10/12/24 -- Operation Delve 4

Knewidi 42nd, 715AR

STARRING: Angel, Charon, Karina, Seth, Storm, Zey… AND MORE?

• Commander, how are you assembling your crew for this mission?
• Angel heads to Charon first. They tell her, not very specifically, but that there is something in the sanctum that would interest her.
  • Charon is a little hesitant, but agrees. She requests for her book to be shut before entering to be opened at the floor.
  • Angel was thinking about getting Zey to go. He isn’t sure how much Zey knows, but he was there last time. Storm and Seth might be helpful too.
  • Charon wanted to check in with Storm too, so she will go pick Storm up. She also lets The Maiden know she is heading out.
  • Angel heads off to get Zey and Seth. Zey has their back.
• Seth is at the Training Grounds, training Damon Wolfgang II. He is beginning to follow directions a bit better, going on with commands. You’ve spent enough time with them where you are building up that trust. Seth aims to accrue a mass of wolves with his help.
  • Angel hasn’t seen the wolf before. There is a brief discussion about him.
  • Angel is leading a delve into the Sanctum, and they’re meeting in 45 minutes. Seth will meet everyone there.
  • Seth sends his wolf into the Wasteland to search for… other wolves? In the wastes?
• Charon heads to meet with Storm, deciding that he might be at the Community Center. He is there at his desk, full suit helmet on. He is writing.
  • The community center has kind of taken off, people meet here to play games and talk. It is more like a community center now.
  • “Yeah. Yeah. Um. As well as it can be, given the circumstances.”
  • He doesn’t seem very willing to talk about what happened, but Charon invites him to check in with Karina. He follows.
• The door is open. Storm asks if he should wait outside, and Charon shakes her head. Karina is reading over documents, smiling as we walk in.
  • “Good morning.”
  • “The Sanctum is… a blind spot protected by many wards. I can do what I can, try and check into the future a bit. It will… I’ll be honest, be a bit vague.”
  • Karina motions her to approach. Charon does.
  • Karina reaches out, touches Charons arm. Her eyes roll back momentarily. She comes back to herself, breathing out a long breath.
    • “Well…”
    • “I quite honestly don’t know.”
    • “I think that… your presence there may be helpful. I think you’ll have to make a choice, though. And it might be a difficult one. I can’t tell for sure, but that’s the impression I get.”
    • “I looked into my visions. This will either… create something great, or it might destroy Angel altogether. I don’t know what it is. But I’ve seen everything from… them walking out of that Sanctum smiling, glowing in the sunlight… to… you dragging out their dead body. To honestly, eventualities where I think we all would have wished that they died. Maybe even they would have wished for their own death.”
  • Charon asks if she would be interested in training later. She pulls up a schedule and has blocked out when she expects you to walk in for training. Charon gives a great smile.
• Zey heads to the Community Center and picks up a book, bringing it to the Emerald Knight. She is sitting, patiently in their room.
  • “Hello, Maiden.”
    • The head slowly turns to Zey.
  • “Do you mind if I come in and take a seat?”
    • “No. I don’t.”
  • “I got a little book here I’d like to read aloud.”
    • “Very well.”
  • “Okay.”
  • Zey begins to read. How does he begin to read it?
    • SPIRIT B1 – 4 Successes
  • With four successes… You see as the figure regards you during this time. As you finish, you see the head cock slightly to the side.
  • “Did you like that story?”
    • “I don’t like or dislike it. It just is.”
  • “Okay. Well, I’ll bring another one by. I’ll see you later, I’m going with Charon into the Sanctum along with Angel and a couple others.”
    • “Very well.”
  • “Have a good day, Maiden.”
    • “Thank you, have a good day.”
• As Angel goes in for a reading, Karina looks up to Angel.
  • “You… will need to grow or die. The past has never left, so the future has never come. I hope this is not the last time we see each other.”
  • Angel, how would you react to Karina going and trying to give you a hug?
    • Angel is shocked at first, doesn’t know what to do with themself, but hugs her tightly in return.
    • “Thank you, for everything. I… really hope this isn’t the last time either. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’m going to do my best. I don’t want things to end here.”
  • “No.”
• No upgrades to the spy network. We gain 7 supplies.
• Quartermaster: full-send on the apple tree nursery. We gain an additional 2d6 emerald for going on this delve.
  • 2d6 – 7 Emeralds
• Commander spends 1 Intel
  • What would be a useful item to bring on this mission?
    • A torch would be useful to bring on this mission, it may be a little dark.
• Spymaster gets a question: A useful item to bring on Farm?
  • Something to allow you to gain height.
• 1 Scrap is spent to make five torches.
• Shoutout Corania, a 6 is rolled on Engagement and we gain +5 Scrap.
• As we begin to descend deeper and deeper, you pass by those long forgotten halls. Eventually, as you go by the desert jungle floor, you head down a staircase.
• The chamber down here seems clean, not overly clean, but everything is a fine marble tile. As you emerge down at this level, now the path is open to all of you.
• Charon asks for an explanation now.
  • “I don’t think he can look down here, but I think Gunavar is down here.”
    • Charon is, reasonably, shocked about this.
  • “I don’t know what he wants but it is clear he’s expecting me. A little bit ago now the medallion Zey gave me, Karina enchanted it, if anything happens to me and I become corrupted… if you guys ring that well, fingers crossed that should fix it. I would prefer that you don’t mention that to anyone up top.”
• Seth suggests checking the door ahead for traps, and Angel does so. With 3 successes, the door doesn’t seem trapped. It is just a heavy, steel door. It doesn’t appear to be locked.
• Seth tries to check for traps. He rolls 3.
• Zey tells everyone to move out of the way and checks it for traps. With 5 successes, as you go around you slowly look up. There is a tiny triangular nub in the ceiling above the door. Not sure what exactly it does but…
  • Ring Camera…?
• The door appears to push in. Angel looks up at it. He isn’t sure what it is. Angel opens the door. The Pyramid shoots a disintegration ray at you. The DC is 7.
  • 300 magical slashing damage at Sheer II. Charon uses Strength from Beyond to mitigate the damage, but Angel takes 1HB and 1AB
    • 2d6 – 5
    • As the beam is fired, Charon tries to act as quickly as they can, however the energy nevertheless storms forward. As it does so, you gain the Tired condition as you barely dodge out of the way from it hitting you in the chest. It shaves off part of your side. Your clothing and skin begins disintegrating. You had to carve away your skin with a knife.
• The room we enter is a polished, metallic material. Entering into this room is writing on the ceiling manifesting in bright green light, a language none of you know but all of you understand.
  • “The spark is you, and the pull is too. That thing with feathers that also tethers, what sings tunes upon your soul, will be what pays this toll. It is lure and light door and key, forsake it to create a world that is bittersweet and incomplete.”
  • There is a finely crafted rune on the floor, a mandala spiraling in patterns of beautifully etched material spiraling into a central point. It pulses with Primordial magic. It doesn’t seem to be connected to the tree, but might be based on it.
  • There is a spot on the wall that appears to be 3-4 feet across. It seemingly houses a sphere of some kind.
  • SPIRIT B1 – 7 Successes
    • There is no switch, however, Seth, you feel like this rune itself is seeking energy specifically from this area. It is constantly checking, almost like a wolf circling.
• The doors to the north and south are both locked. There is a spot on the ground that hums with energy.
• The spirit has seen something like this before. His master, Elthrendil, made them. He used magic.
  • Seth says his Spirit says to use magic and maybe something will happen.
• Most of the group utilize Low magic. Seth doesn’t, though.
• Seth attempts to focus in on the spiritual energy. It begins to get taken, manifesting. The rune glows, lighting up as a ball of twisting green energy begins to emerge. You’d be able to see, on the ground, a pathway starting to emerge. Green runes start to light up. The orb isn’t moving, Seth. You feel like a presence, or force, start to creep into your mind. It is looking for memory.
• Seth attempts to think about the good times he and his family had at the Hollow.
  • Why were they good times?
    • Everyone was together, they would have meals together. A feast.
• You see the energy begins to move forward, but it doesn’t necessarily get on the track. It is looking for something.
  • “I just thought, you know, she was someone who understood me. I didn’t feel like people understood her either. We had a connection, and I liked a feisty woman.”
    • “What do you feel now that she is gone?”
  • “Sadness. I lost a part of me. I have a hole now in my heart that I don’t think will ever be filled again.”
• The green ball of energy shoots to the back of the rune, complete opposite. You send it backward.
• Charon suggests thinking about why he keeps going.
  • He wants to save his family.
  • “Do you think you can?”
    • “I know I can.”
• All of you watch, then, as the orb starts to float forward making its way down the track before, eventually, nestling itself inside the indentation in the wall. As it does so, the indentation seemingly glows brightly. You hear a click from either door as they unlock.
• Zey suggests that we may only be able to choose one door, and to think about our choice. Angel thinks the lower door, maybe.
• Seth attempts to feel if there is Primordial energy coming more powerfully from a certain direction. Directly in front of us.
• Angel attempts to see if the door is trapped. With four successes it doesn’t seem trapped. Storm wants to open the door instead, pushing Angel back and opening the door. It wasn’t trapped anyway.
• There are multiple runes carved into the floor, tracks leading to multiple places and spots.
• Looking at the red rune closer, it seems to be a mandala bisected in two, spiraling off in two different halves. They meet together in the middle.
• Charon channels magic into the battery. She imagines when the Maiden pulled her out of the rubble. There is a whirl of instant activity. The circuit is completed immediately.
• Angel channels their magic. They put forward the memory of the beach party we had recently. Of being able to see the Brigade members having a good time, being able to set everything up for them and have things pay off.
  • Why do you like that memory?
    • Angel felt like they were, for once, doing something that actively benefited the people around them– and felt like they were part of something grander. One of the rare times where they felt their touch didn’t instantly make things worse for everyone.
  • And why is that good?
    • Because they want to help. It is their goal to be uplifting, righting their mistakes.
  • Why do they feel happy about helping?
    • As simple as it makes other people happy.
• You watch as half of the sphere of energy appears over the rune.
• Zey puts his magic forward, thinking about everyone at the Community Center. Reading to the children, and hoping to see them grow up one day. Carving a better future for them.
  • Why is carving a better future for them important?
    • It gives them hope. A smile. Knowing that they are not going to suffer.
    • +2 HP
• Your energy and magic comes forward, true, Zey. This massive ball of energy is forming. It tries to mix with Angels, and you feel an incompatibility there. The magic short circuits and blows up. Angel takes 20 Spiritual damage.
• Seth channels his magic, thinking about winning a date with Lavatera. It was their first date, there were fireworks. They kissed and went back to her room…
  • How did you feel about things after that day?
    • Everything was great. Life was good.
  • Why did it feel great the next day? Was it just a happy experience?
    • We progressed in our relationship as well. People were sad, and we got to show people how great things can be one day.
  • Is it important to show people how great things could be one day?
    • It is always important to show how things were before, and how things could be.
  • The ball of energy appears, it doesn’t go forward yet though. It is not just happiness, perhaps it is looking for meaning. Hope?
    • Seth puts forward the memory of killing the serpent. Angel gains 3 HP.
• The energy leaps over the connection Charon has made. It finds itself slotted happily into place.
• Angel puts forward their conversation with Storm after they got out of prison. That was a turning point for them, where they saw that they didn’t have to be at odds with their friends. They weren’t cast aside after that, and were still a valued member of the Brigade. Storm still wanted to be friends. Hope that they could still be in the Brigade.
  • As you put that memory forward, half of the sphere continues to spin and turn. It is greater and larger than it was before.
• Zey envisions hope from the cure. The ball of energy manifests on the other side, as they try to meet in the middle… they are spinning at different speeds. They are not compatible. They are not the same.
• They begin to think about the conversation after the medallion. To explore the Cosmic Stack together. The balls of energy formulate and combine into one, it moves down the track, and offshoots. It hits Charon. Charon moves off of their battery.
• Angel checks the door for traps, with 6 successes there are none that he can see.
• There is a tugging at Seth's soul. It is not looking to be given something, it is looking to take. It is interested in memory.
  • Seth wants to lose the memory of what it was like to lose Lavatera. As you feed that in, why is that a bad memory?
    • I lost the love of my life, and I won’t be able to see her again.
  • The track begins to light up.
• Zey thinks about what he did to Akl. He helped get him back to being right, just to die for a church that lost its value.
  • Why is that bad?
    • It was unnecessary. It wasn’t what the intention should have been, I threw him away like a trash bag.
  • The runes do not light in the same way.
• Zey and Storm switch places.
• Storm thinks. After Operation Endure, and recovering the only body of his squad.
  • Why was that so terrible?
    • It took that to realize everything that I was trading to try and one up Zolona how selfish I was being trying to stay alive. I had left them all to die. I wasn’t there for them. I wasn’t there for the Brigade. It was solely about me, and it took only being able to recover one of my squad mates– and them being the only one who had a proper burial out of the twelve of us.
  • Did you think you could go on after that?
    • I could. I could go on. But I didn’t know how.
  • The runes grow weakly to life.
• There is more writing in the North room.
  • “The spark is you, the pull is too. Despite the dark you must embrace the dark, what sings tunes upon your soul– dreams of victory will be your toll.”
• Zey drops Heal III on Angel.
• There is an inactive teleportation circle before us.
  • “You’ve made it far. Farther than I assumed you would. I’m sorry. But I cannot allow this path to be one of ease.”
• At this point you are able to see a wall beginning to shimmer and move, like it alters itself.
• Charon throws open the door. There are outlines of creatures, some of them locked away in cages. Others looking ancient that are not locked away, those that have broken containment over who knows how long.
• The Mad Alchemist begins. They dart forward. Angel takes a shot with the hand crossbow. 2 successes for 6 damage. The Gloomweavers' (10) containment is shattered. Angel hexes it. All of you watch as this Gloom Weaver begins to make its way out of the broken containment field. It is ancient, incredibly old looking. Bones held together by an ancient strain of the virus. Words begin to flow out of its mouth. In an ancient tongue, an old dialect of Primordial.
  • “My laaadyyy Althara…. Let me gift youuuu… The power to smiiiiteeee these enemies….”
  • The Gloomweaver reaches out and tries to force corruption into you. As all of this energy spiral toward you, make a physical save.
    • PHYS SAVE – 10 Successes
  • The energy manifests forward, the Gloomweavers eyes go wide.
    • “THEY HAVE TAKEN! THEY HAVE TAKEN HER MIND!”
• Seth uses his BG action to gain the Builders School. Seth attacks into the Gloomweaver using his ax. 21 damage taken on Stamina. Storm aims and fires on the Iron Bound, 2 successes for 8 damage taken on Stamina.  He uses his BG action on Seth. The Blossomed Zombies begin. One rushes up and attempts to use Spores on Angel. GM uses Villian Points but the spores miss.The Iron Bound attacks into Zey The Spitter attacks into Angel. As it hits, Angel's body starts to become overgrown. Angel attempts to ring the bell. Nothing happens. It is not magic. It only glows. Zey activates Rising Tide and attempts to take the katar into the Iron Bounds stomach. He deals 20 damage. The creatures all have renewed fervor.
• The Alchemist throws an Alchemical bomb, Seth and Charon are able to hold their breath as a ripple of energy continues behind us.
• In this moment, we find you, Angel. What are your thoughts as you feel the corruption spread across your body?
  • There is panic, definitely. They’re trying to focus on everything that makes them who they are now– even though the medallion didn’t work they’re still looking at the pins remembering the missions they’ve been on with their friends.
  • You think back.
  • In this moment of thinking, of turning your attention back to what was, we go back to a different event. An event that happened, now seemingly a lifetime ago. But it is not a lifetime.
• We go back to Tpres.
  • It’s burning.
• The memories arc back to you, Angel. You were released. You were given freedom. Much more than that– the Titans! They needed you. You were given a chance. A chance to… maybe see Gunavar again, to be with Drach. A chance to make things right, if you just fulfilled your mission. You’d been locked away for so long by the Lord of Mists. And at this moment, where we find you, you’re overlooking the city. You’ve already crushed the Archfey. Your power was beyond them. Now, in this age, the old magic is not here. You are the apex. You are the person that could truly break worlds, to do everything that you ever wanted, and you’ve done it. Astodiea has told you as much. The whispers of the Titans have as well. And yet… it is not alright. None of this is alright. This is wrong. You’ve had years to think about this. And the old magic isn’t what it once was. The power has waned. And now, in this moment, a moment of realization. You’re not sure what sparked it. What magic might have spread through the region. What events might have taken place to give you this moment of complete and utter clarity. Clarity that maybe you’ve been missing for such a long time.
  • You don’t want to do this anymore.
• And in your despair, someone came to you. A devil. Seeking to make a deal. He said that someone needed help. Wouldn’t it have been so nice to help someone? Anybody? Oh, how could you resist. All those people. But you could start with helping just one. Help someone. It wouldn’t make up for what happened to Gunavar, or Drach. But it’s a start. And so you make a deal to be put in the body of a Tiefling who was scared. And to guide them toward salvation. You agreed to it. You agreed. And, then, in this moment, you felt gentle hands. You felt a will. It was shocking in its strength and its purity, but it is there. Multiple High Gods perhaps, you’re not sure. But it happened. A Meropian seal placed upon you. And you continued off. Wandering. Helping. Doing all that you could. At one point your consciousness was released but… you didn’t quite know who you were making a deal with. You see, upon that release, a time bomb went off. You experienced all the loss, all the pain, all the memories, all at once. And it was too much for anybody to bear. You weren’t mad in Fort Galax. That bell, it helped to bring back your consciousness. To repress much of what was there, but the personality– that was never changed. The memories of pain, they were scrubbed away. Bit by bit you were bringing them back but… truly, that was all that was lost. Althara the Impure was once Althara the Angel. And that is all that you ever were, truly. And so, now, in this moment, you blink. It’s all you really can do. Because… you were always the master of this power. There was no one greater than you. And as you look down at your hands, you are at corruption 10. It really doesn’t matter. It never did. You’re just you. With your memories.
  • So the question is, what are you doing?
• Angel takes a shaky breath, flexing their hands and looking at them for a moment. Their friends still need them. So they’re turning their gaze toward the Iron Bound that took a swipe at Zey. They step in and try to help him.
  • Angel eviscerated the Iron Bound. At a touch, it is evaporated.
  • They frown at that. Approaching the Blossomed Zombie… they try to take away that corruption. They are not a Nexus anymore. All of these things have been contained and deprived for so long that you're able to shut them down if you’d like. There are no other nexuses that can be reached in the Sanctum of Elthrendil.
  • “I’m sorry I can’t do more for you.”
  • Angel shuts it down.
• The creatures begin dropping into unconsciousness.
  • NOW PLAYING: AIR FROM THE SUNLANDS
• Angel opens the next door. Towards the back, up in the ceiling, something begins to whirl to life. A large machine as runes start to glow all around. You hear a voice, Angel.
  • “Hello, Mother.”
    • “Gunavar? Is that you?”
  • “A piece. A fraction. Left behind by the original. I am but a bank of memories responsible for this floor of the Sanctum.”
    • “I’m sorry you got left behind.”
  • “I wasn’t left behind. I left.”
    • “I’ve missed you. It’s good to hear your voice again.”
  • “When we last met I was but a child. I don’t believe you’ve ever heard this voice before. But the sentiment remains.”
    • “Yeah. It does.”
  • “My scans have indicated that you have brought people of import here.”
    • “Ah, yes, my friends. I don’t know if you can see them but this is Zey, that is Charon, Seth, and Storm.”
  • “I have seen them. Hello.”
    • Charon thinks they’ve heard him before.
  • “Hm. Perhaps. I was busy, when I left this place. Even before.”
    • “The rest of you– where are you now?”
  • “Mother, I died long ago.”
    • “Oh…”
    • Angel is tearing up.
  • “Why are you crying?”
    • “I hoped… I wanted to see you again. I wanted you to be safe. To be happy. Were you at least happy?”
  • “Hm. Mother. I was safe. I was happy. I finished the completion of my research here, I did all that I could. Finished the Pyramids. Created the Hour. Initially I sought to free you, perhaps. But then… hm. Then I realized I couldn’t. The Lord of Mists said that you had to pay. Pay for what you did. And… if I’m being honest, I came to agree. I loved you. And I still do love you. But you did horrible things. You and Father both. So I decided to make a life for myself. And when I left I met a woman. Her name was Trella[SIC]. And we had two children. Ren and Latara [SIC]. We settled on the Dark Ring. We built a life. I grew up with the Nyx people. Helped them. Guided them the best that I could. I built for them great things, and they gave me companionship. I continued on. For many, many years. I lived, according to my records, at least the ones that Latara brought here after my death, that I lived until 103. I had never saved you. I had never gotten to have that ending. And, yet, despite it all… I had a great life. I had my children, and my wife, and my community. And I would have changed nothing. Nothing at all. Because… despite all that happened, I moved on. I found joy. And it was terrific. My time came at the end of my life. And I’m okay with that. As everyone must be. Do not cry for me. Everything I ever wanted came true. Except, of course, seeing you again. But, now, even this fraction of me can make that dream a reality. And I am happier for it. People told me that I had the perfect life. I wouldn’t disagree. Sometimes a story book ending isn’t about getting everything you ever wanted. It’s about loving everything you have with all your heart.”
    • “What a story…”
  • “What a life.”
    • “You have no idea how happy that makes me to hear. I wish I got to see this life unfold for you, but I don’t think anything could make me happier than knowing you got to lead such a good life.”
  • “I’m glad. This consciousness, well, I should first say I’m glad you made it here when you did. I do not have long, we are diverting all energy left to the phylactery and to the Hour. It is impossible to say what happened for sure. But I believe that the Ring is broken, the Primordial Ring. The magic has changed, the Trees power in jeopardy. We have waited so long. The efforts cannot be in vain.”
  • “Continue on. Preserve what we have. The phylactery, if it is not with the Rings it must return. Without the phylactery, the Dimension will cease to exist. If it has been many weeks… if it is not in its rightful position… already things will begin to collapse.”
• With 3 successes, you don’t think that is what is causing the Red Spirals. This is something bigger, or smaller, depending on how you look at it.
• Zey asks what a phylactery is.
  • “You do not know? You do not know what it is that we guard?”
  • “Are you familiar with the Flight from the Darkness?”
    • Charon asks if he’s referring to The Betrayal. The Betrayal is what the Titans call it.
  • “When the phylacteries were forged, they carved out dimensions. Places in space that would eventually be the Cosmic Stack. Each phylactery gives a point for a world to come back to so that when the Ravenous Abyss destroys a place, when the powers of the Endless grow too great, all might be regenerated. All might come again. And even portions, pieces might not be fully destroyed. Without a phylactery, the dimension ceases, and cannot be remade. Every dimension on the Cosmic Stack has a phylactery. In the roots of the Primordial Tree, guarded by the most powerful wards of Gods and Titans, here lies the phylactery of the Rings of Meropis. The center, and the core. What it’s all for. The most important dimension in all the Cosmic Stack. That which hundreds of High Gods fought and died for, what billions of mortals gave their eternity to protect. That is the phylactery that is guarded here. And, also, the reason why I created the weapon. The weapon to end the threat of the Titans. Once and for all. Really a weapon to give a chance, and a hope. Although… I do not truly believe it is a weapon. It seems that the Twelfth had more foresight than I. Perhaps I am humbled.”
    • Charon asks if the goal is to kill them.
  • “No. Kill them? Why would we kill them? A weapon to destroy what has taken root. To give chance. And hope. Tell me, what do you know of Primordial and Titanic magic?”
    • “We know of Ligiomancy.”
  • “Ligiomancy is but a branch of the Titanic tree.”
  • “Just like High and Low magic, Titanic and Primordial– they operate on two different axes. Primordial is cause and effect, while Titanic magic is–”
    • “Action and reaction.”
  • “Correct. Action before reaction. Power and then payment. As those from beyond have given them gifts, the gift to infinitely put off the moment. The hour of their payment. Tell me, if we race and you must walk half the distance each time, even if I move at the pace of an eternity, will you beat me in a race? No. Because you will only make it a little more than half way as you will half and half and half every distance. But the Hour. It stops the halving of the distances. It pulls together the debts. Consolidates them. And brings them about for one, glorious hour. But it is incomplete.”
    • “Is there a way for us to complete it?”
  • “I ventured forth with my life trying to find a device that I created known as the Divider. With it, with powerful Primordial magic, whose art was given to us by Elthrendil, perhaps we would have been able to formulate the true Hour. To divide the powers of the Endless and the Titans. To bring about our moment. Our finest hour. A burgeoning of a new future. But for that we require many things. The Divider, the head piece for which I have hidden upon this floor. And the flower of the Primordial Tree. A fragment of it. A fragment to draw upon all the energy that is, so that we might make do with what was.”
  • “It is created via the binding together of all energies of Titanic magic on this Ring. I was only able to do it once, and never again.”
  • “He Who Holds the World gave me strength. The strength needed to pull together infinite energies into one. Without his help it was impossible.”
    • Zey speaks up, “I’m a big fan of the One Who Holds the World.”
  • “Many are.”
  • “It took me a decade. And even then, without the aid of Gods and Legends, it was impossible.”
    • Zey asks if it would be possible with a Scroll.
  • “One of the Scrolls, Ishins knowledge of Meropis. Perhaps.”
    • Charon mentions that they’d be able to read the Scroll if we got it back.
  • “I see. Perhaps you might be the key. I do see that its energy was used upon you. I would have to scan you in order to know what happened.”
• The eyes fixate on Seth.
  • “You continue to protect this tree, Yes? And yet there are parts of you missing… Even from here I see parts of you broken. Purpose did not foresee you taking the mantle. No, it was never supposed to be you. It was supposed to be a father. A different member of the bloodline. It seems like everything twisted. Your pack… it has been lost. Attacked. Slain. And scattered.”
    • “Scattered to where?”
  • “Hm. Many places. And yet not rebuilt. The power of the Wolf is with the pack. Through unity, that is where serenity draws strength. And from hope. The pure movement of energy, lured. You must fold Aether. Just as you have done today.”
    • “Do you know where I can find the tree?”
  • “The tree is all around you, boy. But the mantle of the Divider– it is connected to the tap root on this floor. If you venture to it, you shall see your tree. See its heart, and see its light. Opposite from whence you came. I am unlocking all safety protocols on all that is inside. I give it all to you.”
    • “Thank you, I appreciate your help.”
• “The power of the Divider is absolute, although pure Primordial Magic is the antithesis. I found a way after many years to merge its effects to create a perfect moment. That is the Hour. But in the tradition of Elthrendil, to truly be one with the Sky and the Storms, to connect with the Rings and its energies, to lure out what there is, to be free and to be true… It is perhaps the only defense. I always called it reckless. But I saw in my old age that perhaps Elthrendil had a point. To not look back. To not doubt. To be free.”
• “Alone, even one could not stand against the Divider. There must be strength. An unbreakable bond. A true union. A circle of four. Three of Primordial, one of Quelling, or peace. Not necessarily Titanic. Magic, when it is combined, is wild. Erratic. It goes in different directions, and yet its effects are powerful. That power must be managed. It must have a hand to guide. There is power to be found in chaos, but there must be order in it. Three with intent to do, one with intent to stop. This is the pinnacle of magic.”
  • Charon asks what will happen when Gunavar loses power.
• “All the runes and magics that flow through my artificing, they will cease. And they will decay. In their decay I will break.”
• “Yes, mother?”
  • “I love you. I’m so proud of you.”
• “I loved you every day of my life. I will hope to see you again, when life comes to end, and peace is found. I hope Death has mercy upon your soul, and He Who Holds the World puts his hand on the balance.”
  • “Whatever fate comes to me, I’ll accept it. But I would be happy to see you again. I’m grateful I got to see you now, though.”
• “Yes. More than grateful. May your futures be bright, and may you all stand undivided. I have given all that I can.”
  • “May it be enough.”
• At this moment, all of you see a thin line jumps forward and begins to scan over Charons book. And then… there is a blinking as all of you begin to see, now, this device starts to go dark as the remaining consciousness starts to slip away.
  • “Ahh… I see… What a miracle. Charon, what strength you have. You hold a shard of an Aether Well. Certainly tremendous. A miracle. And yet as I look upon you… yes… many forms of magic uniting and combining. You are a Red Spiral mixed with an Aether Well. Able to create, as well as destroy. A being meant to rewrite. Truly remarkable. And this fashioning… oh… Oh dear Nicholas Black. I see. Your assembly, built around this Red Spiral, meant to contain a Titan. Meant to read from a Scroll. Meant to change the world. You shackle Niorax. Hah. This construction, a prison for a Titan. Certainly a surprise. It appears like the Banker of Bones has used you, one last arrow into the heart of the Titan threat. Hm. It seems that a will prevails. Perhaps you may remake what was destroyed. I see now you were divided from madness, divided from Niorax, divided from the Red Spiral. Congratulations. May you embrace both.”
• NOW PLAYING: LENORES SUNRISE
• You watch as the lights die, and Gunavar is no more.
• Charon places a hand to her heart and taps it twice. She tells the Big Man that he must be glad to be part of creation.
  • You feel, deep within you, a shard of Niorax rage. Rage against his prison. Because that’s what you are. You are a prison. And a focus, meant to take the destructive force of a Titan and turn it towards good. You were touched by the Divider, and blessed by Gunavar.
• We walk into a vast space. It extends up toward the surface. As Seth was the first one in, he rolls 2d6 (Two 6’s)
  • There are 60 relics in this room. In addition, 100 scrap, 15 supply, 10 intel, and 100 spare weapons, 100 ammo, 10 siege weapons, a custom magic item, and 20 recovery.
• You all watch this vault on the tap root open. As it does, you see inside the strong root weaves down. The heart of the tree. Woven into it there is a metallic piece, a cover of some sort, meant to fit over a triangular pyramid. It seems like on top it is made to resemble a flower. You see, Charon, at the center there is a place to put what appears to be a flower of some kind at its heart. One of the final pieces of the Divider, meant to access the power of the Solandis Flower.
• Seth touches the tree. Zey waves Storm over to help.
• In this moment, as all of you feel this power rushing through, make a spirit check at B3
  • SPIRIT – 10 Successes
• Half success was 9. Full was 10
• As you feel the power rush through Seth, all of your Stamina points are reduced to zero. All of you lose a HB, it will not kill any of you, but it is a tremendous amount of power. Seth, as you feel the Primordial Tree and its energy rushing down, you feel the magic of ages. True, unfiltered power. The question is… what are you trying to do? What are you trying to know?
  • Peace on the Primordial Ring is difficult. Because the Primordial Ring is chaotic, it is not a place of stillness necessarily, but peace can come in a different way. There is serenity in flourishing. There is peace in growth. In harmony. All growing, all plants in the forest getting sunlight, that is peace on the Primordial Ring.
• As you take in this knowledge, this power, you feel your form start to alter. And change. I must ask you, are you wishing to become peaceful?
  • Yes.
• The fire and the burns begin to leave your body as you feel the will of the Tree wash over you. Those burns fade. And you are just you again. But now your form is white. There is peace here, much has happened to you, much has been lost. But for the first time in a long time Seth, you’re flourishing.
• All of you can take 3 level ups.