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Message: <blockquote data-quote="gideonpepys" data-source="post: 7831462" data-attributes="member: 79141">Session 240, Part FourUsurpation Dala cried out in horror, and looked at her mother.  Kasvarina said nothing, but raised her hands and took a step back to show she had no part in this decision, that she neither approved nor disapproved. Dala demanded that Gupta return the necklace, accusing her of trying to steal the goddess’ power. Gupta refused.  “Don’t you not see? The power should be mine.”At that, the body of Srasma began to rise.“Gupta!” cried Korrigan in telepathic alarm.  Back at the lighthouse, they felt the dark wave of divine anger sweep across them in a nauseating wave. “Why are you doing this?” he demanded.“I cannot return my family to life; this is not self-destruction.”These thoughts were expressed together as if they explained one-another, but Gupta did not have time to say much more, as she prepared to withstand the attack of an angry god.Korrigan decided not to budge; he didn’t feel that he could understand or support Gupta’s decision. Uriel remonstrated with him, and Korrigan reminded him of a time when he took a different stance on a moral issue (back in the vault when Korrigan was tempted by Ashim-Shimtu). “This isn’t the same!” cried Uriel, who had a deeper understanding of these matters and understood what many failed to see when it came to Seedism (hence centuries of doubt and mistrust, and a protracted holy war): that simple, mortal morality was inadequate when it came to the eladrin – especially their gods!  At once, he transformed into the fastest bird he could, and tried to cover the half-mile before Gupta came to grief.Quratulain stayed with Korrigan. “What is happening?” William Miller asked. Korrigan told him and Miller looked towards the graveyards with an expression of wonderment on his face.And wonder he might.  As the Avatar of Srasma rose her face shifted from youthful, to matronly, to haggard, almost cadaverous. She split into three bodies, each six-armed and towering, clad in fine golden jewellery and a dress of deep red.In response, Gupta invoked the threefold presence of the Vekeshi, and each of her selves moved to face off against a different aspect. One was struck by the flaming sword of the maiden; another trapped within crushing vines, a spell cast by the mother. But she was able to free herself by simply choosing one of her aspects to ‘become’, whereupon she cursed Srasma with the same curse she afflicted William Miller. The goddess would have to stop fighting for a moment, or suffer from mental anguish, but the goddess was too proud and disdainful of mortal magic and refused to do so.Having attacked Srasma, Gupta now discovered that she had been ineffably linked to the dead goddess, and that her own lifeforce began to fade.  She had hoped to rely on her regenerative powers, granted by Wolfgang von Recklinghausen, but she could feel even those reserves beginning to drain.Rumdoom looked at the others.  Uru would not fight if Korrigan chose not to. For his part, Leon said, “I think we should leave this one up to the gods to sort out.”“That’s precisely why I am joining in!” said Rumdoom, growing to giant size and striking Srasma with the Stone of Not.“We will become our worst enemies,” Korrigan lamented from afar.“Then command me to stand down!” Gupta said, through gritted teeth, as another blow struck her.Korrigan would not.The Avatar attacked both Gupta and Rumdoom.  Gupta fell. Rumdoom pronounced a fiat that prevented the blow from landing on him, but his lifeforce was now linked to the Avatar as Gupta’s was and he felt it began to drain. Fortunately, his was a much deeper well!Uriel realised he could not hope to reach the graveyard in time. He silently invoked a powerful prayer to… who? Maybe to himself?  And a moment later, he appeared by Gupta’s side, healing her with a touch, where her own powers had failed.Rumdoom struck again with the Stone of Not.  It was not powerful enough to obliterate a goddess, but it still landed a blow so powerful that it knocked the crone to the ground.At once, Gupta invoked the blessing of Hewanharimau, and pounced on the crone in tiger form! Her lifeforce drained again.  Rumdoom batted away the maiden’s sword and fought on regardless. Divine spells rained down on both of them.Uriel did not attack Srasma.  Instead, he raised the Staff of the Hierophant and prayed to Gupta!  His faith in her boosted her prowess and defended her from Srasma’s attacks. “I was there when you first fell,” he said to the goddess.   “Now I will watch you fall a second time.”Srasma’s crone incarnation stood, and cast a spell upon Gupta.   Black flames burst from within her and the crone said, “Grovel and you might live.”Gupta did so (knowing that to do otherwise might be the end of her), but all the while, she was gauging the enemy, searching for weaknesses.More terrible blows rained down on her and Rumdoom.  Uriel drained the staff of power in their defence, healing Gupta again and again. At last, Korrigan relented.  He did not want Gupta to die. Telepathically, he asked Leon to “get me there”.  Leon obliged and Korrigan appeared. Though he did not act, his very presence bolstered the resolve of his erstwhile protégé.Incredibly, Rumdoom knocked the crone down a second time.   He whooped in exultation. “I’ve floored a god!  Twice!”Gupta pounced again.  Her teeth sank into the crone’s throat. All three forms staggered. Her ragged flesh bled starstuff and fire, and she sagged from exhaustion. Her incarnations flickered and vanished for a moment, then reappeared as one, looking down with an implacable expression. She struck at Gupta again and again with sword and spell.  At last, the crone demanded she grovel again. Gupta was on her last legs, Uriel unable to heal her again, so she obeyed.“Very well,” she said, and bowed, very genuinely to the goddess whose power she had claimed.A wave of divine energy washed over the clearing; Srasma’s Avatar blackened and fell.As Gupta stood, Uriel took a knee, bowing to this new god, and bathing in the divine energies of the old one.Rumdoom approached Srasma’s blackened corpse and touched it with the Stone of Not. It vanished.  The Stone felt heavier.William Miller appeared.  He took in all before him, but did not judge, or say anything about the terrible events which had just transpired. Instead, he resumed his conversation with Uriel:“I think there is more to this matter than you are saying.   If I am to help you then you must be honest with me.”Uriel took a deep breath.  Then he admitted that the Skyseer vision he had had before they left, and the vision he had shared with the others after Av was destroyed, showed that everyone returned to Lanjyr except for him.Miller nodded, as if that proved something.  “How many times have you died?” he asked.“Thirteen,” said Uriel.  “You have reached the limits of mortality. It might be possible for you to transcend human bounds. In this way, you may return to Lanjyr and guide the souls of your friends; guide them home. Perhaps you could even find a way to tell your other selves that help is on its way; otherwise, how will they know what path to take?”“I have the power to bring objects I have known to my hands,” said Uriel. “If what you say is true, I might be able to give us the golden icons.”William Miller nodded.  “That is also possible.”Uriel frowned, then took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and concentrated. …</blockquote>

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