Session 104+: Animaesus and Tarrasues: Merging Legends

104:
Atrium of the Dragon Riders, a Moon Lit night, a dance in the sky of dragons, for dragons. A good bye. A memorial.   1. Tree Growing, digging into the Earth. The Leaves Fall and Dragons Arise.   2. The Smoke and Earth Rumble, the Claw Rakes through. The Pillars of Joining, the stitched seal.   3. The Fallen and Changing Night Sky: Five Roars, Deals with Dark Eyes, Darker Feelers and Oily Tentacles.

  Discussing, vibing, then a mysterious figure comes. "Allic, your time here is done." Come to another plane, help the fight there. Eros, Styke, others...


  Then FIGHT: Dwarven

Session 105: the group splits.

  Session 106: Return of the Original Three. The Lost Souls find home again.

  The Tarrasque thought for the second time in its life, really thought. THe first being when he asked Birdman a question about his name, but now, he understood the foreshadowing of the Sun each day, and how this action foretold the arrival of his sun. The Sun disappears, and with it, the moon reminds each night of her glory. The glory, that light, the Tarrasque set out to create and draw, if you will, within the landscape and soil. This takes him the better part of two days. After not sleeping, and really using his brain all too much, he falls asleep.
  The better part of two days he sleeps, when just before sun down, he is awoken by a beautiful song. His sun is here. He jolts up, and runs over, but, of course, she runs off. However, she quickly returns once she notices the quiet sobs of the beast. Hovering over his shoulder, she listens to his inner heart, his tone, the beast's language, and she sees there is more here, more than there ever was before. Of a spirt. Of a soul? (Eros and others arrive: gate scene)
  It is now her turn to startle the beast, and he does jolt, but this time, there is no running, just a quick turn-around into curiosity and poise. The dark of the new night hangs overhead, and Eember shines brighter than that of the waning moon or the twinkling stars. His love is renewed, and her curiosity has fuel added. For he attempts to speak, the beast, saying, in common, "I made this...," and he points at Eember.
  Thus, the next twelve hours turn into some odd form of pantomine and language acquisition, for Eember now sees a curiosity to look, and to know why? For her? No one ever. No. No one has ever given her anything of creation. She only ever created for them.
  He ends up falling asleep eventually, and she soars off, torn inside, for the curiosity has proved her worst fears. Her actions will cause a soul, perhaps naive and ignorant, to be lost. Gone. Turned into dust. She cries herself to sleep, and the weather, the lands, the skies, and the trees cry with her.
  The next morning, he waits, something akin to an obedient dog trying not to be what he is, learning he is more. He walks, strides, tries to show his command of himself and his nature. He greets with dark and dulcit tones, deep bass notes, a maturity seemingly reached over night. "You never told me what you thought of it."
  "It's beautiful. A measure not wholly given to me before," Eember responds.
  "A measure?"
  "How much, how far, how willing."
  "Like the sun each morning. Always."
  Eember can't help but wonder, and in so doing, highligt her being with an embarassed mist to hide her bashful look. She believes him. Yet, she knows still, what he does not.
  "I must tell you something, Beast."
  "What would you call me? What name? Beast is a thing. I am more."
  Baffled, but not derailed from her focus, she says, "We have met before, but from my understanding, we, well I more so, I think." She stares at the curiosity on the beast's face, the comfort, as he lays down next to her to intently listen. She feels his warmth. She hears his heartbeat. The loudest drum.
  "Um, yes, well maybe not me. You have changed much too."
  "How so? And, again, what name? Should I not have a name to show for this new me?" He rolls on his back, playfully.
  "Well, you can now speak your mind, and honor your heart. Your name, your title, as I understand it, was given by the gods, the primordials. Jacq and Valin, they made us to make this world what it is today. Then we were to sleep or to be locked away, for a time we may never get to see now."
  The Tarrasque is listening, yes, but he does not understand the grand spectrum of what she is saying.
  Eember continues, "When last we met, you could not do more than stomp and crash, and roar. And, I was thy conduit to those who might control you. I was what cast the shadow."
  "Birdman?"
  "Yes. He. He now is more than that, for he thought to touch your being, not to just control it, to understand it and make it something new. To really change, as our father intended. I was changed, and I am now this, something, but that could only be from your torture." Tears well in her eyes, but she continues without a break in her voice, and as they steam away into mist about her, "I am sorry."
  The tarrasque nods, understanding the intent, but not the full explanation, obviously. He speaks, finally. "We should walk. Follow the Sun, find our own. The sorries have passed. No more." His large claw goes to comfort her. She embraces it, almost without her own control.
  When she does, a spark ignites, like a static shock between them, and she erupts into a larger form, one of beauty and majesty, one fit to pair with the beast. She kisses him.
  And time stops.
  They travel. Through light, through space, through being. One lifetime? A thousand lifetimes before they lose count, before the dance stops. Joy. Bliss. Celestial reminders of the cosmic dust, the primordial space and time from whence they were born.
  (1. Cherthiz and Birdman talk: "Hope". Beast born of our lands. 2. Ninui: saw something, a design of our people that seems to align with what you seek: Eros, to the lapids, one of hte seven summoned to their aid. She has one of these Primordials. 3. Aelizt sings a song of the Animaesus. [intimidation of Birdman: performance, insight, intimidation vs. investigation, survival, and insight])
Three days travel by upon their return. She back now in her normal form, but about his face, his shoulders, his tail and spines. Looking him over, following his feet, and the beat of his heart. She sings for him, and tells stories of the ages past when he slept and lost count. Told the story of his first awakening, of the death of the God, and the service to so many souls he served despite his pain and warnings, grumblings from the City of Salt. He travels onward, following the sun, and letting his sun finally be with him.
  She has dreamt every night. Her purpose has not waned. Her being. She is here for a reason, and those dreams turn to torment, to pain, to thoughts of nightmares only conceived by the divine. All done to him, her sweet beast and love. He can only be saved once. Now is that time. Your sacrifice, unfortunately has always been the cost. The change now was never foreseen. Yet, there is a chance. A small chance. Something of equal divinity could be sacrificed: many powerful beings: Eros, Stryke, Tenebris, Kaly, Pio, Goc, Dwarven Generals and leader/admiral. They could let it relent, but your time has already been spent, some would say wasted. Not I, of course, but others say, and will, and do. Take that to heart, Eember, my daughter.
  But from where do I go, father? From here? He is in all parts, innoscent, used by the many, you included! Why? Why do such souls? She pauses. Take me. Surely, you can! Take me, father!
  You being has always been part of the price. You are the ignition, not the candle. Both are here for the time they are meant to be.
  She awakes, on the ninth day, tired, diminished. She knows the beast's soul feeds on her with each passing day. After the last time, when Birman invited her to talk within his home, within this beast, her new friend. Her lover, her tied spirit through time and space. She cannot help but cry again.
  Him or you. They dance must end. The new age must begin to rise.
  "I cannot."
  The beast awakes, and before he can even say goodmorning, the smell of a familiar friend returns to the air. "Birdman is but a day away!"
  "Good." She attempts a compulsion towards happiness, but no more. "Then we must prepare for his arrival. I am sure he is not alone by what you explained, and maybe finally, the people will be with you instead of against you."
  Another day passes, on of bliss and time together. Each hour, each moment, though, Eember's energy and light wanes.

  Birdman will find the Tarrasque over her blacked-out body, in all senses of the word.



  107: The beast wails, and footsteps approach. Roll for initiative: get his attention or die. DC 25 Passive Insight of Tarrasque: Six checks (Birdman's presence makes it 6 instead of 9): Insight, Investigation, and/or Persuasion/Cha.

If convinced: he explains what happened, the love, the end dwindling light the last two days. Why are the gods so cruel?
If not convinced: the fight continues.   IF the fight lasts longer than 17 rounds, Eember dies. Then, there is not stopping the beast's rage.


However, they will spend inspiration to ensure. I will hold onto inspiration today. It is not about that today.


Ninui will protect the others, but also Birdman. They care little for Eros and Stryke until proven they are not Jourvian Dwarves. Flimn attacks indiscriminantly, but he will focus on the beast first. Whoever dies, dies, but they will be remembered as Fallen Walkers, Honorary if needed.


    Ceremony of Sacrifice: K'ash. He cannot die. The magic resists. (25 inspiration allows for the question, the attempt, the rolls still must be there: DC 30 Arcana, DC 30 Religion, DC 30 Persuasion. To Mystra, who ultimately is the one who will act against the primordial edicts for K'ash and his siblings. However, with the Fonts waning, the gods lose their control, and the times shift to secular views, magic torn and taken instead of given, gifted by the gods. Mystra is apprehensive, for this step moves mortals closer to magic, yes, but it also could lean to a blame of magic in the future. Jacq arrives, and he listens before he states: The change is needed. The new Horizon must rise, and to do that, the new darkness must come. A soul was needed, four in fact. K'ash, technically, is part of Barur's soul. Your souls would be more precious, carry more weight, being fresh and new. Mystra."
"Yes, my Lord of Change."
"What say you?"
"Eros has sparked my curiosity to these developements, the small, seemingly insignificant moves that shape this destiny you and the other primordials devised. I do not think any god could have predicted, except those already lost by fate, how mortals would play out those grande designs. Designations burgeoned before even my own ascension. The weight is clear, Father Changeling."
"Indeed, change: the only constant."
"Yet, constant, my liege, in so much that we cannot foresee how that change might even need to alter and mutate for itself. It evolves now, this universe and design, without your and the other All-Parents. Atar and Van have ensured this. Thus, I have come to term that I must convince my own brothers and sisters, and hopefulyl, you too, who can return to where I cannot, who can yell and scream from where mortals cannot even dream of daring to tread--and speak to the others, the high seats. Not just Valin and Vue, but also the edifices who claim omniscence and omnipresence in a way that not even the Master of Winds can muster, you my lord. Please! The fonts have a chance, the future a chance to persist, for we have let it burgeon and breath with in the mortals' breasts, and we must have faith their hearts will match the hearst of their creators, the gods, and indeed spark this constant change."

"Will you then, sacrifice what they will not?"
"How could I? Lady of the Arcane. Any siphon from me will but speed the demise of the Fonts, crush the wall and release the Eldrazi. My will blessed by your own mother assures this."

"Now, the mortals must bear the weight. Like a web, each strand is essential to weather the winds and elements of change. The Primordials and no different. K'ash was the first, beyond Fraction and Pocket and my other sons. His power founds the others in many ways, anchors them to this plane. Allows others to find a way home if lost out in the Astral Sea, for example."

"They did. Yet, now the mortals have attained powers that we must even revoke that energy after the fact. Perhaps they are the change we tried to enstill in the ancient prophecies and dogmas."


"Mortals, what say you?"


DC 30 Arcana, DC 30 Religion, DC 30 Persuasion.


1 Success: Eember dies, and then Jacq locks the primordial binding after the deaths of current pilots. He will send avatars to Barur to collect. Mystra vocalizes her anger, but does not stop him. If the group opposes, they are teleported away, and the beast is left to its own devices.


2 Success: Eember survives, and K'ash is sacrificed, but Jacq blocks pilots from bonding after the change in time in about a year, year 700. Mytstra accepts, and she teleports the others away, allowing the Beast to see Eember together, but Eember, seeing and hearing this news from Jacq, decides to go with him. This forces Tarrasque to eventually want to Planeswalk to find her.


3 succcess: Eember is transformed into a 'genasi' and so is 'the tarrasque'. They elope together with Mystra's help to another plane. (She will eventually be killed, and this will spawn his angered adventure as planeswalker, but that's for next campaign.) He is named before he leaves.