The Githyanki nods in respect to Ragnar. "I understand. Perhaps you can see why I request an honorable death." The Gith calmly watches as the flask is reached for - the Gith's body turns to wisped shadow and returns to its container. 

((Before he is popped back in the flask))

Wulgar gets up in Galvazon's face and very sternly says "I know that you are sorry about what you did and all.  Here's what I need to know.  Would you help us to be able to leave this place?  Would you fight alongside us to achieve our freedom?  Let me know with a simple yes or no.  If you are going to sit in a corner and wait for someone else to put a sword through you because you want to off it, then that helps me with my decision.  I need to know what you will do, if you will help us or not.  Tell me, Galvazon!"

((Once re-bottled and we are alone again...))

     "As I see it, our own morality and sensibilities are not what is up for debate here.  What we think is right and just is irrelevant as we are not the final say, currently.  That would be our jailor," Mulligan says, waving his hand absently towards nowhere and everywhere to indicate their gracious and unknown host.  "This is their game.  Only they know the rules."

      "From what they have said, they are trying to teach us to be able to be self-reflective.  To be able to see ourselves as others do, to be able to judge our own actions in a framework other than what we want or is good for us.  '...as only those who learn to judge may reflect upon their own deeds with a remorseful eye.' it said.  It wants us to learn to judge so that we may judge ourselves.  Pointless, I think," Mulligan cannot help add, "But it is not my game."

     "To 'win' this round I believe we need to choose the one our host thinks most worthy, not the one we do.  To judge in a way they believe fitting, not by who would make the best ally.  In fact I recall no words from our host suggesting the one we acquit would join us...  I do not believe they defined just what the acquittal would entail.  It could simply mean they are allowed to pass on to whatever is next, instead of being held in unending purgatory..."  Mulligan shrugs. 

     "I have to believe our host thinks all are guilty of some crime, of they would not be holding them.  Others may not see it as a crime, but our host does and for the moment it is only the host who matters...  So no acquitting by technicality, I think.  No acquitting by what we perceive as level of guilt. Remorse is the key word, I think.  'reflect upon their own deeds with a remorseful eye,' our host said.  Out of them all, can that be said of any besides Galvazon?"

     "If we are playing this game, and I see no other choice at the moment, I believe that is our best move.."

Varan looks at Mulligan with what might be... respect?

"Mulligan, I can think of at least a half dozen rebuttals to your argument... but all of them boil down to how illogical our jailor's game is.  And all of them would fail against your central premise that this is the jailor's game.  However senseless, however unjust the game might be... we must play it as it wishes us to play."

It almost looks painful for Varan to admit the following.  "I think you may be right."

Keyleth sighs, looking at the flask she holds. "You have a point," she agrees. "I suppose we do need to play this game by our jailor's rules, don't we?"

Quote from Twombley >>

"I know that you are sorry about what you did and all.  Here's what I need to know.  Would you help us to be able to leave this place?  Would you fight alongside us to achieve our freedom?  Let me know with a simple yes or no.  If you are going to sit in a corner and wait for someone else to put a sword through you because you want to off it, then that helps me with my decision.  I need to know what you will do, if you will help us or not.  Tell me, Galvazon!"

 Gazinoth meets Wulgar's gaze - his own eyes cold and almost empty. "I wish to say yes and devote my life to your cause, though I myself can hear the lie seep through my teeth. I am caught between the mind of a man who wishes to enter his rightful grave with a shred of dignity and the soul of a man who would survive at any possible cost, even if it meant betraying allies." The Gith hangs his head. "You have been answered. The decision is yours."

((After Gazinoth is back in the flask))

Wulgar listens to all of the points of view, starts picking his dragon nose with a claw and flicks the coal looking bogie to the corner of the room.  “Yeah.  I get it.  If we want to please the puppet master, we should choose Gazinoth.  But for someone who could actually be useful to us and may have some skill that would help with our escape, I would pick Kalushina.  I can’t abide by that Arcanaloth.  Let me crush that flask right now.  Gazinoth - I don’t know that I can trust him when the shit is going down, if you know what I mean.  When that changling was out a bit ago, he would have probably been in the corner somewhere simpering.  So I have to vote him out, bottom line.  But that would leave the one with my vote, Kalushina.  I’ll listen to what everyone else has to say and let’s weigh it out together.”

     "Wulgar, you talk about gaining an ally...  Please, refresh my memory of our captor telling us that the one we freed would be freed to our care?" Mulligan asks, mostly sincerely. 

     "Surely our hope is that the one we free would be in a position to assist us but I do not recall any reason to expect that to be true.  Though my memory could be faulty..."

Wulgar nods to Mulligan, "Good point.  Hadn't thought of that.  You're right.  If that's the case, then we should do what the puppeteer wants I guess.  I vote for the cowardly bastard then."

Ragnar nods with Wulfgar. "By logic, Gazinoth is our best choice. And amongst us, we are not lacking in martial ability."

He shakes his head. "I can't believe I'm voting to free to free a yellow-bellied coward however..."

"Ok, if all are in agreement.."  Wulgar takes the hammer, sets the first and then the second flask into the notch that was designed to hold it and smashes each of them in turn with the hammer.  The third flask and the changeling were destroyed already.  At last, he opens the fourth flask with Gazinoth, releasing him from his holding flask, ending the procedure and arriving at their judgement.  

With the final flask opened and closed, a decision has made. Wulgar lifts the hammer over the flask with the weeping angel and shaking hands. He lifts the hammer in the air; the runes alight with reddish-purple energy as he strikes downwards in turn. With a resounding crash - and the sound of a bell being chimed, the flasks easily crush under the weight of the hammer, fragmenting into thousands of miniscule pieces before turning into smoke and dispersing into the air. 

Once the flasks of the fallen Aasimar and the Arcanaloth have been destroyed. The essence of the Githyanki rises from the flask, and no later than the instant his form materialized, the final flask rusts and crumbles into ash within a second. 

Gazinoth glances around, yellowed eyes narrowing over the hammer and lack of flasks in the room. He pauses - before finally releasing a sigh, crossing his arms, and staring towards the ground. "Why have you forsaken me this way? I have no choice other than to follow." His brows raise in surprise a moment later - he only seems to now realize that, unlike the first time he was released, two very familiar gemstones are curled in each palm. One is orange and speckled with identically spaced black dots, while the other is a pale, icy shade of blue. Judging by the recognition in Gazinoth's eyes, he has seen something like these before. The realization you are not alone in this trial - whether that be a comforting assertion or not - has never been more evident. 

Glancing to the center of the room reveals the runes have faded - and instead show a simple hole in the floor; one which leads directly to the original room you have entered. Of the five torches, three are now lit - one scarlet, another sickly green, and the newest, a flaming purple. You now have three crystals in your possession; the only one remaining from your original search, an azure gemstone, and the two on Gazinoth's person. 

"Alright." Keyleth looks at the others. "Which one now?"

"Gazinoth, have you used the Azure gemstone before, when you were travelling through these rooms, before you ended up in that flask?  Do you remember what that room was like?  Do you have any suggestions about our next choice?"  Wulgar looks at the Githyanki, awaiting his response.

     “Buck up, little Githyanki, you are freed, not forsaken,” Mulligan assures him.

     “Kill yourself and cement your cowardice, if you wish.  Or fight for your total freedom and seek redemption, in the eyes of us strangers even if not your own.  Freedom is all about choices, make yours.”

"Red was tied to a blood sacrifice... Green to a test of poison and illusion... Purple to a test of judgement.  I'm not sure we can make any reasoned guess as to what the other colors could mean.  The icy blue gem could mean cold... and I have seen the color orange related in symbology to avarice - avarice the condition of the human spirit, not Avarice the companion - but these could just as easily lead to a completely different test."

"I am content with whatever we select.  Let's just keep moving."

"I have not seen the azure gemstone. They seem to be the method of passing through this place. We were in a room identical to this. The four of us passed through - five torches were lit. We faced trials more deadly than before. I know not how, where, or if they end." Gazinoth narrows his eyes towards Mulligan. "I have already made my decision." 

     "Well then, next stone to the drift globe then?"

"Right then.  Everyone ready?  Let's get on with it."  Wulgar grasps everyone's hand, grabs the azure gemstone, and then reaches out for the drift globe...

"Ready when you are Wulgar." Avarice says grimly, looking around at the others and tensing up for the transfer.