To those below, trapped in the ring of the horizon, it promises only vast black emptiness. But it waits, and in time they arrive. To the brave and foolhardy, the lucky and unfortunate, all these visitors discover it's secret.
The void is not empty. Life teems in its reaches, armadas navigate its depths. Million-mile vistas of eerie beauty lie unseen by human eyes. Treasures that dwarf worlds hide in distant gulfs. Only the strongest and bravest can traverse the immense distances that guard these treasures.
I stand beneath it with my limbs aching and my lips parted just so that I can breathe. Blood runs in rivulets down my face and into the collar of my massive body armor. I hurt from countless cutting edges and the touch of Hellfire and from the scorching, whispering wind that stings my skin and tears at the cape near my shoulder guards and weapons. But most of all, I hurt because of what lies before me. Because of what lies ahead. I tear my eyes from the nightmare sky and look at my surroundings.
At my home.
Before me, Acheron burns. The grand gothic buildings of the Military Sanctorum and its surrounding city-states are fractured and aflame. Smoke rolls up towards me in thick plumes from the tiered city-levels, as if the plane is trying to exhale. Trying to breathe, just as I am. The smoke smells of perfume and rotting flowers. It makes me want to spit. To scream. The sounds of battle roll up with the smoke. Of steel clashing and battle tanks and bellowing. Of other squads of Primes and soldiers, fighting to defend their own corner of Acheron - our home. Many colored bolts of lightning twist up from the ground in answer, tethering themselves to the underside of the bleeding sky. Each bolt landing makes a sound like laughter.
"<Commander.>"I look away from my despoiled home at the sound of the voice of my fellow Prime. Adelynn's armor is as much a ruin as the military city. The gilding has all but flaked away, and the plate armor is split. Adelynn's face is painted with blood that settles into her old scars and lines around her eyes. It mars her beautiful half shaven scalp. Her blue eyes are clear with divine power, though. Clear, and furious.
"<They draw near once more.>"Adelynn says, in her accented, rasping voice. She is right. I can hear them. The vile enemy, gibbering and chattering in tongues. horrible hellish nightmares wrought from evil, shadow, fire, and hate. My heart burns with rage now, as well as pain. Adelynn puts her gauntleted hand on my shoulder guard and locks me with her blue eyes.
"<Are you ready?>"I ask. It is a question I had asked Adelynn a thousand times since she was assigned to my command as a fellow Prime. A question there is only ever one answer to. She nods her head. "<I am ready, Commander.>"I draw her near and press her forehead to mine, eyes closed. For a moment, I cannot hear the laughter of lightning or the wicked words of the enemy. All is still, and I catch the scent of sacred oils, even over the ruination.
"<Stand until you cannot.>"I tell her, softly. "<I will.>"she replies. "<Good.>"I say, letting her go.
Together, we turn and walk back to where the rest of my Primes wait under the shattered spine of a cathedral. They number just three, now. Years ago, Praxia Matyev the Betrayer, the First Prime, culled our numbers to such a shockingly low amount. She was defeated at great cost. Like me, my Prime brothers and sisters are all hurting. I catch eyes with each of them. First Gytha, who bears our Creed Imperialis, and who has been wounded near to death in the name of protecting it. Her head is split open, and her left eye has long since failed, but even so, she still smiles at me. Gytha always smiles. Then I look to Ashava, as much a Prime paladin as anything. She offers me a solemn nod. Ashava’s dark tan skin is bruised, and she holds a wicked warhammer in an easy grip. Isidora is last. She does not smile, nor does she nod. She holds her maul with ease, her pale face bloodied and her dark brown eyes locked on the burning sky and on the massive shapes moving beyond the clouds. Hellish monsters, in our heavens. When I fall in step besides her, Isidora speaks. Her voice is sing-song, and softer than you would expect, given her severity.
“<It looks to be the last of days after all.>”She says. “<It does.>”I tell her. A tear traces from the corner of Isidora’s eye, cutting through the drying blood on her face. “<Will you sing once more, Mischa?>"She asks, “<At the end?>” “<I will.>”I promise her.
We walk through the ruins until we emerge from the shattered spine of the Sanctorum onto a vast marble dais inlaid with gold. A place usually used for reflection and meditation. For prayer. Today, though, it will be used for vengeance. A massive statue of our Father still stood. We kneeled.
“<We have suffered greatly here, my Primes.>”I pray.“<As we have suffered at Armageddon, at Zorthensis, at Avernus, and on one hundred other battlefields. But suffering is not to be lamented. Suffering is to be celebrated. Where there is suffering, there is life. There is spirit and fire and all of the things which He made us. Where there is suffering, that is where we must fight with every ounce of the strength, He gave us until it is time to join Him in Eternal Glory.>”In the wake of my words, I hear the enemy, even closer now. Perfumed, reflective smoke begins to steal between the dais and the statue. “<Fight.>”I say. “<Suffer. Stand, until you cannot. In His name.>”I pray.
We echo together. “<In His name.>”
The enemy show themselves. We roar and charge into battle. I raise my hammer and shield and charge into the swell of Hellish horrors. My holy weapon impacts the creatures and they detonate with busts of flame. Hellflesh disintegrates with a hiss and a spray of glittering ashes. Horrors come apart at the seams, unraveling until it is extinguished altogether, like a candle flame. The laughter only seems to grow louder. I turn and swing against as another of the horrors conjures a magical boiling tide of heat and fire. It spills across my massive armor, stinking and burning. For a moment, I cannot breathe. Despite that, I swing at the horrors again and again, the grip on my hammer tight. Several of the horrors die, smashed into oblivion. Amid the tide, my Primes fight and bleed with me. Isidora by my side, Gytha is bellowing scripture. Adelynn is a light in the darkness, carving her way into the tide, slaying horrors left and right with divine spell. Every movement is exacting and deliberate. Every blow direct and deadly. Her rasping voice echoes across the Sanctorum.
“<We stand, and He stands with us!>”she shouts. “<Do not falter, my Sisters!>”My heart lifts. It always does when Adelynn speaks. Together, we all keep fighting and bellowing and pushing against the horrors, no matter how they sing and chatter and burn us. We do so until the air is thick with ashes and smoke. Until the tide starts to recede. In the quiet that follows, Isidora speaks. “<Perhaps the last of days will wait after all.>”She says between gasping breaths.
But then something large and shadowed moves in the smoke. It laughs, like the lightning does, and I feel a peculiar soft calm fall over me like a shroud. “<Perhaps not..>”I say, softly. The shadow moves closer. Silence falls.
The beast that stepped onto the dais was monstrous. A creature cast not from flesh and blood, but from pure wickedness. From the lowest depths of Hell itself. All of mankind’s madness and murders, manifested together and channeled in terrible unity. In a gnarled hand it clutched a massive sword of pure black steel. It thundered towards us and laughed. It’s voice is the chorus of a whole world’s suffering. Its scent is that of rotted death. The mere presence of the creature prickles at my heart and my soul. It makes my ears ache and my nose bleed thickly down my face. But I do not look away. Instead, I stare up at this hateful, wicked creature and I raise my hammer at it.
I rush to attack it. Gytha, Ashava, and Adelynn charge to meet it. Our attacks hit with deadly precision. It continues to laugh at us. It’s sword crashes against the dais and everything changes. Time itself seems to slow. I see everything with absolute, painful clarity. Every coil of smoke. Every mote of idling flame cascading from the hellish nightmare. Then, terribly, I see the abomination move, free from this slower stream of time. It raises it’s blade and conjures a horrible torrent of hellfire. Then it turns and immolate Isidora.
My scream of rage is locked inside me by the slowing of time. I cannot go to her. All I can do is watch her burn, her Acheronian armor melting and running like candle wax. She turns, slowly, and catches my eyes with her own.
“<Sing…>”Isidora manages to say.
Time releases it’s hold on us, then. Isidora falls to her knees with a crash of armor plates. I want to scream rage, but I cannot. I made a promise. So instead I chant as Isidora breathes her last. It is an old hymnal. One that Isidora would ask for, again and again.
“<O Lord Tyrant, who is Strength. I devote this life to you!>”I cry. I attack the nightmare who felled my Sister in Prime. “<O Lord General, who is Glory. I devote this life to you!>”I chant as Ashava slips through the nightmare's guard and leaps to meet it, despite her injuries and her armor’s weight. Her weapon hits hard along the creature’s flank, scattering ashes. It catches a hold of her and slams her to the ground, hard. My heart breaks as her bones do. As Ashava falls still, not to rise again, Adelynn roars, all rage. Her weapon slams true, scattering blood that is black like tar. I keep chanting. Gytha does the same beside me. Smoke rolls out from the creature like a tide. The smell of it is choking. My lungs feel as though they are trying to collapse and the creature turns to Gytha. Magic erupts from the black steel sword and Gytha’s armor boils. She screams in pain as it runs and melts and reshapes itself. As it changes, her flesh changes with it.
I take a breath that tastes of blood and of death. Of the ashes that are all that remain of my Prime sisters, a tear traces down my face. I cry to Adelynn, “<Stand! Stand until you cannot!>”Then, the Hellnightmare brought it’s sword upon her, and Adelynn fell, her broken split body clattering to the ground.
“<No!!>”I scream.
I stumble forwards, half blind with agony, and raise my hammer once more. “<O Lord Commander, who is Honor..>”
I murmur through blood and smoke and agony, as a golden light blooms upon me, filling my failing vision edge to edge. Thunderclaps resound, buffeting me, and I think that perhaps Isidora is right. That this is Bane, the Supreme Commander, coming to me from his Throne to claim my soul for all eternity. Despite the agony, I smile. I finish the song.
In the years since Jill and Corrin had returned from their journeys in Avernus, they had been living in a small home in the City of Waterdeep. Not that the two were ever particularly short on money, but the Blood Hunter was advised to live responsibly now that she was looking after the younger Tiefling, there's only two of them after all, it's not like they needed to live in a castle. And the years that the two of them had were peaceful, if not the slightest bit boring without any adventures for them to go on. As much as Jill enjoyed having a roof over her head and a guaranteed meal, she did miss the days where her sword was more than a decoration that hung on the wall. And she could tell that Corrin missed those days as well. Which is why now, with Corrin being a grown woman, she believed it was time for them to go on an adventure once again. Jill brought it up that night after they had finished dinner. "I know that you like this life we have led together, but I also see that you still want more sometimes. It has been a while since either of us have gone on any adventures, but you are a woman now and it has not been so long that we have grown old and weak. But I also know that this city has been our home for these last eight years and that it is not an easy thing to leave your home. Do you want to go on another adventure and travel off to wherever the wind may take us?"
Contrary to popular belief, Corrin enjoyed her life. After their journey to Avernus, her mother had been transformed into a beautiful angel and had to go fight for Mount Celestia from then on. Sure, she was young when it happened, but she had her new found sister Jill Moon. Jill had been forced to grow up at her young age, even before meeting Corrin, but the two of them were both capable of handling their own. They managed to settle down in Waterdeep with the help of Jill's friend Natasha, and the years had gone by without much of an issue.
Except their yearning for adventure was always there. They has spoken about it briefly, but it didn't get any farther than nostalgic moments, stories, and what if's. Corrin was a young woman now, 19, going on 20 in a few weeks, and she wanted to go on an adventure. Not alone, but with Jill, so when Jill placed down the ad on the table after dinner, she took a quick look over and beamed at her. "**** yeah!" There was a little celestial twinge at the back of her mind after those words escaped her, retracting. "I mean, yes! Totally! We won't be gone for too long, you think? We just lock up, have Nat come around every now and again, and when we come back we settle down again, yeah?"
Jill giggled a little bit when Corrin walked back her '**** yeah'. It had been a few years since Amelia had ascended to Mount Celestia to go fulfill her divine duties as an angel, but she still found time to be a good mom to them, on occasion. And even if Amelia wasn't there to say it, she knew that she was proud of the women that her daughters had grown to be. Jill was certainly proud of the woman that Corrin had grown into and she was proud to be her sister.
"Well then mon cher. It is settled. We will pack up tonight and in the morning tell Natasha that we will be heading off on a new adventure." Even saying those words got Jill overjoyed. It had been years since her adventure in Avernus and she'd be lying if she didn't say that there were days when she didn't think about it. But it wasn't just the thrill of combat or the satisfaction of having made the multiverse a better place that Jill missed. She also missed the friends that she made on her journey; Meep, Nok Nok, Nik Nak, Persephone. She wrote to them as often as she could, just to keep in touch with them. But it was Misha, her fondest friend that she missed the most. The Acheronian was like a sister to her and Corrin and her parting hurt the most, as she was the furthest from them. "Perhaps we might even see Misha again." Jill said in a small voice.
Corrin had been kicking her feet in joy at Jill's words, excited at even the thought to be able to go out and adventure again. She missed the rush. Many would say that she was way too young to experience such a thing, but her mom knew what she was doing and what she was teaching her daughter. Not to mention the people she met along the way because of it. She loved every single one of them but Jill very quickly made her place in her heart as her sister. Of different blood they were but their bond had only strengthened throughout the years.
Upon hearing the last little bit of what Jill said, she beams. "Maybe! How funny would that be? You reunite with her once, then reunite again? I wonder what she'll say when she sees us? Somethin' like... 'Ees theese leetle Jeel and Coreen?!? All grown up?! Meesha ees so proud!'"
Jill laughs at Corrin's Misha impression. "We have grown a lot since we saw her last. I am not pale and skinny anymore and you are just a bit too tall to ride on her back now. But yes, it would be very happy if I had the chance to reunite with her again, especially if it is on a voyage to go see far-off lands. Could you imagine her in some foreign country, taking in all the sights?" She makes a face of earnest wonder, one that she's seen Misha make on previous journeys when she saw something unfamiliar. Which was very often. "What ees THEES?"
She shares another laugh with her sister before getting up to prepare for the trip. "Come now, we have to get ready for our adventure" She says, heading off to her room. "And only take the things you need. I do not think that we will be able to carry all of your clothing!"
"With how strong she is, I'm sure she'll let me ride on her back regardless," Corrin says with utmost confidence, laughing at Jill's own little impression. "I just hope the people we meet on this journey like us... And don't get annoyed at how rusty we are..." She shakes her head and slaps her cheeks to rid of the impending negative thoughts. She gets up soon after Jill does. "But, yeah, lets go! And fine mom." The tiefling girl jests and prepares herself for the journey ahead.
Sana folded away the note with a smile, a wave of happy gold running through her hair. Alia was doing so well for herself down on Toril. Married! She and Chandor would have to go meet this Jeffrey - or Blade - soon, though. Meet the lucky man and make sure he wasn't an intellect devourer in disguise. Sana glanced at the other note on the table, which had come sealed with simple white wax. She was glad Caim was improving his control over his fey heritage - heritage she hadn't even known she had until her children both bore its signs. The changeling sighed happily as she leaned back in her chair. Both her children were doing well. She was sorry she and Chandor had vanished so abruptly, but they'd hardly had control over it, unfortunately. Sana shook her head, a little wryness creeping into her expression as she remembers the exciting adventure that had led to the spelljamming upgrades now affixed to the Belle, an adventure that had required every ounce of Tymora's luck and Chandor's skill with his blades. As she looked around the captain's cabin though, she knew it was worth it. She and Chandor had explored so much.
Speak of the devil, she heard her husband's boots pounding down the hall. The changeling turned in her chair to face the door as it swung open, a smile on her lips as she prepared to tease Chandor about how he would scratch the boards if he kept running. At the look on his face, however, the smile vanished. "What's wrong?"
Chandor shook his head. "Remember that empty asteroid we stopped briefly at a few months ago?"
Sana nodded. "Yeah. What, has something moved in?"
Chandor shook his head, face grave. "No, nothing's gone in or out as far as our sensors can tell."
Sana rolled her hand. "All right dear, then what's the issue?"
"It's moving."
Sana stared at the mass on the horizon, growing steadily closer. "Are we out of its path? The Belle, I mean?"
Chandor nodded. "As soon as it showed up, I got us clear."
The two of them watched the asteroid on the horizon for another few wordless minutes. Then Sana spoke. "It's heading for Realmspace. Toril. Caim and Alia."
Chandor interlaced his fingers with hers. "We need information about this. I'll take the star skiff and visit the nearby spheres, see what I can learn and if there's anyone I can find to help. You stay here and keep an eye on it, see if there's anything you can do to stop it."
Sana nodded after a moment. "Stay safe."
They both knew how little the words meant.
Sana watched the star skiff vanish over the horizon. She and Chandor both knew that the chances of him finding something or someone useful in time to help was unlikely, but her powers from Tymora were unpredictable outside of the Realmsphere. She'd already lost many of them, although she suspected being back here would help with that. But she was the best choice to stay in Realmspace and set up a stand. A slight smile formed on Sana's face. But that didn't mean she had to do it alone. The changeling started down the stairs. One of her favorite installations on the ship was the Luckchanger. She could only use it once, but it would grant the whole ship Tymora's blessing for a few minutes. Sana set her hand on the sparkling gold orb and summoned Tymora's power. "Luck of the Lady, Luckbringer am I, change my luck and help me fight."
Five faces flashed through her mind, along with where they were. Sana smiled as she recognized the first. It would be good to see her old bosun again. The others...she couldn't wait to meet them. Hopefully they were as ready to fight this thing as she was...
Sana set a hand on the helm of the Belle, eyes flashing gold. She had five heroes to find. And she knew just where the first one was. "Well, Misha, I'll see you soon," she said softy as she activated the helm and the Belle of the Stars shot through space.
Darkness surrounds me, complete and heavy. Suffocating. I cannot see. Cannot hear. I cannot remember, either. Not how I came to be here, or where I came from. Not who or what I am. I am nothing, an no one. Little more than a heartbeat, inside a hollow shell. I try to speak. To make a noise of this nothingness, but I am mute as well as blind and deaf. No words will come. No voice, save for that locked tightly inside my mind.
<Mischa.>
And then, a sound. A voice, answering my silent plea.
<Mischa.>
The name falls across me like a cloak, and I know instinctively that it is mine. I know the voice, too, despite how distant it sounds. How distorted.
<Taetanicus?>
The name of my old Legion Commander escapes my throat and disappears into the unbroken darkness. Taetanicus answers me once again with my own name, but this time he sounds even more distant. More distorted. I start to run, though I cannot see. The darkness mires me and pulls at my limbs like deep, cold water. But then I see it. A tiny pinprick of golden light, growing larger and closer until it resolves into a shape. A stone pedestal, draped in crimson cloth. That is where the light is coming from, only it is not light at all. It is two objects. A hammer, and a shield, cast in steel of gold and red engraved in the language of my people. My heartbeat grows loud at the sight of it, for it is not just A hammer and shield at all. It is the THE hammer. THE shield.
The hammer and shield of the Primes. My Judgement and Protection.
<Are you ready?>He asks me.
I look up from the hammer and shield to the man who raised me since birth. It is a question to which there is only ever one answer, but this time I find that I cannot give it. Because I am not ready. Not for this. I try to tell him so, but even that proves impossible. I am the very definition of nothing.
Taetanicus repeats the question over and over and over until the sound of it surrounds me. It suffocated me, just like the darkness. I cannot bear it, nor the disappointment in his eyes, so I scream for him to stop and I thrust out my hands to take up the hammer and shield, but the very instant that my fingertips come into contact with the golden yellow and steel, I catch fire. It blossoms on my fingers first, before blooming across my hands and up my arms, golden yellow and flickering. It tracks over my shoulders and engulfs my body and travels up my throat until I am consumed by it in the same way that the air around me is. The fire burns fiercely, melting my armor and searing my flesh. It blinds me with its brightness and deafens me anew with a roar that is not the roar of the fire at all, but that same dreadful question rendered in an inferno’s voice.
I wake with a gasp, lying flat on my back. I am in my room, awake, and alert. I am completely drenched in sweat and my whole body heaves and tightens as I regain my composure. I look around my quarters – I am alone. I sit up and put my hands on my face, trying to rub to dream away. The door chimes.
“<Come.>”I croak.
Adelynn walks in. She stands at attention, taking the briefest of moments to salute and look at me. There is silence for a few moments between us until she finally speaks.
“<The Smoke?>”she asks. But she already knows the answer.
I nod. I look at her. It doesn’t take words to know she sees I look tired.
“<You have a message.>”She says, and hands me the data pad.
“<Thank you.>”I smile, and she turns to leave. The door closes behind her.
I look down at the data pad and read. I squint and read it again. A small smile began to curl on my lips.
As Adelynn walked down the hallway, the only thing coming out of the Legion Commander’s room was laughter.
The wind steady, its gusts blowing way through remains of the field. A field, of course, littered with the remains of fallen soldiers of their own kind. The metal of helmets no longer gleamed in the pale sun, as it was covered in blood and dirt.
The dust breezed by the field, with slow footprints drifting across following. Her sword rested on her shoulder; a katana. A sword of Shōgun Ashikaga, her father. Her sword has swung through many of those who oppose, and with it came the spilling of blood; and the bringing of death. Trying to wipe off the stained blood and dirt from her blade, she rested on the ground in an open patch. The only patch of ground where bodies did not cover the dirt beneath. Her sword was old and worn, but words cannot say what tales of battle the blade has gone through. Her handle soaked up the sweat, tired from her struggles of battle.
Rest for a warrior is rare.
Faint scrambling among the rubble could be heard from a near distance. Perhaps it may be the crows picking off of the flesh of the fallen. If so, the nature of death is not to be disrespected. Yasei raised her head, her armor shielding her face from the foul dust. There she saw, a lonesome Kensei sitting on the ground, with a tantō in front of him. He knelt before it and took it within his grasp, sliding it out of the sheath. Its quiet slide against metal and wood making a silent sound, but a remarkable one nonetheless. The fellow samurai had taken off most of his upper armor, exposing his covered chest. With this, he took the small sword, and aimed it at his belly.
A quick shout abruptly stops the kneeling samurai, making him look up to see the lone warrior standing above him. She looked at her defeated friend and soon realized: one of my brothers! She was intent with trying to lift him up as she stuck out her hand. The defeated samurai looked away, disregarding her offer of help. Yasei retracted her hand, understanding what her brother wanted.
A noble death is the highest of honors. A brave warrior’s journey through death. Even in times of defeat, it is of the utmost respect.
With no words spoken, her brother had requested his death to be accompanied by his sister warrior; a kaishakunin, as they are called. The blood in Yasei’s veins went cold, as being given the title of kaishakunin is a title only the most skilled swordsman could even be considered. A single blow to the neck with extreme precision, without fully removing the head. With all her strength, she tried to convince herself to believe that she was ready to take on such a task. But it was not herself that convinced her, but the willingness of her brother. The kneeling warrior reached to his side and handed Yasei his sword, trusting her that she will do his bidding.
Trust.
The dust slowly settled to the ground, as the wind died down. Yasei stood by her brother’s side, awaiting his actions. The samurai said a quick prayer, muttering it under his breath. His body remained still and calm, and his face seemed relaxed. How could one be comfortable in the face of death? It did not bother him, as he took the tantō, and held the tip to his stomach. He was ready to let his spirit go, and for his time to end. He plunged the sword into his belly, and with that his face turned pale. Yasei stood there and stared in horror, expecting her brother to cry out in vain. No, the land was quiet, and he retained a calm state of mind. The sword was plunged deep into his stomach, and he had no choice but to continue. He dragged the sword sideways, and trembled as his blood covered the ground and his body. He bent his head and exposed the back of his neck, awaiting Yasei to fulfill his wish. She raised the sword, and breathed in the air. The smell of rotting corpses was no longer a distraction, letting her be at peace. And thus, she struck down at the neck of her brother, his body hunching over to the ground.
It was done. She stood there and looked the lifeless corpse, in shock from what she had done. It was a duty that not many could have obtained, so with that, she felt honor within herself. She knelt down and rested her brother’s sword by his side. Before getting up, she noticed a paper sticking out of a pouch in her brother’s armor. She reached over to it and picked it up, examining it: a summons. A request to report for duty to the Belle of the Sea.
Countless Acheronians were killed in the War of Vengeance. With the death of Praxia Matyev, First of the Primes - The Betrayer, Acheron suffers as never before. Conflict and corruption is rife on every front and precious little hope remains, save for those who hold to their faith when faced with destruction. Truly, it is a dark time for the Plane of War. Denied a martyr’s death during the battle for Avalas, Misha Praskovia, Daughter of Bane - the God of War, was unexpectedly blessed with a new and grave duty: to embark on a journey off the Plane of Acheron beyond the Great Darkness to aid an old friend in need. This time, a whole world once familiar is at stake.
The Ravager has awakened.
On the grassy plain, a lone woman with red hair and a big smile stood on the hill and looked down at the City of Splendors. Her heart began to race, excited to see old friends, or perhaps anxious to leave her home world behind once more after such devastation - when they really needed her. But Sana's message was imploring, important, almost desperate. This was no joke to be ignored, and she was of high enough rank now she could make silly decisions on her own now. One of the few perks of being a Legion Commander. Adelynn would be fine without her.
"Stupid Meesha."she said to herself, rolling her eyes. "Why are you so nervous. You hef done zees before. Ees like you hef leetle small woodland creatures running around een circles een stomach." She put her hands on her hips, feeling the breeze. Wearing boots, tight black military pants and an impossibly snug form fitting black long sleeved turtleneck shirt, the readout on her thin form fitting forearm braces she wore on her forearms told her she was going on the right direction - not to mention today was going to be a very beautiful day. "Don't be dilcoiruous. You hef no reason to be nervous. They weel recognize you."Adjusting her ponytail, she looked back to the closing Acheronian portal and looked forward again.
Realizing she was talking to herself, she nervously looked around in embarrassment. Whew. No one around. Of course not, i'm a mile away from the city. Come on. You hef meesion to do. Enough being silly. She pressed on.
The city had changed, but not too much. Maybe a few businesses looked different, but what was the same was the stares. "Hello!"she would say to onlookers. "I am Misha!"She checked her forearm brace readout for the millionth time to check the address and street name, squinting in concentration. When she got to Jill and Corrins house, she felt like her heart, which was completely genetically created, was about to explode with anteeceepation, so did a few pantomime practice knocks as to not knock the door down in happiness. It was about the third time of testing that she was getting weird looks from people and she giggled nervously. Turning back to the door, she made a quick annoyed face at herself and knocked on the door, hard, twice. She winced as if she touched something hot, realizing that was probably too hard.
Jill stops packing when she hears hard knocking at the door. "Who is knocking so hard!?" She walks over to the door and is about to give whoever's pounding it a piece of her mind until she sees that it's Misha. She pulls her into a big hug and kisses both of her cheeks. She doesn't feel awkward or uncomfortable in the least about people seeing her shed tears of joy while she holds Misha in her arms. "I cannot believe that this is happening after all of these years, mon ami. Not after all of these years." Jill breaks the hug after a few moments, allowing Misha to get a look at her. She looks quite different from the pale, skinny girl that Misha last saw eight years ago. In her place stands a fully grown woman, her hair tied up in a little ponytail, her skin tanned from contact with the sun. It's immediately obvious that her standards of living have improved over the years, as she isn't as skinny as she was when she was younger, if anything she's grown curvier, and she's more fashionable, wearing a red sweater under a stylish black jacket, there's a rose in her hair, and she's even wearing make-up.
Jill takes Misha's hand and leads her inside the house. "I obviously want to know what brings you here, but you should see Corrin first. She has missed you very much." She turns towards the hallways that lead to her and Corrin's room. "Corrin! There is someone here that I think you would like to see!" She turns back to Misha, her eyes beaming as she waits for Corrin to come down that hall. "I am so proud of her. She has grown into such a beautiful woman over these eight years, both in body and in spirit."
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Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
Corrin, while excited to get back on the adventuring path, felt a tad bit nostalgic as she packed away her things. This was kinda like how mom and I started out...While the reasoning behind her and her mothers escapades was more with a motive of hunting down her father, and this one was more of a whim, something to fulfill their need to explore, she couldn't help it. She remembered herself, so young, packing her bag to say goodbye to the village she grew up in to say hello to the path of adventure, her mother there to guide her. Now it was only her and Jill.
The knocking on the door ripped her from her thoughts, giving Jill a look of confusion. She hadn't done anything mischievous lately for the guard to come knocking again... She thinks. The tiefling gives her a shrug as she sets off, not immediately following her until she hears the blood hunter call for her to come over. With furrowed brows, she leaves her room to see who Jill was talking about.
There was a mixture of emotions that ran through her, mostly excitement, when she sees Misha standing at the door. The speed at which she darted to the acheronian was enough to have some odd papers fly, barreling right into Misha into an embrace, arms and legs clinging onto her tightly, similar to a koala hugging a tree. "I can't believe it's you!!" She exclaims, giving her kisses on the cheeks (something she picked up from Jill). "We were literally JUST talking about you! How crazy is that? See, Jill, I told you!" The tiefling hops off Misha, a beaming smile on her face as she gives her a look over. "You haven't changed a bit, you know that? Babe gave you the good genes. Was it Babe? Your God, right? No, no, Dave... Wait..."
As she tries backtracking, it gives Misha the opportunity to see how much she has grown. The biggest difference most obviously was her height. Instead of her barely reaching Misha's chest when they first met, she now stood to meet her height easily with no tippy-toes included. Her hair, that was once cut short, was long now, and reaching her mid back, also pulled into a low ponytail. She also now had the body of an adult, her half top exposing her mid section that had been marked with dark ink. Thankfully not much had changed than that. Her skin was still red, there were horns still curved on her head, and there was still a tail that was swishing behind her happily.
Corrin had finally given up trying to guess the correct name (unless she is corrected), and says, "My mom would have loved to see you again, but I'll make sure to tell her about your visit tonight! Speaking of, I know that you're probably, like, suuuper busy with God work, were you just dropping by to say hi?"
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Aeydof the Dragons || Wood Elf / Way of the Ascendant Dragon Monk Demetrios Zalaoras || Protector Aasimar / Paladin of Torm Hawke || Kalashtar / Circle of the Moon Druid Morticia || Half-Aasimar Rogue Yvan || Goliath / Path of the Wild Soul Barbarian | Paladin of Helm /ᐠ。ꞈ。ᐟ\
Sana dropped into the chair, armor rattling. She silently ran through the ways she was contacting each person. Sana had already sent Misha a message, and the paladin of Bane had responded. The Luckchanger once more proved its worth, as Misha said she knew two of the others and offered to get them. A little extra luck on a summons, and the samurai woman was found. The last...Sana frowned faintly. She could only hope the half-elf would receive the invitation she'd given over to Tymora's care. Sana rose from her chair, moved to the helm, and began steering the ship towards the appointed meeting spot. She couldn't wait to properly meet Misha's friends and the others.
Misha embraced Jill and couldn't stop laughing. It was a mixture of relief, and overwhelming joy. She pulled away and looked at Jill for a long while. She had changed. She had changed for the better, and it showed, clearly. Misha found it difficult to speak the words she wanted to, so she just smiled and studied her. She was beautiful. A woman. Her appearance told her things were better now, that much was certain. "I cannot believe eet." she breathed. "You hef changed so much! I am so heppy that you are ok! I haven't seen you een so long, I just..couldn't.."she trailed off, wanting to tell her about the war, about what had happened. Taetanicus. Praxia. Everything. But she couldn't. Not now. There was so much love and joy between her and Jill at this very moment, it was almost tangible. She quickly changed the subject in her mind. "You hef been eating well!"she laughed as Jill led her to Corrin's room and knocked. "Thees makes Misha happy. Yes! I am here for a very eemportant reason, or else I would not be here. Something terrible has heppened, Sana has.."
It was at that moment that Corrin came out and leaped on to Misha. She squealed in delight and held Corrin tight as they hugged, returning the kisses, gladly. Seeing them again, and seeing how both of them had changed took Misha a while to process. When she stopped kissing and laughing, she pulled apart to look Corrin over. The change was incredible. She was no longer a child. No. Not at all. Two women. For a long while Misha, again, couldn’t find the words. Eventually, she did. “By the Grace of Bane..LOOK at you!”she said to Corrin. “You are no longer Preencess..!” Misha kneeled playfully, as if genuflecting to a very important royal. “You are now Queen!”She stood. “Both of you. Misha ees so very happy. You are both women! Look how you hef changed."She grabbed them both, one in each arm, and pulled them in very close. "You two have done very well in the years gone by. I missed you both very, very much."
For a brief moment in time, hugging Jill and Corrin, foreheads touching, Misha forgot about her problems and everything in the universe was perfectly fine.
Jill savors this experience, holding both of the women that she loves close in her arms. When the hug breaks, Jill pulls up a chair at the table, offering Misha a place to sit. "I apologize that we do not have anything prepared, we were not expecting guests today, least of all you, mon ami." She chuckles. "You have actually caught the two of us at a very interesting time. Corrin and I have enjoyed these last few years, but we both miss adventuring. Seeing the world and all it has to offer. And since she is now a woman, we figured that it is the perfect time to go on a journey. We do not have too much planned at the moment, but as you know, adventure tends to find us." She smiles and looks at Misha. "Would you like to come with us on our journey?"
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Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
Misha sat down, and took a hold of each of their hands. She leaned forward a bit.
"With all my heart, yes, I would."Misha said, confidently. "The Will of Bane works een very meesterious ways - for here you tell me how you ache for adventure, and here I am..to tell you that I have come to see you today to offer you such a journey."
"Misha ees not here just to say hello and to catch up with my dear friends.."she admitted, "Een fact, Misha should hef done thet a long time ago, and for thet, Misha ees very sorry. But, that ees another story for another day. Come, let me take you outside. I hef something wonderful to show you. I think you weel like it. Soon, you weel know why Misha ees here."
She led Jill and Corrin outside. It was indeed a beautiful day. She pointed to an area of the sky with her finger and turned to them. "There."she said, then looked back into the sky. "Look there."
She tapped her left forearm brace and it beeped. A small communications panel came up, displaying Acheronian letters. "Sana, thees ees Misha."Misha said. "I have them. Please bring the Belle around, would you, vozlyublennaya?"
Sana beams as she receives Misha's message. She hit a button on the helm controls and the Belle entered the atmosphere.
Above Waterdeep, a faint golden glow becomes visible. Then, it forms into a ship. Flying through the sky, straight to Waterdeep. The warship stops above the city, floating directly above Jill and Corrin, and a voice booms out from a spot on deck where a pale figure is standing with a bullhorn. "WATERDHAVIANS, DO NOT PANIC. GREETINGS FROM SPACE! WE WILL BE OUT OF YOUR HAIR MOMENTARILY." A ladder drops from the side of the ship, and the figure climbs down it rapidly and skillfully. She drops to the ground in front of the trio, grinning. In front of them is a changeling with golden eyes, dressed in a top and jacket that leave her midriff exposed and shorts that show an excellent figure. A longsword and shield are slung across her back, and a holy symbol of Tymora hangs around her neck. The changeling beams and sticks out her hand. "Hi, you two! I'm Captain Sana of the Belle of the Sea, and I need your help to fight a giant asteroid. And I love your skin!" she adds to Corrin, a faint red flush reminiscent of the tiefling's skin tone spreading through her own. "Can I borrow it?"
Misha beamed with pride."Sana, I would like you to meet two very dear friends of mine whom I met after our Saltmarsh meesion. Thees ees Jeel, and Corrin."
Jill extends a hand towards Captain Sana, still a bit shocked at how a giant space ship just parked above her house. "Bonjour. I am called Jill Moon and I do accept your request for help, but I have many, many questions. Also, please do not skin my sister."
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Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
Corrin stands there, awestruck at the ship descending down to their location. Her mouth is agape, and it only grows wider when she sees the changeling slide down the latter and land in front of them. The tiefling gets giddy, her body beginning to vibrate with mirth. “HOLY SHIT, THATS AWESOME! We get to ride that thing?! In space?!” Corrin’s eyes widen at Sana changing her skin tone to match her own, ultimately ignoring the twinge at the back of her mind. She’s excited! Surely mom would understand! She takes Sana’s hand and shakes it vigorously. “Borrow whatever you want! I’m Corrin! Can I see the ship? Please let me see the ship.”
Aeydof the Dragons || Wood Elf / Way of the Ascendant Dragon Monk Demetrios Zalaoras || Protector Aasimar / Paladin of Torm Hawke || Kalashtar / Circle of the Moon Druid Morticia || Half-Aasimar Rogue Yvan || Goliath / Path of the Wild Soul Barbarian | Paladin of Helm /ᐠ。ꞈ。ᐟ\
Sana laughs. "Sure thing, come on aboard and I'll show you! We'll be picking up two more crew members, just as soon as they...get my message and show up." She winks. "But right now, there's time for a grand tour of the ship! Come on up!" She starts climbing the ladder lithely.
Jill laughs at how excited Corrin got when she saw the ship. For a moment, she was like the little girl that she met eight years ago. She follows Sana up the ladder.
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Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
It's waiting out there.
To those below, trapped in the ring of the horizon, it promises only vast black emptiness. But it waits, and in time they arrive. To the brave and foolhardy, the lucky and unfortunate, all these visitors discover it's secret.
The void is not empty. Life teems in its reaches, armadas navigate its depths. Million-mile vistas of eerie beauty lie unseen by human eyes. Treasures that dwarf worlds hide in distant gulfs. Only the strongest and bravest can traverse the immense distances that guard these treasures.
For the strong and the brave..Wildspace awaits.
PROLOGUE ONE - MISHA PRASKOVIA
"THE LAST OF DAYS"
EIGHT YEARS FROM NOW..
The sky overhead is raining fire.
I stand beneath it with my limbs aching and my lips parted just so that I can breathe. Blood runs in rivulets down my face and into the collar of my massive body armor. I hurt from countless cutting edges and the touch of Hellfire and from the scorching, whispering wind that stings my skin and tears at the cape near my shoulder guards and weapons. But most of all, I hurt because of what lies before me. Because of what lies ahead. I tear my eyes from the nightmare sky and look at my surroundings.
At my home.
Before me, Acheron burns. The grand gothic buildings of the Military Sanctorum and its surrounding city-states are fractured and aflame. Smoke rolls up towards me in thick plumes from the tiered city-levels, as if the plane is trying to exhale. Trying to breathe, just as I am. The smoke smells of perfume and rotting flowers. It makes me want to spit. To scream. The sounds of battle roll up with the smoke. Of steel clashing and battle tanks and bellowing. Of other squads of Primes and soldiers, fighting to defend their own corner of Acheron - our home. Many colored bolts of lightning twist up from the ground in answer, tethering themselves to the underside of the bleeding sky. Each bolt landing makes a sound like laughter.
"<Commander.>" I look away from my despoiled home at the sound of the voice of my fellow Prime. Adelynn's armor is as much a ruin as the military city. The gilding has all but flaked away, and the plate armor is split. Adelynn's face is painted with blood that settles into her old scars and lines around her eyes. It mars her beautiful half shaven scalp. Her blue eyes are clear with divine power, though. Clear, and furious.
"<They draw near once more.>" Adelynn says, in her accented, rasping voice. She is right. I can hear them. The vile enemy, gibbering and chattering in tongues. horrible hellish nightmares wrought from evil, shadow, fire, and hate. My heart burns with rage now, as well as pain. Adelynn puts her gauntleted hand on my shoulder guard and locks me with her blue eyes.
"<Are you ready?>" I ask. It is a question I had asked Adelynn a thousand times since she was assigned to my command as a fellow Prime. A question there is only ever one answer to. She nods her head. "<I am ready, Commander.>" I draw her near and press her forehead to mine, eyes closed. For a moment, I cannot hear the laughter of lightning or the wicked words of the enemy. All is still, and I catch the scent of sacred oils, even over the ruination.
"<Stand until you cannot.>" I tell her, softly.
"<I will.>" she replies.
"<Good.>" I say, letting her go.
Together, we turn and walk back to where the rest of my Primes wait under the shattered spine of a cathedral. They number just three, now. Years ago, Praxia Matyev the Betrayer, the First Prime, culled our numbers to such a shockingly low amount. She was defeated at great cost. Like me, my Prime brothers and sisters are all hurting. I catch eyes with each of them. First Gytha, who bears our Creed Imperialis, and who has been wounded near to death in the name of protecting it. Her head is split open, and her left eye has long since failed, but even so, she still smiles at me. Gytha always smiles. Then I look to Ashava, as much a Prime paladin as anything. She offers me a solemn nod. Ashava’s dark tan skin is bruised, and she holds a wicked warhammer in an easy grip. Isidora is last. She does not smile, nor does she nod. She holds her maul with ease, her pale face bloodied and her dark brown eyes locked on the burning sky and on the massive shapes moving beyond the clouds. Hellish monsters, in our heavens. When I fall in step besides her, Isidora speaks. Her voice is sing-song, and softer than you would expect, given her severity.
“<It looks to be the last of days after all.>” She says.
“<It does.>” I tell her.
A tear traces from the corner of Isidora’s eye, cutting through the drying blood on her face. “<Will you sing once more, Mischa?>" She asks, “<At the end?>”
“<I will.>” I promise her.
We walk through the ruins until we emerge from the shattered spine of the Sanctorum onto a vast marble dais inlaid with gold. A place usually used for reflection and meditation. For prayer. Today, though, it will be used for vengeance. A massive statue of our Father still stood. We kneeled.
“<We have suffered greatly here, my Primes.>” I pray. “<As we have suffered at Armageddon, at Zorthensis, at Avernus, and on one hundred other battlefields. But suffering is not to be lamented. Suffering is to be celebrated. Where there is suffering, there is life. There is spirit and fire and all of the things which He made us. Where there is suffering, that is where we must fight with every ounce of the strength, He gave us until it is time to join Him in Eternal Glory.>” In the wake of my words, I hear the enemy, even closer now. Perfumed, reflective smoke begins to steal between the dais and the statue. “<Fight.>” I say. “<Suffer. Stand, until you cannot. In His name.>” I pray.
We echo together. “<In His name.>”
The enemy show themselves. We roar and charge into battle. I raise my hammer and shield and charge into the swell of Hellish horrors. My holy weapon impacts the creatures and they detonate with busts of flame. Hellflesh disintegrates with a hiss and a spray of glittering ashes. Horrors come apart at the seams, unraveling until it is extinguished altogether, like a candle flame. The laughter only seems to grow louder. I turn and swing against as another of the horrors conjures a magical boiling tide of heat and fire. It spills across my massive armor, stinking and burning. For a moment, I cannot breathe. Despite that, I swing at the horrors again and again, the grip on my hammer tight. Several of the horrors die, smashed into oblivion. Amid the tide, my Primes fight and bleed with me. Isidora by my side, Gytha is bellowing scripture. Adelynn is a light in the darkness, carving her way into the tide, slaying horrors left and right with divine spell. Every movement is exacting and deliberate. Every blow direct and deadly. Her rasping voice echoes across the Sanctorum.
“<We stand, and He stands with us!>” she shouts. “<Do not falter, my Sisters!>” My heart lifts. It always does when Adelynn speaks. Together, we all keep fighting and bellowing and pushing against the horrors, no matter how they sing and chatter and burn us. We do so until the air is thick with ashes and smoke. Until the tide starts to recede. In the quiet that follows, Isidora speaks. “<Perhaps the last of days will wait after all.>” She says between gasping breaths.
But then something large and shadowed moves in the smoke. It laughs, like the lightning does, and I feel a peculiar soft calm fall over me like a shroud. “<Perhaps not..>” I say, softly. The shadow moves closer. Silence falls.
The beast that stepped onto the dais was monstrous. A creature cast not from flesh and blood, but from pure wickedness. From the lowest depths of Hell itself. All of mankind’s madness and murders, manifested together and channeled in terrible unity. In a gnarled hand it clutched a massive sword of pure black steel. It thundered towards us and laughed. It’s voice is the chorus of a whole world’s suffering. Its scent is that of rotted death. The mere presence of the creature prickles at my heart and my soul. It makes my ears ache and my nose bleed thickly down my face. But I do not look away. Instead, I stare up at this hateful, wicked creature and I raise my hammer at it.
I rush to attack it. Gytha, Ashava, and Adelynn charge to meet it. Our attacks hit with deadly precision. It continues to laugh at us. It’s sword crashes against the dais and everything changes. Time itself seems to slow. I see everything with absolute, painful clarity. Every coil of smoke. Every mote of idling flame cascading from the hellish nightmare. Then, terribly, I see the abomination move, free from this slower stream of time. It raises it’s blade and conjures a horrible torrent of hellfire. Then it turns and immolate Isidora.
My scream of rage is locked inside me by the slowing of time. I cannot go to her. All I can do is watch her burn, her Acheronian armor melting and running like candle wax. She turns, slowly, and catches my eyes with her own.
“<Sing…>” Isidora manages to say.
Time releases it’s hold on us, then. Isidora falls to her knees with a crash of armor plates. I want to scream rage, but I cannot. I made a promise. So instead I chant as Isidora breathes her last. It is an old hymnal. One that Isidora would ask for, again and again.
“<O Lord Tyrant, who is Strength. I devote this life to you!>” I cry. I attack the nightmare who felled my Sister in Prime. “<O Lord General, who is Glory. I devote this life to you!>” I chant as Ashava slips through the nightmare's guard and leaps to meet it, despite her injuries and her armor’s weight. Her weapon hits hard along the creature’s flank, scattering ashes. It catches a hold of her and slams her to the ground, hard. My heart breaks as her bones do. As Ashava falls still, not to rise again, Adelynn roars, all rage. Her weapon slams true, scattering blood that is black like tar. I keep chanting. Gytha does the same beside me. Smoke rolls out from the creature like a tide. The smell of it is choking. My lungs feel as though they are trying to collapse and the creature turns to Gytha. Magic erupts from the black steel sword and Gytha’s armor boils. She screams in pain as it runs and melts and reshapes itself. As it changes, her flesh changes with it.
I take a breath that tastes of blood and of death. Of the ashes that are all that remain of my Prime sisters, a tear traces down my face. I cry to Adelynn, “<Stand! Stand until you cannot!>” Then, the Hellnightmare brought it’s sword upon her, and Adelynn fell, her broken split body clattering to the ground.
“<No!!>” I scream.
I stumble forwards, half blind with agony, and raise my hammer once more. “<O Lord Commander, who is Honor..>”
I murmur through blood and smoke and agony, as a golden light blooms upon me, filling my failing vision edge to edge. Thunderclaps resound, buffeting me, and I think that perhaps Isidora is right. That this is Bane, the Supreme Commander, coming to me from his Throne to claim my soul for all eternity. Despite the agony, I smile. I finish the song.
“<I devote my death to you.>”
Prologue 2- Jill and Corrin
In the years since Jill and Corrin had returned from their journeys in Avernus, they had been living in a small home in the City of Waterdeep. Not that the two were ever particularly short on money, but the Blood Hunter was advised to live responsibly now that she was looking after the younger Tiefling, there's only two of them after all, it's not like they needed to live in a castle. And the years that the two of them had were peaceful, if not the slightest bit boring without any adventures for them to go on. As much as Jill enjoyed having a roof over her head and a guaranteed meal, she did miss the days where her sword was more than a decoration that hung on the wall. And she could tell that Corrin missed those days as well. Which is why now, with Corrin being a grown woman, she believed it was time for them to go on an adventure once again. Jill brought it up that night after they had finished dinner. "I know that you like this life we have led together, but I also see that you still want more sometimes. It has been a while since either of us have gone on any adventures, but you are a woman now and it has not been so long that we have grown old and weak. But I also know that this city has been our home for these last eight years and that it is not an easy thing to leave your home. Do you want to go on another adventure and travel off to wherever the wind may take us?"
Contrary to popular belief, Corrin enjoyed her life. After their journey to Avernus, her mother had been transformed into a beautiful angel and had to go fight for Mount Celestia from then on. Sure, she was young when it happened, but she had her new found sister Jill Moon. Jill had been forced to grow up at her young age, even before meeting Corrin, but the two of them were both capable of handling their own. They managed to settle down in Waterdeep with the help of Jill's friend Natasha, and the years had gone by without much of an issue.
Except their yearning for adventure was always there. They has spoken about it briefly, but it didn't get any farther than nostalgic moments, stories, and what if's. Corrin was a young woman now, 19, going on 20 in a few weeks, and she wanted to go on an adventure. Not alone, but with Jill, so when Jill placed down the ad on the table after dinner, she took a quick look over and beamed at her. "**** yeah!" There was a little celestial twinge at the back of her mind after those words escaped her, retracting. "I mean, yes! Totally! We won't be gone for too long, you think? We just lock up, have Nat come around every now and again, and when we come back we settle down again, yeah?"
Jill giggled a little bit when Corrin walked back her '**** yeah'. It had been a few years since Amelia had ascended to Mount Celestia to go fulfill her divine duties as an angel, but she still found time to be a good mom to them, on occasion. And even if Amelia wasn't there to say it, she knew that she was proud of the women that her daughters had grown to be. Jill was certainly proud of the woman that Corrin had grown into and she was proud to be her sister.
"Well then mon cher. It is settled. We will pack up tonight and in the morning tell Natasha that we will be heading off on a new adventure." Even saying those words got Jill overjoyed. It had been years since her adventure in Avernus and she'd be lying if she didn't say that there were days when she didn't think about it. But it wasn't just the thrill of combat or the satisfaction of having made the multiverse a better place that Jill missed. She also missed the friends that she made on her journey; Meep, Nok Nok, Nik Nak, Persephone. She wrote to them as often as she could, just to keep in touch with them. But it was Misha, her fondest friend that she missed the most. The Acheronian was like a sister to her and Corrin and her parting hurt the most, as she was the furthest from them. "Perhaps we might even see Misha again." Jill said in a small voice.
Corrin had been kicking her feet in joy at Jill's words, excited at even the thought to be able to go out and adventure again. She missed the rush. Many would say that she was way too young to experience such a thing, but her mom knew what she was doing and what she was teaching her daughter. Not to mention the people she met along the way because of it. She loved every single one of them but Jill very quickly made her place in her heart as her sister. Of different blood they were but their bond had only strengthened throughout the years.
Upon hearing the last little bit of what Jill said, she beams. "Maybe! How funny would that be? You reunite with her once, then reunite again? I wonder what she'll say when she sees us? Somethin' like... 'Ees theese leetle Jeel and Coreen?!? All grown up?! Meesha ees so proud!'"
Jill laughs at Corrin's Misha impression. "We have grown a lot since we saw her last. I am not pale and skinny anymore and you are just a bit too tall to ride on her back now. But yes, it would be very happy if I had the chance to reunite with her again, especially if it is on a voyage to go see far-off lands. Could you imagine her in some foreign country, taking in all the sights?" She makes a face of earnest wonder, one that she's seen Misha make on previous journeys when she saw something unfamiliar. Which was very often. "What ees THEES?"
She shares another laugh with her sister before getting up to prepare for the trip. "Come now, we have to get ready for our adventure" She says, heading off to her room. "And only take the things you need. I do not think that we will be able to carry all of your clothing!"
"With how strong she is, I'm sure she'll let me ride on her back regardless," Corrin says with utmost confidence, laughing at Jill's own little impression. "I just hope the people we meet on this journey like us... And don't get annoyed at how rusty we are..." She shakes her head and slaps her cheeks to rid of the impending negative thoughts. She gets up soon after Jill does. "But, yeah, lets go! And fine mom." The tiefling girl jests and prepares herself for the journey ahead.
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
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PROLOGUE THREE - SANA AND CHANDOR
Sana folded away the note with a smile, a wave of happy gold running through her hair. Alia was doing so well for herself down on Toril. Married! She and Chandor would have to go meet this Jeffrey - or Blade - soon, though. Meet the lucky man and make sure he wasn't an intellect devourer in disguise. Sana glanced at the other note on the table, which had come sealed with simple white wax. She was glad Caim was improving his control over his fey heritage - heritage she hadn't even known she had until her children both bore its signs. The changeling sighed happily as she leaned back in her chair. Both her children were doing well. She was sorry she and Chandor had vanished so abruptly, but they'd hardly had control over it, unfortunately. Sana shook her head, a little wryness creeping into her expression as she remembers the exciting adventure that had led to the spelljamming upgrades now affixed to the Belle, an adventure that had required every ounce of Tymora's luck and Chandor's skill with his blades. As she looked around the captain's cabin though, she knew it was worth it. She and Chandor had explored so much.
Speak of the devil, she heard her husband's boots pounding down the hall. The changeling turned in her chair to face the door as it swung open, a smile on her lips as she prepared to tease Chandor about how he would scratch the boards if he kept running. At the look on his face, however, the smile vanished. "What's wrong?"
Chandor shook his head. "Remember that empty asteroid we stopped briefly at a few months ago?"
Sana nodded. "Yeah. What, has something moved in?"
Chandor shook his head, face grave. "No, nothing's gone in or out as far as our sensors can tell."
Sana rolled her hand. "All right dear, then what's the issue?"
"It's moving."
Sana stared at the mass on the horizon, growing steadily closer. "Are we out of its path? The Belle, I mean?"
Chandor nodded. "As soon as it showed up, I got us clear."
The two of them watched the asteroid on the horizon for another few wordless minutes. Then Sana spoke. "It's heading for Realmspace. Toril. Caim and Alia."
Chandor interlaced his fingers with hers. "We need information about this. I'll take the star skiff and visit the nearby spheres, see what I can learn and if there's anyone I can find to help. You stay here and keep an eye on it, see if there's anything you can do to stop it."
Sana nodded after a moment. "Stay safe."
They both knew how little the words meant.
Sana watched the star skiff vanish over the horizon. She and Chandor both knew that the chances of him finding something or someone useful in time to help was unlikely, but her powers from Tymora were unpredictable outside of the Realmsphere. She'd already lost many of them, although she suspected being back here would help with that. But she was the best choice to stay in Realmspace and set up a stand. A slight smile formed on Sana's face. But that didn't mean she had to do it alone. The changeling started down the stairs. One of her favorite installations on the ship was the Luckchanger. She could only use it once, but it would grant the whole ship Tymora's blessing for a few minutes. Sana set her hand on the sparkling gold orb and summoned Tymora's power. "Luck of the Lady, Luckbringer am I, change my luck and help me fight."
Five faces flashed through her mind, along with where they were. Sana smiled as she recognized the first. It would be good to see her old bosun again. The others...she couldn't wait to meet them. Hopefully they were as ready to fight this thing as she was...
Sana set a hand on the helm of the Belle, eyes flashing gold. She had five heroes to find. And she knew just where the first one was. "Well, Misha, I'll see you soon," she said softy as she activated the helm and the Belle of the Stars shot through space.
ACHERON
TODAY
EIGHT YEARS AFTER SALTMARSH
Darkness surrounds me, complete and heavy. Suffocating. I cannot see. Cannot hear. I cannot remember, either. Not how I came to be here, or where I came from. Not who or what I am. I am nothing, an no one. Little more than a heartbeat, inside a hollow shell. I try to speak. To make a noise of this nothingness, but I am mute as well as blind and deaf. No words will come. No voice, save for that locked tightly inside my mind.
<Mischa.>
And then, a sound. A voice, answering my silent plea.
<Mischa.>
The name falls across me like a cloak, and I know instinctively that it is mine. I know the voice, too, despite how distant it sounds. How distorted.
<Taetanicus?>
The name of my old Legion Commander escapes my throat and disappears into the unbroken darkness. Taetanicus answers me once again with my own name, but this time he sounds even more distant. More distorted. I start to run, though I cannot see. The darkness mires me and pulls at my limbs like deep, cold water. But then I see it. A tiny pinprick of golden light, growing larger and closer until it resolves into a shape. A stone pedestal, draped in crimson cloth. That is where the light is coming from, only it is not light at all. It is two objects. A hammer, and a shield, cast in steel of gold and red engraved in the language of my people. My heartbeat grows loud at the sight of it, for it is not just A hammer and shield at all. It is the THE hammer. THE shield.
The hammer and shield of the Primes. My Judgement and Protection.
<Are you ready?> He asks me.
I look up from the hammer and shield to the man who raised me since birth. It is a question to which there is only ever one answer, but this time I find that I cannot give it. Because I am not ready. Not for this. I try to tell him so, but even that proves impossible. I am the very definition of nothing.
Taetanicus repeats the question over and over and over until the sound of it surrounds me. It suffocated me, just like the darkness. I cannot bear it, nor the disappointment in his eyes, so I scream for him to stop and I thrust out my hands to take up the hammer and shield, but the very instant that my fingertips come into contact with the golden yellow and steel, I catch fire. It blossoms on my fingers first, before blooming across my hands and up my arms, golden yellow and flickering. It tracks over my shoulders and engulfs my body and travels up my throat until I am consumed by it in the same way that the air around me is. The fire burns fiercely, melting my armor and searing my flesh. It blinds me with its brightness and deafens me anew with a roar that is not the roar of the fire at all, but that same dreadful question rendered in an inferno’s voice.
I wake with a gasp, lying flat on my back. I am in my room, awake, and alert. I am completely drenched in sweat and my whole body heaves and tightens as I regain my composure. I look around my quarters – I am alone. I sit up and put my hands on my face, trying to rub to dream away. The door chimes.
“<Come.>” I croak.
Adelynn walks in. She stands at attention, taking the briefest of moments to salute and look at me. There is silence for a few moments between us until she finally speaks.
“<The Smoke?>” she asks. But she already knows the answer.
I nod. I look at her. It doesn’t take words to know she sees I look tired.
“<You have a message.>” She says, and hands me the data pad.
“<Thank you.>” I smile, and she turns to leave. The door closes behind her.
I look down at the data pad and read. I squint and read it again. A small smile began to curl on my lips.
As Adelynn walked down the hallway, the only thing coming out of the Legion Commander’s room was laughter.
PROLOGUE FOUR - YASEI NO OKIDDO
ONE MONTH AGO
Yasei no ōkiddo. 野生のオーキッド. Wild Orchid.
The wind steady, its gusts blowing way through remains of the field. A field, of course, littered with the remains of fallen soldiers of their own kind. The metal of helmets no longer gleamed in the pale sun, as it was covered in blood and dirt.
The dust breezed by the field, with slow footprints drifting across following. Her sword rested on her shoulder; a katana. A sword of Shōgun Ashikaga, her father. Her sword has swung through many of those who oppose, and with it came the spilling of blood; and the bringing of death. Trying to wipe off the stained blood and dirt from her blade, she rested on the ground in an open patch. The only patch of ground where bodies did not cover the dirt beneath. Her sword was old and worn, but words cannot say what tales of battle the blade has gone through. Her handle soaked up the sweat, tired from her struggles of battle.
Rest for a warrior is rare.
Faint scrambling among the rubble could be heard from a near distance. Perhaps it may be the crows picking off of the flesh of the fallen. If so, the nature of death is not to be disrespected. Yasei raised her head, her armor shielding her face from the foul dust. There she saw, a lonesome Kensei sitting on the ground, with a tantō in front of him. He knelt before it and took it within his grasp, sliding it out of the sheath. Its quiet slide against metal and wood making a silent sound, but a remarkable one nonetheless. The fellow samurai had taken off most of his upper armor, exposing his covered chest. With this, he took the small sword, and aimed it at his belly.
A quick shout abruptly stops the kneeling samurai, making him look up to see the lone warrior standing above him. She looked at her defeated friend and soon realized: one of my brothers! She was intent with trying to lift him up as she stuck out her hand. The defeated samurai looked away, disregarding her offer of help. Yasei retracted her hand, understanding what her brother wanted.
A noble death is the highest of honors. A brave warrior’s journey through death. Even in times of defeat, it is of the utmost respect.
With no words spoken, her brother had requested his death to be accompanied by his sister warrior; a kaishakunin, as they are called. The blood in Yasei’s veins went cold, as being given the title of kaishakunin is a title only the most skilled swordsman could even be considered. A single blow to the neck with extreme precision, without fully removing the head. With all her strength, she tried to convince herself to believe that she was ready to take on such a task. But it was not herself that convinced her, but the willingness of her brother. The kneeling warrior reached to his side and handed Yasei his sword, trusting her that she will do his bidding.
Trust.
The dust slowly settled to the ground, as the wind died down. Yasei stood by her brother’s side, awaiting his actions. The samurai said a quick prayer, muttering it under his breath. His body remained still and calm, and his face seemed relaxed. How could one be comfortable in the face of death? It did not bother him, as he took the tantō, and held the tip to his stomach. He was ready to let his spirit go, and for his time to end. He plunged the sword into his belly, and with that his face turned pale. Yasei stood there and stared in horror, expecting her brother to cry out in vain. No, the land was quiet, and he retained a calm state of mind. The sword was plunged deep into his stomach, and he had no choice but to continue. He dragged the sword sideways, and trembled as his blood covered the ground and his body. He bent his head and exposed the back of his neck, awaiting Yasei to fulfill his wish. She raised the sword, and breathed in the air. The smell of rotting corpses was no longer a distraction, letting her be at peace. And thus, she struck down at the neck of her brother, his body hunching over to the ground.
It was done. She stood there and looked the lifeless corpse, in shock from what she had done. It was a duty that not many could have obtained, so with that, she felt honor within herself. She knelt down and rested her brother’s sword by his side. Before getting up, she noticed a paper sticking out of a pouch in her brother’s armor. She reached over to it and picked it up, examining it: a summons. A request to report for duty to the Belle of the Sea.
Countless Acheronians were killed in the War of Vengeance. With the death of Praxia Matyev, First of the Primes - The Betrayer, Acheron suffers as never before. Conflict and corruption is rife on every front and precious little hope remains, save for those who hold to their faith when faced with destruction. Truly, it is a dark time for the Plane of War. Denied a martyr’s death during the battle for Avalas, Misha Praskovia, Daughter of Bane - the God of War, was unexpectedly blessed with a new and grave duty: to embark on a journey off the Plane of Acheron beyond the Great Darkness to aid an old friend in need. This time, a whole world once familiar is at stake.
The Ravager has awakened.
On the grassy plain, a lone woman with red hair and a big smile stood on the hill and looked down at the City of Splendors. Her heart began to race, excited to see old friends, or perhaps anxious to leave her home world behind once more after such devastation - when they really needed her. But Sana's message was imploring, important, almost desperate. This was no joke to be ignored, and she was of high enough rank now she could make silly decisions on her own now. One of the few perks of being a Legion Commander. Adelynn would be fine without her.
"Stupid Meesha." she said to herself, rolling her eyes. "Why are you so nervous. You hef done zees before. Ees like you hef leetle small woodland creatures running around een circles een stomach." She put her hands on her hips, feeling the breeze. Wearing boots, tight black military pants and an impossibly snug form fitting black long sleeved turtleneck shirt, the readout on her thin form fitting forearm braces she wore on her forearms told her she was going on the right direction - not to mention today was going to be a very beautiful day. "Don't be dilcoiruous. You hef no reason to be nervous. They weel recognize you." Adjusting her ponytail, she looked back to the closing Acheronian portal and looked forward again.
Realizing she was talking to herself, she nervously looked around in embarrassment. Whew. No one around. Of course not, i'm a mile away from the city. Come on. You hef meesion to do. Enough being silly. She pressed on.
The city had changed, but not too much. Maybe a few businesses looked different, but what was the same was the stares. "Hello!" she would say to onlookers. "I am Misha!" She checked her forearm brace readout for the millionth time to check the address and street name, squinting in concentration. When she got to Jill and Corrins house, she felt like her heart, which was completely genetically created, was about to explode with anteeceepation, so did a few pantomime practice knocks as to not knock the door down in happiness. It was about the third time of testing that she was getting weird looks from people and she giggled nervously. Turning back to the door, she made a quick annoyed face at herself and knocked on the door, hard, twice. She winced as if she touched something hot, realizing that was probably too hard.
Jill stops packing when she hears hard knocking at the door. "Who is knocking so hard!?" She walks over to the door and is about to give whoever's pounding it a piece of her mind until she sees that it's Misha. She pulls her into a big hug and kisses both of her cheeks. She doesn't feel awkward or uncomfortable in the least about people seeing her shed tears of joy while she holds Misha in her arms. "I cannot believe that this is happening after all of these years, mon ami. Not after all of these years." Jill breaks the hug after a few moments, allowing Misha to get a look at her. She looks quite different from the pale, skinny girl that Misha last saw eight years ago. In her place stands a fully grown woman, her hair tied up in a little ponytail, her skin tanned from contact with the sun. It's immediately obvious that her standards of living have improved over the years, as she isn't as skinny as she was when she was younger, if anything she's grown curvier, and she's more fashionable, wearing a red sweater under a stylish black jacket, there's a rose in her hair, and she's even wearing make-up.
Jill takes Misha's hand and leads her inside the house. "I obviously want to know what brings you here, but you should see Corrin first. She has missed you very much." She turns towards the hallways that lead to her and Corrin's room. "Corrin! There is someone here that I think you would like to see!" She turns back to Misha, her eyes beaming as she waits for Corrin to come down that hall. "I am so proud of her. She has grown into such a beautiful woman over these eight years, both in body and in spirit."
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
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Corrin, while excited to get back on the adventuring path, felt a tad bit nostalgic as she packed away her things. This was kinda like how mom and I started out... While the reasoning behind her and her mothers escapades was more with a motive of hunting down her father, and this one was more of a whim, something to fulfill their need to explore, she couldn't help it. She remembered herself, so young, packing her bag to say goodbye to the village she grew up in to say hello to the path of adventure, her mother there to guide her. Now it was only her and Jill.
The knocking on the door ripped her from her thoughts, giving Jill a look of confusion. She hadn't done anything mischievous lately for the guard to come knocking again... She thinks. The tiefling gives her a shrug as she sets off, not immediately following her until she hears the blood hunter call for her to come over. With furrowed brows, she leaves her room to see who Jill was talking about.
There was a mixture of emotions that ran through her, mostly excitement, when she sees Misha standing at the door. The speed at which she darted to the acheronian was enough to have some odd papers fly, barreling right into Misha into an embrace, arms and legs clinging onto her tightly, similar to a koala hugging a tree. "I can't believe it's you!!" She exclaims, giving her kisses on the cheeks (something she picked up from Jill). "We were literally JUST talking about you! How crazy is that? See, Jill, I told you!" The tiefling hops off Misha, a beaming smile on her face as she gives her a look over. "You haven't changed a bit, you know that? Babe gave you the good genes. Was it Babe? Your God, right? No, no, Dave... Wait..."
As she tries backtracking, it gives Misha the opportunity to see how much she has grown. The biggest difference most obviously was her height. Instead of her barely reaching Misha's chest when they first met, she now stood to meet her height easily with no tippy-toes included. Her hair, that was once cut short, was long now, and reaching her mid back, also pulled into a low ponytail. She also now had the body of an adult, her half top exposing her mid section that had been marked with dark ink. Thankfully not much had changed than that. Her skin was still red, there were horns still curved on her head, and there was still a tail that was swishing behind her happily.
Corrin had finally given up trying to guess the correct name (unless she is corrected), and says, "My mom would have loved to see you again, but I'll make sure to tell her about your visit tonight! Speaking of, I know that you're probably, like, suuuper busy with God work, were you just dropping by to say hi?"
Aeyd of the Dragons || Wood Elf / Way of the Ascendant Dragon Monk
Demetrios Zalaoras || Protector Aasimar / Paladin of Torm
Hawke || Kalashtar / Circle of the Moon Druid
Morticia || Half-Aasimar Rogue
Yvan || Goliath / Path of the Wild Soul Barbarian | Paladin of Helm
/ᐠ。ꞈ。ᐟ\
Sana dropped into the chair, armor rattling. She silently ran through the ways she was contacting each person. Sana had already sent Misha a message, and the paladin of Bane had responded. The Luckchanger once more proved its worth, as Misha said she knew two of the others and offered to get them. A little extra luck on a summons, and the samurai woman was found. The last...Sana frowned faintly. She could only hope the half-elf would receive the invitation she'd given over to Tymora's care. Sana rose from her chair, moved to the helm, and began steering the ship towards the appointed meeting spot. She couldn't wait to properly meet Misha's friends and the others.
Stella Diamant, Human Rogue 17 (Swashbuckler), The Exploits of Misfit Company
Kat, Medtech, Cyberpunk: Red
Shi, Changeling Bard 4 (College of Spirits), Tyrant's Grasp
Dani, Human Artificer 9 (Armorer), Skulls and Starships
DM, Project Point (Teams Scimitar and Longsword)
Everything Else!
Misha embraced Jill and couldn't stop laughing. It was a mixture of relief, and overwhelming joy. She pulled away and looked at Jill for a long while. She had changed. She had changed for the better, and it showed, clearly. Misha found it difficult to speak the words she wanted to, so she just smiled and studied her. She was beautiful. A woman. Her appearance told her things were better now, that much was certain. "I cannot believe eet." she breathed. "You hef changed so much! I am so heppy that you are ok! I haven't seen you een so long, I just..couldn't.." she trailed off, wanting to tell her about the war, about what had happened. Taetanicus. Praxia. Everything. But she couldn't. Not now. There was so much love and joy between her and Jill at this very moment, it was almost tangible. She quickly changed the subject in her mind. "You hef been eating well!" she laughed as Jill led her to Corrin's room and knocked. "Thees makes Misha happy. Yes! I am here for a very eemportant reason, or else I would not be here. Something terrible has heppened, Sana has.."
It was at that moment that Corrin came out and leaped on to Misha. She squealed in delight and held Corrin tight as they hugged, returning the kisses, gladly. Seeing them again, and seeing how both of them had changed took Misha a while to process. When she stopped kissing and laughing, she pulled apart to look Corrin over. The change was incredible. She was no longer a child. No. Not at all. Two women. For a long while Misha, again, couldn’t find the words. Eventually, she did. “By the Grace of Bane..LOOK at you!” she said to Corrin. “You are no longer Preencess..!” Misha kneeled playfully, as if genuflecting to a very important royal. “You are now Queen!” She stood. “Both of you. Misha ees so very happy. You are both women! Look how you hef changed." She grabbed them both, one in each arm, and pulled them in very close. "You two have done very well in the years gone by. I missed you both very, very much."
For a brief moment in time, hugging Jill and Corrin, foreheads touching, Misha forgot about her problems and everything in the universe was perfectly fine.
Jill savors this experience, holding both of the women that she loves close in her arms. When the hug breaks, Jill pulls up a chair at the table, offering Misha a place to sit. "I apologize that we do not have anything prepared, we were not expecting guests today, least of all you, mon ami." She chuckles. "You have actually caught the two of us at a very interesting time. Corrin and I have enjoyed these last few years, but we both miss adventuring. Seeing the world and all it has to offer. And since she is now a woman, we figured that it is the perfect time to go on a journey. We do not have too much planned at the moment, but as you know, adventure tends to find us." She smiles and looks at Misha. "Would you like to come with us on our journey?"
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
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Misha sat down, and took a hold of each of their hands. She leaned forward a bit.
"With all my heart, yes, I would." Misha said, confidently. "The Will of Bane works een very meesterious ways - for here you tell me how you ache for adventure, and here I am..to tell you that I have come to see you today to offer you such a journey."
"Misha ees not here just to say hello and to catch up with my dear friends.." she admitted, "Een fact, Misha should hef done thet a long time ago, and for thet, Misha ees very sorry. But, that ees another story for another day. Come, let me take you outside. I hef something wonderful to show you. I think you weel like it. Soon, you weel know why Misha ees here."
She led Jill and Corrin outside. It was indeed a beautiful day. She pointed to an area of the sky with her finger and turned to them. "There." she said, then looked back into the sky. "Look there."
She tapped her left forearm brace and it beeped. A small communications panel came up, displaying Acheronian letters. "Sana, thees ees Misha." Misha said. "I have them. Please bring the Belle around, would you, vozlyublennaya?"
Sana beams as she receives Misha's message. She hit a button on the helm controls and the Belle entered the atmosphere.
Above Waterdeep, a faint golden glow becomes visible. Then, it forms into a ship. Flying through the sky, straight to Waterdeep. The warship stops above the city, floating directly above Jill and Corrin, and a voice booms out from a spot on deck where a pale figure is standing with a bullhorn. "WATERDHAVIANS, DO NOT PANIC. GREETINGS FROM SPACE! WE WILL BE OUT OF YOUR HAIR MOMENTARILY." A ladder drops from the side of the ship, and the figure climbs down it rapidly and skillfully. She drops to the ground in front of the trio, grinning. In front of them is a changeling with golden eyes, dressed in a top and jacket that leave her midriff exposed and shorts that show an excellent figure. A longsword and shield are slung across her back, and a holy symbol of Tymora hangs around her neck. The changeling beams and sticks out her hand. "Hi, you two! I'm Captain Sana of the Belle of the Sea, and I need your help to fight a giant asteroid. And I love your skin!" she adds to Corrin, a faint red flush reminiscent of the tiefling's skin tone spreading through her own. "Can I borrow it?"
Stella Diamant, Human Rogue 17 (Swashbuckler), The Exploits of Misfit Company
Kat, Medtech, Cyberpunk: Red
Shi, Changeling Bard 4 (College of Spirits), Tyrant's Grasp
Dani, Human Artificer 9 (Armorer), Skulls and Starships
DM, Project Point (Teams Scimitar and Longsword)
Everything Else!
Misha beamed with pride. "Sana, I would like you to meet two very dear friends of mine whom I met after our Saltmarsh meesion. Thees ees Jeel, and Corrin."
Jill extends a hand towards Captain Sana, still a bit shocked at how a giant space ship just parked above her house. "Bonjour. I am called Jill Moon and I do accept your request for help, but I have many, many questions. Also, please do not skin my sister."
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
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Sana laughs. "Oh no, I won't skin her. I borrow aspects of people with my shapechanging. Like Misha's hair." Her hair changes to Misha's vivid red.
Stella Diamant, Human Rogue 17 (Swashbuckler), The Exploits of Misfit Company
Kat, Medtech, Cyberpunk: Red
Shi, Changeling Bard 4 (College of Spirits), Tyrant's Grasp
Dani, Human Artificer 9 (Armorer), Skulls and Starships
DM, Project Point (Teams Scimitar and Longsword)
Everything Else!
Corrin stands there, awestruck at the ship descending down to their location. Her mouth is agape, and it only grows wider when she sees the changeling slide down the latter and land in front of them. The tiefling gets giddy, her body beginning to vibrate with mirth. “HOLY SHIT, THATS AWESOME! We get to ride that thing?! In space?!” Corrin’s eyes widen at Sana changing her skin tone to match her own, ultimately ignoring the twinge at the back of her mind. She’s excited! Surely mom would understand! She takes Sana’s hand and shakes it vigorously. “Borrow whatever you want! I’m Corrin! Can I see the ship? Please let me see the ship.”
Aeyd of the Dragons || Wood Elf / Way of the Ascendant Dragon Monk
Demetrios Zalaoras || Protector Aasimar / Paladin of Torm
Hawke || Kalashtar / Circle of the Moon Druid
Morticia || Half-Aasimar Rogue
Yvan || Goliath / Path of the Wild Soul Barbarian | Paladin of Helm
/ᐠ。ꞈ。ᐟ\
Sana laughs. "Sure thing, come on aboard and I'll show you! We'll be picking up two more crew members, just as soon as they...get my message and show up." She winks. "But right now, there's time for a grand tour of the ship! Come on up!" She starts climbing the ladder lithely.
Stella Diamant, Human Rogue 17 (Swashbuckler), The Exploits of Misfit Company
Kat, Medtech, Cyberpunk: Red
Shi, Changeling Bard 4 (College of Spirits), Tyrant's Grasp
Dani, Human Artificer 9 (Armorer), Skulls and Starships
DM, Project Point (Teams Scimitar and Longsword)
Everything Else!
Jill laughs at how excited Corrin got when she saw the ship. For a moment, she was like the little girl that she met eight years ago. She follows Sana up the ladder.
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
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