32: Therapy Session
General Summary
Finally, the time had come for the Crimson 8 and crew to meet the final elemental guardian genie. The Efreeti’s Fortune and her crew soared within sight of Ishtishia’s Sanctuary in western Geminara and prepared to make landfall. Rugged Kobolds spat on their hands and put claws to halyard in a fight against the winds.
Just as the party teleported to the ship to oversee the landing, the voice of Gox the Fishhook cried out through the mist on the deck. “AYE! SKY CLIPPER COMIN UP STARBOARD! HOLD YER ARSES, BOYS!”
Another flying ship had crept up to the Fortune and was now within boarding range. A single one-eyed sea dog stood tall at the edge of the sky pirate vessel, his long light hair blowing in the howling wind. He raised his cutlass high and a crew of animated skeleton scallywags shambled forth.
Vash, Aralia, Rowan, and Gabriel stood fast on the deck, unimpressed with their uninvited guests display (Ember and Metztli remained below deck, the former sequestered in his room for poor behavior, and the latter-well, nobody knew.)
“MANGONELS UP, YOU LAZY LIZARDS!” Gar shouted. The crew scurried to man the ships armaments and prepare for a battle.
Canons fired and blades sang hundreds of feet above the massive crater lake at the heart of Ishtishia’s Grove. The Sea Dog’s skeleton crew were torn apart by the Crimson 8 (4?), most dispatched by Giant Eagles summoned by Aralia, but their captain fought on without fear, nearly pushing Vash overboard to his doom below. He leapt the gap and landed aboard the Fortune while shouting Rowan’s name. Who was this mysterious mariner?
Rowan and the sky pirate grappled like feral dogs- and from up close, Rowan suddenly noticed the man’s eyes were- purple? As Rowan realized the truth, Vash was knocked overboard in the scuffle. Zephyra, flying on her cloud, zoomed out from the invading ship to snatch Vash out of the air. She deposited him back on deck and yelled at the boys to cease their fighting. All involved in the battle stopped and looked her way in surprise. Zephyra gave a small smile, and then, with a wave of her hands, bent the winds to her command. The battle ended as a mighty gust blew both Rowan and Ulric, his brother, overboard.
The crew hurried to the helm and landed the Fortune at the west shore of the lake. There they found the brothers washed up, facedown in the sand, still intact.
“What a dramatic entrance!” said a sultry voice from across the beach. “Ishtishia’s blessed water must have broken their fall.” The gang turned to see a professional and mature looking young woman with mottled grey skin and watery blue hair- she introduced herself as Cascade, the Water Genasi, heir of the late guardian genie, Marid. Cascade explained that after her mother passed away, she and the local sea elves converted the water temple into a resort of bodily and spiritual healing. The crimson crew explained their circumstances to Cascade and insisted the blessing of water was vital to their cause. Cascade and her diligent staff led the battered group to the resort complex.
“I understand the urgency of the situation, but anyone seeking the blessing of water must first prove themselves to be pure of heart. First, you must attend a group therapy session tonight on the beach. Tomorrow you'll have to make your way through the Cleansing Caverns.”
Before the group could step off, they were approached by a colorfully clothed dandy. “Rowan!” his angelic voice cried out. “Is it really you?” Dandelion, the legendary bard, began hugging each member of the party warmly as if they were all old friends. Dandelion explained he and Rowan were close as children back in Demiluna. Both gifted magic users- one seeing magic as an art, and the other as a science. Without much discussion, Dandelion invited himself to the party.
The group spent the day pampered by Sea Elves. Rowan spent the day with his brother, where he learned that the Blue Banner Brigade had already done their cleansing in the cavern. Ulric refused to go into detail, but assured Rowan that it was not so bad.
As day gave way to night, the lake began to glow with the power of its magical essence, and the group gathered for their required session.
Cascade appeared, walking along with a small boy. The boy, shy at first, hid behind Cascade's legs as she introduced him. "This is Stone, and his guardian Terra," she explained. "You've been looking for him. He is the Earth Genasi, having grown from the Earth Gem that I understand you have been after. He was left here for me to care for until you arrived."
This created many questions, but there was no time for that. It was time for their session!
They sat around a fire and answered questions about their journey, their pasts, and their hopeful futures. They reestablished their faith in one another, and looked at parts of themselves they hoped to change. Satisfied at last, Cascade let them go to rest for the following day.
The next day, the group gathered outside of the caverns and waited for Cascade, who appeared moments later with her guardian, Kairi. She continued her explanation: “You must be tested and purified within. It is not a painless process for most, especially those with heavy hearts. Do you still mean to enter?”
The party briefly reflected on several years of traumatic bloodshed, betrayal, and war crimes. Aralia, Gabriel, Vash, Rowan, and (for some reason) Dandelion marched into the Caverns with heads held high.
The Cleansing Caverns were awash with mystical iridescent swirls of magic water. The only light in the cavern came from glowing water that trickled in streams down walls and along the floor, or poured forth in calming waterfalls.
The Crimson 5(ish) were faced with their first trial: a wall of blue fire blazed before them. They knew what had to be done. One by one they summoned their courage and constitution and walked forth through the flames- each emerging unburned on the other side. Beyond the fire wall the stone passage narrowed as they entered a carved hallway. There, they had to answer questions about themselves and their past, proving themselves to statues of judgment before being allowed to pass.
Having succeeded in the trials thus far, the heroes, feeling stalwart in their emotions, exited the stone passageway and walked through a waterfall into a large, empty cavern chamber. An irresistible magical force began to pull at their very hearts. Their doubts, angers, fears, and regrets were being drawn out. Their figurative darkness became a bubbling pool of literal darkness as it merged and congealed on the smooth cavern floor before their eyes. Nothing could have prepared the group for what was birthed from the muck of their hearts.
A twisted wretched visage of boiling tar grew larger and more real. A misshapen mouth formed in the creature’s misshapen head and it cut a piercing wail of curdling angst and pain. Its scream alone was enough to end a mere mortal- but it faced no mere mortals this day. Aralia of the Shepherds snapped her fingers and summoned a pride of giant saber tooth tigers. The tigers pounced on the blob of angst which thrashed at them with countless whip-like appendages.
Vash, the new emissary of Galdraskol, sprouted ephemeral draconic wings and soared through the air, landing atop a saber tooth tiger. Vash hacked away at the abomination from tigerback and it continued its unbearable outbursts.
Gabriel sensed his teams’ mental anguish and clutched his holy symbol tightly. An aura of golden light surrounded him- repelling the beast’s bile with holy radiance. Gabriel focused every ounce of his will into maintaining his comrades lives as the creature’s wails tore their minds apart.
Rowan opened the Grimoire Infinitus but he could not make sense of its endless pages. Instead, he saw his brother’s face, his parents, Kedar. Within this chamber, he found the weight of his heart was too great to bear- and he faltered. Thankfully, Dandelion was chipper as ever and inspired his new friends through his magical art. Dandelion had ways of altering the very passage of time and used this power to transform Vash into a tornado of blades.
Under the pressure of this onslaught, the coagulated hatred inhaled deeply, turned toward Aralia, and assailed her very soul. Aralia lost her footing to the pain, and for just a moment, lost hope. Droplets of darkness fell from the halfling and quickly sprouted into shambling, faceless, shadow men. The tide of the battle was shifting in the monster’s favor. Vash chopped off the creature’s tendrils as fast as it could regrow them, but the shadow men were lurching nearer and nearer. Rowan raised his trembling hand, but his vision blurred- he launched a disintegration beam across the room and missed his mark- his doubt grew deeper.
The abomination’s minions surrounded Aralia, restraining her in place. With a snap, one of the beasts flailing arms struck Aralia- killing her instantly. Brave Aralia’s blood sprayed across the stone floor. Vash, Gabriel, and Rowan were devastated. Gabriel fell to his knees and the holy vortex surged- buying them a little more time.
A sharp pain surged through Rowan’s dragon claw hand. Kedar’s power sprang to life from within the claw and Rowan transformed into an avatar of the mystical dragon that is Kedar. Rowan remembered what he was fighting for. Rowan and Vash took to the air on their dragon wings.
Rowan raised his burning golden dragon claw and a fierce beam of force fell upon the roiling monstrosity. It wailed in pain as its dark aura diminished. Vash screamed through the air and sank his great sword so deep into the weakened mass that the core of the creature was split. A blinding explosion shook the chamber- and the embodiment of deep devastation and its minions evaporated into dust. Vash’s sword clanged against the floor as he ran to Aralia. Gabriel broke his aura, got to his feet, and wiped the sweat from his brow. The indomitable cleric walked to Aralia and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Revivify” he said softly- as a priceless diamond turned to dust in his other hand. Aralia slowly opened her eyes.
Rowan landed near his friends and returned to his normal human state. The four took a long look at each other and, as the terror and agony of the battle faded away, a warm sense of peace washed over their hearts. The past was truly behind them now- only future remained. They helped Aralia to her feet and walked out of the Caverns, cleansed.
Another flying ship had crept up to the Fortune and was now within boarding range. A single one-eyed sea dog stood tall at the edge of the sky pirate vessel, his long light hair blowing in the howling wind. He raised his cutlass high and a crew of animated skeleton scallywags shambled forth.
Vash, Aralia, Rowan, and Gabriel stood fast on the deck, unimpressed with their uninvited guests display (Ember and Metztli remained below deck, the former sequestered in his room for poor behavior, and the latter-well, nobody knew.)
“MANGONELS UP, YOU LAZY LIZARDS!” Gar shouted. The crew scurried to man the ships armaments and prepare for a battle.
Canons fired and blades sang hundreds of feet above the massive crater lake at the heart of Ishtishia’s Grove. The Sea Dog’s skeleton crew were torn apart by the Crimson 8 (4?), most dispatched by Giant Eagles summoned by Aralia, but their captain fought on without fear, nearly pushing Vash overboard to his doom below. He leapt the gap and landed aboard the Fortune while shouting Rowan’s name. Who was this mysterious mariner?
Rowan and the sky pirate grappled like feral dogs- and from up close, Rowan suddenly noticed the man’s eyes were- purple? As Rowan realized the truth, Vash was knocked overboard in the scuffle. Zephyra, flying on her cloud, zoomed out from the invading ship to snatch Vash out of the air. She deposited him back on deck and yelled at the boys to cease their fighting. All involved in the battle stopped and looked her way in surprise. Zephyra gave a small smile, and then, with a wave of her hands, bent the winds to her command. The battle ended as a mighty gust blew both Rowan and Ulric, his brother, overboard.
The crew hurried to the helm and landed the Fortune at the west shore of the lake. There they found the brothers washed up, facedown in the sand, still intact.
“What a dramatic entrance!” said a sultry voice from across the beach. “Ishtishia’s blessed water must have broken their fall.” The gang turned to see a professional and mature looking young woman with mottled grey skin and watery blue hair- she introduced herself as Cascade, the Water Genasi, heir of the late guardian genie, Marid. Cascade explained that after her mother passed away, she and the local sea elves converted the water temple into a resort of bodily and spiritual healing. The crimson crew explained their circumstances to Cascade and insisted the blessing of water was vital to their cause. Cascade and her diligent staff led the battered group to the resort complex.
“I understand the urgency of the situation, but anyone seeking the blessing of water must first prove themselves to be pure of heart. First, you must attend a group therapy session tonight on the beach. Tomorrow you'll have to make your way through the Cleansing Caverns.”
Before the group could step off, they were approached by a colorfully clothed dandy. “Rowan!” his angelic voice cried out. “Is it really you?” Dandelion, the legendary bard, began hugging each member of the party warmly as if they were all old friends. Dandelion explained he and Rowan were close as children back in Demiluna. Both gifted magic users- one seeing magic as an art, and the other as a science. Without much discussion, Dandelion invited himself to the party.
Session by the Lake
As day gave way to night, the lake began to glow with the power of its magical essence, and the group gathered for their required session.
Cascade appeared, walking along with a small boy. The boy, shy at first, hid behind Cascade's legs as she introduced him. "This is Stone, and his guardian Terra," she explained. "You've been looking for him. He is the Earth Genasi, having grown from the Earth Gem that I understand you have been after. He was left here for me to care for until you arrived."
This created many questions, but there was no time for that. It was time for their session!
They sat around a fire and answered questions about their journey, their pasts, and their hopeful futures. They reestablished their faith in one another, and looked at parts of themselves they hoped to change. Satisfied at last, Cascade let them go to rest for the following day.
The Cleansing Caverns.
The next day, the group gathered outside of the caverns and waited for Cascade, who appeared moments later with her guardian, Kairi. She continued her explanation: “You must be tested and purified within. It is not a painless process for most, especially those with heavy hearts. Do you still mean to enter?”
The Crimson 5(ish) were faced with their first trial: a wall of blue fire blazed before them. They knew what had to be done. One by one they summoned their courage and constitution and walked forth through the flames- each emerging unburned on the other side. Beyond the fire wall the stone passage narrowed as they entered a carved hallway. There, they had to answer questions about themselves and their past, proving themselves to statues of judgment before being allowed to pass.
Having succeeded in the trials thus far, the heroes, feeling stalwart in their emotions, exited the stone passageway and walked through a waterfall into a large, empty cavern chamber. An irresistible magical force began to pull at their very hearts. Their doubts, angers, fears, and regrets were being drawn out. Their figurative darkness became a bubbling pool of literal darkness as it merged and congealed on the smooth cavern floor before their eyes. Nothing could have prepared the group for what was birthed from the muck of their hearts.
A twisted wretched visage of boiling tar grew larger and more real. A misshapen mouth formed in the creature’s misshapen head and it cut a piercing wail of curdling angst and pain. Its scream alone was enough to end a mere mortal- but it faced no mere mortals this day. Aralia of the Shepherds snapped her fingers and summoned a pride of giant saber tooth tigers. The tigers pounced on the blob of angst which thrashed at them with countless whip-like appendages.
Gabriel sensed his teams’ mental anguish and clutched his holy symbol tightly. An aura of golden light surrounded him- repelling the beast’s bile with holy radiance. Gabriel focused every ounce of his will into maintaining his comrades lives as the creature’s wails tore their minds apart.
Rowan opened the Grimoire Infinitus but he could not make sense of its endless pages. Instead, he saw his brother’s face, his parents, Kedar. Within this chamber, he found the weight of his heart was too great to bear- and he faltered. Thankfully, Dandelion was chipper as ever and inspired his new friends through his magical art. Dandelion had ways of altering the very passage of time and used this power to transform Vash into a tornado of blades.
Under the pressure of this onslaught, the coagulated hatred inhaled deeply, turned toward Aralia, and assailed her very soul. Aralia lost her footing to the pain, and for just a moment, lost hope. Droplets of darkness fell from the halfling and quickly sprouted into shambling, faceless, shadow men. The tide of the battle was shifting in the monster’s favor. Vash chopped off the creature’s tendrils as fast as it could regrow them, but the shadow men were lurching nearer and nearer. Rowan raised his trembling hand, but his vision blurred- he launched a disintegration beam across the room and missed his mark- his doubt grew deeper.
The abomination’s minions surrounded Aralia, restraining her in place. With a snap, one of the beasts flailing arms struck Aralia- killing her instantly. Brave Aralia’s blood sprayed across the stone floor. Vash, Gabriel, and Rowan were devastated. Gabriel fell to his knees and the holy vortex surged- buying them a little more time.
A sharp pain surged through Rowan’s dragon claw hand. Kedar’s power sprang to life from within the claw and Rowan transformed into an avatar of the mystical dragon that is Kedar. Rowan remembered what he was fighting for. Rowan and Vash took to the air on their dragon wings.
Rowan raised his burning golden dragon claw and a fierce beam of force fell upon the roiling monstrosity. It wailed in pain as its dark aura diminished. Vash screamed through the air and sank his great sword so deep into the weakened mass that the core of the creature was split. A blinding explosion shook the chamber- and the embodiment of deep devastation and its minions evaporated into dust. Vash’s sword clanged against the floor as he ran to Aralia. Gabriel broke his aura, got to his feet, and wiped the sweat from his brow. The indomitable cleric walked to Aralia and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Revivify” he said softly- as a priceless diamond turned to dust in his other hand. Aralia slowly opened her eyes.
Rowan landed near his friends and returned to his normal human state. The four took a long look at each other and, as the terror and agony of the battle faded away, a warm sense of peace washed over their hearts. The past was truly behind them now- only future remained. They helped Aralia to her feet and walked out of the Caverns, cleansed.
Memories Healed
It was a tragic tale thus far, the love story of Aralia and Vash. He had won her over with his bravado and golden heart, and she had won him over with her nurting nature and fiery spirit. Then, in a tragic twist, his memories of her were stolen away, and despite all attempts to have them magically restored, no cure seemed to work. It seemed at first as though this would be the end of their bond, but despite having no solid memories of Aralia, the love Vash felt towards the halfling was ever-present. After the Cleansing Caverns, Vash took Aralia on an enchanted boat ride, out on the mystical glowing waters of Ishtishia's Grove. There, with their hands intertwined, they reconfirmed their love for one another. Seeing this not as a tragedy to despair, they chose to see it as yet another opportunity to fall in love all over again. Then, in a scene straight out of a romance novel, they kissed. As their lips met, a rush of magic radiated outward, rippling across the water. Vash opened his eyes, taking in the sight before him, the lady he loved so dearly and could remember once again. Seeing the look in his eyes, Aralia understood that his memories had been healed. With tears welling in her own, she pulled the elf in for another embrace.
Report Date
16 Dec 2023
Ulric Lonethorne
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