It Won't Be Long - Season 4
BA - NA - NA - NA NA!
Roger Glipglorp: “Good evening my guys, gals, and nonbinary pals - it’s time for Roger Glipglorp! I’m Roger Glipglorp, your host, here with another shattering piece of news coming out of the Pact Worlds. After an Efreeti invasion of the Burning Archipelago, the local public is demanding answers from the Embassy of Fire, who have called for peace until they can conduct their own, independent investigation. Meanwhile, the heroes of the conflict inside our brighter star, once known as Varos Mining Team 6, but officially rebranded as the Dream Team, are to be awarded by the Pact Council today. Talk about rags to riches, folks! Coverage coming to you live later this morning. In other news, tensions between the Azlanti Star Empire and the empire of Shadar have reached a head, with intelligence sources saying that the empires are to go to war, unless humble Shadar succeeds to the Empire’s increasingly dramatic demands. In the same neighborhood, far explorers of the Vast have reported sightings of Hellknight enforcers on the prowl, and scanners detect the presence of molten tungsten rounds being fired in the area. What poor planet might they be civilizing this year, and will anyone attempt to intervene? But things aren’t so easy back at home folks, as sightings of rogue Swarm bugs have begun to increase on the moons of Triaxus. The Stewards have issued a state of low emergency, and we’ve noticed an increased fleet presence in the outer half of our humble system. While reporters are scrambling for comment, Lord Marcus has hinted that a statement will be given at the upcoming parade on Mataras..."
There is a warble in the transmission, and for a moment, we step outside the dream entirely, and go somewhere beyond… A powerful vision, one crafted by a weakened Dreamer, holding on to the last dregs of his power.
We begin in the boundary between the Plane of Shadow, the reaches of the Void, and the terrors of Leng. We see a battlefield in black and white, corpses of monstrosities lying side-by-side with soldiers bearing the symbol of Shadowmaw, the end of a war that has lasted for millenia, finally coming to an end. We cut with the fatal cry of a horse, as a black stallion stumbles on blood-soaked hooves, and falls to the earth. Its Black Rider rolls away, one arm hanging uselessly, with a broken blade in his working hand. Flint looks on in exhaustion and fury, squaring off with the Jestyr in the center of a living hell, and begins to walk towards him -- one slow step at a time.
Jestyr: “I have to hand it to you, Flint. You smell like an angel, but you fight like a fucking demon… Unfortunately for the both of us, I’m all out of time.”
The Jester vanishes, and Flint pirouettes, but then stumbles on a broken foot, as the Eclipse Malkin enters his chest. Still, Flint stabs -- once, twice, three times -- his broken blade rupturing out of the Jester’s back. When the third blow catches the blade he releases it, digging his teeth into the Jester’s neck, whose blank mask shows no emotion.
Jestyr: “I’ll leave what’s left of Shadowmaw until the very end, Lord Penumbra. You’ve earned it.”
Flint rips a section of the Jester’s neck away, and then headbutts the god with all his strength. A crack spreads down the otherwise perfect mask, but doesn’t shatter. The Eclipse Malkin twists, and the Black Rider crumbles into dust. The shadows howl in pain as Jestyr turns, pouring through the shadows like a liquid, and steps into the Twisted Wood, domain of Felix Bray, in the sealed atmosphere of Golarion.
Jestyr: “Grandather. I’m hoooooome!”
We see the verdant jungles of Castrovel -- the vibrant life that inhabits the Ikalex Expanse. Our camera pans over it all, until we come to a clearing in the trees, where the foothills of distant mountains clear away some of the brush, and reveal an open maw that dives into the earth. We see a purple glow emanate from inside as the camera zooms in, down a long set of steps and open pathways, ending in a cavern no wider than a common apartment. For a moment, the vision blurs, and we hear the voice of the Dreamer.
Zandeer (Strained): “Brace yourselves. I can’t control it.”
We see Apollyon, Horseman of Pestilence, surrounded by a sickly green and silver light, ringed in a circle made of Coldfire. Across from him, Unari leans against the wall, one of his horns now broken, and a massive bruise blanketing his left side.
Apollyon: “They have found you.”
Unari: “I know.”
Apollyon: “You cannot keep me here forever, Unari. Binding me weakens you so…”
Unari: “So that others might be free.”
Apollyon: “Your illness seems to disagree with you…”
Unari doesn’t rise to the provocation, but you see him wince slightly, clearly feeling the pain of his injuries.
Unari: “Why bother with Nakira? I feel the Swarm coming closer.”
The Horseman laughs, his heaving breaths wet with disease.
Apollyon: “Speed, dear boy. The end is coming, Bright One. I can feel it. I see only to hasten the end.”
The camera zooms away as Apollyon laughs once more, miles back into the jungle, where a black starship is settling down. The gangplank digs into the earth, and Nakira looks straight towards Unari’s hold. Her half-burned visage grins, and she wades into the dark.
We see Trelmarixian, Horseman of Famine, step out of a walk-in freezer, unseen by the Kasathan chefs he passes, as he makes his way across the kitchen proper. He sticks his thin fingers in the soups, waves a hand over the pies, and cradles the meat in his arms. Then the chefs resume their cooking, dumping the ingredients together, unaware of the Horseman’s presence. Then, Trelmarixian makes his way deeper, into a pantry in the back, which in turn hosts another door. Famine slides through it, not bothering to follow the rules of mortals, where we see a tiny form shaking above a pot, pouring ingredients into a sour-looking stew. Wonton, one of Fish’s captured sons, shivers as the Horseman approaches, takes a taste of the concoction, and shakes with laughter.
We see Szuriel, Horseman of War, hovering over one shoulder of Deku Ollivander, as Corporal Gregar Taxus screams in his face.
Taxus: “We need reinforcements, Deku. No excuses! Where is Lord Marcus? He hasn’t returned my calls in days. The Hellknights are upon us.”
Deku shrugs, as we see another figure over the blaster’s other shoulder -- a shepherd in yellow robes, Hastur.
Deku: “I told you, the Core is my business. The war underground. Everything up here… It sounds like your problem, Gregar.”
The Vesk snarls, lifting a pistol from his desk, but pauses as the red-armored Aspis agents lift their rifles -- and point at their former leader.
Taxus: “What is the meaning of this?”
Deku shakes his head, and turns to leave.
Deku: “Nothing personal, Gregar. They just needed a real Shepherd to follow.”
The agents follow Deku out, as Gregar shakes with rage. Then the Corporal leaps towards the phone, and dials a local SID.
Taxus: “Are you still of your own mind? Thank the gods. Get here as fast as you can. She’s on her way now, I can feel it...”
We see Charon, Horseman of Death, standing next to Zandeer, his avian body wrapped in a cage of bone and twine. The duo looks out into the crowd gathered in the Inner Court, the highest judicial power in the Boneyard, where Valentina Terris is supporting Tesin, her eyes clouded white with the power of the dream. Carrot hovers beside her, unconcerned, but glares daggers in Charon’s direction.
Charon: “Naughty Zandeer. It’s time to close your eyes.”
A skeletal hand blankets the vision, and the dream fades.
Roger Glipglorp: “Good evening my guys, gals, and nonbinary pals - it’s time for Roger Glipglorp! I’m Roger Glipglorp, your host, here with another shattering piece of news coming out of the Pact Worlds. After an Efreeti invasion of the Burning Archipelago, the local public is demanding answers from the Embassy of Fire, who have called for peace until they can conduct their own, independent investigation. Meanwhile, the heroes of the conflict inside our brighter star, once known as Varos Mining Team 6, but officially rebranded as the Dream Team, are to be awarded by the Pact Council today. Talk about rags to riches, folks! Coverage coming to you live later this morning. In other news, tensions between the Azlanti Star Empire and the empire of Shadar have reached a head, with intelligence sources saying that the empires are to go to war, unless humble Shadar succeeds to the Empire’s increasingly dramatic demands. In the same neighborhood, far explorers of the Vast have reported sightings of Hellknight enforcers on the prowl, and scanners detect the presence of molten tungsten rounds being fired in the area. What poor planet might they be civilizing this year, and will anyone attempt to intervene? But things aren’t so easy back at home folks, as sightings of rogue Swarm bugs have begun to increase on the moons of Triaxus. The Stewards have issued a state of low emergency, and we’ve noticed an increased fleet presence in the outer half of our humble system. While reporters are scrambling for comment, Lord Marcus has hinted that a statement will be given at the upcoming parade on Mataras..."
There is a warble in the transmission, and for a moment, we step outside the dream entirely, and go somewhere beyond… A powerful vision, one crafted by a weakened Dreamer, holding on to the last dregs of his power.
We begin in the boundary between the Plane of Shadow, the reaches of the Void, and the terrors of Leng. We see a battlefield in black and white, corpses of monstrosities lying side-by-side with soldiers bearing the symbol of Shadowmaw, the end of a war that has lasted for millenia, finally coming to an end. We cut with the fatal cry of a horse, as a black stallion stumbles on blood-soaked hooves, and falls to the earth. Its Black Rider rolls away, one arm hanging uselessly, with a broken blade in his working hand. Flint looks on in exhaustion and fury, squaring off with the Jestyr in the center of a living hell, and begins to walk towards him -- one slow step at a time.
Jestyr: “I have to hand it to you, Flint. You smell like an angel, but you fight like a fucking demon… Unfortunately for the both of us, I’m all out of time.”
The Jester vanishes, and Flint pirouettes, but then stumbles on a broken foot, as the Eclipse Malkin enters his chest. Still, Flint stabs -- once, twice, three times -- his broken blade rupturing out of the Jester’s back. When the third blow catches the blade he releases it, digging his teeth into the Jester’s neck, whose blank mask shows no emotion.
Jestyr: “I’ll leave what’s left of Shadowmaw until the very end, Lord Penumbra. You’ve earned it.”
Flint rips a section of the Jester’s neck away, and then headbutts the god with all his strength. A crack spreads down the otherwise perfect mask, but doesn’t shatter. The Eclipse Malkin twists, and the Black Rider crumbles into dust. The shadows howl in pain as Jestyr turns, pouring through the shadows like a liquid, and steps into the Twisted Wood, domain of Felix Bray, in the sealed atmosphere of Golarion.
Jestyr: “Grandather. I’m hoooooome!”
We see the verdant jungles of Castrovel -- the vibrant life that inhabits the Ikalex Expanse. Our camera pans over it all, until we come to a clearing in the trees, where the foothills of distant mountains clear away some of the brush, and reveal an open maw that dives into the earth. We see a purple glow emanate from inside as the camera zooms in, down a long set of steps and open pathways, ending in a cavern no wider than a common apartment. For a moment, the vision blurs, and we hear the voice of the Dreamer.
Zandeer (Strained): “Brace yourselves. I can’t control it.”
We see Apollyon, Horseman of Pestilence, surrounded by a sickly green and silver light, ringed in a circle made of Coldfire. Across from him, Unari leans against the wall, one of his horns now broken, and a massive bruise blanketing his left side.
Apollyon: “They have found you.”
Unari: “I know.”
Apollyon: “You cannot keep me here forever, Unari. Binding me weakens you so…”
Unari: “So that others might be free.”
Apollyon: “Your illness seems to disagree with you…”
Unari doesn’t rise to the provocation, but you see him wince slightly, clearly feeling the pain of his injuries.
Unari: “Why bother with Nakira? I feel the Swarm coming closer.”
The Horseman laughs, his heaving breaths wet with disease.
Apollyon: “Speed, dear boy. The end is coming, Bright One. I can feel it. I see only to hasten the end.”
The camera zooms away as Apollyon laughs once more, miles back into the jungle, where a black starship is settling down. The gangplank digs into the earth, and Nakira looks straight towards Unari’s hold. Her half-burned visage grins, and she wades into the dark.
We see Trelmarixian, Horseman of Famine, step out of a walk-in freezer, unseen by the Kasathan chefs he passes, as he makes his way across the kitchen proper. He sticks his thin fingers in the soups, waves a hand over the pies, and cradles the meat in his arms. Then the chefs resume their cooking, dumping the ingredients together, unaware of the Horseman’s presence. Then, Trelmarixian makes his way deeper, into a pantry in the back, which in turn hosts another door. Famine slides through it, not bothering to follow the rules of mortals, where we see a tiny form shaking above a pot, pouring ingredients into a sour-looking stew. Wonton, one of Fish’s captured sons, shivers as the Horseman approaches, takes a taste of the concoction, and shakes with laughter.
We see Szuriel, Horseman of War, hovering over one shoulder of Deku Ollivander, as Corporal Gregar Taxus screams in his face.
Taxus: “We need reinforcements, Deku. No excuses! Where is Lord Marcus? He hasn’t returned my calls in days. The Hellknights are upon us.”
Deku shrugs, as we see another figure over the blaster’s other shoulder -- a shepherd in yellow robes, Hastur.
Deku: “I told you, the Core is my business. The war underground. Everything up here… It sounds like your problem, Gregar.”
The Vesk snarls, lifting a pistol from his desk, but pauses as the red-armored Aspis agents lift their rifles -- and point at their former leader.
Taxus: “What is the meaning of this?”
Deku shakes his head, and turns to leave.
Deku: “Nothing personal, Gregar. They just needed a real Shepherd to follow.”
The agents follow Deku out, as Gregar shakes with rage. Then the Corporal leaps towards the phone, and dials a local SID.
Taxus: “Are you still of your own mind? Thank the gods. Get here as fast as you can. She’s on her way now, I can feel it...”
We see Charon, Horseman of Death, standing next to Zandeer, his avian body wrapped in a cage of bone and twine. The duo looks out into the crowd gathered in the Inner Court, the highest judicial power in the Boneyard, where Valentina Terris is supporting Tesin, her eyes clouded white with the power of the dream. Carrot hovers beside her, unconcerned, but glares daggers in Charon’s direction.
Charon: “Naughty Zandeer. It’s time to close your eyes.”
A skeletal hand blankets the vision, and the dream fades.
Comments