Season 9, Episode 2: "You Gotta Risk It For The Biscuit" Report

General Summary

We began at the Doors of Death, now corrupted by the war between Pharasma and Charon, chasing down the mad flight of Skittles, the Girl Thrice-Abandoned, and an unconscious Cornelius. As the mass of flesh and branches came hammering down, they were saved briefly by the arrival of Helen and Damien Iroh — the latter of which had come to Death seeking a certain Ysoki, and was surprised not to find her there (see Mantle of the White Flame).
Then the Doors pushed through, shattering the barrier they had erected, and the group of strangers became fast allies. Cornelius woke, suddenly certain that Isra was in great danger, just in time for his Apotheosis to come down like a tidal wave. He was stunned by images of Arin — the adopted son of Katrina Velder and Maximus Erebus — and his overlap with this Petal's manifestation of the Athanaeum.
Meanwhile, the group pressed on, dodging their colossal pursuer to the best of their ability, but ultimately not quick enough to stave off its celestial dive. As the mass came tumbling down, the Girl and Skittles were able to Skip to safety, and with his energy spent, Iroh found himself banished back to Heaven. Only Helen remained to witness Cornelius' last moments, as the darkness settled in...
In a plane aligned with the power of Memory, Cornelius found himself between both Arin and the data Ghost of Sara No-Name, offering Apotheosis and Nadir respectively. Arin claimed that Calistria had abandoned them again, showing Cornelius countless times she had done just that in the past, all in the name of the Flock. He begged Cornelius to forget about her, to merge with Arin and Hop from this Petal forever, leaving it all behind.
On the other hand, Sara offered only a mercy, that Cornelius would be safe as a mortal of the Nadir, but there was nothing he could do to save Isra from her plight.
Cornelius wracked his brain, using the System to scour through all possible abilities, desperate for a swift and powerful action that could right all wrongs. When looking to use Arin's divine power, he refused to help Isra, offering instead that Cornelius sacrifice himself as her foremost sheep. While fully willing, the Shape Squirrel hesitated at the thought of leaving Isra alone, and sought the distant aid of his coven.
From across the stars, Lockette granted him the use of the Blessing of the Surgeon, a Death that could traverse the edge between this timeless realm. She offered Cornelius a subtle hint, pontificating that he and Arin were the same being, although not yet fully one. Then she vanished, leaving Cornelius to his thoughts.
Without hesitation, Cornelius chose Apotheosis, rising to the divine aspect that was Arin, and sacrificed himself in Isra's name.
Horrified, Arin began to fade, and all of his Memory with him. When asked why Cornelius would waste an ageless memory, the squirrel shrugged, and proclaimed that Isra was more important. Using the power of Arin's death, he twisted reality, Skipping Isra out of Crow's hands and back to the Forge, leaving the Outer Gates intact.
As he returned to the beach where all dead go before they enter the Boneyard, Helen ceased her waiting — the Doors somehow vanished —and chided Cornelius for his foolish decision...

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Turning our focus to Flay, we arrived at the site of her Apotheosis, the City of Pleated Light. But where others faced grave challenges, mental assaults, and strong questioning, Flay found Desna to be... Pretty chill?
She encouraged Flay to pick whatever she wanted from the get-go, including Nadir or even a Zero Sum. Desna walked Flay through the benefits of each, explaining her thoughts behind them, and some of the iterations past. She also revealed some surprising lore about the Gap, shared with Flay in private (and thus will not be repeated here!), and about her old companion Rufus Geldenleaf. After some time weighing each of her choices, Flay decided to abandon her mortal soul, and ascended to Desna's aspect of Dreams. She became master of the Haze, capable now of guiding it and receiving visions from it once more, understanding more than what was in front of her eyes.
Flay warped reality, re-forging Brightsever in her hand, and severed the White Palace with a single blow, using the overwhelming energy built up from her completed rise to divinity. But Pulura was far from ready to admit defeat, and their fall to the ground floors of the castle revealed that Flay was not the only living among the fallen Starborn. A coalition led by Karma — having detected Brightsever's presence in the City — stormed in, and she, Ferro, Tera, and Skiv (who were after Pulura's Ruby Key) aided Flay in her assault.
While the former Zodiac Brave proved dangerous, her corruption had sullied the might she'd had in life, and it was not long before Flay and her allies — which worked together with an almost natural synergy — were able to bring her low. Using Brightsever, Flay burned all of the Wither out of the Starborn queen, and her Undead servants crumbled to dust. Using her new powers, Flay spoke to Pulura in the Dreamlands, and put to rest her nightmares. In return, Pulura gave Flay "the burden" of the Frost Key, which Flay seemed capable of returning to the Material Plane.
In the aftermath, Karma took Flay to her refuge in the Garden of Silence, and with the Ruby Key hidden in dreams, the Guardians believed the Frost Key lost in the White Palace's destruction, and left to another plane. As Flay considered what to do next, she realized that the compass left to her by the Navigator no longer pointed wildly, guiding her towards the Mirror itself. After spotting an unusual door in the Kauma Tree, she continued down a path that straddled all of the Infinity Petal, and found herself in the Howling Wastes...

Rewards Granted

Tarot Deck

• Lockette granted Cornelius her use of the Blessing of the Surgeon.

Loot

• Flay gained the Frost Key.

Created Content

New and updated articles for:

• Amputate

Notes

So... Close...

Campaign

The Centurion's Riddle

Protagonists

Flame in the Night

Tesin Movahesh

Thunder in the Mist

Lockette Endrinmaster 12 2.0

Isra

Report Date

13 Aug 2022

Primary Location

Doors of Death

Secondary Location

The City of Pleated Light