Sam listens to Griff and tell him that of course his thoughts matter. In my opinion Lumithor can claim the book and it is his. He's the one staying her and guarding the path. Would be folly to deny him a tool he found useful... But Gewyn? The fact he would beg to be the one to test the book," Sam considers aloud... but he then listens to Vin's opinion and shrugs.
"I am always perfect!" Sam says to Vin, adopting a highbrow and haughty accent. Sam then breaks into a big smile and gives the kid a wink. "Whoever tests the book need not be the one who keeps the book. Right now the question is just who is going to test it. You said it was without curse so I'm not too worried but the test is the compromise to stop Muir from burning books so if there's going to be a test I just figure it should be the strongest... Which is, of course, myself. Right?"
"Right??"
"RIGHT???" But Sam is joking, obviously and dramatically...
On the Ring
"Forgive me. The surface is a bit small to write out what I felt should be there so I opted not for script. So yes, a new symbol. One that means something to me even if not to others. It's me it needs to speak to, no?" Sam replies to Lumithor.
"As a young one just learning runes, putting them in dirt with a stick over and over... Some came easier than others," Sam explains. "That is always the way, I suppose. But there was two that I just couldn't get. I could never remember them. Simple runes, really, but they just refused to take hold in my head. I could copy them just fine if I was looking at it... But to write it out from memory? They would just never come out right. Each time I tried they would be wrong... I would leave off a line or a hash of the rune I was intending and include a bit from the other instead. It was frustrating. Made me storm away from the lessons more than once."
"Anyway, you said to ask myself what give me strength... What keeps me alive... What keeps me going... There is two simple answers to each of those questions. The two same simple answers. The two runes I could never do right..." Sam then takes a moment and gathers himself. It is obvious he's not done yet but the rest wasn't easy for him to just put out there.
"Molly," He says finally, not looking at anyone but instead keeping his head tilted up high, his eyes looking up to the skies. Figuratively what with being in a cave and all. "My deceased wife, Molly, gives me strength, keeps me upright and gives me the strength to carry on... I slip up sometimes, I'm not perfect," Sam's eyes dart to Vin when he says that as if to tell him to keep it zipped! "But the memory of Molly and knowing that she would want me to keep going..."
"Then there are the others. Those still with us. With us here and now..." Sam looks to Vin again, then to Gewyn... To Muir... and then to Elthana. He lingers a bit there and eventually a small smile grows on his face and he gives a bit of a shrug. "Those you stand and risk you life with... But also those you don't see nearly enough but the bond still holds strong despite time and distance... Even ones you barely really know at all but when you need that outreached hand or compassionate ear they have it and give it to you..."
"Family... Friends... For fack's sake, I just couldn't etch those ruins into this brain of mine as a kid. Never remember them. I would always mix them up and mash them together in some happadaizical way... Combine them together into something else..."
"I was just a stupid kid, no doubt... But you know, your questions got me thinking... Family... Friends... They're not really different things at all, are they?"
Sam turns the ring so that he can study the rune he carved there and he smiles. "I did it on purpose this time but this is what I did as a kid, I combined the two runes into one. Family. Friends. They are the same thing in the end and this rune is my way of saying it. Saying that these are the people that I will stand up for. Fight for. Do anything for... The symbols is mine just as the people are mine. It's not for you or anyone else to read any more than it is for you or anyone else to choose who they are. I know what it means. I know who they are. That is what matters." With that Sam closes his fingers tightly around the ring and then draws his fist to his chest, over his heart.
"Thank you, Lumithor... Whether the ring holds magic or not, it holds all the magic it needs for me now..."
"those two runes are similar, likely for a reason, but this new one, I think it means all you need it to. You bring it to life with your work and your ideals, let your blood do the rest. I see a great future in you kinsman" Lumithor smiles as Sam puts the ring back on.
As Sam makes his point about the book and Muir puts it away, it seems to settle the discussion, or at least put it on pause for now.
The group falls silent at Vin's request and listen to him pray, a prayer for help, for information, for guidance. It resonates with Griff and serafina, as well as Lumithor as all three bow their heads in reverence.
Breaking the silence, a click can be heard coming from around the other side of the shrine, then scampering up onto the statue above Vin an armoured squirrel chitters and gives the 'follow me' gesture before scampering off again behind the statue.
Looking around there is now a wooden door in the wall of the crystal cavern, one that had not previously been there. Hanging above the door a familiar sign reading "The World Tree Tavern", the tiny little door in the center of the normal sized door closes behind the fluffy tailed critter.
"Hey squirrel, where's moose?" Sam asks in a hushed tone as he spots Ratoskmaking an appearance. Sam isn't quite as quick to follow as Muir is, his thought still on the ring he has slipped back onto his right hand and what it may be able to do... But then he remembers the little fuzzy rat owns a tavern. "Sure, I could go for a pint," he says, still maintaining a hushed tone not knowing if the prayers are over or not - Sam's not one much for organized religion as such... But he climbs to his feet and heads for the door.
Griff and serafina look at eachother, Griff is confused, whereas serafina has had the wherewithal to out two and two together and looks shocked before she quickly strides over and follows Muir inside. Griff shrugs and waits for the others to enter first.
Neferox turns her large head towards Vin as he speaks, spotting what is going on. She yawns and gets up from where she had lay down after cleaning herself, and pads across to Vin waiting to join him in following along.
Giving her pat, Vin leads the hound around the statue and into The World Tree Tavern.
The door opens at a touch and the inside is warmly lit, and familiar. It has been what feels like a month since the group was inside this extra dimensional space but nothing seems to have changed at all.
The group descend the stairs and once again find themselves at the apex of the curve of a semicircle shaped room, the grand fire continues to burn in a large hearth in the center of the straight wall, in front of which curves Morris's amber stained bar top, he waves at the group with a smile before gesturing you all to come in and sit down. The cushioned sofas and booths line the curved wall, each perfectly visible from the bar.
The place seems extraordinarily decorated, above the center of the bar an odd animal skull reaches two antlers out in opposite directions and at a certain point the bone extends into leafy vines, spotted with small flowers, it intertwined and covers the entirety of the ceiling, above a set of rafters.
Display cases high on the walls show off some unknown items, from fancy looking weaponry to old odd looking feathers, but others seemingly mundane items with no real value. Everything exactly the same as before.
Movement in the corner takes everyone's attention as Xazgan realises what is happening, she is also familiarly clad in her magical iron mask, only the bright red of her arms and horns poke out from black robes and hood that cover her. She takes one look at the party, her bright yellow eyes surveying your blood soaked clothes and crystal stone dust covered hair, her shoulders slump as she looks down at a mop bucket by her feet in a bout of focussed frustration yells, "you've gotta be ******* kidding me!" and kicks over the bucket, spilling water out in a puddle, before throwing herself onto one of the sofas and burying her face in her hood.
"Now don't you mind her, you're welcome here, no matter the mess you make," Morris says with a smile. "You make yourselves at home... Been hanging out with our dutiful dragon friend I see? And you need our help? What can old Morris do for you all eh?"
There's a chittering from above as Ratosk, in the rafters, says something but Morris merely shoos the question away with his hand, "we aren't in a rush, it'll take as long as it needs."
Muir smiles and tries to energetically say "Hello there! What a month it has been since we last saw you. We are quite tired, but are in need of help, I will let Vin do the asking and such since you all seem to have connection now that he....well....you know....I hope it was ok that I brought him back....I of course would not do that for anyone to interfere in the workings of the circle of life but I had a gut feeling an instinct it was not Vincent's time to die on top of a bird in a foreign land....Forgive me if I did mess witht he fates a bit...." Muir takes a breath and sits down on the couch next to the pouting demon "Oh I hope you don't mind I sit here....My feet ache and I am oh so tired. Perhaps after I have rested a bit Xazgan could help clear up some of my confusion about the realm he came from. We don't have an expert of the fire world traveling with us so I thought maybe....." Muir trails off looking at Nef thinking to himself that Nef is an obstinate fool of a demon. Muir can only hope Xazgan is not so foolish.
Sam takes in the scene without looking around too much. Tavern, noted. Same cast as last time, noted. Drink... not noted. Sam grunts and trudges directly to the bar.
"Armor could use a good clean and shine when you're done there," Sam notes to Xazgan as he passes. He means it as a joke but he's tired and beat and still feeling like a marathoner's shoe at the end of a race so his tone is flat and the humor is lost.
At the bar Sam nods to Morris and taps the bar to indicate he'd take a drink. "Been a bit," Sam says by way of greeting. "How's going?"
At the chittering from the squirrel Sam swivels a bit in his seat and looks up to the rafters. Sam smiles a bit up at Ratosk. "You invited us in. If you were in a rush you could have spoke to us outside..."
"no, no, don't worry yourself there Muir, keeper of the woods. I was able to reintroduce most of the memories that had been separated from vin's soul and body. Though I did worry.
Vin have you been having any adverse side effects, apart from small gaps in memory? Chronological alteration of memory or confusion amongst names or faces, I see you have your senses about you which was my main concern."
Morris brings up a cold pint of ale for every group member, condensation drips down the perfectly preserved tankards and Sam can smell before he even tastes it, that it is a high quality strong dwarven brew.
At Sam's joke Xazgan merely grunts like a sulking teen, but doesn't move from their prone position face buried in the sofa, even as Muir sits.
Ratosk chitters from the rafters at Sam and then scampers off somewhere out of sight.
Griff takes a stool at the bar and wets his beak, his confusion overtaken by the lack of energy he feels as he simply resigns himself to enjoy this unexpected luxury.
Serafina makes her way down the stairs by the entrance and then immediately takes a knee, bowing her head towards Morris she stutters out, "um I'm... honoured to be in such presence. how uhh, how should I address you?"
Morris goes a little red in the face, obviously embarrassed by the display, "ohh no need for all that, you just make yourself at home eh? You can call me Morris, none of this Memento mumbo jumbo, you're my guests here. Now come, drink. Tell me your worries, tell me your story eh?"
"I'm worried that this mug is almost empty," Sam says and takes another drink.
"Story-wise we have an evil not-quite sister, undead kobold hordes and dragon mom, clueless djinn and other worshipers, and an ongoing concern about random portals," he adds. "They can fill in the details..."
Vin taps the side of his head as Morris asks him how he is, "Good to see you again Morris. All good in here, other than what you mentioned. Things seem to be adjusting back to normal. I didn't remember Muir at first, which I guess is understandable", he says with a grin at the Loxodon.
"But yeah, we really could use your help. Sam kind of summed it up, but to clarify hordes, we are talking hundreds of thousands. And even though I have seen Dec since I came back, he doesn't come near here. Just wondered what the deal is with Nectyran, yourself and the evil not-quite sister who seems to be the one summoning the undead. And also some clarity over whether a god can die. You mentioned immortals when we spoke last, but I can't quite remember the detail. Can gods die and be brought back as a Zombie?", he pretty much blurts.
After he is done, he picks up a tankard and takes a swig.
Morris puts out several more tankards towards Sam and let's him have his fill. He gives vin a relieved smile and a nod as the boy speaks of his minor symptoms and then rests his elbows on the bar in thought at vins clarification of Sam's explanation, "well huh. If... Hmmm, a god can be dependant on one of two things generally, worship or purpose. My siblings and I are beings of purpose, we do not depend on worship to survive nor do we give gifts more than what is required of us, well not normally anyway, I myself like to give payment for a good story... To kill a god specifically you either need to make their purpose obsolete or stop everyone across the realms from worshipping or believing in them... Both are quite hard.
You mention Nectyran and what my deal is there eh? When we three were one, my siblings and I, we had a place in the Shadowfell, a place where we could exist physically whilst still carrying out our duty, our purpose. Nectyran is a corruption of the natural order, a direct affront to us, to death itself. Of course back then, and I'm talking millennia ago, undeath was a new way to cheat us. Naturally we fought, fought in all aspects across all realms for a long long time... Finally we had had enough and we made a new plane for the souls that we served, we quietly moved all the souls we had already collected as far back from the start of time to their new home in celestia, and then we lured nectyran to the Shadowfell. He thought our throne came with all the power we had, and that go claim it would be to claim all of those souls and finally give him power to wipe death off the maps. But as he entered our realm to pursue our throne we left and appointed a guard, that guard you have met out there... Nectyran himself has only ever had plans and scenes on our throne and on destroying us, no one else. So I'm not sure if he could kill another god and turn them undead, but I would say it's damn impossible for him to do whilst he is trapped where we left him." Morris stands once more and begins drying off a glass despite said glass already being clean and dry. He smiles at vin thinking he has supplied the best answer possible.
"He's talking about Vox Tontritor," Serafina calls across as she takes a seat, "the Vox is dead and has been turned by the powers of nectyran, likely four thousand years ago when nivara went there".
Morris stops and gulps, "oh! I Uhhh, I see. Well voz tontritor is a kind of demigod? I'm not sure exactly she is a child of Jotunnam, and therefore the prime factor in the creation of the realm of air. The Greta storm sorceress. God-like but not celestial. She is primordial, she exists as a physical aspect only and we'll, yes that makes her as vulnerable as another physical being... oh this is terrible." His shoulders slump as he realises the situation and his eyes mist a little as he tries to hold his emotions back, "I'm sorry, I'll try to answer... Gods like that, primordial gods they... They are responsible for creation, they can be killed but they would never die of old age, the realms sustain them, but... But if she's been turned, then her soul cannot even be claimed... She can't move on." At this he begins to get really upset and even Xazgan sits up and looks solemn at the sorrow of her captor.
"Not a full fledged god. Killed, turned, and cannot move on," Sam says taking one of the back up drinks. "Can she be unturned? Re-alived or at least dead-deaded so she can move on? It's not clarification we need, Morris, so much as direction..." At least that was true for Sam. The hows and whys weren't always important. The what needed done is what he needed knowing...
Muir asks an unrelated question "If you could indulge me for a moment Mr. Morris when you are done with Sam's question...You said Gods need a purpose or adoration....Do you know which gods need which? Do you know all the gods? There seem to be so many..... and that's not counting these demi gods which apparently killed and turned into undead monsters chained to a wall waiting to attack....Ok maybe not as unrelated as I originally intended eh Xazgan"
Xazgan's distress brings Gewyn's attention to just how messy he's gotten. With a snap of his finger, he prestidigitates away the blood, dirt, and grime from his own clothes. Then he rights the spilled mop bucket and begins to get to work cleaning the floor.
"Sorry, not all of my friends have proper house training yet."
Xazgan looks around those speaking to her in performative confusion, scoffing derisively she asks, "what is it with you people? What? Is it like 'condescend to a ******* demon day?' I don't care about your dumb questions, and I don't care about the mess in the bar!" She moves to the other side of the sofa away from muir and crosses her arms in a huff. Neferox barks back at her demon comment but Xazgan ignores it.
Morris listens to the questions and digests them a little before answering, composing himself a little better than before. "Ah yes, those turned by the influence of nectyran, their souls are owned by the one who turned them, their body, preserved and their memory buried. Those who turn folk undead usually serve nectyran and so the soul by transitive property is owned by him, that is why it is out of our reach. Turning back an undead is highly rare, though sometimes when a powerful enough being is turned there is plenty of soul, and so having the one who turned them return the soul could work, depending on how intact the body is...
To your question Muir I am afraid I do not know all the gods, I am an aspect of memory and so I have access to a wealth of knowledge but it is not boundless, I am no Mimir after all. Figuring out which gods rely upon what depends on what they are a god of... Death exists for everyone with or without their worship, knowledge has worship but those who seek and respect knowledge might not worship In a way that they understand, but the worship is present nonetheless. Is there a particular god you are thinking of?"
As the drinks go down and the conversation progresses, everyone begins to feel a bit better after the fight, time in this space has passed enough that everyone gains the benefit of a short rest, and because rest has been had after the big fight, everyone levels up!
Vin casts a glance at Elthana before asking, "Does that mean Nivara, who is making these undead, has made a pact with Nectyran, despite being denied access to the Shadowfell? How could she do that? And would killing her be enough to force her to return the soul?"
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On the Book
Sam listens to Griff and tell him that of course his thoughts matter. In my opinion Lumithor can claim the book and it is his. He's the one staying her and guarding the path. Would be folly to deny him a tool he found useful... But Gewyn? The fact he would beg to be the one to test the book," Sam considers aloud... but he then listens to Vin's opinion and shrugs.
"I am always perfect!" Sam says to Vin, adopting a highbrow and haughty accent. Sam then breaks into a big smile and gives the kid a wink. "Whoever tests the book need not be the one who keeps the book. Right now the question is just who is going to test it. You said it was without curse so I'm not too worried but the test is the compromise to stop Muir from burning books so if there's going to be a test I just figure it should be the strongest... Which is, of course, myself. Right?"
"Right??"
"RIGHT???" But Sam is joking, obviously and dramatically...
On the Ring
"Forgive me. The surface is a bit small to write out what I felt should be there so I opted not for script. So yes, a new symbol. One that means something to me even if not to others. It's me it needs to speak to, no?" Sam replies to Lumithor.
"As a young one just learning runes, putting them in dirt with a stick over and over... Some came easier than others," Sam explains. "That is always the way, I suppose. But there was two that I just couldn't get. I could never remember them. Simple runes, really, but they just refused to take hold in my head. I could copy them just fine if I was looking at it... But to write it out from memory? They would just never come out right. Each time I tried they would be wrong... I would leave off a line or a hash of the rune I was intending and include a bit from the other instead. It was frustrating. Made me storm away from the lessons more than once."
"Anyway, you said to ask myself what give me strength... What keeps me alive... What keeps me going... There is two simple answers to each of those questions. The two same simple answers. The two runes I could never do right..." Sam then takes a moment and gathers himself. It is obvious he's not done yet but the rest wasn't easy for him to just put out there.
"Molly," He says finally, not looking at anyone but instead keeping his head tilted up high, his eyes looking up to the skies. Figuratively what with being in a cave and all. "My deceased wife, Molly, gives me strength, keeps me upright and gives me the strength to carry on... I slip up sometimes, I'm not perfect," Sam's eyes dart to Vin when he says that as if to tell him to keep it zipped! "But the memory of Molly and knowing that she would want me to keep going..."
"Then there are the others. Those still with us. With us here and now..." Sam looks to Vin again, then to Gewyn... To Muir... and then to Elthana. He lingers a bit there and eventually a small smile grows on his face and he gives a bit of a shrug. "Those you stand and risk you life with... But also those you don't see nearly enough but the bond still holds strong despite time and distance... Even ones you barely really know at all but when you need that outreached hand or compassionate ear they have it and give it to you..."
"Family... Friends... For fack's sake, I just couldn't etch those ruins into this brain of mine as a kid. Never remember them. I would always mix them up and mash them together in some happadaizical way... Combine them together into something else..."
"I was just a stupid kid, no doubt... But you know, your questions got me thinking... Family... Friends... They're not really different things at all, are they?"
Sam turns the ring so that he can study the rune he carved there and he smiles. "I did it on purpose this time but this is what I did as a kid, I combined the two runes into one. Family. Friends. They are the same thing in the end and this rune is my way of saying it. Saying that these are the people that I will stand up for. Fight for. Do anything for... The symbols is mine just as the people are mine. It's not for you or anyone else to read any more than it is for you or anyone else to choose who they are. I know what it means. I know who they are. That is what matters." With that Sam closes his fingers tightly around the ring and then draws his fist to his chest, over his heart.
"Thank you, Lumithor... Whether the ring holds magic or not, it holds all the magic it needs for me now..."
"those two runes are similar, likely for a reason, but this new one, I think it means all you need it to. You bring it to life with your work and your ideals, let your blood do the rest. I see a great future in you kinsman" Lumithor smiles as Sam puts the ring back on.
As Sam makes his point about the book and Muir puts it away, it seems to settle the discussion, or at least put it on pause for now.
The group falls silent at Vin's request and listen to him pray, a prayer for help, for information, for guidance. It resonates with Griff and serafina, as well as Lumithor as all three bow their heads in reverence.
Breaking the silence, a click can be heard coming from around the other side of the shrine, then scampering up onto the statue above Vin an armoured squirrel chitters and gives the 'follow me' gesture before scampering off again behind the statue.
Looking around there is now a wooden door in the wall of the crystal cavern, one that had not previously been there. Hanging above the door a familiar sign reading "The World Tree Tavern", the tiny little door in the center of the normal sized door closes behind the fluffy tailed critter.
Muir without hesitation follows the squirrel inside
"Hey squirrel, where's moose?" Sam asks in a hushed tone as he spots Ratosk making an appearance. Sam isn't quite as quick to follow as Muir is, his thought still on the ring he has slipped back onto his right hand and what it may be able to do... But then he remembers the little fuzzy rat owns a tavern. "Sure, I could go for a pint," he says, still maintaining a hushed tone not knowing if the prayers are over or not - Sam's not one much for organized religion as such... But he climbs to his feet and heads for the door.
Vin looks up and smiles at the squirrel, finding something very familiar about them, something related to Morris.
He looks around to the others smiling, and sees Muir already heading around the statue with not a word.
He spots Sam getting to his feet and does likewise.
”Well, at least someone answered, that’s a good start, right?”, he says to Sam, Elthana and Gewyn.
”You two coming?”, he asks Griff and Serafina.
Gewyn stays back a moment, stance restless and expression difficult to read. Then he follows behind the others, limping slightly.
Griff and serafina look at eachother, Griff is confused, whereas serafina has had the wherewithal to out two and two together and looks shocked before she quickly strides over and follows Muir inside. Griff shrugs and waits for the others to enter first.
Neferox turns her large head towards Vin as he speaks, spotting what is going on. She yawns and gets up from where she had lay down after cleaning herself, and pads across to Vin waiting to join him in following along.
Giving her pat, Vin leads the hound around the statue and into The World Tree Tavern.
The door opens at a touch and the inside is warmly lit, and familiar. It has been what feels like a month since the group was inside this extra dimensional space but nothing seems to have changed at all.
The group descend the stairs and once again find themselves at the apex of the curve of a semicircle shaped room, the grand fire continues to burn in a large hearth in the center of the straight wall, in front of which curves Morris's amber stained bar top, he waves at the group with a smile before gesturing you all to come in and sit down. The cushioned sofas and booths line the curved wall, each perfectly visible from the bar.
The place seems extraordinarily decorated, above the center of the bar an odd animal skull reaches two antlers out in opposite directions and at a certain point the bone extends into leafy vines, spotted with small flowers, it intertwined and covers the entirety of the ceiling, above a set of rafters.
Display cases high on the walls show off some unknown items, from fancy looking weaponry to old odd looking feathers, but others seemingly mundane items with no real value. Everything exactly the same as before.
Movement in the corner takes everyone's attention as Xazgan realises what is happening, she is also familiarly clad in her magical iron mask, only the bright red of her arms and horns poke out from black robes and hood that cover her. She takes one look at the party, her bright yellow eyes surveying your blood soaked clothes and crystal stone dust covered hair, her shoulders slump as she looks down at a mop bucket by her feet in a bout of focussed frustration yells, "you've gotta be ******* kidding me!" and kicks over the bucket, spilling water out in a puddle, before throwing herself onto one of the sofas and burying her face in her hood.
"Now don't you mind her, you're welcome here, no matter the mess you make," Morris says with a smile. "You make yourselves at home... Been hanging out with our dutiful dragon friend I see? And you need our help? What can old Morris do for you all eh?"
There's a chittering from above as Ratosk, in the rafters, says something but Morris merely shoos the question away with his hand, "we aren't in a rush, it'll take as long as it needs."
Muir smiles and tries to energetically say "Hello there! What a month it has been since we last saw you. We are quite tired, but are in need of help, I will let Vin do the asking and such since you all seem to have connection now that he....well....you know....I hope it was ok that I brought him back....I of course would not do that for anyone to interfere in the workings of the circle of life but I had a gut feeling an instinct it was not Vincent's time to die on top of a bird in a foreign land....Forgive me if I did mess witht he fates a bit...." Muir takes a breath and sits down on the couch next to the pouting demon "Oh I hope you don't mind I sit here....My feet ache and I am oh so tired. Perhaps after I have rested a bit Xazgan could help clear up some of my confusion about the realm he came from. We don't have an expert of the fire world traveling with us so I thought maybe....." Muir trails off looking at Nef thinking to himself that Nef is an obstinate fool of a demon. Muir can only hope Xazgan is not so foolish.
Sam takes in the scene without looking around too much. Tavern, noted. Same cast as last time, noted. Drink... not noted. Sam grunts and trudges directly to the bar.
"Armor could use a good clean and shine when you're done there," Sam notes to Xazgan as he passes. He means it as a joke but he's tired and beat and still feeling like a marathoner's shoe at the end of a race so his tone is flat and the humor is lost.
At the bar Sam nods to Morris and taps the bar to indicate he'd take a drink. "Been a bit," Sam says by way of greeting. "How's going?"
At the chittering from the squirrel Sam swivels a bit in his seat and looks up to the rafters. Sam smiles a bit up at Ratosk. "You invited us in. If you were in a rush you could have spoke to us outside..."
"no, no, don't worry yourself there Muir, keeper of the woods. I was able to reintroduce most of the memories that had been separated from vin's soul and body. Though I did worry.
Vin have you been having any adverse side effects, apart from small gaps in memory? Chronological alteration of memory or confusion amongst names or faces, I see you have your senses about you which was my main concern."
Morris brings up a cold pint of ale for every group member, condensation drips down the perfectly preserved tankards and Sam can smell before he even tastes it, that it is a high quality strong dwarven brew.
At Sam's joke Xazgan merely grunts like a sulking teen, but doesn't move from their prone position face buried in the sofa, even as Muir sits.
Ratosk chitters from the rafters at Sam and then scampers off somewhere out of sight.
Griff takes a stool at the bar and wets his beak, his confusion overtaken by the lack of energy he feels as he simply resigns himself to enjoy this unexpected luxury.
Serafina makes her way down the stairs by the entrance and then immediately takes a knee, bowing her head towards Morris she stutters out, "um I'm... honoured to be in such presence. how uhh, how should I address you?"
Morris goes a little red in the face, obviously embarrassed by the display, "ohh no need for all that, you just make yourself at home eh? You can call me Morris, none of this Memento mumbo jumbo, you're my guests here. Now come, drink. Tell me your worries, tell me your story eh?"
"I'm worried that this mug is almost empty," Sam says and takes another drink.
"Story-wise we have an evil not-quite sister, undead kobold hordes and dragon mom, clueless djinn and other worshipers, and an ongoing concern about random portals," he adds. "They can fill in the details..."
Vin taps the side of his head as Morris asks him how he is, "Good to see you again Morris. All good in here, other than what you mentioned. Things seem to be adjusting back to normal. I didn't remember Muir at first, which I guess is understandable", he says with a grin at the Loxodon.
"But yeah, we really could use your help. Sam kind of summed it up, but to clarify hordes, we are talking hundreds of thousands. And even though I have seen Dec since I came back, he doesn't come near here. Just wondered what the deal is with Nectyran, yourself and the evil not-quite sister who seems to be the one summoning the undead. And also some clarity over whether a god can die. You mentioned immortals when we spoke last, but I can't quite remember the detail. Can gods die and be brought back as a Zombie?", he pretty much blurts.
After he is done, he picks up a tankard and takes a swig.
Morris puts out several more tankards towards Sam and let's him have his fill. He gives vin a relieved smile and a nod as the boy speaks of his minor symptoms and then rests his elbows on the bar in thought at vins clarification of Sam's explanation, "well huh. If... Hmmm, a god can be dependant on one of two things generally, worship or purpose. My siblings and I are beings of purpose, we do not depend on worship to survive nor do we give gifts more than what is required of us, well not normally anyway, I myself like to give payment for a good story... To kill a god specifically you either need to make their purpose obsolete or stop everyone across the realms from worshipping or believing in them... Both are quite hard.
You mention Nectyran and what my deal is there eh? When we three were one, my siblings and I, we had a place in the Shadowfell, a place where we could exist physically whilst still carrying out our duty, our purpose. Nectyran is a corruption of the natural order, a direct affront to us, to death itself. Of course back then, and I'm talking millennia ago, undeath was a new way to cheat us. Naturally we fought, fought in all aspects across all realms for a long long time... Finally we had had enough and we made a new plane for the souls that we served, we quietly moved all the souls we had already collected as far back from the start of time to their new home in celestia, and then we lured nectyran to the Shadowfell. He thought our throne came with all the power we had, and that go claim it would be to claim all of those souls and finally give him power to wipe death off the maps. But as he entered our realm to pursue our throne we left and appointed a guard, that guard you have met out there... Nectyran himself has only ever had plans and scenes on our throne and on destroying us, no one else. So I'm not sure if he could kill another god and turn them undead, but I would say it's damn impossible for him to do whilst he is trapped where we left him." Morris stands once more and begins drying off a glass despite said glass already being clean and dry. He smiles at vin thinking he has supplied the best answer possible.
"He's talking about Vox Tontritor," Serafina calls across as she takes a seat, "the Vox is dead and has been turned by the powers of nectyran, likely four thousand years ago when nivara went there".
Morris stops and gulps, "oh! I Uhhh, I see. Well voz tontritor is a kind of demigod? I'm not sure exactly she is a child of Jotunnam, and therefore the prime factor in the creation of the realm of air. The Greta storm sorceress. God-like but not celestial. She is primordial, she exists as a physical aspect only and we'll, yes that makes her as vulnerable as another physical being... oh this is terrible." His shoulders slump as he realises the situation and his eyes mist a little as he tries to hold his emotions back, "I'm sorry, I'll try to answer... Gods like that, primordial gods they... They are responsible for creation, they can be killed but they would never die of old age, the realms sustain them, but... But if she's been turned, then her soul cannot even be claimed... She can't move on." At this he begins to get really upset and even Xazgan sits up and looks solemn at the sorrow of her captor.
"Not a full fledged god. Killed, turned, and cannot move on," Sam says taking one of the back up drinks. "Can she be unturned? Re-alived or at least dead-deaded so she can move on? It's not clarification we need, Morris, so much as direction..." At least that was true for Sam. The hows and whys weren't always important. The what needed done is what he needed knowing...
Muir asks an unrelated question "If you could indulge me for a moment Mr. Morris when you are done with Sam's question...You said Gods need a purpose or adoration....Do you know which gods need which? Do you know all the gods? There seem to be so many..... and that's not counting these demi gods which apparently killed and turned into undead monsters chained to a wall waiting to attack....Ok maybe not as unrelated as I originally intended eh Xazgan"
Xazgan's distress brings Gewyn's attention to just how messy he's gotten. With a snap of his finger, he prestidigitates away the blood, dirt, and grime from his own clothes. Then he rights the spilled mop bucket and begins to get to work cleaning the floor.
"Sorry, not all of my friends have proper house training yet."
Xazgan looks around those speaking to her in performative confusion, scoffing derisively she asks, "what is it with you people? What? Is it like 'condescend to a ******* demon day?' I don't care about your dumb questions, and I don't care about the mess in the bar!" She moves to the other side of the sofa away from muir and crosses her arms in a huff. Neferox barks back at her demon comment but Xazgan ignores it.
Morris listens to the questions and digests them a little before answering, composing himself a little better than before. "Ah yes, those turned by the influence of nectyran, their souls are owned by the one who turned them, their body, preserved and their memory buried. Those who turn folk undead usually serve nectyran and so the soul by transitive property is owned by him, that is why it is out of our reach. Turning back an undead is highly rare, though sometimes when a powerful enough being is turned there is plenty of soul, and so having the one who turned them return the soul could work, depending on how intact the body is...
To your question Muir I am afraid I do not know all the gods, I am an aspect of memory and so I have access to a wealth of knowledge but it is not boundless, I am no Mimir after all. Figuring out which gods rely upon what depends on what they are a god of... Death exists for everyone with or without their worship, knowledge has worship but those who seek and respect knowledge might not worship In a way that they understand, but the worship is present nonetheless. Is there a particular god you are thinking of?"
As the drinks go down and the conversation progresses, everyone begins to feel a bit better after the fight, time in this space has passed enough that everyone gains the benefit of a short rest, and because rest has been had after the big fight, everyone levels up!
Vin casts a glance at Elthana before asking, "Does that mean Nivara, who is making these undead, has made a pact with Nectyran, despite being denied access to the Shadowfell? How could she do that? And would killing her be enough to force her to return the soul?"