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Mon 5th May 2025 06:10

Journal Entry #91:  Shepard’s Champion & The Way

by Aniks Aliforn

Death's representation was quite on the nose. The lead-up to the judgment of souls had graves and crypts. Given that what we next saw was a large coffin. Subtly is truely for cowards. We carved a path into the coffin, tearing through skeletons. 
 
The large coffing building seemingly was split in half. On our left was the psychopomp, in a portion of the building made of dark bluish stone interior and very gothic, to the right daemon. While the stone might have been dark, everything was coated in a bright orange light on a count of the lava. A strange combination to have in the same room; still, I believe this might have been the first time we've ever interacted with daemons in any meaningful form. 
 
We learned that the earth mother's gift had captured and drained two demigods, making them nothing but husks for their former selves. One of them is Ceyannan, whom we met before under Death's temple, and Zelishkar, a harbinger of the lower planes, who apparently had three tongues.
 
At the point of diversion, the psychopomps had wished to speak with me. Sensing no real malice from the masked messengers, it felt like a trap. Honestly, most psychopomps could make ordering food sound ominous and filled with malice. As we spoke with them, Burdyr kept collecting bones for some reason. Maybe a dwarf thing? I doubt it; it's probably some ritual or spell.
 
Eventually, deciding to see what the psychopomps wanted with me. I enter the door, which is promptly locked behind me. This was apparently a mistake on my part. Not because they didn't wish to speak. There was an attempt made. In fact, I had met the Shepherd's Champion, Naseem. They seemed nice, a possible founder of a goth club, and bound and influenced by the Shard. He seemingly wanted to team up against someone. I could not find out who made the mistake. The Lost One charged in to rescue me for some reason or another. I cannot even remember why. Amongst the chaos of the fighting, I caught a glimpse of Ceyannan, and I thought to rush into Silver Swing. Yet, I felt Celuriel go unconscious upon hearing a terrifying supernatural wail. 
 
Any thought of a plan was tossed out, and I rushed through the dark stone to where I knew Celuriel to be. Following the light connection from our wedding rings to know her location, she rounded the corner.  I scooped her in my arms and poured some of my life into her. Bring life back into 
 
Keema and Burdyr were saying something to me, possibly berating me. Still, I only remembered apologizing to Celuriel and brushing her hair from her face. Needless to say, we retreated. Apparently, before, I had met with Naseem and waited in that room with two psychopomps that could be still enough to be statues. Azyel had fallen into the next room, unleashing charred skeletons, and whatever the daemon equivalent to an imp was in the remaining Lost Ones. Then they had dispatched with them before they came to rescue me. Thankfully, Ceyannan, Naseem, and the rest of the psychopomp had not followed us in our retreat to the center of the coffin. 
 
Deciding to tackle the lower part of the coffin and the Daemons. We found both Harbinger and Champion. Who might have been flirting with Cid or Azyel? I can't remember. The Seraph of Destruction, even as a husk of their former self, was more than a challenge for us. It was strange to see the champion and deity fight alongside one another. Each of them worked in tandem; to avoid lava, we summoned water. Ice happened to be rather effective against this particular demigod. Though the Shard or the Avatar took advantage of this, what was meant to be a set amount became an endless spring that kept flowing. 
 
It is funny; I did not plan to write much about our defeat of a demigod. Even as a husk of their former self, Zelishkar, defeating the demigod should feel like a momentous occasion, but with the Shard looming in our future, It just felt like a larger wall than usual between us and our goal. When Zelishkar defeated Tejika, their champion fell unconscious. Before we even had a chance to acknowledge what had happened. Gaia had sealed the daemon in an iron flask. Telling us it would be our prize if we would win.
 
Our return to the center room was uneventful, in the room. The Shepherd's champion was just learning through the wall. I had never considered using the soul domain to make myself ghostly after careful talk and learning about the Goth Club. I am still unsure if it's a real club or not.  We agreed to a ceasefire. We wanted to use the Lantern on them to cure them of their shardic corruption. Given their current influence, it was difficult to agree to this help. Still, as long as no one attacked, the ceasefire would hold. All while water attempts to breach into the center room. 
 
The congregation of psychopomps…or are a flock of psychopomps. Well, they gathered in one large group huddled in the corner. To make sure all of the lights will hit them. Shining the light upon them. The same blackish liquid poured out from them. Racked with pain, the Usher bent over in their robes, supported by their champion. Weakened by the light, but now an ally we could trust. We turned our thoughts to who exactly we would leave this coffin. Thankfully, none of us had to take care of that. 
 
Reality folded and cracked, leading to a path unfamiliar to us. Jinne stood in that shattered frame, offering us a way out. 
 
The pathways, I never considered I would see them myself. We stepped through, and I won't lie; I was a bit in awe of our surroundings. A bluish-teal tiled path leads to a blackened void. While the fragmented portal behind us was silver in nature, our exit was clearly devoid of color. The path itself was filled with small things. Carpets, jewels, and other trinkets decorate this part of the path. And it was just a path. If I were to step off, it would be nothing but inky space and stars to keep my company. I wasn't sure where exactly we were. To be honest, if this was something I could learn, I would gladly spend the hours to learn to travel like this. 
 
We didn't stay long enough to move from one part to another. Our boots cracked the shattered remains of the portal on the ground. It caused me to stop and look down. I cover my hand in cloth before picking up this glass like a shard. I wasn't sure what I was expecting. It certainly wasn't my face reflected into eternity. Over and over again, all in one fragmented Shard of reality. 
 
We quickly crossed the path moments after entering. Delving further into the dark and closer to the Shard.

Continue reading...

  1. Journal #1: Welcome back to the land of the living.
  2. Journal #2: The Gods speak to us, sort of.
  3. Journal #3: Magic is kinda bullshit, stay away from Licia.
  4. Journal #4: The Prince is not a Prick.
  5. Journal #5: Introduction of Celuriel
  6. Journal #6: Everybody loves the bar.
  7. Journal #7: Getting to know the vampire.
  8. Journal #8: The Vetala [Text Roleplay]
  9. Journal #9: Undria
  10. Journal #10: We adopt or kidnap a child, still unclear on this one.
  11. Journal #11: Mirror World
  12. Journal #12: Recovery from the world.
  13. Journal #13: Dancing with Vampire and Political Problems.
  14. Journal #14: About Sir Pennswaggle
  15. Journal #15: This Temple is Odd
  16. Journal #16: The Half Elf Liese
  17. Journal #17: Warning Ashlyn did not help her.
  18. Journal #18: Priestess with the Silver Orbs
  19. Journal #19: Celu is reading romantic books.
  20. Journal #20: Demons, Dungeons, and Dragons OH MY!
  21. Journal #21: Regrets.
  22. Journal #22: Demon's Champion [Text Roleplay]
  23. Journal #23: Homecoming
  24. Journal #24: Castle Umbra and their Bloodwalker.
  25. Journal #23: The Grand Game
  26. Journal #26: All magic comes at a cost.
  27. Journal #27 The capital and asking for diplomatic immunity.
  28. Journal #28: Teaching Celu Undercommon
  29. Journal #29: Pray to Fate
  30. Journal #30: Mistakes we're made, Surprisingly it wasn't my fault this time.
  31. Journal #31: Why am I Orpheus?
  32. Journal #33: The 'safe' return of Eurydice
  33. Journal #32: Back from hell [Text Roleplay]
  34. Journal #35: Fey Friends.
  35. Journal #36: Life before The Lost Ones
  36. Journal #34: Her thoughts on life. [Text Roleplay]
  37. Journal #37: Departure
  38. Journal #39: The Apology [Text Roleplay]
  39. Journal #38: Black Marble floors and apologizes
  40. Journal #40: The Lost's One's Save Christmas; what's Christmas again?
  41. Journal #41: The Elder Sister [Text Roleplay]
  42. Journal #42: Dear Niks
  43. Journal #43: Family Matters
  44. Journal #44: The Samsaran and Her Dreamers [Text Roleplay]
  45. Journal #45: 3 Years well spent.
  46. Journal #46: Emperor Aneirin of Aletheia
  47. Journal #47: Matron Nivinle Alas'thil [Text Roleplay]
  48. Journal #48: Not Alone
  49. Journal #49: The Dark Spire [Text Roleplay]
  50. Journal #50: Death's Champion
  51. Journal #51: Desk Duty of the Spire [Text Roleplay on going]
  52. Journal #52: Longest Four Days of Our Lives
  53. Journal #53: Stolen Book [Text Roleplay]
  54. Journal #54: Basics to Necromancy, why is this even a book.
  55. Journal #55: Soul to Soul Talk [Text Roleplay]
  56. Journal #56: Gold is not what King’s Envy
  57. Journal #57: The Trail of the Sapphire Shrine
  58. Journal #58: The sign says it all
  59. Journal #59: The oldest sister
  60. Journal #60: A bartender once again.
  61. Journal #61: The Dreamcatcher
  62. Journal #62: Discussion and a price that will be payed.
  63. Journal #63: The Five Stages
  64. Journal #64: Ring of Amethyst and Diamond
  65. Journal #65: Clash of Ideals
  66. Journal #66: A Friend and A Story
  67. Journal #67: The Nature of the Shards
  68. Journal #68: Return of Black Marble [Text Roleplay]
  69. Journal #69: Broken and Forgotten Shades
  70. Journal #70: Forging Bonds
  71. Journal #71: The Haunted Fey Mansion
  72. Journal #72: Another Shard
  73. Journal #73: Dancing with Demons in the pale morning light
  74. Journal #74: The Succubus's Ultimatum
  75. Journal #75: The City of Twin Souls
  76. Journal #76: The Worry of a Barkeep.
  77. Journal #77: Have a Little Hope.
  78. Journal #78: Dreamwalker Jinne [Text Roleplay]
  79. Journal Entry #79: Maskerade in Masdarat
  80. Journal Entry #80: Gods of Time
  81. Journal Entry #81: Scribe of Time [Text Rp]
  82. Journal Entry #82: Patience and Grace
  83. Journal Entry #83: Between Stopped Time [Text RP]
  84. Journal Entry #84: Teaching Moments
  85. Journal Entry #85: The child from Jatta [Text RP]
  86. Journal Entry #86: Fused and Strange Deals
  87. Journal Entry #87: Hell [Text RP]
  88. Journal Entry#88: The Measure of a Life
  89. Journal Entry #89: Judgement
  90. Journal Entry #90: Terra Arcana and Memories of the Lost
  91. Journal Entry #91:  Shepard’s Champion & The Way
  92. Journal Entry #92: Goth Club & Whiskey
  93. Journal Entry #93: Shard of Grace
  94. Journal Entry #94: Dreamcatcher's Telepathic Bond [Text Roleplay]
  95. Journal Entry#95: Homebound
  96. Journal Entry #96: A spot of rest [Text Roleplay]
  97. Journal Entry #97: Heavenbound
  98. Journal Entry #98: Trek through the planes
  99. Journal Entry #99: Relaxing in Ironfalls

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by 3 Armored Kittens · Prodromos v.1.1 - World Anvil 0.9.15.045 © 2017-2025 [en] | Anvil Time: 16:31, Aug 5 2025