behind trying to do some good here; if the others persisted, they would have his support.
"I'm with Vultan. There's too much that could go wrong. Despite how much it hurts my heart to see so much suffering, we have a greater mission we need to complete," Keri says.
Tamien found himself noddinging his head even before Vultan and Keri had finished speaking. They sounded so reasonable. The had a solid reason not to get involved with saving anyone, it was so risky.
But something in the back of his mind was nagging at him. Something didn't feel right. Absently, he looked around at the boat, at the ruined city, the miserable people, the obvious danger, then down at the water and he saw himself reflected in the water. The ripples of their passing through the water distorting it.
It hit him then. Keri and Vultan were both so much more convincing than normal due to some racial abilities they each had. When they worked together it was even more powerful. It was an asset, but it was also insidious. Unintentionally in this case, he thought.
Actually, there are several insidious things going on here. But then, this is how this world works.
"No. We can't just ignore this. Not when we're in a position to do something about it. We have to remember, our actions have consequences. Ones that can ripple throughout the world.
We have the boat, the water seems to keep both the Undead and the yerath at bay. If we don't help. If we don't even try, we might end up causing this world's barrier to crack and let the demons in faster. You don't have to come, you can wait here on the boat if you want. Though it would be a lot easier if you came since your prayer ability can help with just about anything." he let the thoughts hang as his mind worked.
Keri sighs. "Okay, fine. I've got a bad feeling about this, but I'm not going to let you go in alone if you're dead set on doing so. Shit, maybe that was a poor choice of words..."
The sailors think you're crazy and don't want anything to do with what's going on in Nessus. "But if you're so insistent, at least let us drop you off in the cover of the night. Won't help against the undead, but those bugs can't see in the dark any better than anyone else."
"I see two ways you can enter. The docks; the Yerath seem to have completely abandoned them. From what I've seen, they're afraid of the water. Likely cause they drop like a sack of rocks as soon as they enter, and then quickly drown. The buggers can't swim. I can glide next to the docks with a smaller boat and silently get you to any part of the city's shoreline, but then you'll have to cross over the surface inwards, facing whatever dangers you might come across. The city seems to be swarming with bugs and undead."
"The second is the sewers. The sewers pour directly into the ocean, and they're a long time smuggling port. Yerath have always avoided the sewers, but there are other dangers. However, it will allow you to cross under the city undetected if you're able to navigate them. The major downside is your travel options will be more limited; it's easy to get trapped and surrounded down there. And no one will be able to hear you scream for help if you need it."
"So what'll it be? The docks or the sewers?"
"Let's use the docks then. It'll give us a better idea of the city layout. I like the idea of the sewers, but if it's that easy to get lost then we should avoid it for now."
"Yes, take us to the docks," Keri agrees.
Vultan listens as Tam offers dissent. He can see the fire in Tam's eyes as he makes his passion for helping those suffering here clear. Startlingly, Vultan finds his own eyes are quick to match. Hearing Keri assent sells him completely.
He places a hand on Tam's shoulder as he speaks, though he chooses his phrasing a little more carefully than she does.
"Well, if you're in, I'm in, and when I'm in, I'm aaaaalll in. Let's rock this place."
Upon hearing the sailor's concerns, Vultan nearly speaks up with his opinion of their deployment, but Tam and Keri beat him to the punch and share his opinion. He nods a confirmation alongside their choice of landing on the docks.
You disembark from the ship, taking a smaller rowboat towards the docks, gliding silently along the waters as the shallow waves reflect the moonlight in scattered sparkles.
You connect to the dock with a solid thunk, but the sound doesn't travel into the city.
"This is where we leave you. Good luck," the captain says, before quickly getting back into the boat and pushing off.
You turn and face the dark city; the gas lamps have not been lit, and the only light comes from the two half moons. They cast a silver sheen over the cobblestone roads and brick houses.
There's not a soul in sight; the docks have remained empty ever since the yerath attacked; as testament to the remains of fallen goods and the skeletons of the ships still moored. For now, you're safe. But it won't take much to get past enemy lines.
Tamien gave a quick wave to the captain as they disappeared then he surveyed the docks.
"Guess it really is abandoned. We should see if we can find and ready something for a quick escape before we're noticed. Vultan, you know ships best now. Lead us to which one you think might work well."