Radovan has sent a letter to the party, wanting to pitch his plan to them. Everyone goes, though Andreas is confused as to why he got one. Radovan has set up a table with tea, and seems to be sipping some as we enter. He gives a smile and welcomes us, telling us to have a seat. He says he believes we have opportunity.
“Mainly, as I was… hunting… I passed by an old mine. Now, the mine is deep, and it would be unwise to journey too deeply into it alone. However, upon investigations, I believe that it is likely this mine is full of rubies, and with these rubies and perhaps a little bit of manpower provided by the Brigade, we can create a time dilation bubble. A way to accelerate time. Should be good for growing livestock. It could help keep both the Brigade, myself, and Claudia fed. What do you think?”
Thomas asks if someone was using the mine, and Radovan says likely at some point, but as it’s filled with trash and detritus, he doesn’t think it’s in use any longer. Andreas asks what kind of livestock we’re talking about, and Radovan says that for all of us, it’d be animal. For him, human(oid). Charon asks if these humans would be sentient. He’s been considering this… With the proper tools, it’s possible to grow a being with limited brain capacity. He’d consume it, it would not know harm or suffering, and he would then go on his way. As sustainable as possible. Some members of the party are reluctant, but everyone agrees to go.
Angel goes to let Karina know they survived (though she’s already aware), and thanks her. She says she hopes they can move on now. Thomas goes to speak to Corania, and says he has a question and a possible request, if she has a moment. He asks if the room is warded., and she says yes – warded enough to stop any devil or entity within the camp from spying.
Thomas asks if she knows how to safely remove a Torvian, and she says she does. He says there’s a deal that’s going to end soon, where Bob gets to come for his – he can’t be allowed to have it. If the conditions of the deal haven’t been fulfilled by then, he would like to remove it and hide it away.
“That would be doable, although I hope you understand the target you would paint on your back. It’s not only the rogue Broker, but all of Hell that would be after you. Perhaps even after me.”
Thomas says he’s fairly certain he has a target – or several. Corania says she would probably agree, and says she would try to remove the Torvian, though it would likely be an in-depth process, and as they’d be trying to skirt an upcoming deal, the devil’s magics would work to stop them.
“Thank you. I will not be responsible for giving him any more power.”
“What do you want to be responsible for?”
“At this point, I don’t know. I… I’ve lost everything and I don’t know if I can get it back. And it’s all my fault.”
Corania walks forward, and pats his shoulder with her non-prosthetic hand. She then backhands him across the face.
“You’ve lost everything? Is that what you have to say? There are many more who have lost quite a deal. But you? Hah. You have power enough to shatter a ring, you have two sons out amongst the cosmic stack, you have friends and allies, people who believe in you, and you dare to sit there and say that you’ve lost everything?”
“A son who’s been corrupted. Maybe we’ll make a cure. And a son who was taken by Bob, a devil who hates me.”
Corania says that many have had people taken from them, in far worse situations. They’ve had his son locked down, the order waiting to be given. Her heart does go out to him, but it only goes so far – if he wishes help, she’ll certainly provide it, but he must pick himself up off of the dirt.
“If you believe that all is lost, then it really is. Sometimes I think back to all those people who, in Tpres, had their entire lives destroyed, reduced to nothingness. Many of them truly did have nothing, no power, no family, no future to think of. They weren’t even aether souls, and yet some still continue to fight with this Brigade to this day. And all the fallen, they fought to their final breath. This Brigade has endured. Tell me, if your world is gone, if it has truly ended, why would I remove your Torvian?”
He says they can’t let Bob have it, and she asks why they can’t let Bob have a Torvian. He says he asked because he cannot keep it from Bob if he comes for it.
“Thomas Blithe, you cracked a ring in half. You have survived some of the deadliest battles ever seen in the Rings of Meropis, felled infamous impure, fought blossomed. There will come a day when we will have to stand against Ishin, Zolona, the forces of the Impure themselves. There will come a day when we are on the precipice of victory, when our backs are against the wall and there’s nowhere else to go, where the world will seem so against us that victory will appear impossible. What will you do then? Will you say it is impossible? That others must save you? If so, I’ll take your Torvian now.”
“No. Even if it was impossible, I wouldn’t stop.”
“Then why have you stopped now?”
Corania takes a few papers, and tosses them at Thomas – they show the Black Horn is within Gehenna, the spirit river. He’s not with the others, and we’re very close to a cure.
“Don’t stand here and say that you’ve lost everything, when we are at the precipice of gaining all that we’ve ever wanted.”
Thomas gives a small smile, the first he’s had in a while, and thanks her – he needed someone to smack some sense into him. She walks over, tapping his forehead with a finger, and tells him to remember to get out of his own head; there’s more out there. She wishes him luck, and he thanks her again, giving her a short bow. He gets a hero point.
Charon goes to Corania next, asking if she has time to show it some sewing stuff – she gives Charon a wry smile, and says of course she can, she does love to sew. Charon flushes, and says she also wanted to tell Corania what we saw on the most recent floor. She gives Corania a rundown of Delve 4, and says she thinks the tech down there would’ve been up Corania’s alley. Corania says she’s already begun documenting some of what’s been taken out of the Sanctum. Charon thanks her, saying it’ll see her later, and quickly – awkwardly – leaves.
Corania turns back to her work, and Fidelis enters, politely knocking on the doorframe.
“Oh, what is it, Char– Oh. What is it, Talisman?”
She sounds noticeably less enthused upon realizing it’s Fidelis.
Fidelis says he was hoping to continue their lessons when she had a free second, and she asks which lesson. Fidelis says he recently realized that he’s been so afraid of doing the wrong thing that he hasn’t done much of anything at all, and is now trying to go around and help. He wants to reexamine something basic, something that seems like a given but isn’t.
“I was thinking maybe a good place to start would be something with earth, or the ground around us? It’s something that’s always there. I haven’t thought of it too deeply, but I went and helped Journeyman on his farm, and was very up close and personal with all the plants he has, instead of taking the ground as something for granted. Breaking down the concept and reproducing it… something like that, I think.”
“I see… right… hm. Well, while you do make an interesting case, I don’t think you’re ready for anything today. Thank you.”
She turns back to her work, and he asks why – she slowly turns and gives him a smile.
“You, I suppose, either do not care about my orders or have completely forgotten basic tenets. If I were to teach you something as powerful as an earth rune, I fear what could be done with it, especially since you have not followed protocol.”
“Protocol, ma’am?”
“Protocol.”
Fidelis asks to do something from his actual list, and she says maybe, but not today. He leaves.
Seth trains Damon, and sends him on a mission to find another wolf. Andreas gets a Heavy II spear. Charon, Andreas, and Thomas train.
The mercenary upgrade is taken, and all spies are switched to emeralds – we gain +5 emeralds. Widow’s Home is rebuilt, and the last build goes into starting the time acceleration room. We’re given the choice between gaining morale or community, and choose to get +1 community. We spend -1 scrap for +1 supply.
Mace Crane thinks it’s pretty pragmatic, especially if it can both increase food supply for regular citizens and make sure Radovan doesn’t turn rabid.
Karina is hesitant… this could either bring the Brigade closer or spread discord.
Corania is keeping a close eye on the situation and is ready to step in if necessary.
Magion is keeping more to the prison and doesn’t know much about the operation.
Are there signs of previously seen enemies on this mission?
There are Arnyr drones in the area.
What is the main weakness of the enemy’s position on this mission?
We don’t know of an enemy’s position. There’s a mine. (Ask another question)
(Instead) What rumors are circulating in Widowstone Keep?
The Brigade came upon a genie in the Sanctum and wished for a bunch of shit. Everyone wants a genie wish.
Widow’s Home hasn’t been fully fixed because a lot of the higher-level members of the Brigade are basically feral and like to sleep outside, so the leadership has made a bit of a concession. Everyone’s chill about it, though; we’re their feral higher-ups.
Andreas gets a 6 [3, 4, 6] on the marshall roll (+3 scrap from Corania’s boon). Andreas is navigating fairly well; it’s a desolate place, but we’re all on track. He almost trips into a chasm that’s been boarded over, and he’s caught and pulled back by Radovan Raze.
“Be careful where you step. This place is… a wasted gem. It should not waste you. Yet.”
Andreas thanks him.
“You do not like me, do you?” – Radovan
Andreas tells Radovan that he’s going to be honest – not particularly, no.
“After… I guess I put a lot of value on life, and it’s hard for me to… I guess truly trust someone who feeds on the end of life, even if we’re on the same side.”
“I understand. I do. And make no mistake, I am a monster. I have killed more and destroyed even more than that… But. Now we are allies. I seek to take revenge for my father. I seek a world. We both, I hope, can see the point in this. I would have to be a fool to attempt to… betray, backstab, kill you. I wish to do none of those things. For better or for worse, we are better together. After this, you do not need to trust me. I wouldn’t. But now, while we seek to preserve this world, might we find common ground?”
Andreas says he thinks Radovan is right, and that if Radovan wanted to backstab him, he’d have done it by now. Radovan says that he believes that if Andreas truly wanted him locked away, Andreas would have done so by now. They agree to find common ground for now. Andreas reaches out to shake Radovan’s hand, which seems to genuinely surprise him, and he looks up at Andreas over his glasses, before reaching out a pallid hand to shake Andreas’s.
“After this, I would like to make it a priority for the livestock. It is not of the highest quality, but it will do before more is required. Is this acceptable?”
“Okay.”
“Okay.”
Radovan drops back, letting Andreas walk on his own. Andreas is lost in his own thoughts. Seth sends his drone up to scout ahead, and sees signs of activity northwest of our position, but Andreas is leading us away from that danger. We find ourselves outside what’s basically a small hole in the ground, with rusted pipes and old netting… Radovan nods into the hole, and says he knows it doesn’t seem like much, but it was at one point a mine for blood rubies.
As we go through, Fidelis makes a little hovering ball of light. Everyone follows along through the trash and debris, and we stop in a central chamber, maybe 10-15ft across. Radovan points up to a hole 90ft above us, maybe 2ft across. He says he believes our passage to the rubies is up there.
Charon ferries most of the group up, starting with Andreas. Radovan turns into a bat to ferry himself up, and Seth circles a few times before zooming up the wall into the hole. Everyone makes physical checks, and is successfully able to haul themselves into the chamber. We enter into a chamber filled with trash, but amongst it is glittering rubies wedged into walls and amongst the debris. Those with a 7+ mental can make a mental check.
(2 successes) Charon notices there seems to be an inordinate amount of gemstones and gnarled bits of finery… It’s not sure what was here, but certainly something… However, Seth’s drone starts to get a ping – there’s something else humanoid in this chamber. Seemingly about 5’10, with 4 limbs. Seth transforms. The figure darts around the chamber unseen for a bit, before Charon calls out, “Hello?” to it.
“I want everything you got. Your items, not your lives.”
A figure steps out, drawing a beautiful gilded longsword – there are rubies and gemstones all up the side of it, and it’s got a bit of a magical aura. He wants that hat, any food, our boots… he tells us there are a thousand more all around in these chambers.
“You and your thousand friends can come over for dinner, I guess?” – Charon
He introduces himself as the Bandit King. We all try to convince him to come join us – he can get a lot more food, water, clothing, etc for free. We accidentally drop that there are multiple dimensions, and explain the cosmic stack to him. Upon finding out magic is real, he starts pacing around, and eventually throws up.
We give him some water, and he asks why it isn’t purple. His eyes light up when he tastes it, and he’s shocked that it doesn’t taste like batteries. We tell him we collect a lot of it through rain, and he’s once more shocked that we get rain without a blood sacrifice. Radovan is smiling at this scene.
Angel offers him an apple, and he very hesitantly bites into it from the bottom. We tell him he could have everything he wants and more. He kneels, placing his sword out in front of him, but we tell him to keep the sword. Andreas helps him up. He pledges his life to the Brigade, and says he’ll die for us. He introduces himself as Francis.
We ask if he’s ever thought about being a spy, and he says he’s spied before – one time he stole from Mega Death King, who apparently rules over the valley. He also tells us there were creatures outside, the winged ones, but he stayed in here, and they started going after other prey. They were attacking strong prey, who slew one of the winged ones… they were people, he thinks, but they had great machines for making fire, and one was shouting things like, “Evil-doers beware, I am here!” very loud. They went northwest of here, near the old settlement of Bad Time.
As we exit the mine, because we’re not under any pressure, we find +2 emerald, and get +2 intel from Francis as he tells us about the area. Maybe a mile away, though, we see blasts of fire arcing out into the sky, and the creatures we’d been picking up tracks on have begun to be very active. We decide to go over and take a look, and make our way over stealthily.
The area is thick with moving Arnyr – there are 3 of them in the skies, and a few dead ones on the ground. We see a few beleaguered figures amongst the rubble and trash that appear to be fighting… there’s an unconscious Goliath, a downed Dragonborn, a woman with an umbrella… and Fidelis sees a familiar figure standing on top of what appears to be a platinum coffin. It’s Anahi.
Order: Anahi → Seth → Thomas → Arnyr Drones → Andreas → Charon → Angel → Katja → Fidelis → Radovan → Francis
Anahi goes first, using hellfire on the drones that swoop toward Bart. It burns SP. Seth leaps up to use Spirit Claws on the Arnyr that’s hovering 40ft in the air, and Thomas zooms up to the drone on the ground and takes a swing, taking SP before taking another offhand swing with his new knife. The drone on its turn deals 105 against Thomas, though he reduces it by 50 dmg with immaculate dodge; on the second attack, it deals 120 dmg at Sheer I, and takes 2 health blocks from him. His movement speed is reduced by 40.
Seth is attacked, burning 1ab 1hb on the first attack, and stamina for the next. The last Arnyr drops on Anahi, knocking her unconscious – it rips her arm off and slashes her across the throat, letting her bleed, then takes the back of her head and smashes it against the side of the coffin. It then rushes toward Thomas. Andreas activates the Swirling Wind, and dashes up to grab the goliath [Kleschch], yelling at everyone to grab people and run.
Angel takes a crossbow attack at one of the Arnyr, only to find out that nonmagical dmg does nothing. Katja cocks her umbrella like a gun, and commands the shadows to leap at the closest Arnyr, taking a health block from it. She moves to stand next to Anahi, and Fidelis moves as close to them as he can.
“Nice to meet you, please don’t let her die.”
“Oh, that is my least favorite part, don’t worry.”
Radovan runs up to Angel, saying he requires blood – Angel pulls down their collar for him, and he takes 1hb (no injury), before firing red lightning at one of the Arnyr. He yells that it’s unstable, and to kill it. On Francis’s turn, he takes a peek at the scene and then hides. Andreas moves to pick up the coffin, and feels himself bursting with power… something in there dwarfs anything else he’s ever felt, and he becomes a beacon of light.
On Angel’s turn, they activate the first stage, and run up to attack one of the Arnyr with Goodbye. It beats the spirit save, but loses health blocks anyway. On Fidelis’s turn, having been knocked unconscious, the world flips upside down, and he meets Death, who tells him he has one question. Fidelis asks how he can provide the best possible help to the people of the Brigade if he goes back.
“Stop being an asshole. You put yourself before others in every way that is meaningful, and oftentimes treat others like they are not worth your glance, your worry, your time. Treat others with respect. Don’t be an asshole.”
The world flips back up, and it’s Radovan’s turn. He runs up to Thomas, and says he requires blood – he asks if Thomas trusts him. Thomas asks if he can get them out, and Radovan says getting them out is one thing, winning this fight is another. Thomas tells him to win the fight, and Radovan says he will. Radovan feeds on him, and (nonlethally) takes his last health block. He then fires at the enemy targeting Fidelis. Francis tries to hop on Seth to get out of here, but Seth throws him off.
Thomas meets Death, who tells him he has one question.
“What has Bob the devil done with my son?”
“Bob holds your son as collateral. He has taken Philip to his sanctum, a final failsafe. His goal is to make you submit to his will. No matter what, he will win. Either he will take your power, or he will take your despair. “
One of the Arnyr uses gravity crush on Seth, forcing a phys 8 save – Seth is knocked out. Andreas buffs his and Angel’s dmg rating, before swinging his spear into the Arnyr. Charon gives Anahi a peck on the forehead and sets her on the ground, before launching back into the fight, and reducing one of the Arnyr to 0. Angel takes 2 health blocks from that one.
Fidelis gets to ask Death a second question. He asks Death how many people he meets like this end up going back down there, and he says 1 in 100.
“Not everyone that I meet I give this opportunity to. Most, as they’re wavering, they waver until it’s their time. A select few like you I reach out to.”
Fidelis asks why he reaches out, and the world flips back up. Radovan runs up to Francis, and says he needs his blood. Francis is very scared, and initially refuses.
“I will rip you apart, give me your fucking neck!”
Francis allows it, and Radovan takes 2hb, since Francis isn’t using them. He uses everything he’s got to launch an attack at the one Andreas is fighting, yelling to kill it. He falls prone, looking pallid and weak. On his turn, Francis plays dead.
Seth is visited by Death on his turn, and tells him to help him get up and help his friends. Death says he’s a watcher and a guide, and does not place a hand on the scale unless to right it, but he can answer a question – that’s it. Seth says he doesn’t have any questions, and Death says they can sit together and watch.
Thomas gets another question with Death, and asks what the coffin is.
“It is the work of the Unknown Twelfth, the result of a millennium of planning and preparation, but not even I know what it contains. The Twelfth made it in secret, in a place beyond the eyes of gods or titans.”
Angel loses a health block, and their movement speed is reduced by 40ft for 1 day. Andreas loses 2ab to the Arnyr attacking him, but spends stamina on the second attack; he’s basically been dueling it alone, and uses a mini-forcefield to knock it off its balance for a second and impale it, but in order to properly kill it, has to pull his spear out and behead it.
Charon stalks forward to their next target, and declares that, “The baron of creation beckons,” before swinging on it, taking health blocks. Angel also takes health blocks from it, and activates the first stage to remove their movement penalty, before retreating back to Radovan.
Fidelis has another question.
“Why do you extend this to certain people? This conversation?”
“You are aether souls. People of import. People who can change things. You’ve given much, and it is a boon that I’m allowed to grant. It is measured by strict guidelines, ones that a mortal mind like your own could not comprehend. But it is for the best.”
Fidelis asks who sets these guidelines, and does not get an answer. Radovan just has to lie there on his turn. Seth remains sitting with Death. Thomas gets his next question.
“Has what’s left of the Primordial ring completely fallen to the Impure?”
“Yes. It has. Only Widowstone truly stood against the Impure when the Ring broke. Everything else was quickly consumed. None could stand against them, and even now, it begins to disintegrate, like the entirety of the Rings of Meropis.”
Charon taunts the Arnyr as it aims to attack her, and takes the first hit on SP, the second on 2ab – a beautiful dance of death. Andreas comes up behind it, attacking with his spear and then his dagger, getting it down to 1hb. As it squirms on the spear, he nods to Charon.
“You have no idea that your death will be so much more than your life.” – Charon
Charon deals 30dmg at Sheer II, killing it – it doesn’t use the blade much, it’s more spectral, so where the scythe slashes, it starts to unwind, like threads pulling apart… she gets to make a spirit check, and gets 4 successes. She can rewrite it into a resource, and chooses recovery. Charon rolls a d6. Its body starts to shift and alter, the threads forming into something. There’s a crackle of red lightning and energy, and she slams the scythe in. Andreas sees the coffin glow brightly, and they both feel the massive nova of energy. We get +4 recovery, and Charon looks down at the pile of stuff before it, finally seeing what she was meant to do.
The combat ends, and Andreas tells Charon she did great today, and he’d love to see it in therapy sometime. Angel helps Radovan up, and as the other party members are brought up, Radovan nods to Thomas, telling him it’s done. Thomas begrudgingly nods. Charon picks up Anahi, whose body has started to reform.
“There’s… he’s coming… he’s coming… I had to warn you… Now… now… an army… army of hell… he’s taking control… he knows where you are… we have to… these people… they were sent by the Twelfth…”
Fidelis runs up to Anahi, asking if she’s okay, and what she’s doing here. She says she came to warn the Brigade that he’s coming soon.
“You don’t get it, I have seen what he’s done. I never could have imagined it, but he did it, he did it, Fidelis… he… he got what he wanted, more than what he wanted, he wanted Corania, he wanted power, but then once he realized, once he realized what they could do, he started collecting them, he’s… he’s done it… he’s done it, Fidelis…”
“Who does he have now?”
“He has a coven. He created a coven. He has a coven of devil storm witches, and they’re coming this way. They’re gonna take the Primordial Tree.”
