Journal #65: Clash of Ideals

Moments are so quick, but some can last far longer in memory and leave a far longer impression. While it was not the proper place for asking. I asked for Celuriel’s hand in marriage. That moment is something I will treasure, as seeing that smile was worth it. Our conversation that night aside, I still had to promise her that one day we'll have a proper wedding. A real wedding for us would only cause too many issues with her sister around. Once we deal with this shard and settle down for more than a week, finding a church to actually wed us will be on the top of my list of things to go.
 
One of these days, we are going to be able to sleep in. That being said, The Lost Ones and co eventually stumbled out from their rooms. Celuriel and I commandeered the couch and our breakfast was a simple fruit. While others spoke on small things, Burdyr in his new ginger young look cooked for the rest. Some fried dwarven dishes. Was not altogether interested in what he was cooking. Eventually, he took notice of Celuriel’s knife plucking it from the door frame. While I swear I cleaned up last night, I am honestly surprised I missed the knife in the door. The ginger dwarf correctly assumed the knife was Celu’s. Which the dwarf gave it back to her. Making some not so subtle reference to the two of us keeping him up last into the night. It is still weird seeing him so young. Mentally speaking he is the same grumpy dwarf, psychically speaking however Burdyr is just younger. Apparently, this was his physical prime...
 
While breakfast lasted as long as it usually did with this group, and we eventually gathered our things. There is no clear indication of where we would leave this timeless demiplane. We just had to leave, take the same door we enter from to leave. Nothing overall that special about it. So we proceeded back into the five stages. Into a nearly empty room.
 
The fourth stage would be depression and the room I found myself alone very much fit that stage. The room was pitch black, so dark that the edge and borders were none existent. Besides myself, the only other thing was a mirror. Just my luck.
 
Across the trim of the mirror, a command was written. “Let your voice give sound to the thoughts that haunt you. Let your words set free your mind of burden.”
 
Ludrissiel, the divine lich. That is Celuriel's only sister. I do not think I need to explain much as to why she plagues my mind. The memories Celu has shared, the nymph with the broken soul, with millennia worth of trauma she has dealt with Celuirel. It is not something that I can ignore for long, in the grand scheme of things. What little I have a glimpse from a past version of her from the other shard creating her from twisted memories of her still alive. She was a threat. Celuriel sharing her memory of the Lich her sister painted her in a terrifying new light. She is not something we can just ignore and wave our hands hoping for the problem to disappear. It is something I often have to ignore because she can so quickly change and disrupt this life with Celuriel I have become so accustomed to. It is not a matter of if Ludrissiel shows up, it is a matter of when.
 
And I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready.
 
I often feel like I am lagging behind the others, I am going to need them to help me defeat this Lich. But it is not something I can easily start preparing for, there so much we are just ignorant of. And I do not think we are going to get more than one chance to defeat her. Given that I doubt we will be the first ones to strike.
 
She is out there now. Making deals doing something and I do not know what it is. Ludrissiel has a connection to the Gothadrin royalty but what purpose does that hold. Sure there are the obvious things like power, supplies, connections with the vampires, and or undead nobility but there has to be another reason.
 
And that worries me.
 
She can be doing anything to further her schemes while we are here tracking shards and dealing with shards. It’s something we have to do that I understand. But any second I fear Celuriel will be taken away.
 
That was the topic on my mind.
 
Eventually, as I spoke my grieves to the mirror, a version of Ludrissiel mocking me through the mirror. For a handful of moments, the pitch-black ground started to consume me, dragging me down into that blank pitch-black abyss.
 
But I had expected that fact a long while ago.
 
It’s not if when dealing with that lich, it’s when. Hours, days weeks, years, decades, any moment. Still, as I was sinking into the dark I had another one of those moments. If I was dealing with a mirror on my own, then Celuriel is dealing with her own. I turned back to the mirror telling it I do not have time for this. The mirror shattered, the false image looking annoyed at my response. The walls faded and I pulled myself up from the ground, my legs only have sunk in ankle-deep.
 
The walls fade, opening up into a larger room similar to the one I was just in. There were several pedestals but that wasn’t my real concern, I could see through some of the walls, other people looking through and at their mirrors. Celuriel’s room was the one I cared about, and I would be lying to say I was not concerned about the grievances she could speak of. As I phased through the wall, to Celuriel I took on a ghostly appearance but she did not notice me at first.

While I could not hear her words at first. My appearance as a ghost did not help, but through as we spoke it was clear the thoughts that plagued her mind were similar to mine. Celuriel was worried Ludrissiel would take me from her. A new fear was planted in my head, as I naively thought the lich would just kill and or turn me into an undead creature. It could never be that simple. Still, I looked at her.
 
Telling her no matter what the case was I would always choose her.
 
During most of this, she would not look at me. However, my words struck a chord with her, and found her hiding in my arms. Given how I broke out of my mirror prison, I needed her to walk away not focus on her thoughts so I got her to talk about us getting married. We could not get married if she was still stuck in here. Explaining how the room worked, Celu told me she did not know how to leave. I gave her a smile as it was not the first time we were in a situation like this.
 
“Funny you said the same thing at the last shard, but I cannot take you away this time. You have to face it, but you don’t have to do it alone.” So she did, and the mirror shattered. Swiftly after she kissed me.
 
Eventually, those walls fell down, and Kraia wasn’t doing especially well in her trail so I attempted to help. While reminding her of friendship and other things worked when I told her to remember her animals it snapped her right back to herself.
 
With that, the others had already started either helping people or had already finished with their mirror problems.
 
Which left a new saying as well as pillared bowls.
 
‘REFLECT ON WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN AND SHARED. PLACE THE WATER OF MEMORIES WHERE IT BELONGS.’
 
Each one was labeled with a single word, which we could pick from to pour the vails we got when we first entered. Given who I thought about, and choose ‘Love’
 
Honestly, I can’t remember what the other pedestals were labeled.
 
With that, we were teleported into a church?
 
It seemed to be a church. Empty and of typical dwarven design. Two rooms to the left and right of the rooms respectively. Apparently one was a bedroom and the other a study of some kind. What drew our attention was the altar at the end room.
 
I’m going to have to summarize what happened next, Essentially we had to pick somebody we hated or disliked. Had a problem with anything of that nature. Then tell them something we don’t like about them. I made sure Celuriel played nice since her clear pick was Licia. I stood next to Talinde. On a surface level, a drow and elf would be an obvious choice. Talinde even remarked on that fact. Still, that was not my issue with him, not really. In fact, I do not have a real problem with Talinde. Yet I picked him so I had to say something, the over-reliance on his deity, especially since he can’t reliably tell the difference between them was my issue. His problem was also quite simple. It was five years, apologizing to the Talinde was simple. What happened was terrible. Spending five years in isolation must have been horrible. However, I noted that given the power that scepter of his holds, we did not want it interacting with The Unbroken March. Given the outcome that came with dealing with that Shard. I still stand by the decision of not bringing him out was the better option. It was an unforeseen side effect of the shards' temporal displacement. Even if we knew, I am not sure we would have changed our choice. I would not have.
 
Though something occurs to me, could he have not just left the Scepter's inner world? Understand this while as a whole our group is responsible for Talinde joining us. We have been a bit distant. Given the type of people this group is, it is shocking given they have strong personalities. While I am not excused from this, I have had other things to deal with during the time we found him in that dungeon. It also was not on the top of my list to be first in line to speak with a Galasthin Elf.
 
The others eventually put their vexations out into the world, which the Altar then changed to then make us say something we like about the other. Despite what I said earlier to Talinde, I do admire his faith in his goddess. While for me Talinde spoke on matters regarding Celuriel.
The next was that of cooperation, how we could help each other. I have to admit I do not really recall this part. We have learned a lot recently, small moments such as these have become harder to remember. I recall on my part, something to do with not overly reliant on the scepter to track the shards. They might be a way for users to track them, but at some risk. I might have to start looking into ley lines.
 
Wait, those orbs. Jinne’s special one mirrors Istralar's ley line pattern. Could that possibly track the shard as well? The idea makes sense, if it were still a representation of the ley lines then it would not. Though the word she used was mirrored. If it could be mirrored once, then why should it not be possible again. It was some special mithral alloy right? I wish I could learn more about that.
 
I am getting off track.
 
The last of this Altars trail was a simple game. Each person would place their hand on the altar and think of somebody you would betroth, somebody you would slay, and somebody you would desire.
 
Clearly, my answer for betrothed was Celuriel, which her choice mirrored mine.
 
My list of who I would slay was longer, which included Celu’s sister, Whisperbreath, and Lirien.
 
The Desire was a bit difficult simply because I was not allowed to choose Celuriel twice. Given that I had to pick somebody, I picked Pharasma. Something that I know will never happen but was the least likely person I could pick that I would not get stabbed over.
 
I found Celuriel’s slay and desire interesting, Pin for obvious reasons, Vasestra and Rikzyr for others. Perhaps it would be better not to leave her in a room with those two. Her desire was Kazric which means I think she has a type.
 
Also, Youshi chose Celu for their killing. My opinions of the possessed android slipped. Drastically.
 
Kraia wanted to marry her druidic apprentice, which I think wouldn’t hurt her like Cyne would in the end. Speaking of which, the only other one that really was shocking was Licia’s list of desires. Of course, SYrin and Cyne were on the marriage list I think, it was still the desire which was eye-opening. There were quite a few gods on that list, in fact, she had the longest list by far. I’d list them but honestly, it is not something I wish to keep track of.
 
Learning far too much with the strange trails this castle or shard is putting us through ends about there.

That basically brought this trail to an end, our ghostly dwarven guide stepped in. As something was affecting the outside of the trail or was it something else. The guardian was unclear about what was actually happening. So till it was solved, the other group would be taken from their trails and place with us.
 
A wonderful idea.
 
While the tension was notable, Licia’s and her former fiance got to speak alone. This was a mistake, according to her father Teras. The shaman had spoken too much about our goals and mission. While I cannot speak on how much was spoken, I wish people would use a bit of since when speaking. And not alone with someone who had attempted to kill you in the past.
 
I had a lovely conversation with Sonja.
 
We spent the better part of half an hour debating what we should be doing with the shard. I still cannot trust her, not with her close ties with Riven. It was not something we could have mentioned in front of her crew. Add on top of the fact we scried them attempting to buy mind control collars and my trust in them or members of their group was nearly non-existent. Jinne was the expectation, but I cannot think this more than a sheer coincidence.
 
Sonja wants to use the Harp.
 
The Harp which by song alone has brought thousands to its door only to be destroyed. In some valiant effort to… well, each story is different. They all end the same. In the shard winning. This human has no clue the world of the danger she has placed herself in some misguided attempt to use these shards. For the good.
 
While I will admit my short-sightedness in wanting to destroy the shards was naive. That is more of a response from seeing what those shards are capable of. Dethroning three powerful gods because of simple mistakes, a simple assumption. They should not be allowed to continue to exist in their current form. I know not if they can be changed, become something helpful. As they are no.
 
So the idea of using a shard for good, to impart that ‘good’ will to other people is appalling. I understand the idea of wanting the world to be a good place. Given what the Harp has done in the past, I have to question whether a world is influenced by its song, whether it be for good or ill intent. Is that the right thing to influence people to be good? How much freedom would that world allow? When would the line be drawn? What is good? Who would define what good while under that influence?
 
I have issues with that.
 
It would not be a better world, it would be one of less choice.
 
Removing evil or ill intent from the world would make the actions of the good less impactful. I might be a decent person in Ironfalls, but in no way am I a good one.
 
If I was a good person I would be the champion of another god.
 
The debate turned into two people talking but not listening to the other. Nothing was going to be done at that moment but the groups agreed to not destroy or take it if one got their first.
 
Eventually, during the debate simmered down, Kraia and I collected the rest of the group. Burdyr and Talinde had escaped into the Scepter demiplane during the argument, I had not noticed.
 
Two groups eventually departed because we were not staying here and waiting for the guardian spirit to dismiss us. Once again we left where we came through the entrance of the chapel. Appearing in a rather dark room, even for myself.
 
Supernatural darkness. An annoyance for me, nearly impossible to see.
 
This is dragging on, the trail asked us more questions about where all souls go or end up. There was some question about our moral alignment. Random really, it was not the most important thing about these.

It was a question about the gods.
 
One I fear to write.
 
As it brought the champions to their knees.
 
While the information could be true, it has to be questioned given the shard's influences on the events. The Harp, after all, is trying to tell us a story.

Eventually, we found yourself in another room with little blue flames. Stone and dark marble cast in blue light, with twelve tombs. Each slightly different, with symbols but their nameplates were removed or scratched out.
 
These blue flames were souls, I cannot remember why I thought that. Twelve flames, graves maybe it was just hunch. When I looked at them they were hazy and did not notice me.
 
However, we were able to figure out their symbols connecting them to their appropriate tomb. Cid was the one to figure out that the candles littered about were the key to interact with these dwarven saints. As they were some Dwarven Saints, when we lit their soul flame with the candles for a moment we could interact with them. In life, each of the saints had certain affinities with things like gods. Some of love, of archery, others of nature. Our job was to lead them back to their tombs.
 
I took care of three of the twelve.
 
Venus the Dwarven Saint of love was easy. I borrowed Celuriel attention and a candle and once I lit it under her soul flame. This one was quite easy. A simple kiss was enough to grab the attention of this saint. She giggled, not Celuriel, that would be concerning. I took Celu’s hand and we walked to the rose cover tomb of Venus. Venus followed and her spirit returned
Juno was more marriage focused Saint as she was also called ‘The Voice of Bolka’ The Dwarven Goddess of Marriage. Again Celuriel was present for this, as we were recently engaged. Seemed like the two of us were an appropriate pairing to tackle this one. So I asked for her blessing on our recent engagement. Simple and easy to get Juno’s attention. I had not expected the response we got. It was a good one, but still unexpected.
"Your marriage will always hold my blessing."
 
However Juno’s voice was not alone, a second intermingled repeating the same words. The voice I hear is distant, but two-toned; almost as if it's two voices at once. That gave me a moment of pause.
 
Bolka might have given her blessing to our marriage.
 
She returned to her tomb, which was close.
 
Jupiter, the husband of Juno, was close and rather easy. I believe he was the leader or a leader figure so I pulled out Silver. Poured in a bit of my arcane power into Silver letting it spark with lightning. I took a knee raising the lightning imbued Silver to the Soul. After letting the Candle of course. Jupiter eyed me, apparently approved, and started to follow to the correct tomb. Juno decided to spiritually slap him from a tomb away.
 
Not sure how that works but it did. In hindsight, Jupiter might have been eyeing me in a way Celuriel might have wanted to stab him. Being checked out by ghosts now, great.

I can recall our systematic slaughter of some undead in a crypt, we walked a tomb as it was the only direction forward. Then through some series of events then eventually running into the other group again, we had to separate our group depending on Arcane and Divine Casters. The separation was obvious for us but I am not sure I can get into just yet. After solving the puzzle or was it some riddle involving magic. Regardless we used magical circles and our two groups were placed or teleported near the other groups which led us to a room divided.
 
It was an octagonal room, which was cut down the middle by a five-foot lava pool. If I recall correctly I believe there was some kind of force barrier above the lava making it impossible to leap across. Licia was the first to interact with it.
 
I say it because what happened next was indescribable.
 
There’s no force attempting to stop my writing these words even though something, someone might know what I am about to write.

In truth, I do not know what we saw. I could theorize and hope for hours I get close to some amount of truth but never no for sure. As our shaman interacted with the lava strip, something bubbled up. Steam turned to shadow, which boiled up congealing into another more recognizable form. Limbs, then the torso, and finally a hooded skull. No that was not right. Where one skull should have been, multiple stood almost as if to look at each of us in that room. Its empty gaze looking around, silent and the figure's presence alone took up the whole room. Not a single eye was turned away from this figure clad in shadow. Yet its grip remained firmly on Licia's arm. Locking her in place, then as it leaned in closer to her, jaw opening to unleash an unearthly howl. It echoed in the camber, unlike anything I had heard before. Eyes wide I felt nothing but terror as I gazed upon that thing, as I felt it’s piercing scream I could feel it reach my bones. As I heard it, my mark reacted to its wail. I felt Scared but it was not just my emotions. I couldn’t even tell you why. Its outcry was silenced by a bolt of silver magic. Sundering it on the spot, turning it back to the shadow which thinned out till it was like it never existed in the first place.

While I would say this was glossed over, I believe it would be more accurate to say we just did not speak about it much. The shard, the Harp was telling us a story. Like I said I could talk about this for hours on topic and what it could possibly mean. What the shard was attempting to tell us, but I feel like few revelations would come from that conversation. So, for now, we kept quiet, our thoughts kept mostly to ourselves. That I remember I was too busy trying to process what I had just seen.
 
Our true objective was simply to get everybody to one side of the room. However, that required a sacrifice of something material. It was through trial and error that we figured out it could be anything. It was Celuriel and I that tested this as was on the other side. Originally it was meant to be Jinne and me, which she was willing to sacrifice a journal. I found out this was a collection of tales from other Dreamers she had met and recorded. As Celu and I crossed to test the water of this puzzle it triggered a summoning. Each time somebody swapped, as a spirit was summoned to combat anyone who had changed sides. Dealing with the ghost it had attempted to possess Celuriel.
 
It was not even a second thought before I was pulling on Pharasma’s Soul domain severing any attempt to control my fiancee through possession. Needless to say, I was livid, and the spirit was visibly confused at why their attempts to commandeer a body had failed. We made short work of it after. With the other dealing with their dwarven wraith, Celuriel and I made it to the correct side without much trouble.
 
The last and final of these areas was a simple long dwarven room similar to many of the others. This time there were only two doors. One for each of us, tell us different things. It required us to have some level of musical talent, something I was and am lacking. Never needed to learn, was not that type of assassin growing up. That and I was busy behind bars while other people played music. So I remain in the bad, holding Celu’s hand resting my chin on her shoulder.
 
After some attempts, both doors unlocked to the same, bone pit room which had a light blue glowing music sheet circle around a golden door. It was a rushed decision but we agreed on going into the Rod of Security for some rest. Especially when the bones shifted.
 
Hence why I am able to write this, it’s our second and final night on this island. Which luck for us we have not slit each other throats. Yet…

Ashlyn’s back so one wrong word and somebody might lose their head.