Editing System Agnostic/Episode Three: The Roads Home

{{Worldbuilders}} The third episode picks up at the tavern in Outrys where the party had once traveled as their simulated prehistoric counterparts. They see Meghan Duscalla there, who had been separated from them earlier, and another familiar face: a recreation of prehistory’s Puud Een, who greets them upon their arrival. 


She explains she’s actually part of the simulation itself; she does not possess a die as the others do. Dom asks if the “evil thing trying to kill us” also has a die, to which she says yes—but claims it isn’t evil. The humanoid, whom she refers to as “AD”, has been separated from the simulated world at large and became a separate entity, which also allowed Puud Een to become a separate entity.


She goes on to say the magic bucket has shown her a number of different possibilities: they might stay in the simulation and keep their powers, or they might escape. In order for the latter to occur, they could convince AD the game is over, at which point everyone (including AD) would leave; they could try to kill AD according to the rules of the game, after which it would be dead and—therefore—no longer get a vote; or, they find Karavox and kill AD with it, thereby in theory resetting the whole world…but possibly killing everyone in it.


Puud Een explains that Karavox could also be used to sever their own connection to the simulation, which is what AD is seeking to accomplish, thereby killing them. Ronny goes on to ask that, given Karavox’s nature, that makes him his own patron. Dom declares he wants a different patron, which offends Hype Spear. 


Samantha asks if Puud Een had been a simulation this entire time, to which the rakshasa says “Yes and no.” She waves her hand over the bucket and a column of water shoots out of it, forming mist. Inside the mist the party sees their “former selves” from prehistory in the simulation. She goes on to explain that every person the party had inhabited for a time did indeed live on Quelmar at one time. She is simply the memory of Puud Een. 


She says she won’t stop the party from whatever choice they make, as she’s curious to see which future she’s seen will come to pass. Besides, she adds, she’s not sure if leaving the simulation is what ultimately dooms Quelmar to be destroyed. Samantha asks how that’s possible, to which Puud Een repeats the enigmatic prophecy they’d read back in prehistory: 


“When chaos abdicates their throne, and the sundered citadel lies scattered and still, then she who keeps the world intact will erase the multiverse she helped to build.”


She reminds them it was Xentalia who helped create the worlds. If she’s released into the world, she might erase Quelmar with a thought. Or, if left to languish within this simulated prison, she might find a way around the AD and manage to erase it anyway. 


The others decide where to go from here. Samantha asks if they should set out to find the remaining three individuals with the D4 shards: Arnold, Xentalia and Syd. Puud Een reminds them that, unless they decide to stay inside the simulation or kill the AD using Karavox, they’ll *have* to find the others. Meghan declares she’s coming with them. Puud Een comments that Xentalia and Syd might be together, while Arnold will likely find the party first. When Samantha asks why, Puud Een simply says he was comfortable in Ravendean and will likely want that life again. 


The rakshasa suggests the party return to the temple, as that’s likely where Xentalia will be. Samantha remarks it turned out “so well” for them last time, to which Puud Een counters that Xentalia was enraged before—she knew she was trapped but the simulation wouldn’t acknowledge that. Eyelean asks if they might face their simulated prehistoric selves, because she might shoot herself if she hears the Kender paladin “halalalala” ever again, but Puud Een says that wouldn’t happen.


Dom declares he’s going to lay down some tracks for the “hype train” to the temple, which Hype Spear heartily endorses. Puud Een walks over to Dom and flips it over before placing it on his head, declaring solemnly, “Hype Bucket.”


Eyelean is still convinced she’s in a video game, and keeps trying to log out or open various apps—all to no avail. The others decide to leave for the temple and let Eyelean catch up. Meghan is creeped out and decides to stay far away from Eyelean.


They make their way to the temple, which is more worn than before, as well as several silhouettes approaching the temple. Ronny asks his bird Ronin if he recognizes the group ahead, but Ronin pecks him twice on the head—signifying a negative response. Samantha tries to peer closer at the group before her party approaches them, and one of the figures does seem familiar…but she can’t make out who it is. Eyelean uses the scope of her gun to get a better view, and sees that the figure is Arnold, who looks far worse for wear. She suggests that the party get closer to help him. 


Ronny runs up to Arnold and casts Detect Evil, asking the other man if he is indeed evil. Arnold responds, “What is evil? There is no good. There is no evil. Only…” At which point the other Fallen creatures stop shambling towards the temple and turn towards the group. Eyelean activates her Fair Field and discovers Arnold is now one of these creatures—which means he can be hacked.


She successfully hacks Arnold, who freezes up and stares at Ronny with empty sockets. Ronny uses his knowledge of martial arts to knock him over. Two others swipe at him, but miss. Samantha backs up and casts Sun Blast at one of them, obliterating it. A third Fallen strikes at Ronny, and he just barely dodges out of the way.


Dom uses Hype Spear to attack, but misses. A fourth Fallen attacks him, and lowers his defense. The one attacking Ronny tries again and almost tackles him to the ground, but he barely scrambles away. Eyelean sees Arnold is on the ground, so she instead aims for one of the other Fallen and shoots, eliminating one of the bigger creatures.


Ronny backs up and aims at the other larger Fallen with his longbow, reducing its guard further. Arnold manages to stumble to his feet and tells Dom “I see something in you—hunger. The desire for something. Something great.” With that, he attacks Dom, moving faster than ever before and managing to draw blood.


Samantha calls out to Lillix, asking if anything can be done to save Arnold. Time around her slows to a crawl and Lillix steps out from behind Arnold and Dom. The colors around her fade as she looks Arnold over, at which point Lillix tells Samantha he “Fell”, or died, which is what happens to real people in the simulation. Technically, he could live again if he killed one of the other party members. Samantha asks if that means the situation is hopeless, but Lillix assures Samantha she *can* resurrect him—it just comes at a steep price. 


Lillix asks what Samantha is willing to do for her in return. Confused, Samantha asks what the “goddess of light” would possibly want from her. Lillix counters that wasn’t an answer. The Godbinder gets visibly more frustrated at trying to understand what a goddess could want from her until Lillix accuses her of choosing the “safe” answers. Finally understanding, Samantha says she’d be willing to do anything, because Arnold didn’t deserve this fate and she wouldn’t be able to live with what she’s seen  now even if she did escape.


In a blink, Lillix is standing in front of her holding up a blade in front of her. She asks Samantha to use the knife to stab Xentalia—not necessarily in the heart, but enough to “make it stick.” Samantha reluctantly agrees, and Lillix tells her to take the knife if she vows to do this. When Samantha holds the knife, it grows warm in her hand but doesn’t burn. 


The world immediately returns to normal. Dom feels Arnold’s attack graze his face, then watches as the other man is blasted backwards and encased in a light-filled cocoon; Arnold has effectively been taken out of the battle. But right behind him is another large Fallen that manages to set him back a step and catch Dom off-guard. 


Dom tells Arnold he does indeed desire something, and this encounter will make an excellent addition to his book “A Single Simulation”. He uses Hype Spear to slash at the other Fallen, instantly killing it. Dom celebrates his victory—realizing too late there was one more Fallen. He feels a sharp pain in his back that brings him down, though he’s not dead…yet.


Eyelean sees this happen and shoots the last Fallen, killing it. She goes to relieve the bodies of their Fair Gold to power her gun. Samantha manages to heal Dom slightly, enough to bring him out of his fugue state. 


The cocoon around Arnold fades, leaving him bloodied from the battle—but alive. He says he feels like he was hit by a bus, and asks if someone can “turn on the lights.” While Ronny marches off to the temple to look for a light switch, Samantha helps Arnold sit up. She sees that his hollow eye sockets from when he was Fallen still remain, leaving him permanently blind.


She tries to break the news to Arnold gently but fails miserably. Meghan dashes forward and sits next to Arnold, then pulls out a joint and asks for a light. After some banter about Samantha possibly summoning the goddess who literally just brought Arnold back from the dead to give them a light, Ronny finally casts Fire Touch on the joint. Meghan maneuvers it to Arnold’s mouth, and he finally calms down. 


Arnold explains when he was taken into the void he wound up back in the simulated ballroom where he had been Arnok, where his face was cleaved off. He felt his eyes go with the face, but discovered he could still see—only he was now very hungry. Then, when he saw the party, he realized they “have it”, and if he took it from them he could go home. Despite being blind, he somehow perfectly puts his arm around Meghan’s shoulder as though he knew exactly where she was. 


Samantha apologizes to Arnold, saying she wasn’t aware he would be blind if she helped bring him back. Arnold says he feels like he was coming back anyway, he just would’ve had to kill one of them to do it. He felt like he wasn’t going to be allowed to go home otherwise, and admits he doesn’t regret trying to kill them to do it. He explains it was an intense need, even if it was his desire to go home that drove him. Eyelean asks if the need was to kill all of them, but he clarifies it was whomever was closest to him—first Ronny, then Dom, even though he knew Meghan was the easiest target. He points to the general direction of each person as he speaks, but only accurately points to Meghan’s location once again.


Realizing Arnold seems to have an innate sense of Meghan’s location since they each have a shard of the D4 in them, Samantha asks if he knows where Syd and Xentalia are located. Arnold immediately points inside the temple, and Eyelean explains to him how she believes he and Meghan are connected to Syd and Xentalia due to the shards. 


The group decides to approach the temple, Meghan acting as Arnold’s eyes. Ronny, already at the temple door, skips inside. He notices the painting that had originally been on the back wall, depicting a Tiefling and an Aasimar (the latter of whom is now revealed as Lillix), instead displays an abstract form of the prehistoric, Titan version of Xentalia. In front of the painting stands Xentalia in her Earth Genasi form, standing over a heavily bleeding Syd.
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	The group decides to approach the temple, Meghan acting as Arnold’s eyes. Ronny, already at the temple door, skips inside. He notices the painting that had originally been on the back wall, depicting a Tiefling and an Aasimar (the latter of whom is now revealed as Lillix), instead displays an abstract form of the prehistoric, Titan version of Xentalia. In front of the painting stands Xentalia in her Earth Genasi form, standing over a heavily bleeding Syd.		The group decides to approach the temple, Meghan acting as Arnold’s eyes. Ronny, already at the temple door, skips inside. He notices the painting that had originally been on the back wall, depicting a Tiefling and an Aasimar (the latter of whom is now revealed as Lillix), instead displays an abstract form of the prehistoric, Titan version of Xentalia. In front of the painting stands Xentalia in her Earth Genasi form, standing over a heavily bleeding Syd.

	~~[[Category:System Agnostic]]~~