The Fall of Pale Oak

On By ravonlockeIn Journal, MiskaLeave a comment

In the end, it was our fault. Too eager to please and do right. Wanting to protect humanity from the Chaos. We wanted it to be true, and so we did not ask questions. We wanted to be heroes, strong and proud, and we nearly destroyed the peace and lives of so many. This is how Tree Lord Pale Oak fell, but worry not, for from even just a seed, he shall rise again.

We were sent to Greywater Fastness, myself, Miska Lightningstrike, Fjul, and Morbash. Fose was supposed to go with us, but they fell ill. Perhaps it would have gone differently, if the priestess had guided our way. It was not long, in a city such as that, for word to travel of our arrival. The people were glad to see us, and soon we were greeted by our contact.

Runelord Shot Anvilbreaker said we had arrived just in time, and we should come have a drink with him to learn of our mission. The urgency is what go to us, thinking back on it now. He told us of the tentative truce between the city and the swamp beyond. That in order to keep trade routes safe, the city sent offerings every year, but something had gone wrong. This year’s offering had been sent a week ago, but the envoy had not returned. A group from the very council, missing. He was worried both for their safety, and the safety of the entire Greywater Fastness, if the offering did not arrive. He asked us to go into the swamp, to find them and complete the offering if we could, and to bring their bodies back if the worst had happened. He drew us a rough map of where they had gone. Again, it was conveyed with such a sense of urgency, Morbash was ready to leave right then and there. But the Runelord paid for our food and drink and a room for the night, so we stayed, to leave at first light.

If you have never been to the Ghoul Mere, do not go. It is more than a swamp, but a corruption of the land. Sewage and waste pours out of the Fastness, and the lands are thick with decay and stagnant, stinking water and mud. There are no tracks to follow here, and we have only a crude map to guide us. It is no wonder that soon we see skeletons picked clean poking up from the waters. And only slightly surprising when Chain Rasps rise up to attack, but such things do not stand in our way for long.

Deeper we travel, through tangle and muck, and begin to see bone fetishes hanging from various trees. The small creatures which had surrounded us earlier have gone quiet. Carefully, we approach a mound of earth, certain that this had been the envoy’s destination, in our foolish pride. Spiked Revenants emerge from all around us, hungrily circling, but not attacking. Morbash steps forward to greet them, explaining that we are looking for an envoy from the council, gone missing.

Deep, thrumming footsteps approach, and the massive Tree Lord Pale Oak steps into the clearing. He recognizes my companions as Soulbound and asks why we have come to his lands. We explain that we are looking for the humans who were bringing him gifts,. He says they may have gotten lost and were taken by the creatures of the swamp. Morbash asks where he thinks we might look. He tells us that his people have not seen them, but that there is a darkness in the swamp. One that he cannot push back nor clear.

Morbash asks if he speaks of the Rasps, but he says their weapons are anathema to the dead. There are other things here, that worship twisted, dark life. Things that ravage his kind and that they dare not fight. Now Morbash is even more interested, itching for a fight, as always. Tree Lord Pale Oak says they are twisted things, life, but with a darkness, a taint upon it. Morbash is ready to rush right off, but I ask where we might find them, and Tree Lord Pale Oak scratched a rough map in the mound. He warns that they are twisted beyond recovery, beyond all but the goddess’ touch to cleanse, and allows us safe passage from his children.

We head off in a new direction, oblivious of the damage we have caused. The swamp is worse, now, if more fecund. Thick mold, moss, and fungus cover every surface. There are no animals here, just corpses covered in maggots. Everything is dying and living on death. I lead the group through this tainted landscape until we happen upon a dozen Zombie Dryads. Fjul sets them on fire, as I shoot one down, and then we are surrounded. They pose slightly more challenge than the Rasps, but Chaos does not stand against Stormcast nor Soulbond long.

As we continue on, the parasitic life grows even thicker, and flies feeding on corpses fill the air. As does a strange throaty singing of a disturbingly jaunty tune. I send Aswisa forward to take a look, and she sees bloated, rotten creatures with their guts falling out. A dozen of them, in a circle, singing their simple song. We sneak forward, but the Plague Bearers hear us coming and turn. We send them back into the swamp, to rot like everything else, but our enemies grow in strength with each step we take in this putrid place.

The trees thin out as the fungus takes over, and I am able to fly higher out of the muck to keep watch. Fjul does not seem to be taking the swamp well, but Morbash keeps an eye on him. We hear singing again, but deeper, ringing through the swamp. Aswisa scouts ahead again for us, to a large clearing with a pool on a hillock, covered in squirming maggots and bile. In the center, a stone ring of small menhirs and clear water in the center. Three figures stand around this pool, bloated figures with mouths in their stomachs and exposed wounds with small creatures inside. The Blight Kings are mixing together some liquids in a small bowl as we sneak near.

They fall, as all creatures of Chaos must, into the foul twisted nature they wished to commit us to, singing to the Great Grandfather. When they have fallen and we investigate what they have done, we find that they were trying to make Grandfather Essence, to pollute this sacred well. They will not have it this day. We move the bodies away, and sit to take our rest. We will spend the night here, to be sure no others come. The envoy is surely lost to these creatures, we will have to return and get a new offering to present. Or so we think, in our arrogance.

The morning dawns and we head for the city, back the way we came. When we escape the tainted lands, back into Sylvaneth territory, we find what our folly has wrought. The remnants of a great battle. The Revenants are scattered, and Tree Lord Pale Oak has fallen, killed by guns and larger munitions. Not only that, but all of their soulpods have been ripped from their chests. We hurry on, afraid of what this might mean, and find the city preparing for war.

Recruitment

On By ravonlockeIn Journal, Quill1 Comment

Spy Master,

This new group is already high profile and the faction requests came pouring in. Current recruiters and their factions, and an odd new player. Also, we have a ghost named Lif who was murdered by the previous owners. He’s going to stay on and bartend for us.

Pistachio Goldenspring: an ancient elf forming a College of Spirits with Catbard.

Jareth Fhaulkon of Fhaulkonmere of the Emerald Enclave enticed Candlekeep to join him. (He keeps saying his name is Nevitash, but who cares, he’s my way into the Library.)

The Blackstaff, Vajra Saffahr, invited us to the Tower and I got a Griffon feather! Oh, and Mary Mouseman joined up with her Force Grey for research purposes and Orange for destructive purposes.

Ranaer bought Catbard some tickets to the Opera, so I went with, and we met with Mert, who is a Harper, but he said they’re supposed to be secret, but he wasn’t very secret. Catbard is trying to be secret though, so maybe we keep this between us? (She says her name is Page of a Book, but that’s just silly.)

Savara Bellabronta, some big shiny knight, walked right into our closed tavern and set herself down, inviting us to join her Order of the Gauntlet. The Big Guy seemed interested in her bid to destroy evil.

A guy named Jarlaster tried to get folk to join the Lords Alliance, but no one was interested in that.

Late one night, Red says a flying snake visited him, with a scroll from Davell Starsong. He let me come with him to meet and hear all about the Zhentarim cause. I almost agreed, just to see what would happen, but I didn’t want to cause a mess for you, Spy Master.

Then, another evening, Lif starts pouring a drink for someone who isn’t there. I sure hope all these people come back when we’re open. You should come too, Spy Master, one of the nights. We’re going to have a wonderful opening night. This time, though, it’s the mind-eater from the sewer, and he’s got two brain pets with him. He said he had to research us, and also that they are after the Dragon Horde, not conflict with the Zhents.

He tried to get into my head! He wanted to eat my brain, Spy Master! But I fought him off, he didn’t get me. But he did get Red. After he left, Red touched the brain pet he left behind, and he’s going to give him his blood.

~ Quill Scratcher

The Volo Job, Part Two

On By ravonlockeIn Journal, Quill1 Comment

Ranaer explains to the guards what happened and the Captain asks him to stop by the Hall to give a full statement. They take our prisoner and we head out while they clean up the mess of dead bodies. We still have to find Floon. (Note: Fix in previous report before submitting to Spy Master.) Ranaer takes us to a place nearby called the Friendly Flounder to rest and heal after the fighting. Red is pretty sure everyone is going to know about all of us by the next day. That seems bad.

When everyone is rested, we head back out and find a sewer grate near the warehouse and, heading down, find the yellow signs on the wall that Click Switch mentioned. It’s that half a wagon wheel we saw in the tattoos. So, we follow them, and find weird, small, eye-monsters waiting. We squash them all and keep going until we find a secret door. Inside, we find goblins sleeping on the job. We accidentally kill several of them before the rest give up and talk.

There’s a big room ahead, with a big circle, and then a long room where the Boss is. So, we go take a look. Candlekeep says the big room and circle might be teleportation of some sort. In the next room, we find Floon, Grumshar of the Xanathar Guild, as well as a mind-eater with a creepy mind voice. He calls us ‘unexpected guests,’ and says that ‘if any of you survive, we should chat later,’ and to ‘prove your worth.” Then he just walks out, right past us.

Grumshar calls in two half orcs to fight with him against us and we seize the opportunity. My new friends are powerful and we took them, and the mind-eater’s pet brain, down with little trouble. Red rushes out to see if the mind-eater is waiting to chat, but it is not. Floon is very grateful for the rescue and offers us any help we might need in the future. He said they were asking him about the Stone of Gondar. Ranaer says he thought it was a myth, that it’s a key to a grand treasure hidden for his father’s return. He had just assumed his father took everything with him, and says it explains all the fighting.

We all head back to meet with Volo, who gets us dinner, drinks, and rooms for the night. Ranaer adds his thanks, and his offer to help should we need it, if we’re mostly on the up and up. In the morning, instead of paying us, Volo gives us the deed to a manor house – Trollskull Manor, up in the North Ward. This is so strange. I barely know these people and they are all ready to live together and create a dinner theatre out of this old, broken building.

~ Quill Scratcher

The Volo Job, Part One

On By ravonlockeIn Journal, Quill1 Comment

Spy Master,

The Big Man had a big job today. Gathered up the Grunges, the Cat Bard, the Mouseman, and even Candlekeep. Said Volothamp Geddarm needed some work done and took us all to the Yawning Portal. It’s a strange place, Spy Master. Trolls and Stirges came right up out of a big whole in the middle of the room. But we helped the Barman put them down and he gave us free drinks.

Volo said that the Zhentarim and the Xanathar Guild have been fighting a gang war in the streets. The Grunges were interested in joining up, and did not seem to care which side. That’s not the problem though, Volo’s friend Floom Blagmar is missing, and maybe taken. From near the Skewered Dragon on Snail Street, two nights ago. He wants to pay us to find him, and everyone likes money, so we agree.

On the way down, we see half dozen corpses in the road, and three bloody men being arrested by the guards. I don’t look too closely, too much blood, but the others start mumbling about a flying snake tattoo and a semi-circle wheel tattoo. I think the flying snake is like yours, Spy Master, and they say the other is the Xanthar folk. Don’t worry, I didn’t tell them anything.

Down near the Skewered Dragon, there’s a shop with a giant, purple, stuffed eye monster in the window. I head for the tavern, but everyone else goes in the shop, so I close my eyes and followed them in. Everything is purple, everything. Even Xoblob, the gnome owner. Red starts buying stuff to get him to talk, and soon everyone is buying things. I even found a tiny book of ship manifests with the most interesting names.

Xoblob tells us that Floom was with another guy who looked just like him, and they got attacked by a group of men right outside the tavern. One of the men had a flying snake tattoo on his neck, but Xoblob didn’t stick around to see what happened.

We head to the tavern, and spread out to talk with folk. Floom’s friend was Daggult Neverember’s son Renaer. The men that attacked them had been inside the tavern and followed them out. There’s a warehouse up on Candle Lane with a flying snake on the door, some old drunk told us, so we head out.

It isn’t hard to find, and the street is fairly quiet. Red jumps up top to take a look, but only found an upper storage room. He and Orange decide to do something called Plan Haunted Doll. Red and Cat Bard head up to the Roof and the rest of us head around back. Orange and Candlekeep want to get through the gate to the back door so we can go in at the right time, but they make a terrible noise getting the chain off.

No one comes running out to stop us, so we sneak in. I stay well back from these noisy men. The Big Man’s steps are so loud, and Mouseman has a Construct with him! There’s a weird voice coming from inside, and Orange says it’s time to go in. He and Candlekeep head in first, and get jumped almost immediately. There’s a lot of fighting then, and too much dying.

When it stops, there are twelve dead Zhentarims that we didn’t kill, and seven dead Kenku that we did, and one still alive Kenku that Red questions. His name is Click Switch, and Red offers to join the Xanathar Guild, because they took out all the Zhents, and fought so well. Click Switch tells him what their orders were: Follow the Yellow Signs in the Sewers, Tie Up the Pretty Boy in the Back Room, Get him to the Boss.

We split up then, Cat Bard, Orange, and I go upstairs and the others search downstairs. We find some paintings and some silver, and I get two more proper manifests to add to my collection off the boxes. When we get back down, they’ve pulled a guy out of a back room. Says his name is Ranaer and the half orcs took Floom by mistake. Then the City Guard arrive, but Ranaer says he’ll deal with them.

The Chioces of Gods and Men

On By ravonlockeIn Journal, TristiaLeave a comment

We stare in shock as the bombs fall over the Bronx and the mobs rush across the East River. Wiest appears in the sky, raining her fire that is not fire down upon them. Clouds of luminous gas billows out from the dead. Klyce’s shout for us to DO Something! breaks our spell, and Gerhard takes most of us to Police Plaza. I rise immediately into the sky, bringing up a Storm of Vengeance upon the third line of faithful crossing the river. Gerhard and Maribeth join Wiest above the first and second waves. Dalish starts rallying the troops and giving orders below, sending Remy to the north with an army at his heels to take on the fourth wave. Behind us, Nat and Klyce take care of the airship, sending it into the bay before Klyce turns into Dragon and brings Nat in on red wings to join the fight at the river.

My storm keeps raging, far longer than it should, as I remember what it felt like those years ago in the Wrathbone mine, to Be the Green Witch. When it falters, I take control of the winds, to keep Dalish and Police Plaza safe while he commands the troops. Maribeth turns most of the river into a rocky mirage, slowing the troops, but not stopping them as Gerhard runs out of fire, and Wiest abandons the field of battle. Dalish and I head for the riverbed where he raises thousands of the dead and turns them back on the faithful.

Nat says we have to get to the church, we have to get to the source, so we stop fighting in the river and fly across to Brooklyn. Gathering above the temple, mana is redistributed and we take a breath, but not a break. We cannot wait, people are dying in the streets. Golden gas is coming up from the sewers. Only half of Pendleton’s men made it out of the Bronx.

Gerhard teleports us down to the workroom we all remembered so well from the time bubble. Nat could not see in there, but it was not protected against teleport. We land safely, and see that it has been used as some sort of ritual room. An altar in an alcove to the side, and all the benches and lockers gone. Everything s coated in a sickly pink flesh.

Klyce goes to the iron doors, back in his demon form now, to rip them open. Shadows in the corner ripple, and the Black and Red knights step out, with Aranea. The king has decided the city is worth saving. As we walk, Aranea fixes the weakness Nat’s last wish has caused her, allowing her to again wield her new sword. Klyce tells the Black Knight that he will fix his arm if we all survive, but the knight just shrugs. The tunnel is dark, but the brightness ahead grows quickly as we descend into the chamber with the severed head of the giant worm, still trapped in its bubble.

The flesh here covers every inch of floor, wall, ceiling, and machinery. It is also beginning to cover the time bubble in the center of the pit. There are body parts here, too, but far too many. Arms, legs, eyes, mouths, floating in the fleshy goo. The flight I have gifted everyone is still working, so only the knights dare step in it. The Archdeacon Wood is here, and dares ask if we have reconsidered.

No more than you, Archdeacon, it’s time to end this.

Wood rises up into the air, but Gerhard counters whatever it was he wanted to do. I cast out a chain lightning, but it does not reach him. Remy’s bullets, however, do. Aranea tries a different magic, but it is stopped as well. The Black Knight heads for the pit and the Red Knight rockets up to the machinery to begin burning away the flesh. Dalish calls up an illusory dragon to burn the flesh from the time bubble, and Maribeth follows suit. Nat tries to curse Wood, but it just falls away. Klyce begins chanting to his sword about being vengeance, and this many being most worthy of it and flies right up to Wood and throws him to the ground. Wood begins laughing joyously, that Klyce is giving in to his power here, at the source of his god, but we don’t have time to do anything else. Remy shouts for us all to do the same.

Nat, calling upon his godly power, manages to pull a few spells off of Wood, and I call up some holy lightning. The others begin pulling harder on their power to burn the flesh, and Klyce stays on Wood, dragging him down to the ground again and again, as he calls upon the flesh of the room to punish us all. I see pain in the faces of my friends, and some mana escapes from Nat is a blue puff, but they seem mostly alright, and I didn’t feel a thing.

Remy attempts to wish our that this room work like a machine, draining our divinity back into us. The room warps and the machinery changes and we are suddenly all connected in that agonizing way that only a mana machine can do. Wood is exstatic> “Exactly as you foresaw! Yes!” Klyce grabs him and they disappear down into the pit. The Red Knight ditches the fight and the Black Knight is nowhere to be seen. At Remy’s urging, we all try to take back our power while continuing to burn the flesh as we can. Aranea casts spells to assist us, but the fight is hard, for even unthinking, Garion’s will is strong.

Nat, using her sword as a focus, manages to pull the Dawnmother’s essence out, but Gerhard falls to the ground. Aranea continues to help and heal, but we struggle. Wood reappears at the top just as Dalish reabsorbs the Stoneman’s essence. Nat stabs the flesh one more time, and the flesh goes limp all around us and her soul-eating sword shatters. Wood tries to call up his own wish, but we counter him. Remy floats down to Gerhard and pulls his soul back into him with his own Wish. I toss lightning down at Wood, and Maribeth sends in a mental attack. Klyce stabs him through the heart and incinerates every inch of his body.

As Klyce turns to us, still seething with rage, Remy calls out to him to stay his vengeance. It is clear that it takes a great force of will, but he releases his power and lands among us. The Black Knight reappears, standing directly behind Klyce and sheathes his sword. Remy passes out from the strain of the fight. I send up to Pendleton that the Garion flesh is dead and the Archdeacon is down. He replies that the mist is gone, and the cultists have come to their senses. Dalish commands his zombie horde to stop fighting. The Black Knight bids us rest and then meet him and the King at The Door. I shout Deal! before anyone else can answer, and he and Aranea disappear into the shadows again.

Dalish offers the rest of us help getting our essences back later, but for now it is time to rest. We head back, Nat taking it slow, to heal anyone she can along the way. Dalish has his zombies round up the dead. Klyce tells Philomena the whole story. I simply collapse into bed and sleep, exhausted by the day’s events, but excited to meet the Prince.

In the morning, we gather for breakfast, sitting by Maribeth and both our brothers come home. I scold mine for having left, and he takes it with a smile at his lady. Porter and Julian look haggard, but well enough. Then the sendings start coming in from every corner, with reports and request for information and orders. Klyce wants everyone to get the bodies taken care of, search and rescue to be mobilized, and fresh water brought into the city in as large of quantities as can be mustered. They all need things to do while we finish cleaning up our own mess.

When everyone has eaten, stowed their magical gear, and replied to their sendings, I teleport us up to the throne room of the old palace. The door behind the throne stands open, and while magic is still suppressed beyond it, the feeling is a familiar one by now, and Dalish is able to descend with us this time. The world goes black and white as we climb, and down in the chamber, the King, the Black Knight, and Aranea are waiting. Dalish asks why Rictus’ son is not with them, and the Black Knight says that this does not concern him. The king apologizes for not trusting us and asks if we have any questions.

Dalish asks how he knew about the door. It’s an old family legend, he tells us. His family are descendants of the Green Witch herself, and their blood is needed to open the way. His great grandfather found it was here when he came to this continent, and built their home above and around it. Dalish asks if he knows what it holds. Yes, he and the Clever Prince shared the last seventeen years in the void together. The Prince helped him keep his sanity in nothingness, and he intends to open the door and free him.

Klyce asks if he knows what will happen then. Freedom. Maribeth asks what that means, and if it will do the things we hoped to fix. The king is not sure, but he knows none of that can be done until it is opened. Dalish asks what he intends to do after, and he says that will be in our hands. We all agree the mageocracy was a failure. He is willing to take back leadership if that is the will of the people, but mostly, he just wants to spend time with his son. That is his priority after missing the last seventeen years with him. Remy offers to take him south, but he does not wish to rule them either.

Klyce asks if we are all in agreement. If anyone objects to opening the door. Nat, Maribeth, Dalish and I immediately agree. Remy is his usual annoying pendantic self. Gerhard is reluctant, but will not vote against it. Klyce agrees and we are unanimous. Then six other voices ring out WE OBJECT, and six luminous figures descend into the cave. The Black Knight and the King freeze in time, as the Gods appear before us.

We all stare for a moment as the Gods look down upon us. They look tired, angry, sad, but determined. Remy, always Remy, breaks the silence by asking why. The Eternal Mind answers for them all, he talked more than Remy, but it went something like: Because it will make things so much worse. You have seen suffering and you think that anything must be better than this. That is how we felt, and the end of this road will take you right back to the beginning and the Clever Prince shall walk as a god, and set his vengeance against this plane of existence. And oh he went on and on and on… Something about our mana being the bones of the fae and havoc and chaos.

When he ran out of steam, Dalish asked why they left these bones, the mana, in the earth in the first place, when the separated the worlds.

The Stoneman answered that the bones belong in the earth, and is not for us to remove them. The fae realm was of the earth. Everything continues, they merely fractured it.

The Vengeance cut in then, saying that the Fae wrought horrors upon the earth. He wants to open the door and end the Prince, and the fae, forever!

There is some back and forth then. Remy calling out that vengeance is this god, and not the Prince, he wouldn’t seek vengeance. And The Vengeance calling him a monster. Then Klyce stepping in and saying that Vengeance is just as bad, or worse. That he just wants to destroy everything. The Green Witch enters the fray, with the tale of the frog and the scorpion. The Clever Prince is a scorpion, she says, he can do nothing but strike, poison, and destroy.

Dalish calls out what they have done, that it was wrong, and has wrought destruction in return. Klyce suggests that the fae follow their own rules, and perhaps we could make a deal with the Prince. Remy says the war needed stopping in their time, and they did their best, but men always find new ways to make war, and that the damage they have caused will only quicken our decay as we fight over the mana.

The Stoneman says that removing the mana would rupture the earth. The Tempest says they should have take it all away. The Eternal Mind does not agree, and is concerned that the Tempest does. The Vengeance says that the bones of our enemies belong in the ground. Remy asked if magic existed before the breaking. The Eternal Mind said of course it did, that’s where their power came from, and the fae made it possible. Dalish explains what locking the fae away has caused and the machines that have brought the fae back into our world. The Dawnmother says that the fae cannot be trusted but they must also not be destroyed.

I jump in at this point, having barely recovered from their appearance, but I am frustrated and angry. Your essences coming back into the world have caused this chaos, the deaths of thousands. We have to fix what you have done before more of the world is destroyed. Nat agrees with me, their mistakes caused this, let us open the door and we will deal with the consequences. The Vengeance is eager for this. Klyce steps in, You all failed. You had your chance and you missed. Be done with all of this? Aren’t you lonely and tired? Let it all go. Just let it go, you are only echoes of what you used to be. It is Our World now. You don’t live here, you quit. We’re still here, it’s our decision now.

The Stoneman shows us what had happened in their time. The chaos and destruction caused by the Prince and the fae. When it is over, Dalish nearly laughs. So, he is as big an ass as those we have already fought. The Stoneman relents that he is what he is. The Vengeance puts in another bid to kill him. Maribeth insists that the only way forward is releasing him and restoring the balance. That they had no right to destroy the fae world as they have done.

The Stoneman looks at us all thoughtfully, glancing at Klyce. In your tirade, one thing moved me. I am lonely. We exist from the power we took, born of the earth. It did not stop without us. I have one last wish, to slumber, to return to the earth. He then lays a hand on Dalish, and the last vestiges of his power flowed out and into him. The Stoneman was gone, and the Green Witch wailed in pain.

The Tempest looks at Gerhard. I would almost agree, but you seem to not be having any more fun than me these years. Nat steps in to defend our quiet friend, saying he has his fun in his lab, with his alchemical works.

Klyce steps forward. I doubt this was in your plan, but what is your endgame here? I step up with him, looking at the Green Witch. Your descendent is here, ready to open that door as is his familial duty. Ready to give his blood. It is time. Klyce picks up the line. The world has moved on. Let this be the end of it. You have stuck around long enough. It is over and if you cannot change then there are only scorpions here.

The Tempest, still frowning at Gerhard. I don’t think you are wrong. And gives his last bit of power to Gerhard.

Then Klyce turns to Vengeance. How about you just leave? I want no part of you. The Vengeance replies, You are too week to carry my mantle. Klyce scoffs, That’s some toxic B.S. You never look at your own self. Only everyone else’s sins. How many lives are on your hands? And they fight, and Klyce defeats him handily, but when he takes his essence in, it changes. Even his sword becomes a shining light.

The Dawnmother has been watching quiestly and steps forward, looking hard at me. I set my descendents to watch this door. It is true, that I am tired. If it is truly time, and this is to be the fate of the world. I must not stand in its way. If it is time, then it is time. And she places a hand on Nat’s head and gives herself over.

The Green Witch looks at me, clearly upset that all her friends are leaving her one by one. Even more upset that we are freeing her erstwhile lover. I would look upon his face one last time. And pass along the memories, and the pain, and the joy. Then she melds into me, but I can still feel here, looking out of my eyes. The Eternal Mind looks at us. He wanted to be the last one. He doesn’t even like his chosen. He says Maribeth never even figured out how to use the library properly. He goes on for a little while, and tells her to enjoy watcing everyone around her be stupid. Then he sighs, almost happily. At least now, I don’t know what’s next.

Time resumes, as the King cuts open his hand and anoints the door. Color creeps back into the room, and the door becomes living wood. He turns back to us. It is done, it is upon you to open the door and deal with the consequences. I will see my friend, and then go.

We all step forward, our minds made up, and open the door. Music pours forth as the Clever Price struts free into the chamber, a slow, sweet jazzy number, full of joy and promise. It’s been a long time, friends. Not for us. It’s good to see you again, he says, looking almost through my eyes. I answer for us both, that I’m not sure I can say the same. What would you have of me? Dalish explains what has happened and that we would like him to fix it.

He thinks it was all a great trick, and then that we would need to bring back his father. Klyce says no, that he is the King now, and it is time for him to grow up. He asks for his powers back, that we took from him. We agree, but Remy insists that the games must stop. Klyce says his distructive ways led to this. And Dalish threatens to separate the worlds permanently if he cannot control himself. Alock begins speaking through Remy to explain the damage to the Fea Realm, and the Prince waves a hand, pulling him out and giving him back his own body. The Prince enjoys his games and is sad we don’t want him to play. Klyce points out that it’s a bigger challenge to play games that don’t kill people. The Prince seems to be catching on, that games are more fun if people can keep playing and if they want to play them. He agrees to our deal.

I ask the Green Witch if she is ready to return to him, to watch over him, and she is, returning to be with him forever. The others all give up their godly essences, though Nat is most reluctant. That feels good again. We have made him whole again, and perhaps our influences on his essence will give him something to think on. He promises to make things as they were, and to have fun games. He will see us all again. Remy asks what of the mana, and he says it will just be dirt now. He is late to a party, so he takes Aranea and Alock and disappears back to his world. Remy tries to eradicate the machines with a wish, but they are irrelevant now. The King takes his leave with Sir Hector, and we warn them to be wary of Wiest, for she may still be on the warpath for her father’s death.

There is much to do, and we head out of the old palace to begin the work. To guide, explore, and discover this new world we are creating.

I must find my parents, and then, I must go back to the Fae. There is so much to learn there, and someone has to keep an eye on The Prince.