gideonpepys
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.
Session 47, Part Three - Ascent of Screaming Souls, Part Two
With apologies to the original author, as most of this is verbatim from the adventure:
Before they could talk any more about Uriel’s revelation, the memory event shifted to a slightly earlier point, evidenced by Nicodemus’ possession of another body, and their discussion of the initial stages of the colossus project:
Nicodemus stands at the edge of the stairs, smoking contemplatively. Kasvarina seems upbeat, and jokes with Nicodemus that he’s lucky to have a new body each visit, since with the way he smokes he could never climb all these stairs. Then she explains her recent visit to the Cauldron Hill facility in Flint to see the excavations. Progress has been swift since the rusted gates were built into the Stanfield canal. Nicodemus comments that he hasn’t seen Kasvarina look to happy in a very long time. She pauses, looking almost embarrassed, then says that she spoke with the golems that the Mindmaker has been training. “They called the Mindmaker ‘father’, and called me…” – she pauses, laughs –“’mother’”.
As the event ended, there was a crackle in the air, and a sudden movement down below that caught their eye: By now, Danoran troops were swarming onto the island, but this wasn’t what drew their attention. Stepping into view as if out of nowhere, the colossus arrived at the edge of the river. It threw up its giant head and cried ‘MOTHEEEERRR!’ in a voice like the collision of worlds. Then it plunged into the water – just shin-deep on the colossus, but enough to send huge waves crashing over the Danoran boats and up and onto the island as it waded towards the Lance. Those soldiers who did not perish at once fled in abject terror.
The unit redoubled its efforts. They fended off the shades of Elanor Yanette and Olivert Boone before reaching another memory from the 450s:
The previous Sovereign of Danor gives a report on the status of the Third Yerasol War to Kasvarina and Nicodemus (as always, he’s in a new body and smoking). The Sovereign claims that his nation’s ships just aren’t strong enough to deal with Risuri magic. This worries Kasvarina, since they need Risur to adopt industry if they’re going to be able to build the colossus.
Nicodemus points out that Risur is already building some factories, and that his friends in the Risuri government will raise a stink to guarantee the industry stays out of Slate. That makes Flint the most logical choice. The old witch mountain will keep the fey from meddling, and make it easier to construct the colossus in the Bleak Gate.
He apologizes to the Sovereign, and says they got greedy with this war and should have waited. But it’s still an excuse to pour a huge amount of money into a steam-powered warship. It just needs to sail one time and sink a few Risuri vessels.
Kasvarina proposes they hire Risuri mercenaries to steal the ship, and let them get away with it. The Sovereign blanches, not a fan of conspiring against his own country, but Nicodemus just tells him to think about the future.
Korrigan worried that this might have been the famous event when Aodhan captured a Risuri steamship. Was no patriotic moment safe from the Ob’s taint? But again, there was no time, or spare breath for contemplative chit-chat: the colossus began to climb the Lance, sending vibrations through the stones with every movement. They hurried on to reach a memory from many centuries earlier:
Kasvarina explains to Nicodemus and another Sovereign (who borrows a cigarette) what has gone wrong. They’d found the Ancient ziggurat of Avilona on an island in the sky, floating over the domain of some dragon tyrant. Kasvarina and a few researchers flew up to it, unearthed a golden seal, and found a portal to the plane of air.
After extensive divinations they attempted to replace the seal with another one and steer the portal to a different plane. That succeeded for only a few moments before some powerful destructive energy blasted outward. Kasvarina and the others fled the island, and nearly died when suddenly their flight magic failed.
Two problems are obvious. First, they can’t get back to the floating island to try again, not unless Danor’s engineers can use their new steam furnaces to power a mechanical bird. And second, clearly their understanding of the Ancient ritual was flawed. Kasvarina thinks they’re lucky the damage wasn’t worse, and won’t risk testing at the ziggurat of Av until they know more. Nicodemus throws his cigarette away, then curses at Kasvarina for failing.
The colossus wasn’t far away now. It caught them just as Gupta was fending off attacks from the spirit of Lorcan Kell. They all prepared themselves for a futile fight when Gupta suddenly advised them to stand down. She realised that the colossus was not hostile and would certainly not attack them while Kasvarina was with them, although without her memories intact it would be very hard for Kasvarina to communicate with it. Gupta’s gut feeling was that she would have a better chance of influencing the monster at the top of the tower.
Clinging to the spiral steps, with its feet in footholds below, it came right up to them and regarded them in mute wonder. Worried that any attempt to communicate might anger the golem, they pressed on, with the colossus looming over them all the way.
Next, they dealt with the manic spirit of Tinker Oddcog, before coming to the ghost of Lya Jierre, who was holding a glass of wine, which she raised in a mute toast as they approached. Oddly, she did not attack. Even when Gupta and Marbo showed off the swords they had stolen for her, she merely raised an eyebrow to acknowledge their dickishness and watched silently as they moved on.
Just fifty feet later, came another event:
The triad meets again, again with a different sovereign. Nicodemus embraces Kasvarina and says he wishes he could have been there, that maybe he could have helped save her daughter. She waits for a moment, then pulls away and reminds him that she long ago forsook grief. If there is a mission, she will have a clear head so she can focus on the future. The dead are in the past.
Nicodemus nods, then launches into a bit of a firebrand speech about his studies into skyseer magic, the nature of the planes, and how it is possible to alter reality by altering what planes share the heavens with the world.
Though they balked at his duplicity, this was nothing the unit hadn’t already heard.
They were close to the summit now, and the last couple of hundred feet were agony (for everyone except Rumdoom, who had barely broken sweat). Near the top, the great stairway finally ducked inside the tower, just beneath the uppermost floor. It was almost pitch black, and when they illuminated the area, their magical lights reflected off a gigantic amethyst set into the ceiling, with a slightly smaller (but still enormous) yellow topaz set into the middle of that. The walls of the penultimate floor were lined with cages, all empty now. An elegant staircase took them up to the very top floor.
Statues of saints guarded four exit arches which led onto four separate balconies. Each balcony extended twenty feet out above the landscape of Methia, with only a thin golden railing along the edge. At the end of each there was a platinum loop roughly the size of a normal doorway. Kasvarina walked to the one facing east as the Arc manifested a memory…
Kasvarina steps carefully across the east balcony, which is riven with cracks. Both of the other visible balconies have already collapsed and fallen away, and the tower’s walls look unstable. She runs her hand along the platinum loop at the end of her balcony, then turns as she hears Nicodemus and Jierre (younger now) walking up the stairs into the central chamber. The two men are out of breath from the ridiculous climb.
She asks who the man is, and Nicodemus introduces him as , “Jierre, one of the priests who helped them the last time they were here.” Jierre sheepishly explains that he was human back then. Ever since he’s struggled to rally the people who are left, to drive out the Clergy remnants, and to make this new nation one founded on secularism. Kasvarina responds by drawing her sword and placing it to Jierre’s chest. She says they should work together to slay all the Clergy they can. Nicodemus defuses the situation by quoting Vekesh about patience being important for revenge. He explains that the three of them are uniquely positioned to not just kill Clergy followers, but defeat the whole faith, to make a truly better future.
Producing three rings from his coat, he hands one to Jierre, one to Kasvarina. Each is carved from stone taken from the base of the tower. He says that he knows what he’s planning will make them enemies to half the world, so he found a way to give physical form to the antimagic of Methia. If they wear these rings, none will be able to divine them, and their plans can remain secret. But he also knows from experience that power corrupts, and so he does not want to lead, but to form a council.
This is in a way a sacrament that will bond them together. They will be secret to the world, but have no secrets from each other. If one of them recites, “At Methia, in the Lance of Triegenes, we were founded in secrecy,” he or she will be able to know the location of any other member of the triad, and see what they’re doing. He warns them not to let anyone else hear those words, because they’d let others be able to use divinations on them normally.
With that basis of absolute trust among the three of them, he asks them to listen to his plan and, if they agree, to join him in taking long, slow revenge against the Clergy and everyone else who would use power to oppress those weaker than them.
(As they make to leave, Nicodemus notices something on the floor and bends down to pick it up. It is a fishing hook on a simple, silver chain...)
The manifested version of Nicodemus skipped, flickered with shadows, and another memory-event manifested directly on top of the current one. The memory glowed with light, then faded out, then started again, each time manifesting in a wider and wider area. Finally a wave burst out in all directions, and for the next few moments the Danoran military panicked as the entire city of Methia was restored to how it was five centuries ago…
With apologies to the original author, as most of this is verbatim from the adventure:
Before they could talk any more about Uriel’s revelation, the memory event shifted to a slightly earlier point, evidenced by Nicodemus’ possession of another body, and their discussion of the initial stages of the colossus project:
Nicodemus stands at the edge of the stairs, smoking contemplatively. Kasvarina seems upbeat, and jokes with Nicodemus that he’s lucky to have a new body each visit, since with the way he smokes he could never climb all these stairs. Then she explains her recent visit to the Cauldron Hill facility in Flint to see the excavations. Progress has been swift since the rusted gates were built into the Stanfield canal. Nicodemus comments that he hasn’t seen Kasvarina look to happy in a very long time. She pauses, looking almost embarrassed, then says that she spoke with the golems that the Mindmaker has been training. “They called the Mindmaker ‘father’, and called me…” – she pauses, laughs –“’mother’”.
As the event ended, there was a crackle in the air, and a sudden movement down below that caught their eye: By now, Danoran troops were swarming onto the island, but this wasn’t what drew their attention. Stepping into view as if out of nowhere, the colossus arrived at the edge of the river. It threw up its giant head and cried ‘MOTHEEEERRR!’ in a voice like the collision of worlds. Then it plunged into the water – just shin-deep on the colossus, but enough to send huge waves crashing over the Danoran boats and up and onto the island as it waded towards the Lance. Those soldiers who did not perish at once fled in abject terror.
The unit redoubled its efforts. They fended off the shades of Elanor Yanette and Olivert Boone before reaching another memory from the 450s:
The previous Sovereign of Danor gives a report on the status of the Third Yerasol War to Kasvarina and Nicodemus (as always, he’s in a new body and smoking). The Sovereign claims that his nation’s ships just aren’t strong enough to deal with Risuri magic. This worries Kasvarina, since they need Risur to adopt industry if they’re going to be able to build the colossus.
Nicodemus points out that Risur is already building some factories, and that his friends in the Risuri government will raise a stink to guarantee the industry stays out of Slate. That makes Flint the most logical choice. The old witch mountain will keep the fey from meddling, and make it easier to construct the colossus in the Bleak Gate.
He apologizes to the Sovereign, and says they got greedy with this war and should have waited. But it’s still an excuse to pour a huge amount of money into a steam-powered warship. It just needs to sail one time and sink a few Risuri vessels.
Kasvarina proposes they hire Risuri mercenaries to steal the ship, and let them get away with it. The Sovereign blanches, not a fan of conspiring against his own country, but Nicodemus just tells him to think about the future.
Korrigan worried that this might have been the famous event when Aodhan captured a Risuri steamship. Was no patriotic moment safe from the Ob’s taint? But again, there was no time, or spare breath for contemplative chit-chat: the colossus began to climb the Lance, sending vibrations through the stones with every movement. They hurried on to reach a memory from many centuries earlier:
Kasvarina explains to Nicodemus and another Sovereign (who borrows a cigarette) what has gone wrong. They’d found the Ancient ziggurat of Avilona on an island in the sky, floating over the domain of some dragon tyrant. Kasvarina and a few researchers flew up to it, unearthed a golden seal, and found a portal to the plane of air.
After extensive divinations they attempted to replace the seal with another one and steer the portal to a different plane. That succeeded for only a few moments before some powerful destructive energy blasted outward. Kasvarina and the others fled the island, and nearly died when suddenly their flight magic failed.
Two problems are obvious. First, they can’t get back to the floating island to try again, not unless Danor’s engineers can use their new steam furnaces to power a mechanical bird. And second, clearly their understanding of the Ancient ritual was flawed. Kasvarina thinks they’re lucky the damage wasn’t worse, and won’t risk testing at the ziggurat of Av until they know more. Nicodemus throws his cigarette away, then curses at Kasvarina for failing.
The colossus wasn’t far away now. It caught them just as Gupta was fending off attacks from the spirit of Lorcan Kell. They all prepared themselves for a futile fight when Gupta suddenly advised them to stand down. She realised that the colossus was not hostile and would certainly not attack them while Kasvarina was with them, although without her memories intact it would be very hard for Kasvarina to communicate with it. Gupta’s gut feeling was that she would have a better chance of influencing the monster at the top of the tower.
Clinging to the spiral steps, with its feet in footholds below, it came right up to them and regarded them in mute wonder. Worried that any attempt to communicate might anger the golem, they pressed on, with the colossus looming over them all the way.
Next, they dealt with the manic spirit of Tinker Oddcog, before coming to the ghost of Lya Jierre, who was holding a glass of wine, which she raised in a mute toast as they approached. Oddly, she did not attack. Even when Gupta and Marbo showed off the swords they had stolen for her, she merely raised an eyebrow to acknowledge their dickishness and watched silently as they moved on.
Just fifty feet later, came another event:
The triad meets again, again with a different sovereign. Nicodemus embraces Kasvarina and says he wishes he could have been there, that maybe he could have helped save her daughter. She waits for a moment, then pulls away and reminds him that she long ago forsook grief. If there is a mission, she will have a clear head so she can focus on the future. The dead are in the past.
Nicodemus nods, then launches into a bit of a firebrand speech about his studies into skyseer magic, the nature of the planes, and how it is possible to alter reality by altering what planes share the heavens with the world.
Though they balked at his duplicity, this was nothing the unit hadn’t already heard.
They were close to the summit now, and the last couple of hundred feet were agony (for everyone except Rumdoom, who had barely broken sweat). Near the top, the great stairway finally ducked inside the tower, just beneath the uppermost floor. It was almost pitch black, and when they illuminated the area, their magical lights reflected off a gigantic amethyst set into the ceiling, with a slightly smaller (but still enormous) yellow topaz set into the middle of that. The walls of the penultimate floor were lined with cages, all empty now. An elegant staircase took them up to the very top floor.
Statues of saints guarded four exit arches which led onto four separate balconies. Each balcony extended twenty feet out above the landscape of Methia, with only a thin golden railing along the edge. At the end of each there was a platinum loop roughly the size of a normal doorway. Kasvarina walked to the one facing east as the Arc manifested a memory…
Kasvarina steps carefully across the east balcony, which is riven with cracks. Both of the other visible balconies have already collapsed and fallen away, and the tower’s walls look unstable. She runs her hand along the platinum loop at the end of her balcony, then turns as she hears Nicodemus and Jierre (younger now) walking up the stairs into the central chamber. The two men are out of breath from the ridiculous climb.
She asks who the man is, and Nicodemus introduces him as , “Jierre, one of the priests who helped them the last time they were here.” Jierre sheepishly explains that he was human back then. Ever since he’s struggled to rally the people who are left, to drive out the Clergy remnants, and to make this new nation one founded on secularism. Kasvarina responds by drawing her sword and placing it to Jierre’s chest. She says they should work together to slay all the Clergy they can. Nicodemus defuses the situation by quoting Vekesh about patience being important for revenge. He explains that the three of them are uniquely positioned to not just kill Clergy followers, but defeat the whole faith, to make a truly better future.
Producing three rings from his coat, he hands one to Jierre, one to Kasvarina. Each is carved from stone taken from the base of the tower. He says that he knows what he’s planning will make them enemies to half the world, so he found a way to give physical form to the antimagic of Methia. If they wear these rings, none will be able to divine them, and their plans can remain secret. But he also knows from experience that power corrupts, and so he does not want to lead, but to form a council.
This is in a way a sacrament that will bond them together. They will be secret to the world, but have no secrets from each other. If one of them recites, “At Methia, in the Lance of Triegenes, we were founded in secrecy,” he or she will be able to know the location of any other member of the triad, and see what they’re doing. He warns them not to let anyone else hear those words, because they’d let others be able to use divinations on them normally.
With that basis of absolute trust among the three of them, he asks them to listen to his plan and, if they agree, to join him in taking long, slow revenge against the Clergy and everyone else who would use power to oppress those weaker than them.
(As they make to leave, Nicodemus notices something on the floor and bends down to pick it up. It is a fishing hook on a simple, silver chain...)
The manifested version of Nicodemus skipped, flickered with shadows, and another memory-event manifested directly on top of the current one. The memory glowed with light, then faded out, then started again, each time manifesting in a wider and wider area. Finally a wave burst out in all directions, and for the next few moments the Danoran military panicked as the entire city of Methia was restored to how it was five centuries ago…