Companion Jam: Post-Zerua

The God Squad has defeated terrible foes and trained in strange lands. It is time for them to get back into gear and get going in Samvara!   Also, time for a level up.   Easiest was Iremla since her purpose as an ally was research, plain and simple. She agreed to act as a researcher studying any information or samples of Apocalypse-aligned things that God Squad sends her way. In between studies, Iremla decided to act as a scientific liaison between God Squad's allies, particularly the Empire of Shirpatra and the Empire of Zerua, to aid in the exchange of knowledge, technologies, and medicines.   Arzet also bound a new vestige: Omiani the Final Vestige. This vestige seemed actively hostile to Arzet and therefore provided no new powers. While Iremla and the Maradians were simple assignments, the Gods quickly noticed exhaustion, discontent, and discord among their battle-ready companions. This was obvious right off the bat with Imora, who the Gods were concerned with given her recent infection with Rot Plague. While Imora's recovery was successful, she seemed to be exhausted, anxious, overcompensating, and generally a bit 'off.' Topin was even stranger, and seemed to be covering up a deep and violent angst with performative cheer. The little Vesper gave Kipilu a rather disturbing notebook, which charted out Topin's plan to have Kipilu seize total control of major governments to enforce order. Topin's plan was immature and politically silly, but it became clear that the young Guardian of Hokzin was trying to use his military training to solve big problems - and that he was terrified that no one seemed to be taking the Apocalypse seriously.   As Kipilu talked with these companions, it also became clear that they had been bickering with Ezia Mahabatu - who they claimed had been insulting and belittling them. Imora had responded to this by fixating on trying to impress and one-up Ezia, to earn Ezia's approval through sheer negging and badgering. Imora was dealing with feelings of inadequacy and seemed generally agitated and clingy. Topin, meanwhile, was too deep in a constant state of panic to seriously register Ezia's complaints.   Kipilu and Potha decided to keep Imora sidelined from serious action, and to bench Topin entirely by having him stay here in Suwirsha helping the city government part-time as a productive feeling semi-vacation. Imora seemed very concerned with leaving Topin alone and agreed to stay in the city as well after that. The Gods agreed, though there was some concern about the two companions becoming codependent.   The Gods spoke with Ezia for her side of the story - first Arzet, who checked in on Ezia as his apprentice, and then Makar. Ezia wanted to focus on work and magic and had to be encouraged to gossip to share her side. The Gods also spoke with her about her ambitions to get more powerful and her eagerness to travel to the Khilaian Isles.   With all sides laid out, the Gods began to reconstruct what had happened. The companions had slowly been simmering during their early adventure, as Ezia was annoyed with Imora's mean-spirited commentary and Topin's judgmental attitude towards Zeruan culture. The Great Flood of Elorta, which the Gods had left these companions to handle the disaster response of, had deeply traumatized all three youths and turned mild annoyance into open fighting. Imora had been wounded early on and then become sick, and Ezia had periodically frozen amidst the chaos. A lot of the work had fallen to Topin, whose military training had provided structure and focus for a consistent disaster response. But Topin had, over those grueling days of constant misery and sleepless work, also acted as an obedient soldier without much thinking or examination. He had chosen the corrupt mayor of Elorta as his commanding officer, and the mayor had guided Topin's response to prioritize wealthier and middle-class districts. Topin had also become paranoid, violent, and irritable, threatening civilians repeatedly with violence if they refused his orders. Over time, Ezia collected herself and tried to assert her own ideas for the disaster effort, but was shut down by Topin - who was in a blind panic around Imora's developing illness. The Sunekans teamed up to shut down Ezia, who they regarded as hypercritical and unhelpful, while Ezia tore into Imora's failings. Topin was left shellshocked by his experience handling the worst of the disaster, while the other two were bitterly emotionally wounded.   Aside from the teen infighting, the God Squad also spent some time and bonded with their companions during their slow day at Suwirsha. Ezia Mahabatu spent time chatting and grabbing almond-sugar crepes with Arzet and spent some time thawing their relationship to be less anxious and professional. She also spent time hanging out with Makar as a friend; she and Makar promised they'd be best friends even if she was no longer tactically useful.   Zofara also checked in with Makar and asked for some time off. His encounter with Kasmir the Rot had created tension with his patron (The Scarred One ) and he needed more substantial time off to collect himself properly. Makar encouraged Zofara to get some adult friends, which Zofara agreed about - he had been playing mediator between teenagers for too long.   Aysha explained that she had been asking the Observer for periodic updates on the God Squad's journey and had been impressed by the group's actions in the Empire of Zerua. Aysha felt that while the Zerua expedition wasn't perfect, the Gods had been forced to make difficult choices and had acted compassionately and righteously given those constraints. She also wanted to ask permission before she continued following the Squad's adventures from afar, to make it less a matter of surveillance. It seems that Potha in particular had earned some of Aysha's respect, even if she hadn't earned her forgiveness.   Aysha seemed particularly gentle and compassionate with Potha due to her concern around Eada. The Observer had failed to mention Eada's fate and Aysha had noticed her sudden dissapearance from the narrative (and Eada had failed to return home), so Aysha wondered whether Eada had died somewhere along the journey. Potha explained that Eada was actually a shapeshifter created by the Nemeses who had been acting as a spy. Aysha was sympathetic to Potha's plight and to her desire to save Eada despite the betrayal: Aysha felt strongly that if the Observer could be taught to be their own person, any creature of the Apocalypse could be and that the desire to help such creatures break free from their destiny was noble. Aysha made it clear that she would be willing to help Eada break free from her condition if Potha brought Eada back to Suwirsha, and said that Haru would also probably be sympathetic to that cause.   Aysha and Potha connected during their conversation and while Aysha insisted on her moral criticisms of Halcyon and Potha generally she was willing to put them aside in a small way to comfort Potha. Potha agreed to start reading Ayshan writings critiquing Halcyon and articulating Aysha's feelings, and Aysha seemed open to a future relationship with Potha as long as they continue to share the same values.