Session 23 - The Plan: Don't Die, Just Live
General Summary
The Return of the Iron Arrow
In the morning, Aiaoue finds Aura and Mya leaving their breakfast together. She informs both that, while exploring ruins in the lands of Eden, she found a seed and that she suspects it might be an Aetheria seed. Mya is excited, though notes she would have to see if it remained viable. Aiaoue assures Aura and Mya that the seed is SUPER SECURE... in Vendetta. When discussing where it might be planted, Aiaoue mentions she'd like, if they'd allow, to plant it in Legacy. Aura is a bit cautious of the notion, but Mya supports planting where Aiaoue would like – you did save Spring after all. However, Mya does note that they will have to see if it could grow within the Mind Blight if Legacy is affliced. Aura proposes that, when the Eden wakes, she will gather a delegation to send to Legacy.
Aiaoue then heads to the Park, picking up potion ingredients and then settling in for some morning gardening. Milo swings by to see about potions. With the Spring Aetheria fruit growing again, they can easily provide potions of healing, protective potions, and potions of pyschic resistance. Unfortunately, they don't have the ingredients for potions of acid resistance and aren't familiar enough with the ancient rumors of Eresh's rot to begin to devise a potion to combat it. When Milo mentions bringing stuff back for them, the Aetherians note that it is unlikely Milo will find anything alive in the Mind Blight, but magic items might persist and would certainly be of note.
Teagan and Yenush continuie their tradition at the Bennu, while Arkyn heads to the Hall of Sprawling Roots. As Mya tends to the newly opened root, Fannar continues his acorn calculus until he is overcome by a coughing fit. He assures Mya and Arkyn that he is fine and, despite prodding, Arkyn finds no real reason for concern. Cadence, however, immediately can tell that something is wrong with Fannar. Although the coughing subsides, his hands shake and his movements are weaker and less fluid. It may be the beginning of the end.
Arkyn and Cadence are the first to note the arrival of the Iron Arrow, as a flood of Aetherians move into the Hall of Sprawling Roots to manipulate and open one of the large roots. Everyone else sees the glimmer of light off of metal in the distance. Arkyn teleports onto the Iron Arrow to find it in "organized chaos". Evandra is at the helm, surrounded by 3 Aetherians, while Sayah and Quill are both attempting to support her. Yelkin is focused entirely on the engines, Jin is somehow asleep, and Jeff and Vendetta are not present in the pilot car. Arkyn, oblivious to the state of things, leans on Sayah. Slightly stressed, Sayah notes that she's a bit busy and Arkyn joins in to help. Aiaoue notes that this is the slowest Aiaoue has seen the Iron Arrow "land".
As the Aetherians gawk in amazement, three Aetherians carry a body out from the hull of the Iron Arrow. They are intercepted quickly by Mya. Yenush quickly gets onto the Iron Arrow. YELKIN WHAT DID YOU DO. Yelkin rolls his eyes and yanks Yenush to where Vendetta is. Some repair work will certainly be needed. Outside, the Iron Arrow's hull was clearly struck, perhaps repeatedly, and will need some repairs.
Evandra, as she exits the Iron Arrow, is quickly scooped up in the crowd as "kin recognizes kin", no matter how distant. Sayah was expecting more "Angry Goat Ladies", but she can easily pick out the one that Arkyn was referring to. How about a tour? Linking arms, Sayah seems relatively eager to leave the Iron Arrow and see some sun. Did anything happen? Oh no, nothing at all.
Quill carries off the sleeping Jin and Cadence falls into stride with him. As they waltz through Grand Aetheria, Cadence tells him about Hyperion, his Beloved, and the Storm Wars. Afterwards, Quill notes that - although hard to see amidst backdrop of storms and lightning - he has seen a silhouette with somewhat draconic features. While he's uncertain how to proceed with the information exactly, Quill appreciates it. After finding a place for Jin to sleep, Cadence introduces Quill to Aria.
Yelkin and Yenush begin the process of repariing the (a) destroyed MWD and (b) a badly damaged MWD on Vendetta's saddle. Aiaoue spends a bit of time with Vendetta before returning to her gardening and her school. The two brothers, and Aiaoue's Enhance Ability, are able to quickly repair the MWDs to nearly pristine condition. One looks a bit patchwork, but Yenush is pretty confident it'll function exactly like the others. Meanwhile, Teagan - with supervision from a lounging Milo - works on fixing up the hull of the Iron Arrow's pilot car. As he works, Jeff saunters out. He notes that they definitely hit something, though he has more tea to spill. You know the shiny sword Quill carries? Sayah stole it and nearly set Quill off. He might of lightning struck the rear car of the Iron Arrow if Jeff hadn't kneecapped him and snapped Quill out of it.
Party in the Watering Grove and Final Preparations
Everyone converges on the Watering Grove in the evening. As they all sit down, the Aetherian bartender immediately passes out shots of Grand Sap without question. Quill, mid-talk, takes the shot and immediately starts rambling. He was engaged once (*gasp* how did you UN-FIANCE?), but then he shot lightning at her. Blue dragons are so pretentious. Why was he engaged? To keep the peace. Some dragons seem to think that if the Bronze Greatwyrm can be replaced... why can't the others? Why shouldn't the others?
Hesitantly, Yelkin takes the shot of grand sap at Yenush's urging. Yelkin is hit hard by the drink for a moment before something in him changes. So concerned with the WHEEL, perhaps it should break. Yenush, shot halfway to his mouth, freezes. Yelkin, after speaking blasphemy so nonchalantly, galavants off to the dance floor where he is... oddly coordinated for a drunken man. Aiaoue, who had been potion brewing, joins him on the dance floor. They are shortly joined by Jeff and Cadence, quickly becoming the life of the party. As Yenush watches, there's something different about Yelkin, but he cannot place what.
Milo scoots on over to Yenush. Hey. Are you still going to turn your brother over after all this? Yenush is pretty committed to that. What if we don't make it back? Damn, Milo. Yenush is pretty confident that they'll make it back; there's all this teleportation in Grand Aetheria and, while he's no expert at magic, he's pretty sure that counts for something.
Jin, who had been unceremoniously deposited in the baths, finally wakes up and immediately begins drunkenly bartending.
The following day, Arkyn tries to be a good boyfriend, though Sayah is not forthcoming with any helpful information. As Arkyn brings enough mooshroom cheese to KO the birds for at least an hour, Sayah notes that while she enjoys acts of service, it is often difficult for her to accept them. She has spent decades being fiercely independent and her nature will not quickly change. True, genuine words often do not flow freely from her; as it was with her mother (which is obvious from her very curt sending to her mother). Arkyn offers Sayah the one earring and the necklace he made. While helping her with the necklace, he manages to not trigger his curse and decides that if he doesn't STOP touching her, it won't trigger again.
Preparations are made for departure. Milo does some final last minute research. He notes that there are multiple records of people dressed from head to toe in black/gray garb passing through Grand Aetheria with offerings for Eresh; they traveled to her Temple within the bog, though no specific location is given. Teagan also visits the Archives. He notes that Fannar is clearly ill... or succumbing to the weight of old age. His hands shake, his movements are slow and wobbly, and his focus more often wavers. Still, he retains the same cheery disposition. As Teagan produces the bone metal. Fannar recoils. What are you doing with the cursed substance? Fannar explains that this "bone metal" was created from the fossilized remains of the Abyssal Lord's unfruitful offspring. If you feel awful holding, imagine what that would feel like if shackled to your neck. An inescapable torment. Teagan asks, hypothetically, would it be possible for someone to figure out how to work with this material? WELL, if someone had any INFO on potentially HOW, then perhaps. Hm. Oh. Interesting. Teagan sends to Syrio.
Aiaoue informs the group that the Aetheria seed she found has additional properties. Arkyn would prefer not to be reincarnated. Teagan plans to just simply not die. Aiaoue takes the seed to Mya and Aura. She offers the seed back to them. Mya takes it; perhaps with springs blessing, this will mark a new era for us. Perhaps I will not be the last.
The Swamps are a Bit "Red"
Gathering at Vendetta, Aura and Mya approach the group. Mya assures them that the gate will be kept open for them. Cadence expressed concern for Aria. Mya offered to give Aria tasks in the Aetherian Archives; Fannar could use some assistance now that Mya is down here. Aura assures the group that the Gate will be under guard to deter any threats. And do try to avoid dying stupidly.
The group (with Yelkin, Jeff, Quill, and Sayah) pass through the Root and are surrounded by the miasma once again. The Root leads to a stone gate that is precariously still together with large, notable cracks running through many of the runes. To your left, a sheer stone wall climbs up into the miasma. Ahead of you, a main road vanishes into the miasma. To your right, there is another sheer drop, straight down with no bottom visible.
As Aiaoue, Cadence, and Arkyn step out into the miasma, the world shifts. The stone Gate is pristine, arcane sigils glowing with radiant white light. Gray clouds rest in the sky overhead, letting only dim light trickle into the chasm. A city descends into the chasm below. Slender figures with purple-tinted skin and pointed ears move about. A few have discolored, dark gray forearms with stone-like patterns. Down the main road, a few stone-covered drow mold the earth to create new paths and bridges, guiding the new arrivals to their destinations within the city. Nearby, a mural and carved art piece is fully intact:
- Ah'Shal – A gaunt tiefling woman holding a staff with a green gem in one hand and a set of keys in the other. Her hands are discolored and green-black smoke drifts around her.
- A heavily robed tiefling figure with antler-like horns wearing a skull mask. On his robes, four figures in mourning have been painted in black with a translucent figure nearby. Behind him is the outline of a coffin.
- A white robed figure with pointed ears and straight hair stands in the middle, holding a scroll in one hand and a tome in the other. Jackal skulls adorn his robes, one of which clutches a scroll in its jaws. Gates have been carved behind him.
- An individual in a full suit of dark stone armor stands, eyes glowing an ominous red. The outlines of similar stone-covered individuals have been carved in the background, neatly and orderly arranged.
- A thin, malnourished figure with long hair that obscures half of her face. Lichen, mushrooms, and moss grow directly from her flesh. Her forearms are black and rotted. The rest of her features are obscured by shadow.
Amidst the hallucinatory people, Cadence notes a group of Gyésar gathering. Once they are joined by a taller figure carrying a lumpy bag, they begin to progress up the ramp to the chasm edge above. There, two spindly arthropods rise on stilt-like legs, chittering to one another. They begin to head South and ever so slightly East. There is another group of hallucinations that don't seem fully formed... as if meant for another.
With watch rotations established, the group sets out into the miasma. A full day passes without threat or other occurrence. On the morning of the following day, however, a thick pocket of miasma approaches.
A particularly thick pool of miasma drifts closer. As it consumes you, the world around you changes, even as the MWDs crescendo. The hum of the MWD is buried in the accompaniment of a swamp. The miasma is replaced by thick, humid air and a delicate greenish-gray fog that rests across a land of muck, mud, and mushrooms. Stagnant waters support a sheet of scum and slim, disturbed only by rising bubbles that pop on the surface, releasing a putrid odor into the air. Bent, warped, and spindly trees rise out of the water, coated in gowns of moss and lichens, vying for space as they pry themselves beneath the bark. Ahead, a totem of wood has been placed in the mud. Moss and mushroom have already begun to consume the base. Atop it, a skull has been affixed. Carved into it, corresponding to the direction the skull is facing, is a direction.
Glancing at each other, everyone has assumed illusory forms... and there is one extra with them. "Red" stands, carrying his bag. As the faintest hint of a sunrise cuts through the fog, "Red" notes that perhaps they should make camp. After settling down around Vendetta (now a Stilt Bug)... what's in the bag? "Red" opens it to reveal dismembered body parts of a single individual, though the head is missing. Red notes that they were a half-elf man in the lands of Hesper'Telia. They had killed a Gyésar and brutally beaten a stilt bug nearly to death. A fitting offering to Eresh. What about his head? "Red" notes that the head was delivered to the Headless Hall.
Have you made many offerings to Eresh? "Red" notes that this is his first... and will be his last. Oh? It is tradition for Hadúr's chosen to do so. "Red" is getting old, after all. Though, beneath the garb he is a changeling and the age would not show upon him. Is the mask symbolic then? It is, in a way. Would you remove it? Would you like me to? Arkyn, chiming in with a, yes very much so, easily convinces "Red" to do so. At first, when the mask is removed, there is no face to look at; there is no head. A moment later, an illusory and then solid head forms. Apologies, it takes some time for me to summon my head from the Headless Hall. How does your body... work then? "Red" notes that some mysteries are for Hadúr to know... and you to never know.
When asked about his travels, "Red" notes that he has been through the Stonelands. The Drow are dangerous, but easy to kill if you know their weakness: their ambition. He has also travelled through the Pridelands. Their devotion to stringent Law can be weaponized by those who know how to find loopholes... even for more heinous crimes. When asked about Thana, "Red" notes that he far prefers Tamasvi - the perfect killing machine. When she wakes, blood spills. What about the Tor Khan? Impressive, though "Red" notes that once dismounted, they are too easy to impale.
As Aiaoue reminds all that perhaps they should pay homage to their benevolent goddess, Eresh, Cadence and Milo take a look at the directional marker. Poking around, it seems to provide directions to a familiar name: The Kel'Nok Mire. As the miasma returns, only the imprent of the marker remains.
Report Date
14 Mar 2025
Primary Location
Secondary Location
Related Characters
Even More Sendings
| Sent | Response |
|---|---|
| Aiaoue: "From Aiaoue. Travelled through miasma several days; found safe place, but headed to swamp of death. Curses (shrug). I’ll be fine with your strength. Good vibes." | Omen: “Grant no mercy to any that declare themselves your enemy. Mind thyself; foul things lurk in the shallows. Chaos abounds. Draw upon my strength, child.” |
| Yenush: "They have a tree that's able to stop Miasma. Not resistant. What do you mean helping? Something happen over there? Takes time to reach ya." | Viren: “Oh nevermind. A t-tree is hard to m-move. If t-they were resistant… I thought p-perhaps I could d-derive a cure? A tonic of miasma resistance.” |
| Milo: Hi love. I’m safe and at a settlement. Will be traveling for a while. Sending via Arkyn is the only communication right now. Will write soon. Give love to Marcus. Talk soon. | Chloe: “Hun… What settlement? Traveling where? By The One, I can’t look up a map of where you are… Reckless as it seems, I trust you. I’ll give him your love.” |
| Arkyn: “She passed bring back a God of Life, no corpse remains, she left shards to us and a prophecy will send in more sendings.” | |
| Arkyn: “Prophecy Sendings: ‘From 1 to 3, then 5, and now 6. A red thread between you... and I. A tether of a different sort. Mine a tethering of my choosing.’” | |
| Arkyn: “Yours a tether inflicted upon you. A cursed connection. Unique. Woven through the miasma. For you are now bound to play the Game. Pull the thread. Unwind and tear it.” | |
| Arkyn: “Or weave it anew. It can be only you. Learn and understand, draw it out and weakened it. It is your choice. End of Prophecy” | Diamont: “So be it then. I would not expect much, if anything, to remain. Shards? To you? Hm. I shall take time to think on such a prophecy. And, in the meantime, I shall pursue alternatives here. We shall need them…” |
| Teagan: Learned more about bone metal. Made of dead god babies. Very bad stuff and cursed. Only bad stuff about it. Maybe don’t work on it. | Syrio: Very well (he said, lying). |
Swamp Personas
Cadence returns to a familiar form. A "Bog Child" (a Gyésar) standing just shy of 5 feet tall. His hair is matted with knots and adorned with bramble and mushroom. His left arm is made of bark and his right leg covered in lichen. Portions of his simple, eclectic clothes are covered in lichen, mushroom, and other muck.
Arkyn:
You stand just shy of 5 feet tall, gauntlets of bark and vine secured around your forearms. Your body has not been blessed by lichen or mushroom, so you have painted your body with vines and other such depictions. A pendant hangs from your neck; a memento from the Stilt Bug you had before. In your heart, your closest companion is the Stilt Bug who has chosen you.
Aiaoue:
You stand just shy of 5 feet tall, weight shifted to rest more on the leg that hasn’t been patterned with rot. The tips of your fingers are discolored, an odd black. Mushrooms sprout from the left side of your face. Multiple pouches and strung gourds rest across your chest and hang from your waist. In your heart, you know you can cure any disease. You could even cure the rotting leg… but you will not.Teagan:
You stand just shy of 4 feet tall, awaiting one final growth spurt. Your hair is messy, tangled artfully with leaves, vines, and twigs from traveling the swamp. Your skin is a pale grayish-green and currently untouched by moss, lichen, rot, or pestilence, but that will certainly come with time. In your heart, you hope to make your people proud. To grow up to become an artist of Eresh’s rot.Yenush:
Your shoulders hunch and roll forward as you feel your body hollow out and thin. As you move, your joints creak and groan. A blanket of moss covers your form while mushrooms and vines catch on the cracks in our bark-like skin. Portions of your body have been hollowed out, as if they had rotted long ago. In your heart, you feel as strong desire to keep those around you safe and protected. Your one purpose.Milo:
You stand 3 feet shorter than you once did and a shadow hangs over your face. A giant mushroom appears to be affixed to your head… or, rather, you are the mushroom. Your legs are squat and round, but your arms are long and spindly. Although you can see, smell, and hear as normal, you do not feel as if you have eyes, nose, or mouth. In your heart, you feel as if you should toddle and sway as you cheerfully look for your next body to help decompose.
Vendetta takes the form of a caravan arthropod, commonly known as Stilt Bugs.
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