Lotty continues to stare at Null's portrait, willing it to update. Flynn continues to doubt Null's loyalty, then wanders off to resummon his genie jar. Berrik continues to awkwardly hover. After a while, Flynn decides to send a message to Latharial and let her know that Null is alive and should be back soon. He mostly gets the message across. Latharial thanks him and asks for an update if anything changes. Flynn next sends a message to Remmi, but it goes unanswered. Curious, Flynn messages Latharial again to ask about Remmi, opening his message with a comment about Remmi's mobility. Latharial is not happy about that and says so in her response, also adding that Remmi is gravely ill and is unlikely to make it through the next couple of days. Flynn takes this in and replies that he thinks he can help. The warlock turns to his friends and tells them about Remmi. Would they go with him to the Last Stand Inn? Lotty declines, too engrossed in watching the portrait and in processing the horrible events of the day. Berrik will go, however. Flynn turns to Derrik and warns him not to lay a hand on Lotty while they're gone. Derrik scoffs in return and condescendingly pats the goblin on the head, smushing down Flynn's hair. Flynn is incensed and casts Command on Derrik - "Kneel". Derrik, by definition as good of a wizard as Berrik is, immediately recognizes what's going on and casts Counterspell. Flynn, determined to make a point, Counterspells Derrik's Counterspell. Flynn wins the Counterspell battle but the simulacrum resists the Command none the less. Flynn comes out of this one kinda victorious and most certainly on Derrik's shit list.
The goblin and the hobgoblin then set off through the ruined streets of Sierrona, the smoke from Flynn's cigar blending in with smoking piles of rubble around them. Lotty, Grug and Derrik remain at the villa. Derrik tries make small talk with Lotty, but she largely ignores him. He slinks away to the library, defeated. Grug hangs out, quietly keeping Lotty company.
Before too long, Flynn and Berrik arrive at the Last Stand Inn. The place is fuller than usual, but not in a merry way. The bar area seems more akin to a field hospital - the wounded and downtrodden fill the booths and tables. The entrance to Syndicate HQ below is boarded up and closed. Flynn and Berrik walk over to a table near the unmanned bar. Latharial is there, still bearing the wounds she received earlier in the day. The Lady of Uud looks troubled as she studies the papers spread out in front of her, but she looks up to greet them. Flynn and Berrik sit down, and Flynn asks about Remmi. Latharial lets them know that Remidon "Remmi" Remington, the storied leader of the Remington Syndicate, is currently isolated in one of the inn's rooms and he is dying. Latharial explains that Remmi is afflicted with a curse called Soul Rot. It's as devastating as it sounds - the condition slowly deteriorates his health and healing magic won't work. And when he does die his body will explode, spreading Soul Rot to anyone caught in the surrounding area. Berrik's wizard brain starts flipping through his rolodex of spells, searching for anything that might help. Flynn turns to his jar and opens it, asking Mordecai what he knows. The genie is in a bathrobe, clearly caught in a private moment, but before he retreats out of sight he does take a moment to confirm to Flynn that Soul Rot destroys both body and soul. There is no known way to cure it.
 |
| Symptoms of Soul Rot may present in myriad ways, but the end result is always the same. |
Flynn turns back to Latharial, a bit more contrite than usual. He pulls several healing potions out of his pocket and slides them across the table to her, assigning a different sender to each one. This is probably the closest Flynn will ever get extending an olive branch, and everyone else at the table recognizes it. Berrik's wizard brain rolodex stops spinning for a moment, landing on the spell Sequester. He brings it up as a potential option to buy Remmi some time, but he needs more time to mull it over. Berrik and Flynn take their leave and return to the villa. Evening has fallen and Lotty has not moved from her post in front of the portrait. Flynn and Berrik relay the news about Remmi, but Lotty barely seems to hear them. She says she will sleep here tonight. Flynn and Grug drag over some kitchen furniture and stay with her, while Berrik retreats to his room to ponder the Sequester spell further.
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Null awakes in her childhood room, looking across it to an empty bed. Vi is an early riser, it seems. Null gets up and starts snooping (can you snoop your own stuff)? She looks at the shared nightstand and dresser, going through both. A small, handmade music box catches her eye. As she picks it up, a faint memory resurfaces - The man who died when she and Vi were taken, the man she believes to be her father, made this for his children. She opens it, hoping to hear it play, but the trinket is broken. Null pockets it, hoping she can manage to explain all of this to Lotty. Maybe she can find a way to fix it.
Null wanders out to the warm kitchen, following the scent of fresh baking. Vi has been busy. A loaf of bread with fruit in it rests on the table and a kettle is heating on the stove. Vi is keeping an eye on it. She doesn't turn to face Null, but says that coffee will be ready soon. Null grabs a piece of blueberry bread and joins her sister, trying to meet her gaze. Vi's demeanor is still warm, but she seems distant this morning. Vi asks how the bread is and Null, already stuffing her face, says it's delicious. This is the first time in a long time she hasn't felt the urge to check something for poison. The sisters catch up a bit further - Null has more questions:
Shards of Divinity: Shards of Divinity are relics of the Divine Cataclysm, they were awarded to champions of the gods (I think -Emily). Vi used the one she got from Morrow's vault to free herself. The one she used on Null she stole from the vaults of demon twins Sextus and Seppia, the former cartel leaders of Palirano (and likely current allies of Calitrax). Null is relieved to hear that shards are "used up" during the process to remove the tattoo, and that she doesn't have some weird divine artifact embedded in her neck. Vi mentions that she used to be a student of Ezra's and that they disagreed on the use of the shards, with Ezra leaning towards caution and Vi entertaining risky endeavours.
Ezra: Yes, Vi knows Ezra. She believes he knows some part of her story, but not the complete one. He likely does not know her connection to Null. So will Vi be joining Remmi to go rescue Ezra as planned? Vi isn't sure - She doesn't know the current status of things back in Sierrona or if she'd even be welcome back. Plus with the news of their mother, her priorities may have changed. Vi trusts Null to determine where her skills are best placed.
Family: Thinking of her mother, Null is reminded of something that's been bothering her. Why would their family be targeted by Azher in the first place? Vi isn't certain - perhaps something that runs in the family that makes them more viable for experimentation [exalted soul?]. Maybe that's why their mother was kept alive. Null wonders why their father and brother were killed then? Vi shrugs - perhaps we will discover more when we free our mother.
Orphanage: Null asks Vi why she didn't stop her from going to the orphanage after Berrik dispelled the tattoo the first time. Vi explains that dispelling the mark would have only been temporary - she wasn't truly free then. Vi also had no idea what she would even find at the orphanage and didn't want to blow her cover just yet. Vi knows that Null has built a life for herself and didn't want to be overbearing and interfere.
Misc: Null, reminded of what she went through upon her return to the orphanage, tries to segue into something happier. She has built a life for herself, yes, with the Ashen Company and with Latharial. Did Vi know that Latharial proposed earlier the previous day? Vi is taken aback but puts on a smile for her sister. She doesn't seem to be the marrying type and Null picks up on this, immediately processing that into self-doubt about her own impending nuptials. Overall, Vi seems happy to see her sister happy and will attend the wedding if Null wants her there, but she seems almost skeptical of the future Latharial (and also the Ashen Company) can provide for Null.
Null and Vi finish breakfast. Null knows she has to go soon. Vi suggests teleporting Null back to "Mira's" study so that Null can check on things and judge if Vi might even be welcome back in Sierrona. Vi seems doubtful, but Null is clearly desperate to reconcile her two families. Null agrees to follow the plan, but stresses that Vi can't just walk out of her life again - she's worried Vi will send her back and disappear on a lone wolf mission. Vi jokes that she could just modify Null's memory again if she wanted, but that comment cuts through Null like a knife. That's the thing she's sensitive about!
Vi conjures up a map to show Null exactly where their family home is - 3 hours walk north of Pacapa. If they ever lose track of each other, they can always find each other back here. Null and Vi hug each other goodbye, and Null stretches it into an uncomfortably long embrace. After a few minutes, Vi breaks the hug and comments on it. Null has always desperately clung to her loved ones, but Vi doesn't seem to know that. Maybe it's co-dependency? Maybe it's abandonment issues? Maybe she hangs on too long because she understands that memory is malleable and the people she loves are what she uses to anchor her to reality. An outside observer might wonder if Vi's past actions are part of the reason why Null's psyche is so damaged, but Null's logic doesn't get that far. She just feels embarrassed. She steps back, tries to casually hide a stray tear, and softly apologizes to her sister for being so awkward. Vi draws the chalk sigil for the circle under the Last Stand Inn. Before walking through, Null looks to her sister, nods, and says she will see her soon.
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Lotty rouses at the ass crack of dawn and knows the grave task that awaits her. She checks the portrait and sees that Null is healthy now. Good, because this cannot wait. She sneaks past her sleeping companions and out of the villa, making her way down to the Sierrona docks. As she reaches the end of the longest pier, she takes a moment to cast Fly on herself. She rises and flies out to sea - one, two, three minutes out. Her stomach drops, and she feels the weight of what she must do. Her heart is filled with regret and ... wait no, that's heartburn. It's time. Lotty quickly drops trou and shotguns the laxative potion Aunt Ella had made her. The effect is immediate and violent. A barrage of fireball beads and feces hit the water below her and seconds later she sees the ecological consequences of her actions. Lotty gazes upon the fishkill and sighs, acknowledging the latest victims of the terrorist attacks on Sierrona before turning around to return to shore. On her way back, she passes a vessel full of bewildered fishermen who saw everything. Their mouths are agape. Are they horrified? Impressed? Disgusted? Yes. Does Lotty care in the least about the display she has just provided? No. Lotty has one less thing weighing on her after this truly shitty day.
As she gets back to the Villa and settles back in to the chair she had fallen asleep in she see Null's portrait has changed location - she's at the Last Stand Inn, she unceremoniously rouses the group, barks some orders and they all rush to the Inn.
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Meanwhile Null appears in "Mira's" study. The place is in shambles. Ascending the stairs, she sees that the rest of the Syndicate HQ is in similar disarray. She asks a nearby guard where everyone is - Upstairs. Don't worry, the boarded up facade of the door is an illusion. She walks up as the rest of the Ashen Company are entering the Inn. They rush to greet each other and Lotty makes sure to inspect Null for damage right away. Lotty apologizes, saying that she broke the infusion on the amulet the night before so that Null would be easier to track down. Not to worry, she can whip one up very soon. Null replies that she actually doesn't need the amulet anymore and pulls aside her hair to show off the wicked scar at the back of her neck. We need to talk - Can we sit down? Flynn plays bartender and serves them breakfast beers whilst Null explains best she can the events of the previous evening - her disappearance in the sewers, the homestead, the shard, the memories, Vi's deception, Remmi's deception, Calitrax as the "bad" Vi... everything. As she explains she realizes how farfetched this all sounds, no matter how much she knows it to be true. Flynn seems to understand although he somehow gets it in his head that Vi and Calitrax are twins rather than Calitrax has been impersonating Vi to do evil deeds. Berrick takes his time to mull it over and Grug is happy there is ale.
.
Lotty takes the news less well, firing off questions and not seeming to take in to account how harrowing this has been for Null. Why would Calitrax have any reason to target the Ashen Company long before they met the Zanidonia crew? Who was it that stood idly by while Lotty killed a friend in the belief that it was Vi? If Vi & Remmi were such good friends why did she cast spells and steal from the vault instead of explaining then? Why did Remmi send the group after Vi? Why did Vi down both Lotty & Rhone in a fight? Which "Vi" was it that was an old student of Ezra and betrayed him? What proof did Vi offer of her story? All valid questions. Null doesn't have all the answers, but she explains that if everyone can hold their temper she can let Vi know it's safe to return and maybe she'll have answers Lotty needs. Null feels deep inside that Vi is a good person. She set her free. This is all pretty outlandish, but Vi's actions over the past 24 hours are anything but malicious.
Null then asks for an update on the attacks of the previous night. She heard a red tiefling attacked the Inn. Is Remmi okay? Did Lotty's family make out of the destroyed McFini shop okay? The table fills Null in on Remmi's prognosis and the kidnapping of Lotty's family. She feels guilty for taking everyone's time and attention away from those pressing matters. Berrik brings up the Sequester spell as an option for Remmi, having mulled it over the previous night. Flynn thinks to message Latharial that Null is back and the reply comes in loud and clear from two tables over. Oh shit. Getting up, Null sheepishly apologizes to Latharial. She asks her to join them - L should really hear this. Latharial is cold at first and refuses to sit in the chair Null offers her. As Null goes over everything again, Latharial's demeanor softens and she moves across the table to be near her. Latharial is equally supportive and protective of Null. She acknowledges that this story is wild but trusts Null's instincts and understands her desire to connect with Vi. The Lady of Uud affirms her love for Null, but makes sure to clarify that if Vi hurts Null, she will kill her herself. Null tries to allay her worries, explaining the ways that Vi has been looking after Null all this time. That's the last straw for Lotty who scoffs at the idea Vi has been looking after Null and asks: Where was Vi when Null was in a fight? Who's been protecting her in battle? Who's saved Null's life? Who's been there for Null for the last year or so? Picked the pieces when she was at her worst? Comforted her at her darkest moments? The Ashen Company, not Vi. Lotty storms off to sit at the bar and grabs a drink.
The group at the table discusses ways of knowing for sure if Null's recovered memories are true. A greater restoration targeted on Null's memories would clear things up. Flynn calls out for a cleric and after getting fleeced for a couple of bottles of whiskey (that Flynn stole from the bar anyway - Lotty slips 20 gp behind the bar), Latharial says that she can cast that spell, she just needs 100gp worth of diamond dust. Null realises Lotty probably has that in her bag of holding... awkward! The rogue slinks towards the bar to make amends.
Null stands behind the bar to look Lotty in the eye and pours herself a drink, slamming it back before she works up the courage to speak. She tells Lotty of the plan to cast Greater Resoration on Null and the need for components. Lotty replies sarcastically that of course, good old dependable Lotty is always there when you need her! Ouch. Null admits to Lotty that she understands everything she's telling them sounds untrue and explains that she doesn't expect Lotty to believe her after all she's gone through. All she asks is that Lotty to trust her on one thing - that Null will do everything she can to get Lotty's family back. Lotty clarifies that it's not Null she doesn't trust, it's Vi. Lotty explains that she agrees with Latharial - she wants to believe Null's/Vi's story but her experience has taught her that woman is poison. And, like Latharial, she promises to kill Vi with her bare hands if she ever hurts Null. It's hard for Lotty to believe the story, having suffered so much and lost friends and family at Vi's hand. Null will have to limit her expectations of how much Lotty can forgive and forget. Lotty goes on to say she looks at Null as the daughter she never had and she loves her so much she can't correlate the thought of Null being related to someone so evil but apparently not evil.
Null takes it all in. She tells her that she knows what it's like to doubt. Every day she grapples with the doubt that her memories are what they were yesterday, that reality is exactly how it's presented to her. Doubt is her constant companion, or it was until yesterday. Vi's story should have alarmed her, made her suspect ulterior motives. But it didn't. The doubt was gone. She's never felt so at home with the truth of anything before. She knows that Vi is her family, just like the Ashen Company are her family. She loves Lotty too. Null's appeal seems to get through to Lotty. The two hug it out, like they always do. Lotty still has doubts, valid ones, but Null feels that she's at least gotten to a place that she won't attack Vi on sight. Lotty asks Null for a glass - no, a clean one. Null wipes the dregs of whisky out of her glass and slides it over to Lotty, who fills it with 100 gp of diamond dust.
Together, Lotty and Null return to the table, where Flynn (who apparently can't discern platonic affection from romantic affection) has just implied to Latharial that Lotty might be her competition. Classic Flynn. Null sits down next to Latharial and gives her the almost clean glass of diamond dust. Latharial gets to work, reciting the incantation and holding her hands to the side of Null's head. The spell completes and Null feels no different, giving them even more reason to trust what Vi told Null is true. There still things she can't remember, but those things seem to be beyond the scope of Modify Memory. The table quietly processes their... relief? Until a guard walks over and whispers to Latharial that Remmi is awake. Not wasting a second Lotty, followed by the rest of the group, rushes to his room.
Remmi's got some 'splainin' and survivin' to do.
