hardcore.munchkin
Professional hater
2
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Fantasy Terrorchild: Awakening
- Thread starter Thread starter K0mori
- Start date Start date
Damian0358
Roleplaying Procrastinator From Elsewhere
2
demytra
the writer
2
LoriMahe
Ohoho!
1
Compel Her
New
K0mori
Servant Supreme
Option 1: 4 Votes (36% - Range: 1-36)
Option 2: 7 Votes (64% - Range: 37-100)
Fae Roll: 65
The Eldest doesn't react to your attempt, and as seconds pass in silence, and the portal to the world beyond death churns below your feet, the smile that creeps over her lips freezes the blood in your veins. "...You want to test your will against mine, Agranne? You may be a goddess, but you are not my equal - not yet."
She places her hand on the pommel of her sword as it sits in the scabbard, and a thin wisp rises between her pale fingers. The mind on which you tried to force your will now pushes back, effortlessly overwhelming you as your hand lifts and reaches toward her of its own doing. "What-" you start to react, only to have your words dry up in your mouth, her compulsion denying you any voice to speak with.
Syrith snickers coldly, shaking her head as you float there helplessly. "...Thanks to your unchecked ambitions, the two of us are going to have to learn how to get along," she teases, "or else it's going to be a very, very long eternity for both of us. Sharyx, bless her wayward heart, felt such a visceral dread at the thought that we wouldn't - and that it would destroy all that each of us creates. But she was naive... I don't really care what happens between us, now, Agranne."
"Liar!" Embryx roars. "You were just as afraid that Agranne would burn your Grand Design to the ground. You knew there was a chance she wouldn't even fix your soul, and just leave you to merge with the princess forever!"
You can't move. You want so badly to scream at Embryx to be quiet, and not incur whatever wrath Syrith might be capable of. Come to think of it, why hadn't she just killed you back in Mardenaal? She could've obliterated your soul forever, taken back her divinity, and then called down the comet's power herself. Maybe Sharyx' body wouldn't have survived the influx of divinity... You only survived because Gallanis stopped time. Syrith did it once before, when you were inducted into the coven, but that was using the power of the divinity she left in the afterlife with her necrotic construct... Gah! This is getting complicated! Shut up, Embryx! Just shut up!
Syrith begins to laugh even more cruelly than before, and it only takes you a moment to realize she isn't just laughing at Embryx, but you and your thoughts, as well, and you flush with embarrassment and anger. "...Oh yes, letting my mind be irreversibly tainted by the influence of that girl would've been unpleasant - and I do know that you suggested she not even board the ship to Zuklanar - but thankfully that's in the past, now, and all the timelines in which I languish as a shadow of my former self have passed over harmlessly... like a bad dream! On the other hand, you speak of my Design rather confidently for someone who's never heard it spoken from my lips."
Embryx looks on expectently, almost dumbfounded. Unfortunately, she wouldn't get much of an explanation to the questions on her mind.
"...Not that it would make a difference - it's beyond your mortal faculties to understand - and I do mean that without any offense intended," she concludes.
"So... What?" Corrinth speaks up. "Agranne being a goddess and also hating you isn't a problem anymore, now that you've got your soul back?"
"What's one more goddess to wage war against?" Syrith replies, flippantly, before giving a more honest answer: "...As quickly as it would satisfy my base impulses to compel your friend to give me all of the divinity back that she's stolen from me, and then you and that yappy dog that she's in love with," she mutters, pointing at Embryx, "...I'm not actually in the market for another sworn enemy, and I do realize that this is my one and only chance to show mercy, true mercy, when I have you all in the palm of my hand."
She finally turns back to you, and you feel utterly demoralized. She can only float there because of your magic, which you can't stop casting because you've become nothing but her puppet. You suddenly find your ability to speak restored, and so you use it. Unfortunately, you can't formulate a proper question, and so only two words actually escape you. "Just... What?"
Syrith crosses her arms. "Half," she replies. "...Agranne, I am offering you half of all the divinity that I've amassed over six thousand years of battling the Pantheon, to do with what you will. You'll get your Rigatte back, as I promised from the beginning, and you and your 'friends' leave this place unharmed. The Pantheon will view this as me blundering away half of my power, and it's possible that I've done just that... It remains to be seen. But for now, it will serve to convince them that it's not yet time for Zephimus to unmake the world."
"Why would he do that?" you reply.
"To kill me," she replies, flatly. "Or, more generally, to destroy anything which threatens his primacy over all creation."
Despite your utter resignation, you find the will to smirk at her. "...That sounds like the real reason the Pantheon rejected you," you reply. "You and your mortal friends wanted to overthrow the Pantheon and rule it yourselves."
"You've seen how they rule," she replies, bleakly. "They blame me for their sloth, their inaction. But they were just the same in my time, all those years ago, and with no excuse to make for it."
So she admits it, then. And if what she's saying is true - and you probably ought to take it with a grain of salt - then Zephimus has been considering destroying the world in retaliation for her rebellion, and the similar smaller rebellions it has inspired in the souls of mortals everywhere - your own included. If that's the case, then your role in Syrith's eyes has been similar to what it was in Gallanis' eyes. You were meant to avert this confrontation, and, if all else failed - win it on behalf of one side or the other. "If you're still fighting that war, then there's no way you'd leave me in peace if I have so much divinity."
"I don't care what you do with it, as long as they don't have it," she replies, disgust playing on her brow. She sighs, rubbing her temples. "...Eternity is a long time, Agranne. You might someday come to realize that I've been right all along, and then we'll work together. But that will never happen if I don't turn you loose."
You draw a long sigh to match her level of exhaustion with this discussion.
1. Half, Then - "Fine, it's a deal," you say, knowing that she must be speaking in good faith if she hasn't just compelled you to give up all of your power. You weren't planning on letting the Pantheon take your divinity away, anyway.
2. Silence - You sit in silence, too angry and too heartbroken at your own helplessness to give her an answer. You know that Embryx is watching you, and seeing you shut down. You can't even imagine the sort of fury that's brewing in her for Syrith, but by the time you try to stop her, it'll be too late.
Option 2: 7 Votes (64% - Range: 37-100)
Fae Roll: 65
The Eldest doesn't react to your attempt, and as seconds pass in silence, and the portal to the world beyond death churns below your feet, the smile that creeps over her lips freezes the blood in your veins. "...You want to test your will against mine, Agranne? You may be a goddess, but you are not my equal - not yet."
She places her hand on the pommel of her sword as it sits in the scabbard, and a thin wisp rises between her pale fingers. The mind on which you tried to force your will now pushes back, effortlessly overwhelming you as your hand lifts and reaches toward her of its own doing. "What-" you start to react, only to have your words dry up in your mouth, her compulsion denying you any voice to speak with.
Syrith snickers coldly, shaking her head as you float there helplessly. "...Thanks to your unchecked ambitions, the two of us are going to have to learn how to get along," she teases, "or else it's going to be a very, very long eternity for both of us. Sharyx, bless her wayward heart, felt such a visceral dread at the thought that we wouldn't - and that it would destroy all that each of us creates. But she was naive... I don't really care what happens between us, now, Agranne."
"Liar!" Embryx roars. "You were just as afraid that Agranne would burn your Grand Design to the ground. You knew there was a chance she wouldn't even fix your soul, and just leave you to merge with the princess forever!"
You can't move. You want so badly to scream at Embryx to be quiet, and not incur whatever wrath Syrith might be capable of. Come to think of it, why hadn't she just killed you back in Mardenaal? She could've obliterated your soul forever, taken back her divinity, and then called down the comet's power herself. Maybe Sharyx' body wouldn't have survived the influx of divinity... You only survived because Gallanis stopped time. Syrith did it once before, when you were inducted into the coven, but that was using the power of the divinity she left in the afterlife with her necrotic construct... Gah! This is getting complicated! Shut up, Embryx! Just shut up!
Syrith begins to laugh even more cruelly than before, and it only takes you a moment to realize she isn't just laughing at Embryx, but you and your thoughts, as well, and you flush with embarrassment and anger. "...Oh yes, letting my mind be irreversibly tainted by the influence of that girl would've been unpleasant - and I do know that you suggested she not even board the ship to Zuklanar - but thankfully that's in the past, now, and all the timelines in which I languish as a shadow of my former self have passed over harmlessly... like a bad dream! On the other hand, you speak of my Design rather confidently for someone who's never heard it spoken from my lips."
Embryx looks on expectently, almost dumbfounded. Unfortunately, she wouldn't get much of an explanation to the questions on her mind.
"...Not that it would make a difference - it's beyond your mortal faculties to understand - and I do mean that without any offense intended," she concludes.
"So... What?" Corrinth speaks up. "Agranne being a goddess and also hating you isn't a problem anymore, now that you've got your soul back?"
"What's one more goddess to wage war against?" Syrith replies, flippantly, before giving a more honest answer: "...As quickly as it would satisfy my base impulses to compel your friend to give me all of the divinity back that she's stolen from me, and then you and that yappy dog that she's in love with," she mutters, pointing at Embryx, "...I'm not actually in the market for another sworn enemy, and I do realize that this is my one and only chance to show mercy, true mercy, when I have you all in the palm of my hand."
She finally turns back to you, and you feel utterly demoralized. She can only float there because of your magic, which you can't stop casting because you've become nothing but her puppet. You suddenly find your ability to speak restored, and so you use it. Unfortunately, you can't formulate a proper question, and so only two words actually escape you. "Just... What?"
Syrith crosses her arms. "Half," she replies. "...Agranne, I am offering you half of all the divinity that I've amassed over six thousand years of battling the Pantheon, to do with what you will. You'll get your Rigatte back, as I promised from the beginning, and you and your 'friends' leave this place unharmed. The Pantheon will view this as me blundering away half of my power, and it's possible that I've done just that... It remains to be seen. But for now, it will serve to convince them that it's not yet time for Zephimus to unmake the world."
"Why would he do that?" you reply.
"To kill me," she replies, flatly. "Or, more generally, to destroy anything which threatens his primacy over all creation."
Despite your utter resignation, you find the will to smirk at her. "...That sounds like the real reason the Pantheon rejected you," you reply. "You and your mortal friends wanted to overthrow the Pantheon and rule it yourselves."
"You've seen how they rule," she replies, bleakly. "They blame me for their sloth, their inaction. But they were just the same in my time, all those years ago, and with no excuse to make for it."
So she admits it, then. And if what she's saying is true - and you probably ought to take it with a grain of salt - then Zephimus has been considering destroying the world in retaliation for her rebellion, and the similar smaller rebellions it has inspired in the souls of mortals everywhere - your own included. If that's the case, then your role in Syrith's eyes has been similar to what it was in Gallanis' eyes. You were meant to avert this confrontation, and, if all else failed - win it on behalf of one side or the other. "If you're still fighting that war, then there's no way you'd leave me in peace if I have so much divinity."
"I don't care what you do with it, as long as they don't have it," she replies, disgust playing on her brow. She sighs, rubbing her temples. "...Eternity is a long time, Agranne. You might someday come to realize that I've been right all along, and then we'll work together. But that will never happen if I don't turn you loose."
You draw a long sigh to match her level of exhaustion with this discussion.
1. Half, Then - "Fine, it's a deal," you say, knowing that she must be speaking in good faith if she hasn't just compelled you to give up all of your power. You weren't planning on letting the Pantheon take your divinity away, anyway.
2. Silence - You sit in silence, too angry and too heartbroken at your own helplessness to give her an answer. You know that Embryx is watching you, and seeing you shut down. You can't even imagine the sort of fury that's brewing in her for Syrith, but by the time you try to stop her, it'll be too late.
turtwigwins
Member
1
dikdik
colossal leaf and prince of the universe
- One on One
- Group
- Nation Building
- Off-site
111111111111111111
Breadman
Big loaf supreme
2
LoriMahe
Ohoho!
2
hardcore.munchkin
Professional hater
1
Damian0358
Roleplaying Procrastinator From Elsewhere
1
demytra
the writer
2
bat_hacker
Junior Member
2
Infab
The Demon Fanatic
- Group
- Dice
2
Silence
New
K0mori
Servant Supreme
Option 1: 4 Votes (44% - Range: 1-44)
Option 2: 5 Votes (56% - Range: 45-100)
Fae Roll: 88
As seconds pass without your answer, Syrith's eyes betray a growing uncertainty. You keep waiting for her to lose patience - to take what she wants without your consent, as she's clearly capable of doing. Instead, she hesitates along with you, and you get the sense that she's overwhelmed with yet more visions of the future and where your lack of compromise might lead the two of you. "Agranne...?" she questions, and when it fails to shake a response loose from you, she repeats herself, growing more urgent by the moment. "Agranne!"
This final, almost frantic attempt is echoed by an enraged battle cry.
You look up just in time to catch the glint of light coming off of Embryx' war-scythe as she sprints to the edge of the portal and leaps into the air. She must be trying to break Syrith's concentration so you can break free of her hex - but in all likelihood, Syrith already knows that she's coming and Embryx is about to give her life for nothing!
"NO!" you cry out, but it's no use - you can't even restrain her with telekinesis, because Syrith still has you in her compulsive grip for a moment longer, and you're forced to watch as she turns and whips her blade out of its scabbard, smashing it against the scythe and deflecting its tip away. Embryx' armored body crashes into the goddess, at last giving you a reprieve from the hex that's been keeping you helpless until now. You have no time to think - you pull them in opposite directions as quickly as you can, trying to separate them and bring Embryx back to the safety of solid ground, before Syrith can kill her...
...And only too late do you realize what you've done.
As their collision had brought the two of them so close together that their arms and weapons had encircled the other from the impact, pulling them apart so recklessly led to the war-scythe ripping into Syrith's flank, while her sword met with Embryx' neck just under the jaw and sliced halfway through in a spray of blood. The two drow land on opposite sides of the portal - Syrith staggering and falling to the ground, clutching her side and screaming in pain, while Embryx barely touches the stone floor before her head sags unnervingly and her body collapses like a ragdoll.
"OH GODS!" Corrinth screams, covering her mouth. "AGRANNE!"
You instantly teleport to Embryx' side, forgetting about Syrith and everything you had just been trying to negotiate before, and frantically working to rewrite your divine runes so that you can cast another lifesaving healing spell - just as you did in Mardenaal. Seconds pass... too many seconds. Embryx' blood is gushing onto the cavern floor and all over your hands and boots. Her eyes glaze over as life escapes her in buckets. "...you were right," she mouths silently to you.
...Knowing how I am, it would probably be my fault.
The words crash over you like a tsunami. It's true - Syrith had practically begged you for a truce, and in the split second she had to react, had merely knocked Embryx' blade aside... She hadn't intended to harm her, and it was your mistake which cost your lover and best friend her life. Your magic soon stitches the wound closed as she falls utterly still, and as you take up her lifeless hand and squeeze it, manic, agonized, horrible thoughts flow through you - what self-destructive lengths, what sacrifices you would go to in order to undo your error!
You let go of her, clawing at your head and gouging deep scratches into your own skin as you let loose an agonized scream that reverberates throughout the grotto, down into the endless expanse beyond the portal, so loud that Embryx' dead soul might hear you there. You had imagined this moment before, at your worst moments, but you had always feared it would be an enemy who would steal your love away, or that you would strike her down in the midst of a manic episode. You imagined yourself as an out-of-control maelstrom of vengeance and rage, but now, you hear your voice echoing back to you, and far from your supposed godhood, you hear only the helpless girl you were before your awakening.
Why...? What was the point of any of this!?
A pair of boots set down hard on your side of the portal as Syrith nears you. "What are you doing!?" she blasts in disgust. "When did you give up on yourself!?"
"She's already gone!" you snap, before adding hatefully: "It's just like you told me, and I didn't believe you... I could've had them both back!"
"Idiot!" she spits, holding her sword out so that the tip points at Embryx' lifeless body. A wisp of dark magic slips from the blade and Embryx' body jolts, her chest rising and falling as air fills her lungs once more - a necrotic construct to render her body an empty vessel, ready for a soul. "...Haven't you figured out that the rules of resurrection were my own, and I can change them at any time? Even when I was only capable of granting resurrections every hundred years, I could've allowed for two, three, ten, or a hundred to be revived if I deemed it necessary and fresh vessels were plentiful - but I didn't want my divinity to be wasted on anyone but the very best, whose lives would better serve my goals in this world than the next!"
"Then you're saying we can just grab Embryx out of... there... and put her back in her body?" Corrinth stammers.
Syrith shakes her head. "You two can't do anything useful, here, but I can do it easily, if, and only if Agranne stops playing games and gives me back my-"
"Take it..." You relent. "Take whatever you want, just give them back to me."
Corrinth quickly runs to you, shaking you by the shoulders to get your attention. "Agranne, are you sure you know what you're-"
"Yes. I'm sure," you reply, reaching out to Syrith, whose expression softens a great deal as she locks eyes with you. She places her sword back in its scabbard and places her hand in yours. You aren't sure how to surrender your divinity, and Syrith knows it. Almost immediately, you feel the icy chill of compulsion settle into you as she guides you towards your capitulation. As the power leaves you, you sense a hollowing out - as if the unknowable lengths of your abilities have become measured, and you are something akin to a mortal again - even though you know that you will never be.
And then, the feeling halts. Syrith releases your hand and takes a step back towards the portal. "...There," she declares. "Half - just as I promised."
"You're letting me-" you start to sputter, but then realize that you shouldn't be surprised at all that Syrith honored her terms - she wouldn't have suggested them in the first place if she didn't believe that it was the most advantageous solution for the myriad futures in which you encounter each other again. You shake your head as if to dismiss your earlier disbelief, as you have new questions. "...Why do you trust me with this? What do you still see in my future?"
"...I'm about to set right some of your past mistakes," she replies, bleakly. "Beyond that... I know who you are. You're so much like I was, once, that I don't trust my mysticism any longer. Now, heal my wound, Agranne, before I waste any time on my own runes."
Dumbfoundedly, you oblige her, granting her a healing spell as she draws her sword once more, pointing it at the sleeping sacrifice from Venza's lot, and giving it a gentle tug that rips the soul loose. Another idle twirl, and the body begins to breathe once more. Then, a deep red glow pools in her eyes and at the tips of her fingers, so much more elegantly than you're capable of doing. With a few deft turns of her wrist, she alters the runes of the vessel to impart the divine name of a tabaxi as well as a changeling upon the body. By the time she's finished sculpting the form, and turns her attention to the portal, the vessel is perfect, and you begin to cry.
"Bring the vessel closer, fae," Syrith instructs Corrinth. She then turns to you, and beckons you to join her at the portal's edge.
It's... It's really happening, isn't it?
Your body feels stiff and foreign to you as you lay on a hard, stone surface. Your eyes open, and all is dark beyond a gentle, red glow. You turn your head to the source, and gradually six figures emerge from the blur. They're close enough that you could touch them, if you only had the strength to lift your arm, and they're staring at you: a goblin and a tiefling whom you've never seen before... A human girl you're certain isn't really human - Corrinth... Two drow - silver and black like the moon and the heavens at night... Embryx and...? It might as well be the specter of death itself. And... And...
Your eyes fall on Agranne.
Agranne. Oh, Gods. Agranne.
She's been crying, inconsolably, so drained of herself from carrying an impossible burden for so long that you couldn't possibly understand it, but at the very least you can appreciate it, because to some miniscule degree you feel it within yourself. The three years since you left home, the two since your death, and the agonizing wait between visits and bursts of insight into the world of the living have left you exhausted to the point that you hardly know what it is to hope at all anymore, and yet, she's close enough now - no you're close enough now, you can...
You lift your hand and reach to her, but the color isn't what it should be. It's positively ghostly. What have you become? Before you can retract it, and examine yourself, Agranne reaches out to you from where she's seated on this cave floor and grabs onto your hand with both of her own. Her voice croaks some incoherent sound to you, her words lost to her. "...Is it?" she finally forces out.
"Rigatte?" Corrinth asks, crouching down to have a better look at you. You piece together that something must've happened to Embryx, here - something which nearly killed her. The chamber is scattered with the remains of several witches who must have fought her for control of the ritual. Corrinth had been standing in order to give Agranne and Embryx enough personal space to comfort each other. But now, she sees an opportunity to play a role in what's unfolding here, as the color drains from her skin and hair, leaving her the same ghostly white as...
As you - Agranne's put your soul in the body of a changeling. The moment you understand, you come to grips with the otherness in your bones, your muscles, your skin. You know what you should be, and it's only a matter of seconds before your desires manifest themselves, a wonderful tingling feeling running through you as it blooms, until, at last, your hand fits between hers the way it always did before.
"...I- I'm back," you stutter, and your wreck of a sister disappears, a cloud of smoky darkness enveloping the place where she was and the place where she now is, positioned between you and Embryx and trying her absolute damnedest to wrap you both into the same hug. Your wheeling mind can wait, explanations can wait - the world can wait.
All that's ever mattered is this moment.
"It's okay," Rigatte replies. "...I can't believe you really did it," she says.
You swallow hard. "Yeah..."
"...How did you do it?" Embryx asks gently.
You answer her question without regards to the fact that it will reveal that her sacrifice had been in vain. "Syrith did it... I took the deal."
"Syrith?" Rigatte repeats, looking to the others in confusion. Syrith stares down at her from above, silently and intensely, and your sister's eyes widen immediately in alarmed understanding. "Oh..." she gasps.
Embryx bares her teeth at the Eldest. "You used my death to manipulate her?"
"You weren't supposed to die at all - that was purely your own doing! I made her a god at my own expense - all that I promised, I delivered," she replies coldly. "What would you have preferred I do instead?" She snaps before turning her attention back to Rigatte. "You... I give you my word that I have no further intentions for you-"
"Did you say my sister is a god!?" Rigatte explodes.
You shrug, helplessly. "I told you I'd explain as soon as I could...!"
A long discussion ensues, and by the end of a half hour, Rigatte fully understands what took place since your last conversation, and it begins to dawn on everyone that at some point, likely in the very near future, you will be confronted by Zephimus and the gods of the pantheon in order to answer for your actions. All throughout, Syrith remains quiet and brooding, either lost in memories of ages past, or plotting something for the future. You genuinely hope that you won't become so estranged from the present moment as you adjust to your new role as a divine being.
But as the conversation comes to a conclusion, Syrith finally speaks again.
"Agranne," she says with a coldness that unnerves you, "If I had correctly predicted that we would need more than one vessel, I'd have prevented you from killing off Venza's circle. This portal will only function if I'm present, and so this is our only opportunity to resurrect the fallen, at least for a long time."
You look at her sideways. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying you have two other vessels," she says, placing her hand on the pommel of her sword and compelling Raka and Rheyah into silence and stillness.
1. Inexcusable - You think of the people you've known and lost throughout your adventure, and what their absence has done to you and your allies. As much as it pains you, you couldn't possibly excuse sacrificing two bystanders to have them back. You shake your head. "...Just let them go," you reply.
2. Do What You Will - You have more than two friends that you wish you could revive, and don't want to be burdened with the guilt of choosing. At the same time, you don't particularly care about the fates of your two last-minute allies. "It's your ritual; revive who you want," you reply, blandly. "...Just not Diala, alright?"
3. One More Evil Act - (Players: Choose two of the following for another chance at life: Kulka, Ika, Stalna, Veralt)
Option 2: 5 Votes (56% - Range: 45-100)
Fae Roll: 88
As seconds pass without your answer, Syrith's eyes betray a growing uncertainty. You keep waiting for her to lose patience - to take what she wants without your consent, as she's clearly capable of doing. Instead, she hesitates along with you, and you get the sense that she's overwhelmed with yet more visions of the future and where your lack of compromise might lead the two of you. "Agranne...?" she questions, and when it fails to shake a response loose from you, she repeats herself, growing more urgent by the moment. "Agranne!"
This final, almost frantic attempt is echoed by an enraged battle cry.
You look up just in time to catch the glint of light coming off of Embryx' war-scythe as she sprints to the edge of the portal and leaps into the air. She must be trying to break Syrith's concentration so you can break free of her hex - but in all likelihood, Syrith already knows that she's coming and Embryx is about to give her life for nothing!
"NO!" you cry out, but it's no use - you can't even restrain her with telekinesis, because Syrith still has you in her compulsive grip for a moment longer, and you're forced to watch as she turns and whips her blade out of its scabbard, smashing it against the scythe and deflecting its tip away. Embryx' armored body crashes into the goddess, at last giving you a reprieve from the hex that's been keeping you helpless until now. You have no time to think - you pull them in opposite directions as quickly as you can, trying to separate them and bring Embryx back to the safety of solid ground, before Syrith can kill her...
...And only too late do you realize what you've done.
As their collision had brought the two of them so close together that their arms and weapons had encircled the other from the impact, pulling them apart so recklessly led to the war-scythe ripping into Syrith's flank, while her sword met with Embryx' neck just under the jaw and sliced halfway through in a spray of blood. The two drow land on opposite sides of the portal - Syrith staggering and falling to the ground, clutching her side and screaming in pain, while Embryx barely touches the stone floor before her head sags unnervingly and her body collapses like a ragdoll.
"OH GODS!" Corrinth screams, covering her mouth. "AGRANNE!"
You instantly teleport to Embryx' side, forgetting about Syrith and everything you had just been trying to negotiate before, and frantically working to rewrite your divine runes so that you can cast another lifesaving healing spell - just as you did in Mardenaal. Seconds pass... too many seconds. Embryx' blood is gushing onto the cavern floor and all over your hands and boots. Her eyes glaze over as life escapes her in buckets. "...you were right," she mouths silently to you.
...Knowing how I am, it would probably be my fault.
The words crash over you like a tsunami. It's true - Syrith had practically begged you for a truce, and in the split second she had to react, had merely knocked Embryx' blade aside... She hadn't intended to harm her, and it was your mistake which cost your lover and best friend her life. Your magic soon stitches the wound closed as she falls utterly still, and as you take up her lifeless hand and squeeze it, manic, agonized, horrible thoughts flow through you - what self-destructive lengths, what sacrifices you would go to in order to undo your error!
You let go of her, clawing at your head and gouging deep scratches into your own skin as you let loose an agonized scream that reverberates throughout the grotto, down into the endless expanse beyond the portal, so loud that Embryx' dead soul might hear you there. You had imagined this moment before, at your worst moments, but you had always feared it would be an enemy who would steal your love away, or that you would strike her down in the midst of a manic episode. You imagined yourself as an out-of-control maelstrom of vengeance and rage, but now, you hear your voice echoing back to you, and far from your supposed godhood, you hear only the helpless girl you were before your awakening.
Why...? What was the point of any of this!?
A pair of boots set down hard on your side of the portal as Syrith nears you. "What are you doing!?" she blasts in disgust. "When did you give up on yourself!?"
"She's already gone!" you snap, before adding hatefully: "It's just like you told me, and I didn't believe you... I could've had them both back!"
"Idiot!" she spits, holding her sword out so that the tip points at Embryx' lifeless body. A wisp of dark magic slips from the blade and Embryx' body jolts, her chest rising and falling as air fills her lungs once more - a necrotic construct to render her body an empty vessel, ready for a soul. "...Haven't you figured out that the rules of resurrection were my own, and I can change them at any time? Even when I was only capable of granting resurrections every hundred years, I could've allowed for two, three, ten, or a hundred to be revived if I deemed it necessary and fresh vessels were plentiful - but I didn't want my divinity to be wasted on anyone but the very best, whose lives would better serve my goals in this world than the next!"
"Then you're saying we can just grab Embryx out of... there... and put her back in her body?" Corrinth stammers.
Syrith shakes her head. "You two can't do anything useful, here, but I can do it easily, if, and only if Agranne stops playing games and gives me back my-"
"Take it..." You relent. "Take whatever you want, just give them back to me."
Corrinth quickly runs to you, shaking you by the shoulders to get your attention. "Agranne, are you sure you know what you're-"
"Yes. I'm sure," you reply, reaching out to Syrith, whose expression softens a great deal as she locks eyes with you. She places her sword back in its scabbard and places her hand in yours. You aren't sure how to surrender your divinity, and Syrith knows it. Almost immediately, you feel the icy chill of compulsion settle into you as she guides you towards your capitulation. As the power leaves you, you sense a hollowing out - as if the unknowable lengths of your abilities have become measured, and you are something akin to a mortal again - even though you know that you will never be.
And then, the feeling halts. Syrith releases your hand and takes a step back towards the portal. "...There," she declares. "Half - just as I promised."
"You're letting me-" you start to sputter, but then realize that you shouldn't be surprised at all that Syrith honored her terms - she wouldn't have suggested them in the first place if she didn't believe that it was the most advantageous solution for the myriad futures in which you encounter each other again. You shake your head as if to dismiss your earlier disbelief, as you have new questions. "...Why do you trust me with this? What do you still see in my future?"
"...I'm about to set right some of your past mistakes," she replies, bleakly. "Beyond that... I know who you are. You're so much like I was, once, that I don't trust my mysticism any longer. Now, heal my wound, Agranne, before I waste any time on my own runes."
Dumbfoundedly, you oblige her, granting her a healing spell as she draws her sword once more, pointing it at the sleeping sacrifice from Venza's lot, and giving it a gentle tug that rips the soul loose. Another idle twirl, and the body begins to breathe once more. Then, a deep red glow pools in her eyes and at the tips of her fingers, so much more elegantly than you're capable of doing. With a few deft turns of her wrist, she alters the runes of the vessel to impart the divine name of a tabaxi as well as a changeling upon the body. By the time she's finished sculpting the form, and turns her attention to the portal, the vessel is perfect, and you begin to cry.
"Bring the vessel closer, fae," Syrith instructs Corrinth. She then turns to you, and beckons you to join her at the portal's edge.
It's... It's really happening, isn't it?
---
Awakening
You stir.Awakening
Your body feels stiff and foreign to you as you lay on a hard, stone surface. Your eyes open, and all is dark beyond a gentle, red glow. You turn your head to the source, and gradually six figures emerge from the blur. They're close enough that you could touch them, if you only had the strength to lift your arm, and they're staring at you: a goblin and a tiefling whom you've never seen before... A human girl you're certain isn't really human - Corrinth... Two drow - silver and black like the moon and the heavens at night... Embryx and...? It might as well be the specter of death itself. And... And...
Your eyes fall on Agranne.
Agranne. Oh, Gods. Agranne.
She's been crying, inconsolably, so drained of herself from carrying an impossible burden for so long that you couldn't possibly understand it, but at the very least you can appreciate it, because to some miniscule degree you feel it within yourself. The three years since you left home, the two since your death, and the agonizing wait between visits and bursts of insight into the world of the living have left you exhausted to the point that you hardly know what it is to hope at all anymore, and yet, she's close enough now - no you're close enough now, you can...
You lift your hand and reach to her, but the color isn't what it should be. It's positively ghostly. What have you become? Before you can retract it, and examine yourself, Agranne reaches out to you from where she's seated on this cave floor and grabs onto your hand with both of her own. Her voice croaks some incoherent sound to you, her words lost to her. "...Is it?" she finally forces out.
"Rigatte?" Corrinth asks, crouching down to have a better look at you. You piece together that something must've happened to Embryx, here - something which nearly killed her. The chamber is scattered with the remains of several witches who must have fought her for control of the ritual. Corrinth had been standing in order to give Agranne and Embryx enough personal space to comfort each other. But now, she sees an opportunity to play a role in what's unfolding here, as the color drains from her skin and hair, leaving her the same ghostly white as...
As you - Agranne's put your soul in the body of a changeling. The moment you understand, you come to grips with the otherness in your bones, your muscles, your skin. You know what you should be, and it's only a matter of seconds before your desires manifest themselves, a wonderful tingling feeling running through you as it blooms, until, at last, your hand fits between hers the way it always did before.
"...I- I'm back," you stutter, and your wreck of a sister disappears, a cloud of smoky darkness enveloping the place where she was and the place where she now is, positioned between you and Embryx and trying her absolute damnedest to wrap you both into the same hug. Your wheeling mind can wait, explanations can wait - the world can wait.
All that's ever mattered is this moment.
---
Once you've hugged her long enough to be convinced that Embryx and Rigatte's resurrections are real, you finally lift your head. "...I'll tell you everything," you assure your sister, "just... Just give me some time. So much happened."
"It's okay," Rigatte replies. "...I can't believe you really did it," she says.
You swallow hard. "Yeah..."
"...How did you do it?" Embryx asks gently.
You answer her question without regards to the fact that it will reveal that her sacrifice had been in vain. "Syrith did it... I took the deal."
"Syrith?" Rigatte repeats, looking to the others in confusion. Syrith stares down at her from above, silently and intensely, and your sister's eyes widen immediately in alarmed understanding. "Oh..." she gasps.
Embryx bares her teeth at the Eldest. "You used my death to manipulate her?"
"You weren't supposed to die at all - that was purely your own doing! I made her a god at my own expense - all that I promised, I delivered," she replies coldly. "What would you have preferred I do instead?" She snaps before turning her attention back to Rigatte. "You... I give you my word that I have no further intentions for you-"
"Did you say my sister is a god!?" Rigatte explodes.
You shrug, helplessly. "I told you I'd explain as soon as I could...!"
A long discussion ensues, and by the end of a half hour, Rigatte fully understands what took place since your last conversation, and it begins to dawn on everyone that at some point, likely in the very near future, you will be confronted by Zephimus and the gods of the pantheon in order to answer for your actions. All throughout, Syrith remains quiet and brooding, either lost in memories of ages past, or plotting something for the future. You genuinely hope that you won't become so estranged from the present moment as you adjust to your new role as a divine being.
But as the conversation comes to a conclusion, Syrith finally speaks again.
"Agranne," she says with a coldness that unnerves you, "If I had correctly predicted that we would need more than one vessel, I'd have prevented you from killing off Venza's circle. This portal will only function if I'm present, and so this is our only opportunity to resurrect the fallen, at least for a long time."
You look at her sideways. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying you have two other vessels," she says, placing her hand on the pommel of her sword and compelling Raka and Rheyah into silence and stillness.
1. Inexcusable - You think of the people you've known and lost throughout your adventure, and what their absence has done to you and your allies. As much as it pains you, you couldn't possibly excuse sacrificing two bystanders to have them back. You shake your head. "...Just let them go," you reply.
2. Do What You Will - You have more than two friends that you wish you could revive, and don't want to be burdened with the guilt of choosing. At the same time, you don't particularly care about the fates of your two last-minute allies. "It's your ritual; revive who you want," you reply, blandly. "...Just not Diala, alright?"
3. One More Evil Act - (Players: Choose two of the following for another chance at life: Kulka, Ika, Stalna, Veralt)
demytra
the writer
3 - Kulka and Veralt
Breadman
Big loaf supreme
3- Kulka and Ika
dikdik
colossal leaf and prince of the universe
- One on One
- Group
- Nation Building
- Off-site
3 - Kulka and Veralt
turtwigwins
Member
1
hardcore.munchkin
Professional hater
3 - Kulka and Veralt
LoriMahe
Ohoho!
3 - Kulka and Veralt
Damian0358
Roleplaying Procrastinator From Elsewhere
3 - Kulka and Stalna
THEKAZUHA_ANEMO
𝐖𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐀𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐝
- One on One
- Group
3 - Kulka and Veralt
One More Evil Act
New
K0mori
Servant Supreme
Option 1: 1 Vote (13% - Range: 1-13)
Option 3: 7 Votes (88% - Range: 14-100)
Fae Roll: 16
The moment the Eldest makes the suggestion, shock and betrayal falls over the faces of Raka and Rheyah, who twitch and fidget, but are unable to move or make a sound. Regardless of whether you use them or not, their goddess has just treated them as utterly disposable in favor of others who have already lived their lives and met their end - and may not even be loyal to the coven after tonight. They look to you for mercy, terrified out of their wits.
But what difference is there, really, between these two and the members of Venza's circle that you killed, without even learning their names?
You look to Embryx, first. She seems hesitant to give her opinion, but finally realizes there's no use in pretending she has some deeper moral foundation to trouble you with. "...It's up to you, but I saw what's on the other side, and you've seen it too; I can think of a few people that I'd like to have back in this world so they're not stuck down there," she explains, grimly gesturing to the inky pit. "And besides, we have no idea who Rigatte's body belonged to before the ritual; they might've been a good person, but that's not really what we're trying for here."
Rigatte speaks up afterwards: "It's my body now, and that's as far as I feel like thinking about it," she mutters, before giving a dejected sigh. She's clearly unhappy with the nature of the ritual, and especially at the thought of several bystanders dying to satisfy your whims. "I'm sorry that bringing me back came with this sort of a cost, but if you're happy that it was paid, then I guess that's what's important - you should only bring them back if you'd be missing that sort of happiness after the fact," she says, cautiously.
"So who's at the top of the list, then? It's got to be Kulka, right?" Corrinth asks. She looks back to Raka and Rheyah, whose expressions have turned utterly furious at your allies' input. She clears her throat. "You two can be as angry as you like, but you joined Lythrefang... This sort of shit comes with the territory. I mean, you two didn't even like Agranne or care about her quest, did you? You just came along so she wouldn't kill you when we were on the boat."
You nod to Corrinth's original suggestion as you agree, grimly. "...Yeah, it's going to be Kulka. I'm sorry to you both," you say, turning back towards the soon-to-be-sacrificed, "but I'm caught between Syrith and the rest of the gods right now and I could really use some guidance and some strong allies. Besides, without Kulka, imagine how many other witches are going to die while the power struggle shakes out."
"What about the other one?" Embryx asks, a glimmer in her eye as she becomes a bit hopeful. "...Maybe Ika? Or Stalna...?"
The idea of choosing between the two makes you a little sick to your stomach, as one was Embryx' best friend before you arrived and your destiny disrupted things in Tashlaan, and the other will be a source of guilt that'll follow your love for the rest of her days. It's at that moment that you realize that there's another option which would be more pragmatic. "...No," you say, shaking your head. "Embryx, I promise you that if I ever get another chance to bring them back, I will. But right now, I'm thinking of someone else."
By her expression, you can tell that Embryx is utterly lost and has no idea who you're talking about. "Who, then?" she asks quietly. Corrinth, meanwhile, is rapt with curiosity, apparently unconcerned on a personal level, as there's no one you'd revive with any importance to her.
...But she's wrong. "Veralt."
"What!?" Embryx repeats, practically offended by the choice, but when she glances over at Corrinth and sees the utter amazement that your decision has left her with, she begins to grasp what you've realized. With a sane mind, Corrinth has proven herself a faithful ally to you, and a revived Veralt would be utterly dedicated to her. He was an extremely capable warlock who never stood a chance in battle against you due to the extreme degree that his plans went awry - and only then, because of his distress at the thought of Corrinth's fate. Things will be different, this time; Embryx and especially Corrinth knows it.
A moment later, Corrinth shakes off her disbelief and tries to dissuade you. "Agranne, no..."
"It's okay," Embryx interrupts. "...I already got what I wanted," she says with a sad smile, patting you on the shoulder. You know that deep down, she still longs for them. And you meant it when you said you'd try to get them back someday, even if it means cutting another deal with Syrith, who's stood back throughout this entire discussion with an evil little smile that kindles hatred in your heart.
Corrinth swallows, trying to hold back tears. "...Thank you," she says to both you and Embryx. "Thank you so, so much."
And then Embryx, your ever-patient, ever-forgiving, ever-understanding lover, steps over to the woman who had nearly killed her not long ago, a woman she had tried to take revenge on twice over, and throws her arms around her in a tight hug.
Meanwhile, you turn away, looking at the unfortunate souls you've condemned to die, and confronting the other side of this saccharine coin. "...For what it's worth, you did well, and I'll make sure your final wishes are carried out," you say, drawing up a hex to take hold of their souls. "Now... goodbye."
You glide up the stairs to the upper chamber of Edniewebotm as your followers excitedly chatter behind you. Their rebirths had been filled with much more confusion than the two that came before: Kulka had initially assumed, when she saw Sharyx' face staring down at her, that the princess' plan had worked, and that you were the one possessed with the soul of Syrith. When you revealed the truth, and then the wider truth, Kulka was predictably astonished at the outcome. She had many questions for Syrith, but the Eldest declined to answer. Time is short, she declared. Come meet me in Aelesh when matters between Agranne and the Pantheon have been settled, and order has been restored in Turadal and Sonnamille.
From there, Kulka demanded to know three things:
"Where is Callypseae?"
"Dead."
"Good. How did she die?"
"She drowned in the Sea of Cassia."
"Ha! ...Where's my cane?"
"Seith has it."
"Oh, that fucker. Eldest sister - please tell him to give me my fucking cane back!"
Syrith ignored the request, of course. You had all turned your attention to Veralt's resurrection which, you realized, would require a lot of explanation. With a bit of mutual agreement, you and the Eldest decided not to answer any of the warlock's questions, leaving the responsibility entirely to Corrinth in order to save time. Moments after his soul was placed within the vessel which was once Rheyah, but was now a male tabaxi changeling, his eyes fluttered open in confusion, and upon seeing Corrinth's face, he audibly cried out, shocking himself and everyone else.
"I... I can speak!" he spoke, his voice unremarkable, but affected by his unfamiliarity with the practice. He sounded much like a deaf person whose hearing had been absent since birth, much like his muteness had been during his first life.
Corrinth squealed aloud with joy before informing him of his changeling nature, and as soon as he latched onto the sensation and restored his former appearance, she tackled him to the cave floor and kissed him.
Back to the present moment, you grin back at Kulka, happy to finally see the green of her vibrant eyes and the youthful spring in her step - a version of your mentor that had disappeared many years before you were born, but who's nonetheless joyous to be back in the world again. "Yeah," you reply, "you've got a whole bottle swimming around in your gut right now," you tell her. "When's the last time you've been drunk, anyway?"
"The night before I became a lich!" she replies. "I was a cranky old hag, but I could've made Upa blush that night. And then... I had to be stone sober before I made the leap into undeath."
You tease her. "Not even a nip? Something to build a little confidence?"
"Not all of us can be cavalier with our souls and turn out as gods, Agranne," she teases back, before hopping a little bit over the next few steps of the stairway, marveling at her ease of movement. "...Gods! It's good to be back. Not just here, but alive! Young! I knew you were worth every bit of my faith, Agranne."
Faith. It's easy to love the word; no one in your childhood had faith in you but Rigatte, but now... You've made miracles happen - dark miracles, but miracles nonetheless - and your friends and followers are prepared to stand by you whether you're right or wrong. But faith can also bring trouble. You may soon have followers - as you did when you were the Terrorchild who waged war against the crown of Turadal - who view you as a savior. They may see you as a path to a new era, or even to their personal salvation...
If they pray to the new goddess, Agranne... How will you answer their prayers?
A hand slips into yours and your fingers interlock, breaking you free from this sudden concern. You check and find Embryx squeezing your hand, and you gently carry her aloft in your telekinesis until the two of you glide free of the cave's entrance, skating the air in the silvery moonlight. Kulka bounds out behind you, grinning from ear to ear, followed closely by Rigatte, admiring you and your gifts with every ounce of her being. Corrinth and Veralt stumble out afterwards, with her jabbering away with the unbridled joy of a lovestruck teenager (although she's not quite that young), and him, quiet and content to listen instead of struggling with his newfound voice (although he occasionally laughs and hums his amusement).
Behind them all, unconnected with the elation and celebration, Syrith stalks up the steps. Her pace is slow, her expression detached. One look and you're certain - she's lived all of this before, in her own life, and in glimpses of your future. She has no true friends or companions, and has outlived her desire to find them. She has unlimited lifetimes to reach her destination, and has outgrown her need to hurry. She lifts her gaze and gives you a smirk - she knows you know these things about her. She believes that one day, you will be standing in her shoes. One day, you will be reflecting on your mistakes, your missteps, and your miscalculations.
And on that day, when you have outlived your friends and any desire to replace them, and your heart is as black as hers, you will join her, and all that you've taken will be returned tenfold.
Lightning strikes out of the clear night sky.
You turn about quickly, and find a ring of divine runes have been blasted into the soil of the island near the ice of the river. A brilliant azure light rises from the center, and soon, around the edges, five smaller rings form and give rise to an equal number of figures. The Pantheon's five most notable gods have come to speak with you, led, of course, by Zephimus himself. A tall and well-muscled human in ancient garb, his illustrious black beard reaches to his abdomen.
Beside him is Vestria, the elven goddess of nature and health, Karal, the dwarven goddess of justice, commerce, and war, Upa, the goblin god of merrymaking, and of course, Gallanis, the human god of charity and scholarship.
You set Embryx down on the ground and walk up to meet Zephimus, your friends and allies in tow, while Syrith stands back near the entrance to Edniewebotm, where she's shortly thereafter joined by Seith and Venza, who have been waiting on the surface since the Eldest sent them away. "...Well?" you address him, tiredly.
He frowns and crosses his arms. "...I'm not impressed, Gallanis," he says after a moment, looking back over his shoulder. "This is the one who was going to set the world back onto the right track?"
"I won't say I'm not disappointed," Gallanis sighs, although his gaze is directed to the cave on the hill, and not at you directly. "...But, all things considered, this was a step in the right direction."
"Agreed," says Vestria. "Syrith lost half of her divinity tonight, and wasted even more trying to placate our new goddess. And she is... you are an interesting one," she adds, becoming the first of the gods to directly address you since their arrival. "Not at all a good influence, but far from the worst."
Zephimus shakes his head angrily. "I've made myself abundantly clear; there will be no more mortals within the Pantheon. This one is a perfect example of their inability to resist temptation."
Karal glares at you intensely - the same way Embryx looks at your enemies. "She's killed innocents just for the fun of it. It doesn't matter if she's not quite as evil as Syrith; she's beyond salvaging."
"This whole damned world is beyond salvaging..." Zephimus grumbles.
Upa goes slack-jawed and slaps himself on the knees, playing up his reaction. "Hey now, hey now! We all make mistakes when we're having fun, but you and Gallanis are the ones who decided she'd be a hexblood in the first place!"
"I'd have thought you'd have had this conversation before showing up here," you interrupt, impatiently. "What did you come here for?"
Zephimus stares at you hatefully, as if struggling to will himself into saying what he needs to say. "...We've come to bargain for your divinity. I can tolerate your godhood if it remains a mere technicality, and all of your power is vested in more responsible hands. Your 'patron' has made a very convincing case that you'd be open to reason, and I would like to see it myself," he explains, sarcastically.
"Agranne, it's for the good of the entire world; give up what you stole from Syrith, and you'll have us halfway to restoring light across the entire world already. That's a great accomplishment for a mortal, and beyond my efforts to bring you comfort and relief from life's suffering for the remainder of your natural years, we would try to provide balance to the narrative that mortals are bound to create about your exploits."
"Balance?" you reply, tiredly.
"...Wouldn't you want the world - or at least some part of it - to appreciate and be thankful for the work you've done for us?"
You cock your head. "I didn't do it for you. I only did what I thought was best, or at least fun," you add, glancing hatefully towards Karal, before returning Zephimus' sarcasm in kind. "I did my best to be as miserable as you originally planned for me, o merciful creator, but you see, I lost the path somewhere around the time you let your light-worshippers burn my sister to death. Do you think-"
"Agranne, please, we've heard all of these arguments before while peeking into the future. If your venom could change our minds, then it would've done so already," Gallanis pleads, looking positively miserable.
Vestria nods in agreement. "Please calm yourself, child."
"Fine," you say with a heavy shrug. "Make your fucking offer, then."
Zephimus offers:
A. Dead and Loving It - Zephimus explains that Syrith's afterlife is empty because she refuses to invest any divinity into improving it. With 10% of your power, he could make it much more comfortable for those trapped within, although it still won't be paradise.
B. Iona's "Redemption" - Zephimus discloses that Iona is currently in his hell for her heretical worship of Syrith and her support of the coven. He promises to mark her as a witch and grant her one night of life, allowing her to be inducted into Lythrefang and be relegated to Syrith's afterlife.
Vestria offers:
C. The Elven Rebuke - Vestria admits that she's turned a blind eye to the elves of Sonnamille's attitudes towards the other races due to their devout worship and the excessive hardship they've suffered at the hands of Chasamein and the tabaxi. She promises that she'll re-teach the elves that all living creatures are sacred, and that prejudice against other races is sacrilege.
D. That the Blind May See - Vestria hasn't forgotten the way you healed a woman in Enthaan who was shunned by clerics professing to worship her. She promises to reform the doctrine of clerics, demanding that they heal all that they can reach, regardless of whether they're perceived as deserving.
Karal offers:
E. Witch Hunt Reform - Karal acknowledges that Rigatte's death, like many others perpetrated against witches by hunters, was unjustified. Your efforts to overthrow the monarchy of Turadal will effectively end witch hunts in that land, but across the rest of Gondia, Karal promises that witch hunters will no longer be encouraged to kill witches on sight.
F. Royal Mages with Witchcraft - Karal states that once Turadal begins to field witches along with mages in its royal army, other kingdoms will consider doing the same, granting a great deal of prestige and honor among the witches who serve. Karal promises that these programs will be successful throughout Gondia.
Upa offers:
G. A Holiday in Your Honor - Upa explains that in the coming years and decades, your actions in Turadal will be misremembered to a certain degree as being more justified than they actually were. He says that he will inspire your admirers to throw a celebration in your name each year, so that your legend can continue to be enriched with embellishments.
H. Faerie Wine, Far and Wide - Upa suggests that the vast spread of fae influence in Turadal will spread to other kingdoms, and quickly. He promises to use your divinity to soften the world's stance on the fae and allow those who are fae-touched to remain in good standing with their communities.
Gallanis offers:
I. Tickets to Paradise - Gallanis makes you a very tempting offer: on death, Embryx and Rigatte will be allowed to enter his version of heaven, widely acknowledge to be the most lavish of all. You, however, are immortal, and will not be able to enter.
J. No Child Left Behind - Gallanis swears that with 10% of your divinity, he'll be able to impress upon the people of Gondia that allowing children to languish hungry and uneducated is a mortal sin.
Option 3: 7 Votes (88% - Range: 14-100)
Fae Roll: 16
The moment the Eldest makes the suggestion, shock and betrayal falls over the faces of Raka and Rheyah, who twitch and fidget, but are unable to move or make a sound. Regardless of whether you use them or not, their goddess has just treated them as utterly disposable in favor of others who have already lived their lives and met their end - and may not even be loyal to the coven after tonight. They look to you for mercy, terrified out of their wits.
But what difference is there, really, between these two and the members of Venza's circle that you killed, without even learning their names?
You look to Embryx, first. She seems hesitant to give her opinion, but finally realizes there's no use in pretending she has some deeper moral foundation to trouble you with. "...It's up to you, but I saw what's on the other side, and you've seen it too; I can think of a few people that I'd like to have back in this world so they're not stuck down there," she explains, grimly gesturing to the inky pit. "And besides, we have no idea who Rigatte's body belonged to before the ritual; they might've been a good person, but that's not really what we're trying for here."
Rigatte speaks up afterwards: "It's my body now, and that's as far as I feel like thinking about it," she mutters, before giving a dejected sigh. She's clearly unhappy with the nature of the ritual, and especially at the thought of several bystanders dying to satisfy your whims. "I'm sorry that bringing me back came with this sort of a cost, but if you're happy that it was paid, then I guess that's what's important - you should only bring them back if you'd be missing that sort of happiness after the fact," she says, cautiously.
"So who's at the top of the list, then? It's got to be Kulka, right?" Corrinth asks. She looks back to Raka and Rheyah, whose expressions have turned utterly furious at your allies' input. She clears her throat. "You two can be as angry as you like, but you joined Lythrefang... This sort of shit comes with the territory. I mean, you two didn't even like Agranne or care about her quest, did you? You just came along so she wouldn't kill you when we were on the boat."
You nod to Corrinth's original suggestion as you agree, grimly. "...Yeah, it's going to be Kulka. I'm sorry to you both," you say, turning back towards the soon-to-be-sacrificed, "but I'm caught between Syrith and the rest of the gods right now and I could really use some guidance and some strong allies. Besides, without Kulka, imagine how many other witches are going to die while the power struggle shakes out."
"What about the other one?" Embryx asks, a glimmer in her eye as she becomes a bit hopeful. "...Maybe Ika? Or Stalna...?"
The idea of choosing between the two makes you a little sick to your stomach, as one was Embryx' best friend before you arrived and your destiny disrupted things in Tashlaan, and the other will be a source of guilt that'll follow your love for the rest of her days. It's at that moment that you realize that there's another option which would be more pragmatic. "...No," you say, shaking your head. "Embryx, I promise you that if I ever get another chance to bring them back, I will. But right now, I'm thinking of someone else."
By her expression, you can tell that Embryx is utterly lost and has no idea who you're talking about. "Who, then?" she asks quietly. Corrinth, meanwhile, is rapt with curiosity, apparently unconcerned on a personal level, as there's no one you'd revive with any importance to her.
...But she's wrong. "Veralt."
"What!?" Embryx repeats, practically offended by the choice, but when she glances over at Corrinth and sees the utter amazement that your decision has left her with, she begins to grasp what you've realized. With a sane mind, Corrinth has proven herself a faithful ally to you, and a revived Veralt would be utterly dedicated to her. He was an extremely capable warlock who never stood a chance in battle against you due to the extreme degree that his plans went awry - and only then, because of his distress at the thought of Corrinth's fate. Things will be different, this time; Embryx and especially Corrinth knows it.
A moment later, Corrinth shakes off her disbelief and tries to dissuade you. "Agranne, no..."
"It's okay," Embryx interrupts. "...I already got what I wanted," she says with a sad smile, patting you on the shoulder. You know that deep down, she still longs for them. And you meant it when you said you'd try to get them back someday, even if it means cutting another deal with Syrith, who's stood back throughout this entire discussion with an evil little smile that kindles hatred in your heart.
Corrinth swallows, trying to hold back tears. "...Thank you," she says to both you and Embryx. "Thank you so, so much."
And then Embryx, your ever-patient, ever-forgiving, ever-understanding lover, steps over to the woman who had nearly killed her not long ago, a woman she had tried to take revenge on twice over, and throws her arms around her in a tight hug.
Meanwhile, you turn away, looking at the unfortunate souls you've condemned to die, and confronting the other side of this saccharine coin. "...For what it's worth, you did well, and I'll make sure your final wishes are carried out," you say, drawing up a hex to take hold of their souls. "Now... goodbye."
---
"What is this? Gin?" Kulka asks, smacking her tongue and lips. "I haven't had gin in decades..."
You glide up the stairs to the upper chamber of Edniewebotm as your followers excitedly chatter behind you. Their rebirths had been filled with much more confusion than the two that came before: Kulka had initially assumed, when she saw Sharyx' face staring down at her, that the princess' plan had worked, and that you were the one possessed with the soul of Syrith. When you revealed the truth, and then the wider truth, Kulka was predictably astonished at the outcome. She had many questions for Syrith, but the Eldest declined to answer. Time is short, she declared. Come meet me in Aelesh when matters between Agranne and the Pantheon have been settled, and order has been restored in Turadal and Sonnamille.
From there, Kulka demanded to know three things:
"Where is Callypseae?"
"Dead."
"Good. How did she die?"
"She drowned in the Sea of Cassia."
"Ha! ...Where's my cane?"
"Seith has it."
"Oh, that fucker. Eldest sister - please tell him to give me my fucking cane back!"
Syrith ignored the request, of course. You had all turned your attention to Veralt's resurrection which, you realized, would require a lot of explanation. With a bit of mutual agreement, you and the Eldest decided not to answer any of the warlock's questions, leaving the responsibility entirely to Corrinth in order to save time. Moments after his soul was placed within the vessel which was once Rheyah, but was now a male tabaxi changeling, his eyes fluttered open in confusion, and upon seeing Corrinth's face, he audibly cried out, shocking himself and everyone else.
"I... I can speak!" he spoke, his voice unremarkable, but affected by his unfamiliarity with the practice. He sounded much like a deaf person whose hearing had been absent since birth, much like his muteness had been during his first life.
Corrinth squealed aloud with joy before informing him of his changeling nature, and as soon as he latched onto the sensation and restored his former appearance, she tackled him to the cave floor and kissed him.
Back to the present moment, you grin back at Kulka, happy to finally see the green of her vibrant eyes and the youthful spring in her step - a version of your mentor that had disappeared many years before you were born, but who's nonetheless joyous to be back in the world again. "Yeah," you reply, "you've got a whole bottle swimming around in your gut right now," you tell her. "When's the last time you've been drunk, anyway?"
"The night before I became a lich!" she replies. "I was a cranky old hag, but I could've made Upa blush that night. And then... I had to be stone sober before I made the leap into undeath."
You tease her. "Not even a nip? Something to build a little confidence?"
"Not all of us can be cavalier with our souls and turn out as gods, Agranne," she teases back, before hopping a little bit over the next few steps of the stairway, marveling at her ease of movement. "...Gods! It's good to be back. Not just here, but alive! Young! I knew you were worth every bit of my faith, Agranne."
Faith. It's easy to love the word; no one in your childhood had faith in you but Rigatte, but now... You've made miracles happen - dark miracles, but miracles nonetheless - and your friends and followers are prepared to stand by you whether you're right or wrong. But faith can also bring trouble. You may soon have followers - as you did when you were the Terrorchild who waged war against the crown of Turadal - who view you as a savior. They may see you as a path to a new era, or even to their personal salvation...
If they pray to the new goddess, Agranne... How will you answer their prayers?
A hand slips into yours and your fingers interlock, breaking you free from this sudden concern. You check and find Embryx squeezing your hand, and you gently carry her aloft in your telekinesis until the two of you glide free of the cave's entrance, skating the air in the silvery moonlight. Kulka bounds out behind you, grinning from ear to ear, followed closely by Rigatte, admiring you and your gifts with every ounce of her being. Corrinth and Veralt stumble out afterwards, with her jabbering away with the unbridled joy of a lovestruck teenager (although she's not quite that young), and him, quiet and content to listen instead of struggling with his newfound voice (although he occasionally laughs and hums his amusement).
Behind them all, unconnected with the elation and celebration, Syrith stalks up the steps. Her pace is slow, her expression detached. One look and you're certain - she's lived all of this before, in her own life, and in glimpses of your future. She has no true friends or companions, and has outlived her desire to find them. She has unlimited lifetimes to reach her destination, and has outgrown her need to hurry. She lifts her gaze and gives you a smirk - she knows you know these things about her. She believes that one day, you will be standing in her shoes. One day, you will be reflecting on your mistakes, your missteps, and your miscalculations.
And on that day, when you have outlived your friends and any desire to replace them, and your heart is as black as hers, you will join her, and all that you've taken will be returned tenfold.
Lightning strikes out of the clear night sky.
You turn about quickly, and find a ring of divine runes have been blasted into the soil of the island near the ice of the river. A brilliant azure light rises from the center, and soon, around the edges, five smaller rings form and give rise to an equal number of figures. The Pantheon's five most notable gods have come to speak with you, led, of course, by Zephimus himself. A tall and well-muscled human in ancient garb, his illustrious black beard reaches to his abdomen.
Beside him is Vestria, the elven goddess of nature and health, Karal, the dwarven goddess of justice, commerce, and war, Upa, the goblin god of merrymaking, and of course, Gallanis, the human god of charity and scholarship.
You set Embryx down on the ground and walk up to meet Zephimus, your friends and allies in tow, while Syrith stands back near the entrance to Edniewebotm, where she's shortly thereafter joined by Seith and Venza, who have been waiting on the surface since the Eldest sent them away. "...Well?" you address him, tiredly.
He frowns and crosses his arms. "...I'm not impressed, Gallanis," he says after a moment, looking back over his shoulder. "This is the one who was going to set the world back onto the right track?"
"I won't say I'm not disappointed," Gallanis sighs, although his gaze is directed to the cave on the hill, and not at you directly. "...But, all things considered, this was a step in the right direction."
"Agreed," says Vestria. "Syrith lost half of her divinity tonight, and wasted even more trying to placate our new goddess. And she is... you are an interesting one," she adds, becoming the first of the gods to directly address you since their arrival. "Not at all a good influence, but far from the worst."
Zephimus shakes his head angrily. "I've made myself abundantly clear; there will be no more mortals within the Pantheon. This one is a perfect example of their inability to resist temptation."
Karal glares at you intensely - the same way Embryx looks at your enemies. "She's killed innocents just for the fun of it. It doesn't matter if she's not quite as evil as Syrith; she's beyond salvaging."
"This whole damned world is beyond salvaging..." Zephimus grumbles.
Upa goes slack-jawed and slaps himself on the knees, playing up his reaction. "Hey now, hey now! We all make mistakes when we're having fun, but you and Gallanis are the ones who decided she'd be a hexblood in the first place!"
"I'd have thought you'd have had this conversation before showing up here," you interrupt, impatiently. "What did you come here for?"
Zephimus stares at you hatefully, as if struggling to will himself into saying what he needs to say. "...We've come to bargain for your divinity. I can tolerate your godhood if it remains a mere technicality, and all of your power is vested in more responsible hands. Your 'patron' has made a very convincing case that you'd be open to reason, and I would like to see it myself," he explains, sarcastically.
"Agranne, it's for the good of the entire world; give up what you stole from Syrith, and you'll have us halfway to restoring light across the entire world already. That's a great accomplishment for a mortal, and beyond my efforts to bring you comfort and relief from life's suffering for the remainder of your natural years, we would try to provide balance to the narrative that mortals are bound to create about your exploits."
"Balance?" you reply, tiredly.
"...Wouldn't you want the world - or at least some part of it - to appreciate and be thankful for the work you've done for us?"
You cock your head. "I didn't do it for you. I only did what I thought was best, or at least fun," you add, glancing hatefully towards Karal, before returning Zephimus' sarcasm in kind. "I did my best to be as miserable as you originally planned for me, o merciful creator, but you see, I lost the path somewhere around the time you let your light-worshippers burn my sister to death. Do you think-"
"Agranne, please, we've heard all of these arguments before while peeking into the future. If your venom could change our minds, then it would've done so already," Gallanis pleads, looking positively miserable.
Vestria nods in agreement. "Please calm yourself, child."
"Fine," you say with a heavy shrug. "Make your fucking offer, then."
---
THE FINAL CHOICE
The Pantheon is offering the following wishes, each of which can be granted for 10% of Agranne's power. Each option must receive 5 votes at minimum to be accepted. Each player may vote for any number of choices that they please by listing them, e.g. A, B, F, H... or vote with the word "None" to select none of them.THE FINAL CHOICE
- If less than three choices are taken...
- If at least three choices are taken...
- If at least six choices are taken...
- If at least eight choices are taken...
Zephimus offers:
A. Dead and Loving It - Zephimus explains that Syrith's afterlife is empty because she refuses to invest any divinity into improving it. With 10% of your power, he could make it much more comfortable for those trapped within, although it still won't be paradise.
B. Iona's "Redemption" - Zephimus discloses that Iona is currently in his hell for her heretical worship of Syrith and her support of the coven. He promises to mark her as a witch and grant her one night of life, allowing her to be inducted into Lythrefang and be relegated to Syrith's afterlife.
Vestria offers:
C. The Elven Rebuke - Vestria admits that she's turned a blind eye to the elves of Sonnamille's attitudes towards the other races due to their devout worship and the excessive hardship they've suffered at the hands of Chasamein and the tabaxi. She promises that she'll re-teach the elves that all living creatures are sacred, and that prejudice against other races is sacrilege.
D. That the Blind May See - Vestria hasn't forgotten the way you healed a woman in Enthaan who was shunned by clerics professing to worship her. She promises to reform the doctrine of clerics, demanding that they heal all that they can reach, regardless of whether they're perceived as deserving.
Karal offers:
E. Witch Hunt Reform - Karal acknowledges that Rigatte's death, like many others perpetrated against witches by hunters, was unjustified. Your efforts to overthrow the monarchy of Turadal will effectively end witch hunts in that land, but across the rest of Gondia, Karal promises that witch hunters will no longer be encouraged to kill witches on sight.
F. Royal Mages with Witchcraft - Karal states that once Turadal begins to field witches along with mages in its royal army, other kingdoms will consider doing the same, granting a great deal of prestige and honor among the witches who serve. Karal promises that these programs will be successful throughout Gondia.
Upa offers:
G. A Holiday in Your Honor - Upa explains that in the coming years and decades, your actions in Turadal will be misremembered to a certain degree as being more justified than they actually were. He says that he will inspire your admirers to throw a celebration in your name each year, so that your legend can continue to be enriched with embellishments.
H. Faerie Wine, Far and Wide - Upa suggests that the vast spread of fae influence in Turadal will spread to other kingdoms, and quickly. He promises to use your divinity to soften the world's stance on the fae and allow those who are fae-touched to remain in good standing with their communities.
Gallanis offers:
I. Tickets to Paradise - Gallanis makes you a very tempting offer: on death, Embryx and Rigatte will be allowed to enter his version of heaven, widely acknowledge to be the most lavish of all. You, however, are immortal, and will not be able to enter.
J. No Child Left Behind - Gallanis swears that with 10% of your divinity, he'll be able to impress upon the people of Gondia that allowing children to languish hungry and uneducated is a mortal sin.
turtwigwins
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