Turtle Soup (Planescape 3.5e)

[The803]

The consensus seems to be to keep the stone, and Bi is relieved to avoid an argument about it; it's clear she has a deep-seated distrust of the blue giants and their offer.

Jurgen's conversation with the bariaur and the goblins proves to be just such an argument; they seem to think that they can use their wishes to make themselves gods by using the first two wishes to preclude any negative consequences for the third wish. Most everyone thinks this is preposterous, but one fellow says that they are in fact, correct, and that since he himself became a god in that very manner, he's an authority on such manners.

Look, the mercane are just offering to take your home domain off your hands and put them on the open market. It's not fair to saddle you with looking after an entire cosmology unless that's your cup of tea. I hear it's a lot of work, and I find being a free-range god is much more interesting than being cooped up in some private universe that doesn't touch anything else. I'd rather be somewhere that touches everywhere else, and the World Serpent is a fair sight better than the old birdcage.

The goblins and their argument gradually lose the attention of a gathering circle, now paying attention to the 'god,' who calls himself Loegh. He seems to be some sort of mix of halfling and goblin with a touch of faerie for flavor, and seems to know what he's talking about. As people begin to ask questions of him, you realize that he's not alone; a number of 'gods' have entered the ballroom, and circles of curious, newly awakened querants (like yourselves) are forming around each one.

The githzerai have mostly left, but those that remain are also reluctantly answering questions about what has happened.

[SBLOCK]The githzerai are explaining how you have become gods; the newly arrived gods are explaining what you do next.[/SBLOCK]

 

[Velmont]

After listening a while to other, Traore turns back to his friends and asks them "What if me not want be god? Me not want wish? Me not want gives cosmology... that ball to first coming? What option left?"

 

[Lobo Lurker]

"What if me not want be god? Me not want wish? Me not want gives cosmology... that ball to first coming? What option left?"

Jurden looks slightly embarassed and he says "Well... you could either accept your fate or deny the calling of your blood, begin a crusade against all you hold dear, scour the multiverse ways to become something that you're not; only to find out that you're doing just what you were meant to do." The ghaele looks saddened. "Celestials have been known to fall and Fiends have been known to rise from time to time."

He nods to the others and, being skeptical of the 'gods', wanders over to hear what the Zerth have to say.

 

[Boddynock]

Andarin looks over the collection of newly-arrived "gods" and is clearly not impressed.

"Hmm - a pretty poor collection of powers, if you ask me. Who knew godhead was so cheap? Well, let's listen in for a while. We might pick up something useful. Then I say, back to the Cage! We can talk further over a glass of something at the Blistering Bauriar."

 

[LordAspen]

"Hmm - a pretty poor collection of powers, if you ask me. Who knew godhead was so cheap? Well, let's listen in for a while. We might pick up something useful."

Rhys nods in agreement and with a smirk says, "I suppose we may as well hang out for a bit. Who know's maybe we'll find out when we have to go find our stasis on the Astral Plane so that we can become real powers to reckon with".

The Fey-Touched looks about for Clareh and then adds "While we are at it we better keep on eye on that sorceress. She's bound to get us into some sort of trouble..."

 

[The803]

The githzerai are being pretty tight with information, but you manage to figure out the following:

When the Gith rose against the mind flayers, not all worlds were an active part of their revolution, but they all did their part. The world you saw, with the endless ice punctuated by towers, was a "stasis" world; millions upon millions of sentient brains, frozen just before death, awaiting consumption by Illithids across their planar empire. It was thought that without bodies, they could never threaten their masters, but the illithids didn't count on the power of dreams.

When word of the revolution began to spread across the illithid's planar empire, the dream of freedom caught hold. The frozen brains, culled from thousands of different races from all over the multiverse, began to dream together. Whole towers of minds began to stir in sleep, disrupting the delicate balance of temperature that imprisoned them. Whole towers spoiled, and the mighty empire of the illithids once again felt hunger.

As they spoiled and died, the souls of the frozen minds longed for bodies above all else. Neth heard this call and took them in, promising to build bodies for them, but unsure of how to proceed. Eventually, a group of githzerai stumbled into Neth and learned of this. Determined to keep the souls out of the hands of their warlike kin, they devised a plan.

The souls were to be secreted into crystal eggs and entrusted to strangers who were free and good of heart. The best way to find free spirits is to simply throw a party. The best way to find people with good hearts is to have something at that party that will annoy and drive off the wicked. Sunflies (and their sarphidian cousins) fit the bill nicely.

 

[Lobo Lurker]

"And that's that, I suppose. Thanks for spillin' the dark on that." adds the ghale.

Jurgen walks over and pokes the crystal egg. "So... you're full of stolen souls eh?" He places his palm on the crystal and 'listens' (keeps an open mind) before turning to the others.

"That pretty much seals it for me. I won't condone selling souls to those blue-skinned giants. Who knows who they might sell them to! When we get back to Sigil, I think we should start looking for ways to free these souls... no one deserves this fate. I think we should free them to to seek thier ultimate reward or to return to a physical body of some sort."

Jurden leans back and looks down at Andarin. "What did you learn from the so-called free powers?"

 

[Velmont]

Traore seems confuse as he is explain all that "Soul? Is meaning one ancestor is prisonner of the crystal? Illithids looks powerfull people."

 

[Boddynock]

The halfling nods as Jurgen recounts what he has learned. "Lady's Grace, Blue, that's a skegging, and no mistake. There's no way we can sell the souls of others - I'm no fiend, nor are any of us - so you're right, we just have to find a way to send these poor sods on their journey."

"It is interesting, though - that bit about the 'zerai not wanting the 'yankis to find them."

In reply to the ghaele's question about the new powers, Andarin frowns. "Not a lot, yet. Come on, let's circulate and listen in some more. And then, back to Sigil!"

 

[LordAspen]

"Guess that explains the presence of Gibbon and his kin at the party. The Nethlinga and the lost souls are linked."

Rhys looks at the sphere in his hand and thinks about the desperation of the trapped souls. The Fey-touched wilts noticeably. "We need to try to help Neth fulfill it's promise. Any ideas on where we might start to look for answers? Maybe these lesser-powers here know a bit more than the Gith are revealing."

Like his companions the Sorceror begins to mingle about trying to glean anything that might be helpful. While doing so Rhys also ponders Clareh's choice of creations in the dream world. Her inclusion of the Githyanki, Githzeri and the Mindflayers living in harmony seems a bit less than coincidental. Rhys wonders if there is any significance and if so what else Clareh knows.

After wandering around a bit he approaches the Elven maiden and says, "Clareh you seem to know a bit more about this then the rest of us. I allowed you to take part in my dream, in return I ask that you please tell me what you know of all this."