BlackwaterDnD

Em:
Welcome to BlackwaterDnD, where good friends tell better stories. Welcome to BlackwaterDnD, where good friends tell better stories. This series, Oblivion, is an eleven part miniseries using the Powered by the Apocalypse system, Godkiller, which was created by Connie Chang, now available on Itch.io for purchase. Our story tells a tale of the end of all things, and follows one prophesized soul who challenges the shackles of fated and foretold divinity. This story is our love letter to fearless storytelling, passionate vulnerability, and incredible creators who challenge us to bring our best selves to the table. For this story, your GOD, everyone else, and the thrum of the Cradle, is myself, Em Carlson, and my GODKILLER is played by Jannes Wessels and Christian Navarro. As this game falls within a holypunk and dark fantasy genre, it may contain themes and depictions that are triggering for some listeners. Please take care of yourself and access support as you see fit.
Content warnings for this episode include:
Being lost / hunger / romance / heartbreak / grief / the woods / fantasy violence / complicated relationships / unsafe water / power dynamics and struggle / death / forced servitude / fear / substance use / strong language
So sit back and relax, heretic. And welcome to Godkiller: Oblivion
[As a note, Christian’s room tone is a bit echo-y here, and we’ve done our best to remedy this with some audio editing and adjustment. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than it sounded originally. We hope to be able to re-record this and remaster the track if time and scheduling allows. We wanted to still release the track as it’s a poignant episode, and we wanted to preserve the original emotionality of his performance. Thanks for your understanding!]
ARC 2, PART 2: CHALLENGER
Em:
Your lungs hurt as air is almost forced into them by a pressure differential. The difference between the Material Plane and the River now so starkly present. It almost hurts to be back here now that you've been there once. Which makes sense considering that all who go to the River do not return. The last thing you remember was falling through cold air, your vision starting to blur as you took one last glimpse of Inanis. There's a brief second where we see you here in a held moment before your eyes open as you take a strong, hearty breath.

What is going through your mind right now?

Christian:
That though surprising, it makes sense. I mean it feels inexplicable but I don't have to explain it because it feels right. I've never felt whole. And meeting Inanis was comfortable, but that also brings up this sense of fear, I think. I think I'm scared because… because we're the thing we sought, and what that means for everyone.

Em:
The pain in your chest now is overwhelming as breath fully enters your lungs and your eyes fling open. And I am going to actually have you roll 1d6 for me please.

Christian:
That's a two.

Em:
Okay. As your vision begins to adjust, you feel that the pain of the inhale was from a cold chill. You now feel the soft grazing of snowflakes on your cheeks. You are covered in a light dusting of snow. The trees are barren around you as you see clearly straight up towards the sky. Your bones ache, and you feel them settle amongst muscles that feel stiff and atrophied.

Nothing is broken, you don't think, but you are so, so hungry. And there's a pang in your stomach and your mouth is very, very dry. What would you like to do?

Christian:
Do I recognize this place? Have I been here before just at a glance?

Em:
So as you sit up adjusting, sloughing some of the snow off of you, you see that you are in the middle of a mix of deciduous and coniferous trees. And putting a couple things together, your mind feeling like the gears are grinding to put coherent thoughts together. You seem to be in the same forest that you left, but unless you go take a wander around, you are unclear which part.

Christian:
The first thing I do, I think, is I pick up some snow and put it in my mouth and wet my tongue and my lips. I do this gingerly, I think, because I feel weak.

Em:
As the water melts, the snow melts in your mouth, there is almost a sweetness to it.

Christian:
An unnatural sweetness, it doesn't taste like snow?

Em:
It's vaguely... vaguely honeyed. It's a sweetness you can't quite place. Not a fruit sweetness, not a sugar sweetness, but it smells and tastes sweet. This is different than normal snow.

Christian:
I think that's worrying at first. I think that's worrying as sweet as it may be. But then I remember and I look for what Inanis gave me, the trinket that he gave me. Is that still on my person, right? It's safe somewhere. I believe I put it in my pocket.

Em:
You've taken one hand to move the snow, this water into your mouth to quench your thirst and you didn't… there's a… you recognize a pain in your other hand as you push yourself up and you realise that the cord is wrapped gently around your hand and the small cat skull, the golden cat skull was lightly digging into your palm. You have it.

Christian:
Okay, that's good. Okay, well, first order of business is to figure out where or… it occurs to me when, because it wasn't snowing when I was transported to the River. I know I was sort of in the brush when everything happened, so I'm going to try and make my way to the road where I think the caravan would have been.

Em:
Okay, as you stand up and take a look around to kind of gather your bearings, you realise that you hear a sound of rushing water, like a brook or a creek off just to your left. You're quite deep buried in the forest. It's hard to get your bearings and your orientation. You are unclear which way the road is at this point. But you don't remember a brook from where you left when you were transported to the River, when you walked down to what remained of Allseia - the broken shards of mirror that seemed to look like a lake.

Christian:
Ok. I don't recognize where I'm at that's also worrisome but I know that rivers lead to towns eventually or to people because people need water so I'm going to make my way towards the brook that I hear. And as I do, I'll check for, I'll make sure I still have my dagger.

Em:
Everything is on your person.

Christian:
I will pull the dagger as I move to the forest. Make my way towards the forest. Cause I don't know what's here.

Em:
Okay. So your fingers feel clammy and your robes are clinging to your skin. You realize also that as someone who has travelled a lot, you are exceedingly exposed to the elements at this point. And with the cold, it is, I would say, about midday. There is a bright, if albeit overcast, sky overhead that when night comes, things will get cold, very quickly, which could leave you quite in a perilous situation considering you are waterlogged.

Christian:
Yeah, I think he's already he's already feels… I mean, he would probably already start he would be shivering. I'm shivering probably and frail - in a need of warmth or a fire. So I need to find… I need to find town and I think heading to this river, maybe following the river, will take me to town with people.

Em:
So you follow this creek probably for about 20 or 30 minutes at its slight decline and the small stream moves into a wider creek which yet moves into a wider rushing flow of water that you see has carved its way through the land what looks like recently… more water is here than has been in a long time. And as you continue walking, the water sounds musical. You can pick out a... it's not quite a song, but it sounds too concordant to simply be a background noise. It's not just a bubbling water and that strikes you as strange.

You follow your way down and it hits you. You are walking towards the site of Allseia's body, of what was left of the shards of mirror. And as you break the edge of the tree line, you see now a giant lake. The water is so clear, almost reflective. If the plates of mirror are there still, they are buried deep below this water and you reckon… as you get to the edge, you try and orient yourself and you see you are almost like a quarter of a way around the circumference of this lake from where you were - and you can clock those trees that were pushed down and hit the night that you saw Allseia die, the giant shadow bird that tried to fly up and away that crashed into the treeline. You see that and you estimate it would probably take about a day and a half to walk in that direction. You assume that the water is now here because of the change in weather, that it's now become a basin, but it looks clean.

Christian:
Yeah, and I think that I remember, I remember that sort of concordant musicality in the River we were taken to, Inanis and I. And I know that reminds me of Allseia and… and there's something about the clarity of this water it doesn't look like other water. And so I'll stop and I will kneel by lip of this of this water along my journey and I'll cup some in my hand.

Em:
Do you drink it?

Christian:
And now I will drink it, but as I drink it, I will think to Allseia: You're beautiful and I'll drink and I'll say thank you.

Em:
The water is crisp and you feel the cold rushing down each inch of your esophagus. It quenches your thirst so quickly, and you find yourself taking more. You take one cup, you take… of your hands, two cups of your hands and you find yourself lost in this moment. Here thanking her, a god who left herself open to call to you and essentially ended up paying for it with her life.

The words Thank You echo out of your mind. And you hear a rushing of water. Your eyes flick up and you see it just in time as a large gray white creature, slick skin with fins and claws leaps out of the water towards you. It is exceedingly large, reared up high on two hind legs and runs towards you through the water. What would you like to do? I'd say about 10 feet. You have got a split second here to react.

Christian:
Right. Okay, so I think I'm, like you said, like you mentioned, I'm lost in this moment of gratefulness and sadness for the sacrifice that she had to make, but I have a sort of renewed sense of, or maybe a new, not even renewed, a new sense of hope for what might happen, for what could happen. And I open my eyes and I see this creature lashing out at me and I think that I will try and use the water that it's coming out of to encapsulate it.

Em:
Yeah

Christian:
To just hold it in place. Because I'm scared and thinking of Allseia and I feel like I'm scared so my first thought is not to hurt it but to stop it from coming towards me so I reach out to the water and try and create a prison of water, rushing water.

Em:
Incredible. So this is you choosing to Wield a Power. So when you wield a power to do something only a god can, Roll 2d6 and you can add one for each true statement. You've done this specific act before perfectly. I think not. You're desperate for this to work. Are you desperate for this to work?

Christian:
I think so. I mean, there's a desperation in my panic, certainly. Stay alive right now.

Em:
Okay, so you're gonna mark one strain then as you do this, but we can add one for that. And then you're close to a shrine, lair, or domain of the god you took this power from. Absolutely. So you're gonna take one strain, but you can add a plus two.

So on a hit, seven to nine, you do it. On an overkill, 10+, the GM describes how you also drain, terrify, or wreck what's around you. And on a miss, your power sputters out and your enemy sees on your weakness. All right, so roll it. Go for it.

Christian:
Okay, so just for clarity, for my clarity, I had a few strain from the first session. Do they clear after rest? Or I don't even know if I've rest. Do I take, I think I had two strain already.

Em:
Yeah you'll keep that… you have those two strains still.

Christian:
Okay so now I'm at three strain. Okay. So that is a five and a four plus two, so an 11.

Em:
Oh boy. So on an overkill, 10 plus, the GM will describe how you also drain, terrify, or wreck what's around you. So instinctively this giant - what you are now piecing together looks almost like a salamander - colored white platinum… this light blue you recognize these as the colors of Allseia but this creature has been warped and changed. You remember that which lives in the corpse of a dead God can only be negatively affected or impacted by the sheer divinity radiating through it. This creature, this giant salamander leaps towards you. You push your hands up and out, trying to encapsulate this creature in a ball of water and you end up smashing it together. The water concusses on itself, cracking it down. You hear the crunching of what are small bones and it falls with a huge splash in the water. Your hands feel like ice and you feel frozen for a moment… going above and beyond absolutely what you intended to do here.

Christian:
I think I feel this sense of understanding in this moment, right? In this moment right after I've realized what's happened. I think the immediate connection is it must be terrifying to be a god and overwhelming and overpowering. I intended to stop this thing. And instead, I obliterated it. And I look at my hands, I feel the shiver really intensely, I think right now overwhelmingly, I think it's really cold in this moment, and I feel really unsafe.

And I'm confused that this... I guess I don't know how long it's been… since we were gone. Because this thing in front of me, it seems to have been here, I mean, it's grew up in this lake, in this river.

Or is my understanding that this kind of magic, this kind of power is immediate? Oh, so things are transformed.

So that to me is scary. I think that I don't know what else is going to happen. And I think there's a panic here. And I look down at my hands, icy and shaking. And I think, what did I just do? What just happened here? I thought something had happened and it was scary and more powerful than, I mean, I didn't even know that was going to work. And I think all of that is building up on itself. And I...

The good thing, I'm searching for a good thing in this moment, and the good thing is that I see the brush where that creature impacted, Nyxl impacted, and took out the tree line. So I'm going to start moving at a quick pace. As weak as I am, I'm going to, I mean, I think survival is more motivating than hunger so I think like that pain and then hunger it's like I need to get the hell out of here. I'll take a final look at the river or at this body of water though and just try and hold on to that gratefulness… that concordant sound.

Em:
As you stand up and begin to move away, revelling and horrified at what has just happened with this surge of power through you, something gifted to you to wield, you expect to see blood rippling out in the waves, but you see veins of silver and light emanating out as it sinks down into the water before it is too dark to see where it goes.

You've been through areas before, around the remnants of what you assumed to be the corpses and bodies of gods. They are everywhere, all over the Cradle and in the Fallaway.

Divinity changes things quickly, markedly, and you break off into a run. You reckon it's gonna take about three quarters of a day's travel to get around this ginormous lake. And you begin to run weaving your way trying to keep to the edge of the lake, but also now within the mind of what else is in there… and as you start to approach nightfall, would you like to keep going? Or would you like to stop and make shelter?

Christian:
I think I'll run as far as my legs can take me. And… I will then, when I feel sufficiently tired, I will try and find the appropriate materials to make a fire because this cold is sort of all enveloping, I think. And it's rattling my thoughts. It's that kind of cold at this point.

So I'll do that. I'll try and find some materials to start a fire and try to keep warm and find a safe spot to rest. Though I don't think I'll be sleeping much because this is scary.

Em:
You begin to slow your pace to a walk, trying to find what might be a suitable place to bed down for the night. You know what happens when you put fertilizer on something - why people often use composted matter to make things grow faster, bigger. The forest has changed so clearly as a result of her death. The trees have grown taller despite the fact that this is a season of preservation, though most of the growth would happen in the spring. You smell lichen and peat. There are decomposing leaves everywhere from the deciduous trees and a strong smell of pine from the coniferous. This forest is waiting to blossom, to explode in the rebirth of spring.

Your fingers are cold and pruney, no matter which way you slice it.

Christian:
Yeah. I imagine I've, I've crept to a stop and I'm taking in this forest that is beautiful and haunting and enchanting, and a thought occurs to me that perhaps Allseia is not dead or truly gone. She has become this thing, this living ecosystem that affects everyone in it and of it. And I will sort of limp over to a pile of these dead leaves that I see.

And I'm going to lean down and I'm going to ask her, I'm going to speak to her as I think this, because it worked last time, so I'm going to try this again.

Christian (as Plenus):
“I am cold and… in need of warmth and security and I think you can hear me.”

Christian:
And I'm going to try and, I don't know if I can do this, but I'm going to try and use that power that you gave. I'm going to try and orchestrate my reality again, to create a controlled flame out of these dead, huge pile of these dead leaves, a self-containing flame, I think, that will keep things away and me warm.

Em:
Cool.

Christian:
But as I'm doing this, I'm also asking her if I can do this because I don't know how this, I don't have an understanding of how this works really. So I think that maybe she can hear me. And I'm asking her to help me do this. So, I'm asking her to help me do this.

Em:
So here's a question. Would you like to pray for guidance first? There is a move, Pray for Guidance.

Christian:
Yes, yes, I mean, yeah, ideally it's happening at the same time, but mechanically, yeah, I think it's, I would like to see the prayer before I think the thought, yeah.

Em:
Okay, so when you pray for guidance, you name the aid you seek, which you have, and answer one of these questions, which I think you have as well. The GM will describe the aid that actually comes as they answer the other. So we can roll this in, and then I'll probably roll this into Wielding a Power. So what kind of God answers your prayers, which is the question you asked. You're hoping that Allseia answers that for you. And then I can answer the other. What unclear omens or visions besiege you? Oh, this is fun. Okay.

So you reach out to her. And as you call to her, you see a flash of that pane of mirror, the one where you saw her eyes for the first time. Bright, nestled in rosy skin, white freckles across her nose, the bridge of her nose and you see her eyes soften and they blink slowly in a recognition, in an acceptance.

So what I will now have you do is if you're wanting to Wield a Power to create this flame

I will say that anything above a seven will just be considered a hit because you Prayed for guidance First. You will not overkill it.

Christian:
I mean, thank one God in particular.

Em:
So when you Wield a Power to do something only a god can, roll 2d6 and we can add one for each true statement. You've done the specific act before perfectly? No. You're desperate for this to work? Probably not. You could make a fire if you wanted to. And you're close to a shrine, lair, or domain of a god you took this power from? Yes. So you can add a plus one here, but there will be no overkill.

Christian:
That is a six and a one, a seven, eight.

Em:
Perfect. You got it. On a hit, you do it. So as you kneel down to this patch of dead leaves, you see her eyes… you will for fire, pulling the heat from anything around you using what she told you - orchestration of reality, bending it to your will. Your hands are placed on the ground and it is as if you feel the heat from deep, deep down below, pull up through your fingers, dry the leaves in front of you. You hear them crackle, you hear them crunch and they alight.

Christian (as Plenus):
“You really are something.”

Christian:
I say to Allseia, and I put my hands out in front of me, warmed them by the fire. I really look at them, I really take them in. They look different, somehow different now than… they did a day or two ago. I've always had strong hands and life hands and hands that served a purpose that were trained and kept for this purpose and… now my hands feel foreign. They feel… as a sort of betrayal of myself, having taken a life earlier in the day, having accidentally taken this life just a few hours before.

And i think that snowballs in his brain… I keep coming back to this irrefutable truth that… we now, not just I, we, Inanis and myself, we will bring about the end. We're meant to. We are fated to.

Fate. I think about that word - fate. And I look at my hands and I think, fate is a betrayal of oneself in the same way that hands is a, these hands are a betrayal of my, my person. They feel like this betrayal. Fate and betrayal seem to be dancing in my brain because fate means the absence of choice, true choice. True free will.

Em:
As you hold your hands out in front of you, warming them, your brain moving back and forth between this relationship of fate and betrayal… the light from the fire catches the glint of the golden cat skull that still is around your wrist. The leather cord holding it taut. It feels warm. There is now a weight to your hands as you look at the fire in front of you.

Christian:
I stare closer at the cat skull… I think this might be the, since he placed it in my hand, might be the first time I really have taken time to examine it. I mean, does it seem… Affected? Does it seem… alive? Does this thing contain any sort of energy other than a remembering of Katani? A reminder of all that is?

Em:
Mmm… You stare at the cat skull, marveling at how could it be here when it was given to you by someone who does not walk here. It feels solid, tangible, a receipt that what has happened to you is real, and you are pulled immediately, your thoughts are pulled immediately back to leaving Katani in Glass… telling Inanis about her. The look on his face. The tone of his voice as he spoke about her.

What do you think it meant to him to give you this?

Christian:
I think... I think I never would have given him… Nelle’s ring. And that means the world to me. So I know it means the same to him, if not more. And yet he was willing to part with it. And it occurs to me that in this world that we live in, this world of dying gods and… and magic water and godkillers… That, uh… that maybe it's plausible that a bit of a soul can live in a cat skull, and that maybe a bit of his lives in this. And whether that's real or not, it feels real, certainly, in my hand right now, and I think that I feel that if it exists in him… that it must exist in me in some regard, in some way.

Em:
Mmm. The light of the fire shines spreading around this small little clearing where you are. And there is a second where a small beam of light just briefly crosses over your face. And just like that pair of eyes, Allseia’s eyes that you saw moments ago as you prayed to her… you see another set, as if being this close to divinity can only bring Omen.

You see Katani's eyes, and you instantly recognize where you've seen them like this. The first time you met her on the road. What did her eyes look like to you then? What did you see in them?

Christian:
And so in this moment, I remember her ink stained hands. And I'm looking at her hands and I look up and I remember this moment where I look up and see her eyes. And there is that contradiction between the darkness of the ink-stained hands and the brightness of these amber colored eyes. I saw… a wiliness in her eyes. A sort of unbridled...courage. In every motion of her herself, a gracefulness that starts in the eyes, because it felt as if she was reflecting assurance… that she was exactly where she needed to be, and that I was somehow exactly where I needed to be. And then the word hits me, I think, like a sledgehammer. Fate.

Because when I think now about her eyes, I think that they had this feeling of… fate realized but in every moment she has been and is where she was intended to be. I think that all hits me for the first time, that is something that immediately unmade me around her. Because I am and have been up until not too long ago, someone who had no idea what their purpose was in all of this. meandering through this world, trying to make right a wrong.

And then that word hits again, fate. And when I think of her eyes, her amber eyes, that I just saw now in this flash, and I'm thinking, did I really see them, or if this is… alll the devil's dancing in my brain.

Em:
And as that question, Did I see them? almost wipes through your own mind, you see another set of her eyes again. But this time you remember this moment - much more recent. When she stood at your doorway, when you told her to leave. What did you see in her eyes then?

Christian:
I think he's in this moment when he thinks back to this morning. I think he is wrestling with this uncomfortable feeling that what he saw in her eyes was fate smashing up against the wall and her being resolute. Maybe she didn't. Maybe that was the first time it felt like she wasn't where she was supposed to be. I had rejected her in that regard. And I saw uncertainty, not in how she felt or what we were, but in what happens next.

And I hate that I did that. I feel that in this moment that I hate… because you never want to dim the light of someone that is so bright in their own special way. And if you're someone who cares. When you do that, it's a special kind of sin.

But I also think… that it needed to happen, because everything has led me to this moment right now, and this cat skull floating in my hand, it feels…

Em:
You almost use the skull itself as a totem, as this resolute feeling tries to balance some of that guilt. As a final flash takes your vision, and you see one set of her eyes, a look in them that you haven't seen before. Pure unfiltered panic, and fear. Her eyes wide and wild searching you, searching something, and as quickly as it there, it's gone.

Christian:
Have I seen this look in her eyes ever before?

Em:
No.

Christian:
I will… Man, I don't know if this is going to work at all, but I will think to Inanis. I will think and try to convey to him that she is in trouble. I think this is sort of suffocating for him in this moment because he can't do anything. He's here and she's there, wherever there may be. So that's it. I think to Inanis, as I make my area safe and secure for bed. I think on a loop to him as loudly as I can that she's in danger, that she's in need of someone.

Em:
As you put out this call, with your mind, with your thoughts, your heart, to your soul… your attention there while you go about the act of making your space safe for sleep. Keeping your focus attended to so that maybe somehow out there, Inanis knows what you need him to know. Eventually you almost come out of this reverie, your space now created. And for the most part, as safe as you can manage it, being in the woods alone at night, knowing your fire won't go out.

And if you take it, sleep comes to you eventually.

Christian:
Yeah, I feel exhausted from the sort of mental activity of the evening and from the physical activity of the days before and this day and evening. And I look at this fire as I cozy up next to it, I imagine next to it, and I feel safe because I'm in her forest. I’m in Allseia’s forest. I trust that I might be able to be, at the very least, that I'll awaken before something bad happens, because I'm already on edge, so let's see if I sleep through the night. But I think sleep will come. Sleep is easy to come, because he's just so exhausted. It's the kind of sleep that creeps up on you. You're thinking about something, and then you're gone.

Em:
Your dreams are vivid, bright, a full spectrum of colour and colours you don't even know the name of. Faces are more defined. You can hear and see and smell and feel.

You awake in the morning, unaccosted, the fire still burning at the same level beside you. You are now a bit drier than before. And that chill that had settled in your bones no longer present.

Christian:
I feel alive and aware I haven't felt in a while. That sort of aching pain that was there yesterday, as you said, is gone. And I think that there's a sort of a renewed energy to Plenus this morning. I think he sort of gets lost in this feeling as he stands in front of the fire, as he's moving his arms and his legs and his back, sort of shaking out the nights settled in aches. He thinks, I feel good, I feel strong.

And as he has that thought, the moment that comes to his brain, I think he feels immediately concerned as he remembers the panic in her eyes. And concerned yet again that he can't do anything about it from where he is. So this is a man who focuses on what he needs to do and what he can do in the moment and I think I will sit by this fire before I move and continue towards a populace, hopefully. I will take this moment to write her a letter, an apology. And I will say…

Christian (as Plenus, writing):
“Katani, I am so very saddened by my actions, because you have been nothing but kind and loving and present for me. I have been running away from myself as long as you knew me.

I hope we can meet again. And that I can be for you what you were for me, in some small way

Yours, Plenus.”

Em:
You roll the scroll up, sealing it with a small bit of wax, as is your custom, taking as much care with this letter as you would with any that you had been charted or commissioned to take. And before you slide it into your robes or your bag… the words that Inanis said to you ring in your brain: “You don't have to love her more, you just have to love her.”

As you slide this note into your pocket, you feel almost a bit drier now, but remnants or the pieces of a scroll that was also tucked into your robes, and you remember this missive that you were to take to Hood, from Halston Beltran.

Christian:
Right. Oh, I feel... I feel immediately sheepish. I think in this moment embarrassed that I... Even in light of all of these sort of… macro problems and situations that he's found himself in... He takes pride in doing his job very well and I think he's embarrassed in this moment that he forgot that he had this mission to deliver. And I think in a way he feels as if… in the face of such cataclysmic deflecting events, the thing that gives a man like this, and probably all people, the sort of will to do, to face the day, is these tasks, the things that make us people. Working. Doing the thing you said you were going to do.

And I think those two thoughts are dancing in his brain at the same time. I am embarrassed that I should have, I should have remembered this immediately. I should have forgotten it. Um, and also that, that sort of trivial thought itself is beautiful.

Em:
You clean up what is left of your campsite and realize that the weather is holding for you. It is overcast and crisp, but it is no longer snowing. Your boots are no longer damp and drenched. Your robe's now dry. No longer shaking with cold. Still hungry, but less worse for wear than the previous day.

As you decide to carry forth, do you continue in the direction where the downed trees were? Or do you attempt to orient yourself again towards the road?

Christian:
Well, I think my sense of direction is tied to where the trees were, because from where the trees were, I can sort of orient myself to where I ran out towards the lake and backtrack. So I think I'll try and get to that position. I'll try and get to the angle in front of the lake across from where that… that creature landed

Em:
As you meander your way down, trying to use the circumference of the lake as a compass rose, you recognize that it is actually closer to the place of the downed trees than it is to where you first broached the tree line at the edge of the lake.

Christian:
Well, in that case, I think… I think back to Inanis and I think that we also, part of what we discussed was finding this entity and uh and so I think I will try and try and locate ground zero and see if I can pick up any clues. Maybe this thing is still injured um maybe this thing died when it crashed… I don't know so uh or I guess as well maybe this maybe I can get a sense of where it went after.

Em:
Okay. You meander your way through the forest, taking the rest of the remaining leg of the journey. Early morning broaches around early afternoon and you hear the pangs of your stomach, but you press on. Generally the forest makes noise. Whether it is... the rustling of leaves or the scamper of a small animal as you approach. Even wind whistling through the branches. As you get closer to... the sight of the broken tree line. The forest begins to quieten and you lose those sounds. And you even begin to lose the sound of your feet crunching against the soft pack of the snow that remains on the ground.

Your mind feels a sharp pain within it. A headache sitting right behind your eyes, like a pick pointed headache. And as you get closer, it just sits there pushing forward as if attempting to break itself out of your skull. You estimate you're about 10 minutes now, a 10 minute walk from the impact site. How would you like to approach this area?

Christian:
Yeah, so I stop and I feel that pain in the center of my forehead, like an arrow piercing through my brain, and I focus on it and I try and remember, as I try and Recognize a God, if I recognize this sort of thing, this sort of mental thing, is this something that comes along with this particular God, with Nyxal?

Em:
Incredible. So you're here going to be rolling to Recognize a God. So when you want to recognize the signs or influence of a God of the Cradle, roll 2d6 and you're going to add one for each true statement. You're in or near their domain. Yes. You're familiar with their gospel.

Do you think you're familiar with Nyxal's gospel, even if you as Christian may not be? Do you think Plenus is?

Christian:
No, I don't, not overtly, no, it's not something you would have focused on.

Em:
Okay, so not familiar with their gospel and it would be bad if you didn't know. I would say not. I want to say no. My initial response is to say not yet. But no. So you're going to add a plus one to this.

Christian:
Okay. That is a four and a two plus what? Plus one, so seven.

Em:
That's a hit. On a hit seven to nine, the GM will give you a clear interpretation of the omens and then you may ask your GM a single follow-up question, which they must answer honestly. So as you try and sort through this pain that is piercing your brain, racking your mind for… who Nyxal is within the pantheon of the Cradle. You remember, she is the goddess of tactical thinking, strategy and order. And you wonder… is she trying to bore into your mind? What is she trying to see if this is her presence here? Perhaps this is why there is no sound this close… other beings felt that too.

And you may ask me one question, I will absolutely answer it honestly.

Christian:
You see a thousand questions sprung up in my mind in these last few moments, and so I will just pick one.

This is a goddess of strategy. And the antithesis of strategy is chaos. And so I… I would like to… How can I use the power that I have now been gifted to create a constant sense of chaos in this area, to upend the strategy in this area, because I'm thinking that she is probably nearby. And I am nothing, Plenus is nothing if not vengeful.

So if she is nearby and there's an opportunity to accost her for what she's done to Allseia, I would like to know the answer to that question. Can I use the power that I was gifted to create chaos in this region?

Em:
Yes. How do you want to do it? What does Plenus do in this moment? Someone who thrives on the right words, the right thing in the right order. How do you create chaos here? And then I'm going to have you roll to Wield the Power.

Christian:
Okay, I think, I think Plenus is probably, he stops, and he's focusing on this pain, and he's having this realization. And his eyes are closed tight, and… he's focusing on what he can do, what can he do, what can I do? And then his eyes open. And it's as if everything around him, all of that's coated in snow and the trees and the water, the animals that maybe he wasn't quite aware of that now he's seeing and hearing.

And you think that there's a calmness in this. There's an order. There's a strategy to this world, this forest. There's a… causality in it. and chaos is what he needs right now. And so I will try and Wield that Power by altering the… I want to change the area around me to appear as if it is erupting in lightning and that lightning is hitting the trees and causing fire.

I want all of the animals in this forest to be afraid because fear causes chaos. Uncertainty causes chaos. A lack of fate. A feeling of… no mastery over your own fate. The curse that Allseia brought upon Nyxal as she died. I want to hone into that. I want to hone into that kind of chaos and I want to project that out into the forest. I want Nyxal to feel that she does not have control.

Em:
Incredible.

Christian:
That this space that she thinks she is the master of no longer belongs to her. Alcia has claimed this forest.

Em (01:16:47.899)
Cool. Okay, so I am going to have you roll to Wield a Power here. So when you roll to wield a power to do something only a god can do, roll 2d6 and you're going to add one for each true statement. You've done this specific act before perfectly. No. You're desperate for this to work.

Are you desperate for this to work?

Christian:
I'd say that… I guess if the immediate answer is yes, then no.

Em:
And you're close to a shrine, lair, or domain of the god you took this power from. Yes, I would say you are closer to Nyxal, but this forest, as you said, has been irrevocably changed by Allseia.

Christian:
A living shrine, if you will.

Em:
Exactly. So I will say you can get a plus one here.

Christian:
Oh yes, that's a four and a five plus what? Nine. No, ten.

Em:
Okay. 10+is an overkill. On a 10 plus…

Christian:
Which is chaos. Let's go. It's chaotic. We like to hear these things. I might not like it afterwards, but…

Em:
The GM will describe how you also drain, terrify or wreck what's around you. Yeah, okay. Your intention here is to have things appear as if they are in chaos. Change the reality around you so that while you know it is safe, to others it would appear completely out of control. Changing the landscape to one that is wrought with elemental and environmental damage.

You hover your hands in the air and they begin to shake. The smell of ozone intensifies. You hear a rumble of thunder in the distance and you hear it before you see it. You hear a crack of lightning streak down from the sky, missing you maybe by 10 feet. It hits a tree next to you, splitting it straight down. You see the core of this tree alight. Embers and ash. As the tree splits, falling open, it hits a tree next to it, which bears the weight, but barely. And you hear the thunder continue, and you realize you should move.

Christian:
Well, so do I have a sense, Plenus, does Plennis have a sense that, a sense of the overkill?

Em:
Yes.

Christian:
Or to him does this appear that it is working?

Em:
You would know that you have pushed it a bit too far.

Christian:
Okay, so I feel that, Christian is conflicted because that feels, yes, I should get out of here, but also… more. I want more. I want to end this thing or use it to some end. And so I will move immediately and I will run towards the pain, towards Nyxal. And as I do, I will say...

I was going to say I would scream this, but I think maybe Plenus has the instinct to scream this out loud and then that's curtailed by the realization that she can hear me. If I whisper or if I yell, she can probably hear me. And so I'm going to focus on that pain as I run towards it and I'm going to open my mind up to it. I'll let that pain all the way in and I'll say to Nyxal…

Christian (as Plenus):
“Your fate is death unless you help me write your wrongs. I will bring chaos, unending chaos, or we can settle for peace. The choice is yours.”

Em:
As you open your mind up and speak out to her. Beseeching her with this threat, you hear a cacophony, a chorus of shrieks ringing out as you see… As you approach what appears to be a crater that seems to dip down, you watch.. it's as if a huge flock of birds lift up. Having been nestled in this crater and they lift up out of the sky. And you watch, have you ever seen swallows? How they move in those big concentric patterns in the sky? You see maybe thousands of small birds, starlings, jays, doves, finches, chickadees… as if they are sounding an alarm.

Your body is electric. Having done what you just did, watching the panic and the chaos unfurl in front of you. Obviously having been able to impact these creatures in some way. Creatures that are very clearly not on your side.

The edge of this crater dips down a few feet, and you can see that the bottom of it has been encased in a dome. Seems to be made of twigs and branches, forest lichen and moss. You see pieces of metal and trinket, fabric and scraps woven in and out of this structure.

A giant nest, turned upside down. A small archway sits as an opening, with birds now swooping in and out, as well as out of what seems to be a center hole in the top of the dome… some carrying worms, pieces of food, attempting to fortify this domicile while the others circle and swirl ahead. This dome is about a hundred feet in diameter.

Christian:
Well, my first thought is I want to... I just saw the power that I can wield. Even in its unbridled, untamed version, it's powerful. I wanna move that or carry with me that crackling lightning and thunder. And I wanna try and burn the top of that nest out… just all that wood and flammable material that's made this nest because I'm not speaking to it on its terms. It's going to speak to me on mine.

So I will focus again on Allseia. I think I will say a prayer to her for guidance.

Em:
You'd like to pray for Allseia for guidance first?

Christian:
Yes, in the movie in my head, I come upon this nest… I see the swallows, the chaos that, well, I see the birds and the chaos that has ensued from the sort of climate change and the thunder and the lightning and the fire. And I take a knee and I pray to Allseia once more to guide my hand in this… to see this through to the end. This is both of our doing entwined in this.

Em:
Hmm. Okay. Fun. So when you Pray for Guidance, name the aid you seek and answer one. The GM will describe the aid that actually comes as they answer the other. Which question would you like to answer? What kind of God answers your prayers or what unclear omens or visions besiege me?

Christian:
I think that there is a river of possibility that I'm now traveling on, no pun intended…

Em:
You can intend the pun that works.

Christian:
I think I'm speaking to Alcia, I'm praying to Allseia for guidance, but starting to think about what's happened and the possibilities and so I'm open to any god or goddess that might see an alternative to the end of all things to guide my hand. I'm reaching out to all of them, I suppose.

Em:
Hmm. Okay. So I'm going to take that as what unclear omens or visions besiege you. You described this floating down this river of possibility. As you see yourself float down some facsimile of a River… you feel your knife, the sheath pang against your ribs, reminding you that it's there.

But over the shrieking of the birds. One high, shrill sound rises above the rest, entreating the rest to silence, a commanding voice.

Em (as Nyxal):
“She can't help you here. Speak the truth of your intent and enter.”

Christian (as Plenus):
“I am Godkiller. As are you, Nyxal. I am Plenus, and I intended to kill you, though I must confess that is no longer my intention as I stand here. It occurs to me that as one half of the twin soul fated to this new reality that there may be more than one way to realize that fate.

You are intended for death, Nyxal, we know that. You are not long for this world or any other. Or you are. I think the conversation we can have will illuminate new options for both of us.”

Em (as Nyxal):
“Half of strategy is contingency. I've been waiting for you for months. Enter, Godkiller.”

Christian:
The word months - It's like lightning in the brain there. And I look around again, uncertain of how long it's been, feeling that hunger too. This feels like a hunger that's sustained. But I think of Allseia and it is because of her that I am unafraid and I walk in.

Em:
As you enter in, you see now the light that pierces through from the top of the dome gently illuminates the space. It is not cold in here. It is a comfortable temperature, as if this place has been turned into an abode of sorts, centered around the lowest point in the crater, where sits a femme-presenting being. Her face is framed with feathers that weave into a long headpiece that trails behind her. She wears intricate armour crafted of leathers, browns, yellows, white, and gray. She carries no weapon, but has no need to. Her feet are distinctly avian. Sharp talons and long nails, as well on her fingers. That seemed to be sharpened to a point. Her eyes are bright red - dark black pupils, searching the room as she begins to focus on you. Two large wings are tucked into her back, strong and powerful, as if she could pick up and whisk away from here at a moment's thought. The flock circles overhead, casting shadows across the space and her face as well.

Em (as Nyxal):
“This is not the first time we have laid eyes on each other, Plenus. I am not naive as to why you are here.”

Christian (as Plenus):
“How is it that all you gods manage to be equally terrifying and beautiful?”

Em:
You see her feathers frill a little as her eyebrows raise.

Em (as Nyxal):
“Flattery is one strategy. One thing you can employ here. And it may get you far.”

Christian (as Plenus):
“I’ve employed strategy in my own life and stricture. I feel different now though, Nyxal. Chaos. Disorder. These are heavy on my mind.

You say you know why I am here. Tell me, why am I here?”

Em:
She smiles.

Em (as Nyxal):
“You're angry with me.”

Christian (as Plenus):
I’m angry with the world. But you did kill Allseia. She was kind to me. To us. Death is part of fate.”

Em (as Nyxal):
“And I fix problems, Plenus. That is my job.”

Christian (as Plenus):
“Well, we have a big problem, don't we? Your gods are dying one by one. And it seems we have been sent to quicken in the process. Archeveleon wishes to swallow the whole of… well, of all things.”

Em (as Nyxal):
“Why end it? Where is the thrill in that? The rush of victory, or the ecstasy of a plan well executed, the joy of the celebration that comes after? There will be nothing.”

Christian (as Plenus):
“I tend to agree. So I think… You all... you all are thrilled by… by us. Humans. We’re your… playthings. And I wonder now that if...If this prophecy comes true, if the God-killer is real, then what is a God? Have you wondered that, Nyxal? What are you if someone like me can kill you?

Em (as Nyxal):
“Therein lies the question.”

Christian (as Plenus):
“I don’t want to end all things. What a burden. My other half does.”

Em (as Nyxal):
“Then why stand outside my home and threaten me with chaos if that's not what you want?”

Christian (as Plenus):
“Because we don't get to do what we want sometimes.”

Em (as Nyxal):
“Why not?”

Christian (as Plenus):
“Fate.”

Em (as Nyxal):
“You say fate like you truly understand it. You have been with Allseia what, for two months now? And she is not even the god you follow, not the person who carries the weight of the knife at your side. Don't pretend to know fate to me, godkiller.”

Christian (as Plenus):
“Oh, I don't. I think fate is a spiderweb. I think it can be many things. I want your help. I don't want the end of all things. I don't want to kill gods. I certainly don't want to be a pawn for Archeveleon”.

Em (as Nyxal):
“What do you want?”

Christian (as Plenus):
“To rest. To be with her again.”

Em (as Nyxal):
“Rest is for the weak.”

Christian (as Plenus):
“Well, I want to be with her again.”

Em:
She searches you, your eyes for a moment and settles on it.

Em (as Nyxal):
So that is your plan, get back to this person who you feel like you belong with.

Christian (as Plenus):
“Who I belong with. Yes, yes, if we can. Iannis and I, if we can avoid the end of all, I think we must.”

Em (as Nyxal):
“And you trust him to follow you on that? Is this your plan? To put your blind trust in a part of your soul that has been locked away? Someone you do not know?”

Christian (as Plenus):
“No, no, it is not smart to trust him. It is not wise to count on his empathy. But we made a promise to each other. And if he is truly of my soul and I of his… the promise must be kept, will be kept. I will aid him unless I can find a better way. My true intent, Nyxal, is to find a better way. Help me.”

Em (as Nyxal):
“You would have me guide you.”

Christian (as Plenus):
“I am guided by my own conscience. I would have you aid me.”

Em (as Nyxal):
“What's in it for me?”

Christian (as Plenus):
“You live. Your kind may live. And if when the smoke clears, my people continue to live and breathe and flourish and tell stories and love each other… I or Inanis will help find a way to prevent more of you from dying.”

Em:
You watch to deeply consider what you've suggested. She stands, though she does not approach you.

Christian:
I realize as she stands in front of me that she hasn't moved, that she's tied to this place and.. and the words I'll see as curse dance in my mind. And at the heart of this is the idea that fate can be betrayal of oneself.

So I say out loud:

Christian (as Plenus):
“As a show of good faith, I wish to unblind you.”

Em:
Okay.

Christian:
And I reach out to this power to orchestrate reality, to unbind her, to untether her from this place, to remove the curse.

Em:
Ok. Hmm, so there's two ways we can play this.

I will have you… There is a crucible move called Violate a Curse. And while this curse is not on you, you would be the one prompting its violation. The other option here is you find her true form, reveal her downfall, and spare her - which is the other crucible move Spare a God.

Christian:
Violating the curse would be removing the curse, right?

Em:
It would, but there will be things that will likely impact you greatly. The other way you could do this, I would say, is to Manifest a Miracle, which is another Crucible move, and you may have to sacrifice the power.

Christian:
Easy choice. I will sacrifice the power. And this is why. I've only had these powers for a short time. In that time, I've accidentally killed another being. I created chaos and hellfire in this beautiful space and let it get out of control, and I stand here and I feel the power surging through me. And I know somewhere inside that I can kill this thing, that I am fated to kill this God and all gods.

But I don't think he likes being told what he's meant to do or who he's meant to be.

Scratching at the back of his head is this idea, this ever-present idea, this objective. Find another way. And so… if it means that this God in front of me, this Goddess in front of me, can feel freedom truly, because she's known freedom forever, eons and eternity, true freedom, she's a goddess. Now she doesn't. And the hope that I can give to her freedom and free will and choice once again, that she may understand what it means to be a human and to fight for those freedoms, she may assist me. And so I will sacrifice this power to orchestrate reality, to orchestrate it one more time.

Em:
Okay, so you're choosing to Manifest a Miracle.

Christian:
I am feeling miraculous.

Em:
Okay, so when you want to Manifest a Miracle, you sacrifice a Power. Describe how you channel that power into the world to its fullest potential and erase it from your character sheet. You can never use it again.

Christian:
I walk towards Nyxal, I place my hand on her face. And as I do, those silver-tendriled energy lines that I saw on the river, whispers of Allseia and her grace and her beauty, and more importantly that concordant sound that came with the rushing River. I think it emanates from my entire person into my palm, through my fingers, and that light, those tendrils, make their way into those red eyes, and they fill with white light. And that light then fills her body, and her wings expand and become light.

And as they touch the sides of this nest, the tendrils whisper into the wood. And all around us, they think the reality shifts and we are in that River with Allseia for just a moment and it feels real…it sounds real… smells real and then like a thousand fireworks exploding the light shoots out and dies down… and hopefully when it dies down, Nyxal is unbinded.

Em:
Wow. Ok. The light that you have infused her with in this moment: a true act of mercy, whether she deserved it or not. You see, the light illuminates what she had been hiding.

You see on the ground a shadow of a bird lying on its side. This was the creature you saw pierce Allseia, her true form. And you see the shadow lift and fold itself back into her, unbinding her from the ground, breaking the curse Allseia had put on her.

Her shoulders move and the feathers of her wings shake as she feels mastery of her body, of her power again. A grin like you have never seen pulls across her face. And just for a moment… It is as if your eyes can't focus on it, but you see the face of a falcon ready for hunt. That coalesces into her beautiful visage once more, and she smiles.

Christian (as Plenus):
“This is worth fighting for, this is worth living for. This moment right now that you're feeling, returning to yourself, this curse being lifted. We all deserve this. Freedom. Freedom of choice. These people out here, all of them, they deserve a chance to choose their own fate.

Not for some godkiller to choose what happens to them. Or for a God. To architect itself.”

Em (as Nyxal):
“So you'd break the Cradle. For what? Love? Choice? Freedom? So that you may have some stab at your own destiny? Loosen yourself from the bindings that you have been trying to shake for so long.

Or maybe just… loosen that guilt a bit. Must feel awful to feel guilty. I don't think I've ever felt guilty in my life.”

Christian (as Plenus):
“I think you're wrong about one thing. I would not break the cradle for my guilt, or for any of the things you listed. But I would do so at the right to feel that guilt. At the right to feel the pain and all the joy. All of it. The absence of life is the absence of those feelings.

Who are we to decide that for everyone? He cannot win.”

Em (as Nyxal):
“Well if that is the plan, then let us figure out how to get there. Onward.”

Em:
And her wings unfurl, she flaps up, and you can just see the joy of being able to take flight again. And her form begins to shrink and turn into that of a peregrine falcon. And she lands on your shoulder, and you just hear “After you.” in your head.

Christian:
I feel a sense of accomplishment but also guilt. But the enemy of my enemy is my friend. And sometimes chaos wins. I think Archeveleon has a plan. And I want to upend it.

Christian:
“I'm sorry, Allseia,” I think to myself. “I'm sorry.” And then I make my way out of the makeshift prison. And.. make my way back towards the... Where the caravan was last spotted, I think. With this falcon on my shoulder. Or flying above, I would imagine. Enjoying her wings.

Em:
You can see that she takes flight circling around but does return to you. She seems loyal at this point. You have freed her from her curse, and we'll see how she follows you, whether your plan at this point is the one that she decides to put her stock in permanently.

What I am going to have you do here actually, and just because of the way that went down, I think I'm going to have to prompt a role about Sparing a God here. So when you confront or find in this case, or specifically in this case, a God showed you their true form and revealed their downfall and you decided not to kill her - you roll 2d6. On a hit, they perform a favor of your choosing. On a strong hit, you can bind them with a curse of your own and say what they must never do and they must obey. And on a miss, the River seals your choice. Your mercy is eternal and you can never kill them no matter how they trespass against you in the future. And regardless of your role, you receive a semblance of their power.

Christian:
That's a six and a five: an 11.

Em:
Okay. So this is a strong hit. What must she never do? What curse are you binding her with?

Christian (as Plenus):
“Thou shalt never let harm come to Inanis. You will protect him until your breath ceases or his. You are cursed with his security.”

Em:
Um... okay. What does it look like when you curse her? In this way.

Christian:
I wait for her to enjoy her freedom again. We travel for an hour, two hours, three hours. I watch her fly and she returns to me. She flies again. She returns to me. And when it feels as if she's tired of flying. Wants to relax for a moment, perch on my shoulder. I'll just whisper to her:

Christian (as Plenus):
“Remember this feeling… Protect him at all costs.”

Christian:
I kiss her on the beak, and as I pull my lips from her beak, that exhale of breath is that same white light reminiscent of Allseia and it is… it's inhaled by Nyxal and enters her falcon body.

Em:
As she inhales, you watch as the red of her eyes changes to match that of Inanis’. One gold, one purple.

Christian:
Yes.

Em:
You navigate your way as she rests now on your shoulder, at some points tucking herself into the hood of your robes. Hours drift by in this peaceful coexistence as you make your way back the road. You come out, seeing the spot where the caravan was, and it is long gone. There are puddles and mud and patches of snow that still remain. There are no signs of campfires or trace that anyone has been here in a while.

Christian:
So as I get to this place, I'll just hold my cloak open and whisper to Nyxal,

Christian (as Plenus):
“I think we're gonna need a plan. And I have the best strategists in the entire universe with me. Where to from here, friend?”

Em:
She cocks her head to the side, as if listening, eyes search around as she does a loop she takes off. Five minutes later, you see her flying alongside a small group of carts that are travelling down the road towards you. They're probably about 150 to 200 feet away at this point, having just crested a hill.

Christian:
Heading towards the direction the caravan was heading or in the opposite direction?

Em:
The caravan was heading out towards The Foales. This is heading back towards Glass.

Christian:
I will wait for Nyxal to return to me, and then I will approach the caravan and seek passage amongst them towards Glass.

Em:
The carts arrive and you see three. The first carries people. The second two carry supplies of some kind. You hear the driver of the horses call to them to slow down. These horses are well-kept, beautiful riding horses, looking well-prepared for this travel through what you're assuming now is the winter. You see two figures come out of the back, both heavily armored. They are wearing insignia and their holy symbols... You have spent a lot of time in Hood. You would recognize them immediately. These are paladins of Soevan, the goddess of dreams, sleep, and illusion.

They look at you and hold their hand up as one other figure hops out of the cart as you approach. He is hooded, tall, and broad, built like a swimmer with short, red, curly hair as he pulls the cloak back that sits kind of in a mop on the top of his head. With an angular chin and jaw with pale skin and a smattering of freckles, bright hazel eyes. He wears robes the colors of Soevan, maroon with lilac and silver embroidery. He looks at you with a strong concern.

Em (as Drifter Ryland Arno):
“Traveler, are you well? How can we help you?”

Christian:
I think he laughs. I think Plenus actually laughs, belly laughs when he, that question, are you well? I think that it, I mean to these folks he may appear mad because I don't think he's thought of his own well-being in a while. And when that laugh dies down…

Christian (as Plenus):
“I am as well as you, Traveller. I am as well as anyone. I seek safe passage with your group if you are headed towards my city.”

Em (as Drifter Ryland Arno):
“We are headed towards Glass, yes, if that is where you're going.”

Christian (as Plenus):
“It's... Yes. Yes, I am from Glass. And it is safer to travel with a group than alone in these woods. Things have changed.”

Em (as Drifter Ryland Arno):
“They have. And you look like you have seen some time outside.”

Christian (as Plenus):
“Yes, I am cold and hungry.”

Em (as Drifter Ryland Arno):
“What is your name, friend?”

Christian (as Plenus):
“Inanis.”

Em (as Drifter Ryland Arno):
“Inanis. I am... Ryland Arno. But you can just call me Drifter.”

Christian (as Plenus):
“You.. are fascinating.”

Em:
And as you say that, you remember why. You were supposed to deliver a missive to this man. This is the high priest of Soevan, the head of Hood.

Christian:
Oh my. I pulled my robes taut, I fixed my hair, all in front of him. All very matter of fact.
Christian (as Plenus):
“Forgive me, Your Highness. I…”

Em (as Drifter Ryland Arno):
“Just Drifter is fine, friend. Titles are for those who have temples in Glass. I am much more at home in an apothecary.”

Christian:
Oof, and that last line sits on him because Godkiller is the title that he doesn't want. And I think there's a resonance there.

Christian (as Plenus):
“And forgive me, Drifter, I lied. My name is not Inanis. I thought it prudent to use an alias traveling with strangers. You I know and this is how. And I reach for the note, pull it out and...

I was tasked to deliver this to you. As fate would have it,” and he smiles at that word. “I met you here instead of Hood.”

Em (as Drifter Ryland Arno):
“From Glass, a missive from whom in Glass.”

Christian (as Plenus):
“Tasked by Speaker Beltran.”

Em (as Drifter Ryland Arno):
“Well then it is good fortune.”.

Christian (as Plenus):
“Oh, it just hit me. It's been two months. It's been two months.”

Em (as Drifter Ryland Arno):
“We did expect words some time ago about these supplies that were needed in glass, but we came as soon as things were ready and…”

Christian (as Plenus):
I was meant to be here two months ago. I fear things are much more dire than you or I or anyone might have expected. And this is my fault.”

Em:
He puts a hand on your shoulder.

Em (as Drifter Ryland Arno):
“The important thing is that it is happening now. My goddess works in ways that we cannot understand while awake.”

Christian:
I whisper to Nyxal: “Go to him. Go to him.”

Em:
When you say him, who do you mean? This is me asking not Nyxal, cause she would know.

Christian (as Plenus):
“Inanis, go to him. Remember your curse. Go.”

Em:
She ruffles her feathers up looking at you with a pure confusion but must obey you… must obey the call to the person you have tasked her to.

She flies up, and you see Drifter Arno kind of step back at the Falcon emerging from your robes as she takes off.

Em (as Drifter Ryland Arno):
“Well it would have been two travelers then, but it seems your companion has somewhere to go.”

Christian (as Plenus):
“She'll find me when she's ready.”

Em (as Drifter Ryland Arno):
“They always do. Now, come, let us get you inside, and we shall bring these supplies, this medicine, to Glass.”

Christian (as Plenus):
“I could use a drink.”

Em (as Drifter Ryland Arno):
“I might have something better for you.”

Em:
He leads you inside this cart. It is beautifully upholstered and outfitted, not just for seated travel, but for reclining and sleeping. It makes sense. The holy folk of Soevan worship while asleep.

Drifter Arno sits down with you. It is around perhaps four in the afternoon, maybe five at this point. He pulls a small draught, a small vial, out from the inside of his robes.

Em (as Drifter Ryland Arno):
“There is a reason my title is as it is and it is because of this.”

Em:
You know what that is. You've spent enough time in Hood. This is a substance called Drift. You see a swirling liquid, light purple, just a few drops in the bottle, and it moves inside even when it's held still.

Em (as Drifter Ryland Arno):
“For your sleep. If it evades you, or at least the most restful kind, the dreams will be vivid but tomorrow you will be truly, truly awake. Maybe more than you have been in a long time.”

Christian (as Plenus):
“Might I with your God in this state? Will they come to me?””

Em (as Drifter Ryland Arno):
“Fae is elusive at best, but we'll find you if Fae wishes to.”

Christian (as Plenus):
“Or I'll find her.”

Christian:
And I take the vial and swig it.

Em:
He pauses before you drink it. And he says, “Lie down.”

Christian (as Plenus):
“Okay.”

Em:
He cradles your head as you relax on this luxuriously comforted pillow.

Christian (as Plenus):
“I can see what you're all on about.”

Em:
He gently brushes his hand over your eyes as if to close them and pours the drift onto the center of your forehead. A calm washes over you unlike anything you have ever known. Nothing is bad. Nothing is good. It is just... calm. And you let yourself fall into a peaceful, drifting, lulling sleep for maybe the first time since you got your knife.

[‘Something & Nothing: Plenus’ Theme’ begins, composed by Sean McRoberts]

Em:
Godkiller: Oblivion is performed by Em Carlson, Christian Navarro & Jannes Wessels. Special thanks to our campaign artist, Mischi. You can find her at @Mischiart on Twitter, as well as to Sean McRoberts, for our composing ‘Something & Nothing’, our main theme for this episode. Music and effects by Epidemic Sound. For more stories, come follow us everywhere at @blackwaterdnd, and make sure to check out our Main Campaign on Monday nights at 8pm PST at twitch.tv/blackwaterdnd. To play your own campaign of Godkiller and dive into your own divinity, go support Godkiller by purchasing the ashcan on itch.io today. This show is made possible by our patrons, and sponsors who graciously support us playing pretend and having feelings about it. You too can come join us on Patreon, where you can check out behind the scenes info, our talkback show Chatwater, as well as exclusive series like this one! Head on over to patreon.com/blackwaterdnd for all the info. See you next time, heretics, and to all the gods out there, be safe!