November 09, 2024

Hook

Stormwatch VII [Gilded Slumber] || Ley'Ork, Cahyali

Plot Synopsis

After some time spent with not much in the way of plans or new information, Robin delivers a missive to the party. It’s a message from someone named Ramona, expressing that her and her team may have similar goals and they would like to work together. She instructs them to come down to a warehouse on the north side of NSC. The party is skeptical, but Robin assures she is a rebel just like them and she can be trusted.

Upon arrival, the party meets up with the Ashes of Dreams party and puts together a plan. The other party has an objective to retrieve a child named Pea who is being used to power Slipstream. Kentaro Ryou, from the other party, recognizes Robin as Zuanshi Hua, the former Ruefangren Commissioner of Industry, and threatens her - though he is talked down by Ramona and Jessie, who insist this is not the time to be starting fights.

They plan to assault two of the Ruefang artifacts, as taking out two points will effectively power down the dimensional locking zone and allow them to teleport inside. After granting the secrets of black powder weaponry to the rats of Cheddakia, allies of the Ashes of Dreams party, the parties split up to take care of the blades.

The party lands their airship stealthily in the snowy forest about five miles out from Sparkpoint Labs. Vulvenaar flies in on his own, unnoticed, and makes a rendezvous near the blade. They notice a very large arcane circle, buzzing with air magic, surrounding the blade’s site. As they get closer to the blade itself, they notice that it seems to have affected and killed the surrounding trees. Domino and Peasblossom, accompanying him, feel suddenly nostalgic and realize that something from the Dreaming is present here.

Domino touches the blade to try and pull it out and realizes that he nearly fell asleep right there. Jessie then touches the sword to try and set his explosive charges, and his soul is pulled right in. Blade then runs at the sword in an effort to destroy it with his own, and also succumbs. Figuring that he might be able to help them in there, Domino goes in of his own volition. Elizabeth realizes that casting Clarity didn’t work, and pulls the three sleepers aside to take care of them until they hopefully return.

Luin and Skib put their heads together, and decide to speak directly to the sword. Since it looks to be old, they figure it might have some sort of consciousness. Skib casts Interference to bother it some, and then Luin does his best to link in to the surrounding magic and commune with it. He succeeds, and witnesses a backwards memory of everything the sword has experienced - mainly, being stuck in the ground somewhere. Luin and Skib ask the sword what it wants, and it answers in a sort of empathic half-language that it wants to fulfill its duty and guard the place it has been put… though it is bored. Being curious, it asks them about their adventures. They both share their memories, and tell it of what they have done. When they reach Skib’s death at the hands of Akh Ranh, he remembers standing in line in the Infero before being pulled back to his body, and describes death as something not dissimilar to what the sword is going through now.

Luin promises to take it with him, and show it what it is like to live a life that changes every day. It agrees, as it wants to live, and Luin pulls the sword out of the ground… ending its part in the warding spell.

Meanwhile, Jessie, Blade, and Domino reconvene in the Dreaming. Jessie had been with a false version of Avalia, who soon revealed themselves to be one Blackjack: Domino’s trickster sibling, a centaur-like Dreamt. The trio asks Blackjack how to leave, and they reply that it’s pretty difficult, but the “mold kid” might be able to help. They then gallop off, and the party finds that the entire scenery around them has changed. The sky now resembles an oil slick, and a blood-red sun hangs unmoving on the horizon. They stand in a massive, ancient city with white, gold, and red banners bearing a partial Dahabu emblem. Elves are moving about, going about their regular lives, and speaking a sort of not-quite-Elvish that no one can place.

Jessie gets on his motorcycle and Blade gets on Domino, and they begin to run towards a palace in the distance. At its steps, they find a young princess, who asks why they are here. After being questioned by Jessie, she says it is the year 7524. Jessie tells her she’s going to die soon, which scares her and sends her scrambling off to call the guards. The party makes their way up to the top of the castle, finding a door covered in mold at a short hallway’s end. Inside, there is a young boy sitting in an opulent room crying as he looks at the sun.

They ask what’s wrong, and he answers that he doesn’t want to be here, and he misses his brother. He is under some sort of Faustian bargain and cannot leave the room, though he offers them a small set of Lanterns of Dreaming to aid their own escape. He describes a “pale woman” as his captor. Jessie promises he will come back for him, and the trio then uses the lanterns to light their way back to their bodies.

Noteworthy Postgame Events