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-[[voyager70|Back to the session description]]
-====== Voyager70 - 3 February 2006 - The Final Trial ======
-==== Roderick's fateful vision ====
-Roderick,
-The sound of women singing rouses you from what feels like a deep slumber.
-Their voices are sweet and intensely beautiful - and even though the language
-is one you do not understand, they invoke deep emotions of pain and sadness.
-As your mind tries feebly to understand the words (or at least the emotions),
-you realize you are lying on your back in what you sense to be some kind of
-natural cavern.  The ground is hard, but smooth, and high above you a field
-of fuzzy stars light what should be the ceiling.  Though the singing echoes
-as if you are indoors, the visual above you makes it seem as if you had made
-camp in an open field.
-You have no idea how you got here.
-Slowly, your mind begins to fill in the gaps.  The stars above you are not so
-much "fuzzy" as they are long - as if they have been stretched into strings
-by the gods.
-Then you remember the pyramid and the insane celestial.  You remember the
-sounds of his spell and the way the resonance of his magic words filled your
-ears, your head, then your entire body.
-You turn your head to the right.  To the left.  There should be the facets of
-the soul gem.  You should still see the battle field beyond the indistinct
-walls of the magic gem.  Had it failed?  Are you truly dead?  And if so, is
-your life finally over?
-As these thoughts worm their way into your mind, the singing abruptly stops.
-You pull yourself to a sitting position and see three women looking at you.
-The first is young and she is pulling a long thread from what looks like a
-skein of glowing yarn.  She hands the thread to the second woman - who is
-perhaps close to your age - who uses a pair of long needles to weave it into
-a large, but diaphanous tapestry that floats next to her.  The third woman is
-old, wrinkled, and hunched over the tapestry with a small pair of scissors.
-She is carefully and expertly snipping threads as they wriggle from the
-second woman's needles.
-[[http://thelostleaf.com/image.asp?imgName=4.jpg&folder=13&artID=560|Visual Aid]]
-"The Rivers expected more death from your trials.  We did not see the need to
-correct their misconceptions."
-The three speak in a strange unison.  One starts the sentence, which is
-continued by the second, and finished by the third.  There is no gap in their
-speech and, while the whole is disconcerting, if you closed your eyes, you'd
-be hard pressed to tell that more than one person was speaking.
-"As you are more resilient than they expected, it should be no surprise that
-you have passed your trials."
-Your memory is clear now.  It certainly doesn't //feel// like you passed any
-trials.
-The True Seeing spell you cast earlier appears to still be active and as you
-look around, the significance of the women and their tapestry becomes
-clearer. The three women must be what the Lowlanders call "The Fates".  They
-are (in order by age) Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos and their role is to
-weave the threads of life.  Clotho spins the thread, Lachesis weaves it, and
-Atropos cuts it.  Each thread represents a single life and the way the
-threads meander through the larger tapestry determines the fate of that
-life - who they interact with and when they die.
-The tapestry floats in pieces around the three women - but then stretches
-above them and arches over you in a never-ending weave.  The threads glow
-with different colors and intensities.  Those nearest to you on the ground
-can be seen as part of the whole - while those father up fade into darkness,
-leaving only the brightest visible as point sources of light.
-As you scan the tapestry nearest you, you spot a single thread.  At first,
-you see it as a light green thread - but then your sight shows you more.  It
-is Thomas, a blacksmith who lives in a small village near the city of
-Restenford on Lendore Island.  Your eyes scan the length of the thread and
-his life unfolds before you.  A light yellow thread intersects his and the
-two begin a tight, spiraling dance around each other.  A third thread splits
-off from the two. Then a fourth.  And a fifth.  Then, an unaffiliated thread
-crosses harshly and Thomas ends.  The yellow thread stretches a short
-distance farther before fading into darkness.
-"Imhotep has granted the sight to you, Roderick.  But be wary of where you
-look. The future is the most dangerous knowledge of all."
-Their voices draw you away from the tapestry and you notice to your left a
-stone pedestal with a large book.  Its pages appear to be made of bronze and
-its covers and binding of iron.  Above the open page, a marble stylus hovers
-magically, etching words at a furious pace.  When it reaches the end of the
-page, it floats to the side and the metal page flips to the next.  The stylus
-returns to the top of the new page and begins again.
-You take a moment to stand before asking, "Where am I?".  But as soon as you
-ask the question, you realize the answer is not relevant.  You struggle for a
-better question, you mind still somewhat overwhelmed by the inrush of data
-from the tapestry.
-The women smile, but do not answer your question - as if they already know
-you don't care about the answer.
-Then, in a flash, the questions flow.  "Why am I here?  Who controls these
-'trials'?  How do we get home?"
-As you speak, you feel a slight embarrassment for asking so much at once, but
-the women begin their answers almost before you finish the last question.
-"You are here because your soul left your body while within one of our true
-recreations - what your guide, Kir Ganin, calls your 'Trials'.
-"We were tasked with building these trials.  Hades would only allow safe
-passage from his realm if the journey was difficult.  The Rivers wanted you
-to the surface in safety, so a compromise was needed.  In the end, it was
-agreed that we who weave the threads of life would control the difficulty of
-your trials, while The Rivers were allowed to watch from within - though they
-could not assist you.  Eurynome chose this task - which was difficult for her
-since she was very close to her sister, Leuce, and still hates Hades for what
-he did to her.
-"Because the recreations existed in Hades' realm, we were limited in what we
-could use.  The buildings, the land, and other non-sentients could be used as
-needed for these things straddle the lands of the living and the dead.
-However, only sentients who had already died could live again within the
-setting.  To set the level of the challenge, in some cases we brought in
-opponents that had not existed in the original setting.
-"When you reach the surface, you will be out of Hades' realm and your magic
-will allow a return to your world."
-The answers seem complete, but soon the next round of questions begins to
-fill your mind.  You are determined not to blurt them out all at once again,
-so you hesitate - trying to decide which is the most important.
-"Who are the Rivers?  Why do they protect us?" you ask.
-"The Rivers are the daughters of the Ocean.  There are thousands of them and
-each inhabits and draws its power from one of the rivers on the twenty
-worlds. It is not our place to reveal the answer to the rest of your
-question."
-The questions jumble through your mind.  For some reason, you sense that you
-have limited time and will be unable to ask them all.
-"Who was Leuce and what did Hades do to her?"  The question interests you,
-but seems less important than others that bounce through your mind.  Why it
-came to the surface makes you doubt that you are even in control of this
-conversation.
-"Leuce was one of the Rivers.  Hades coveted her beauty and wanted her for
-his bride - but, like most goddesses, she refused him.  This angered him, so
-he took her by force.  To keep her from leaving him, he turned her into a
-white Poplar, a tree that stands to this day on the edge of the Elysian
-Fields, marking the end of Hades realm.
-"But this is all in the past - and the past cannot be undone.  Only the
-future remains open."
-The invisible sense of urgency rises.  You glance around, trying to clear
-your mind and conceal the rising tension.  The tapestry seems to beckon.  The
-true sight remains and a thread stands out.
-Like the undeniable attraction of a horror, your eyes follow the length of
-the thread.  It is Mosal of Resh - a farmer.  His thread meanders aimlessly
-and intersects dozens of others, but never entwines like Thomas of Restenford
-did. And then, it stops suddenly.  Its glow is not cut off like that of
-Thomas, nor fades like Thomas' wife's.  Instead, it ends without warning -
-without reason. And you sense an invisible thread.  A great, menacing force.
-You pull your gaze back and see a pattern.  Something vast and evil murdered
-thousands in an instant - and you remember the fate of Resh.  The entire
-kingdom fell in a day, just over four years ago.  Many stories have been put
-forth about what happened, but none seemed believable.
-While the horror of Resh startles you, the draw of the tapestry remains.  You
-move your gaze elsewhere to find perhaps a happier thread.  You see Kaliss, a
-Goblin prostitute working among the Orcs who now live in the abandoned Elven
-kingdom of Pleven.  Her life is full of misery and you can bear only the
-briefest of looks.
-Next is a young man named Syl.  His thread crosses that of a great wizard
-named Pelham and changes color.  Where before, you sensed joy and adventure,
-after you see only more misery.
-You move away again.  Somewhere in all these threads, there must be
-redemption. Some lives that are not cut short by evil or altered beyond
-repair.
-A spell tickles your mind.  A gift from Imhotep that remains uncast.
-"Discern Location".  Normally, it is meant to find a person or object.  But
-now, you realize, it can be used to find a thread.  It is a long and complex
-spell. Would the Fates allow it to be cast?
-You glance at the three women - who are watching you with an almost maternal
-grin on their faces.
-"Imhotep's sight will last only a short time - and even now, your friends are
-preparing your return.  You may cast your spell and find one life in the
-tapestry.  Whom do you seek?"
-You think for just a moment and then speak.  "The only life I have the right
-to delve into is my own."
-The women smile and share a quiet glance with each other.  "You demonstrate
-why the gods have chosen you, Roderick.  You need not cast your spell."
-And then, out of the corner of your eye, a light turns your head.  A thread
-stands out from the others, its glow oddly familiar.  It weaves a slow spiral
-along with several other threads - though not as tight as Thomas and his
-wife. You follow it and see familiar events: The dead city of Myagmarsuren,
-The tower amid serpents whose top stretched into chaos, The rubble at the
-resort that buried the only way home.
-You marvel at the threads that cross yours.  At first, you see only the ones
-that intersect and end.  So many lives cut short.
-But then, you trace a few of those back and see the path of destruction they
-themselves had made.
-And you begin to notice the other things.  Faint threads that cross yours and
-bloom into a bright line, spinning off light in all directions.
-Back to your own thread, you begin to see events from Teleme and realize you
-are following the thread into the past.  You hesitate at the realization, but
-then begin scanning the other direction.  Your heart races.  Should you keep
-looking? Is the future knowable?  And if you know, can you change it?
-These thoughts crowd out your reason for a moment, but the curiosity
-overrules them all.  You keep going.
-Threads leave the bundle.  New threads arrive.  More and more intersections
-are cut short.  There are demons and dragons and death everywhere.  And then
-nothing.
-The thread vanishes.  Soon.  Too soon.  The entire bundle of threads vanishes
-into nothing.
-But there is a difference.  While other threads either fade slowly or end at
-the crossing with another life, the bundle you know as "Voyager" dangles into
-an abyss.  You have seen this kind of end on many other threads and the
-assumption you made was that it was some kind of natural, but early, death.
-If a man falls from a cliff, his bright thread stops suddenly without
-intersecting another. But how could the entire party end in the same manner?
-Surely, an accident could not take you all!
-You scan the area trying to make sense of it.  And as your pull your vision
-back, you begin to understand a larger picture.
-There is a shadow across the tapestry.
-Before you even think to ask a question, the women speak.  "When Shadow
-conquered Limbo, he took on the aspect of Chaos.  Now, his fate is beyond our
-control.  And so, those who interact with him are beyond us, as well.  If he
-is not stopped, his gloom will cover the tapestry and there will be no plan."
-You try to study the shadow, but see no detail.  Nothing for your true sight
-to connect with.  After a minute or so, you realize you have become
-transfixed.  As there is nothing to learn from your future thread, you force
-yourself to look elsewhere.  Partly from nostalgia, and partly from fear of
-the coming shadow, you trace it back again into the past.  Perhaps there is
-comfort in your youth.
-You see Daniel again.  It was good to meet him on the road yesterday.  For a
-moment, you wonder why he is in Hades' realm instead of living in the eternal
-peace of the offering fields.  Could he have failed Anubis's judgement?  No.
-You shake that thought from your mind as soon as it appears.
-Daniel's thread follows your own for several years, with frequent excursions
-out and back.  His thread bolstered many and cut short none.  A tinge of
-shame returns.  Your thread has cut short many - and even though those who
-fell by your hand deserved little else, it is still beyond Imhotep's
-teaching.
-And then, you recognize a thread.
-Of the many threads that Daniel bolstered, one became far brighter than the
-average.  It is Waran, the man Daniel healed on the road just ... yesterday.
-No ... 22 years ago.
-Shortly after his encounter with Daniel, his thread spirals loosely around a
-woman named Velova and then branches away in one direction just before
-Vincent springs from Velova in the other direction.
-Your curiosity battles with your desire to be discreet.  Then, you hear the
-women's voices from earlier: "The past cannot be undone."  Surely, this is
-acceptable.  You are merely delving into the past.  Unlocking secrets just as
-Imhotep demands.
-You follow Waran back.  Who was he?  Why was he fighting the goblins?
-His thread fades as you follow it back in time until finally, it merges with
-what appears to be a family unit.  His brother, Areno.  Areno's wife,
-Nysriss. The couple's two children: the baby Teir, and the child ... Aramil.
-You stop looking toward the past and shift your view toward the future.  A
-sea of red threads swarm across the family.  Areno dead.  Nysriss dead.  Teir
-dead. But Aramil's thread meanders erratically in one direction as Waran's
-drifts off in another.
-Aramil's thread merges with a coupled pair named Laryn and Delkin.  Laryn's
-thread wanders away from Delkin often and then shuts off suddenly.  Delkin
-and Aramil continue on until the child becomes an adult.
-The pieces of the puzzle begin to connect.
-Aramil and Vincent are cousins.  Bigby's father, Dellpol, sold a potion of
-forgetfulness to Laryn.  Your own priest, Daniel, brought Vincent's father
-back from near death.
-The threads of your lives were entwined long before you ever met at the
-resort.
-The gods have a plan for all of you.
-Praise be to Imhotep!
-And then you hear a word of power echo through the cavern.  It is Bigby
-speaking the command word for your soul gem.
-The world shifts and sharp, intense pains stab deep into your chest and
-abdomen. You are back in the tomb where the Angel of Imhotep crushed the life
-from you. Your body, however, has not been sufficiently repaired.  You cannot
-see out of one eye, cannot move your legs, and cannot breathe.
-In a few seconds, you will be dead again.
-==== Back amongst the group ====
-//per emails//: Flint casts //"Cure Serious Wounds"// on Roderick.  Roderick then
-casts //"Regeneration"// on himself.
-After Flint casts his healing spell, Roderick regains consciousness.  As he
-is still badly damaged (and in no small amount of pain), he immediately casts
-a spell on himself - which brings him to a state of some comfort (or at least
-stability), though he is still in need of additional healing.
-Before any of you can offer assistance, he declares that he has an urgent
-need to cast another spell - but he requires prayer time before he can ready
-it.
-As tradition dictates a certain compassion for the dead and recently dead,
-the group decides it would be best to leave Roderick in peace while he
-prepares whatever spell he requires.
-Fifteen minutes later, he is ready...
-He gets up, strides over to the dead Planetar and begins a spell.  It's an
-unusually long one, but after a minute, he finishes and the creature stirs to
-life.
-//Bigby: "Revive Outsider"//
-The Planetar begins to stand up - its great size would normally tower over
-Roderick - but it stops short, remains on one knee and bows his head.
-"Forgive me, hem-netjer, I have fallen.  I have forsaken Imhotep and deserve
-nothing but to have my heart eaten by Ammit."
-Roderick reaches out a hand and places it on the Planetar's head (which, even
-though bowed, is still above Roderick's shoulder).  "It was not of your
-doing. The creature within you was responsible.  He has been destroyed ..."
-At this, Roderick pauses, turns back to the rest of the party and says, "It
-is gone, right?"
-When he sees a couple of heads nod, he turns back to the Planetar.  "Rise up,
-friend.  Serve our master again and Imhotep alone will decide your fate."
-The creature lifts his head slowly, then after a moment's pause, he stands to
-his full nine feet.  He flexes his shoulders and his grey, mottled wings snap
-out to their full extent at a blinding speed.  The dirt and grime that appear
-to have accumulated over time are shaken loose and the pure, white color of
-the feathers is restored.  The room seems to become brighter.
-He brings his wings back to a folded position and reaches toward Roderick.
-"You have the mark of Hades on you.  Let me rid you of that curse."
-He casts a spell and touches Roderick's forehead.
-//Roderick: "Heal"//
-Then, he closes his eyes for a moment and cups his hands together.  A bright
-white light emerges from his palms, leaking through his fingers and rising in
-intensity until it is too bright to watch directly.  Then, the light subsides
-and he pulls his hands apart to reveal a small bead.  He leans close to
-Roderick, hands him the bead, and whispers something that the rest of you
-cannot hear.
-//Aside//:
-<code>
-   The Angel leans in close to you and says, "My name is Iabi.  Speak my name
-   and I will come."
-   The bead he hands you is a "Bead of Summons" and it can be easily fitted
-   onto your Strand of Prayer Beads.
-</code>
-About this time, Kir Ganin, your blind Lomasi Guide, raises his head to the
-ceiling and says quietly, "Godsland awaits."
-==== Godsland ====
-Above you, at the apex of the tomb chamber, a fog has appeared.  It floats
-just a few feet below the ceiling - roughly 20 feet above your heads.
-As you rise up through the fog, you emerge into a steep-walled natural
-cavern. From above, daylight spills in through a small hole about twenty feet
-farther up the rocky slope.  A crisp, cool humidity permeates the air and
-lines of water trickle down the rock.  Outside, you hear rain.
-The sound and smell of the rain - even from this far away - erases the
-fatigue and despair that had so permeated your being that you could not
-remember their absence - until now.
-After settling on the floor of the cavern, your guide, Kir, points his blind
-eyes to the hole above and says simply, "She is here."
-The rock walls are steep and wet, but Kir begins to navigate them with ease.
-He seems driven by a purpose you have not seen since he hurried you out of
-Hades' waiting room four ... or was it five? days ago.
-As there is no other exit, it seems natural to follow him.  After all, he
-claims to be your guide.
-By a combination of climbing and magic, you emerge from the hole onto a
-green, grassy field.  Behind you, a snow-capped mountain looms larger and
-more awesome than any you have seen so far in your lives.  (And this is true
-even for Pavo). Ahead, rolling grassy hills descend into a long, lush valley.
-Aside from the grass, there are no other plants other than a lone white
-poplar tree about one hundred yards to your left.
-Above you, a dark, heavy rain cloud hovers.  Farther down the valley, and up
-the slope of the mountain, you see sunlight and blue sky.  But here, the rain
-is steady, hard, and warm.  Unlike a normal shower, it does not vary in
-strength. No matter where you stand, large drops pelt you incessantly.  While
-at first, some of you have an instinct to shield yourself from it, this
-feeling passes almost as soon as you are directly exposed to it.
-It feels ... wonderful.
-Some of you are reminded of the look Roget got when the rains came.  While
-the rest of you would scamper to cover, he would stop, tilt his head back and
-close his eyes - as if the rain were a religious experience.  Of course, in a
-way, it was.
-You notice the scrapes and wounds from the past few days begin to fade.  The
-ache of the climb, the despair of near-constant fear, and the stress of an
-unknown future melt with each new drop.
-After a minute of silence, Bigby notices Kir.  He emerged ahead of you and
-stands some distance from the hole.  But instead of the serenity that you
-feel, he stands with shoulders slumped and head bowed.  You approach slowly
-to see that his clothes remain dry, his hair still dusty from passing through
-the tomb. The only moisture on him is a tear etching a line through the dust
-on one cheek.
-"This does not seem to touch you," Bigby observes.  He points to the rain.
-Kir turns, shaken from his reverie.  "My penance is not yet complete."
-He shambles back to the cave opening and begins to climb back in.  As he does
-so, his hand touches the wet rock near the entrance and he recoils in shock.
-His fingers are wet.  He brings them to his lips to taste the rain and his
-tears begin to flow.
-"Thank you, my queen," he whispers to the sky, and then turns and descends
-back into the darkness.
-After he is gone, you begin to look to each other.  "What next?" you think.
-But just as you start to voice your question, you hear a voice.
-"Well done, voyagers."  A woman's voice comes from nowhere and when you turn
-to locate it, the rain fills an empty shell in the air and as suddenly as she
-appears, the rain stops.
-"I am Matchitisiw."
-==== The living rain ====
-She is young - perhaps in her twenties, with a slight, almost elven, build.
-Her hair is a deep black and her skin is gold.  She wears a flimsy, sheer
-white robe with nothing underneath, that clings to her skin as if she has
-just come from a bath.  A black belt is emblazoned in silver with the same
-stylized rain cloud that Kir has on his belt.  On her left hand is a plain,
-gold wedding ring.  And she is visibly pregnant.
-Those of you with a preference for females (of any race) become immediately
-(and almost uncomfortably) aroused.  All of you are struck by her divine
-beauty and find that all you want to do right now is listen to her.
-//"Divine Aura": Will save DC 33 - you all failed and are "dazed" - You can
-defend yourselves normally, but take no other actions//
-She steps toward Roderick.  "Hello, Roderick," she begins.  Her voice has a
-background hiss like the sound of falling rain.  "We have never met in person
-- despite what you may believe."  She reaches up and strokes her fingers
-across Roderick's cheek.  "I am sorry to say that many challenges remain
-ahead for you - and bringing light to the shadow is not the only one.  But
-Imhotep will help you when you need him and you will help him when he needs
-you."
-Then, she steps to Bria.  As she does, some of you spot a look of surprise
-cross Roderick's face as he staggers back a half-step.  He grabs for the mace
-at his belt - a seemingly instinctive move - but then steadies himself as a
-calm returns to him.  He gives a knowing nod to those who noticed him.  A
-silent gesture that everything is fine.
-//Aside//:
-<code>
-   Right after she turns away from you, you hear a scream in your head that
-   startles you and makes you step back.  An instant later, you realize it is
-   coming from Salinthine, so you instinctively put your hand to it. The
-   scream lasts only a second or two before subsiding and becoming coherent.
-   "Ahhh!  What?  Who?  Where am I? ... Roderick?  Are we safe now?  I sense
-   no undead.  What happened to me?"
-   And then, almost without a gap, it says, "Ooo!  What kind of spear is that
-   over there?!  It looks fabulous!"
-</code>
-To Bria, she says, "You have much to know, Bria.  But I understand and accept
-your decision if you choose not to join Roderick's quest into shadow."  She
-gently touches Bria's neck.
-Next, she turns to Lashmere.  "Your role here is complete.  It is time you
-learn what it is to be a man, and not a pawn in a game beyond your control.
-I release you from the shadow."  She touches his cheek and he, too, staggers
-back as if shocked.
-Next, Bigby.  "My sister gave you part of a gift.  I will give you the rest
-when I leave.  Keep it secret and safe until you are home."  She brushes a
-finger across his chin.
-Throughout all of this, the Planetar has stood stoically.  When she steps to
-him, he drops to a knee and bows his head.  "You are one of the rivers, are
-you not?" he asks - his face pointed to her feet.
-She reaches up to place her hand on the top of his head, however because or
-her size, he is obliged to lower himself a few more inches so she can reach.
-"Yes, Iabi, I am a daughter of the ocean.  I grant you leave to return to
-your master. It is not my place to decide your fate."  With her right hand
-still on his head, she gestures with her left and the great winged man
-vanishes.
-She walks across to Pavo.  "My sister, Leuce, waits for you across the field
-with a gift."  She gestures toward the poplar tree with one hand, while
-touching two fingers to his face with the other.
-Next is the Githzerai.  "Limbo is still in shadow, Ust'olda.  You have a role
-to play, but it does not involve the crystals.  You must not speak of them -
-even to your allies.  Do you understand?"  She touches both sides of his face
-with her hands and stares intently into his eyes for a few seconds, before
-moving on to the next person.
-"Aramil, your strength has served you and your companions well.  And it will
-be needed again in the coming months.  But, as you learn from the beast, do
-not lose the man."  She touches Aramil's forehead.
-Next is Flint.  She reaches a hand to his forehead and speaks some words in
-an ancient language.  "I grant you life so that you may return to the world
-anew, Manth!nar'h."  (She pronounces the name flawlessly).  "You have been
-granted a second chance.  Use it wisely and you can yet protect your people
-from the coming gloom."
-//Flint: "True Resurrection" (or more accurately, "Divine Ability: Gift of
-Life") - something you did not know you were in need of//
-Finally, she comes to Vincent.  "You alone have seen shadow, Vincent.  You
-know, perhaps more than the others, his uncaring malice toward the twenty
-worlds.  Remember this always.  It is your greatest weapon."  She touches his
-face.
-//To All: You have been granted a permanent "Resistance" spell.  You may
-choose one of the following effects: Either the standard spell (+1 to all
-saves) or a specialized version (+2 vs. fear effects).  Note: This can only
-be dispelled by a being with a Divine Rank higher than 8//
-After she finishes with each of you, Matchitisiw steps gracefully to the side
-and scans her eyes across the group of you.
-"Any questions?" she asks, in a tone that sounds far more matter-of-fact than
-you expect from such a being.  While before, you could barely keep your mouth
-closed as she stepped from one to the next of you, now you find that the fog
-her beauty created is fading from your mind.
-A few seconds of awkward silence follow while you try to refocus your minds
-to ask the questions that are only now bubbling to your lips.
-Bigby manages to react first.  "Um, yes ... I have three.  Do the Gods have
-Free Will?  Is there purity in Chaos?  And how is Roget?"
-She smiles slightly before speaking.  "What //is// free will, Bigby?  Who
-defines it?  And who grants it?  Can such a thing even be granted?
-"When we created ourselves, we also created the Fates to weave the tapestry
-of the universe.  Can we be slave to our own creation?  The gods //define//
-free will.
-"As for Chaos, it is a force that both created and will eventually destroy
-this existance.  Those on Limbo believe they can control Chaos - but they
-cannot.  When controlled, it becomes something else.  And if it ever becomes
-pure, then all that is will be no more and the cycle will begin anew."
-Then, she hesitates and looks away for a moment.  She rests her hand on her
-belly and smiles again, as if reliving a fond memory.  "Roget is ... happy,"
-she finally continues.  "He has taken to his new role amongst the Lomasi with
-great determination.  I foresee from him a great dynasty that will someday
-rule more than just the Lomasi - and more than just the Dyanai."
-She scans across the group again - which reminds you that it is time to ask
-your questions.  Roderick is next to speak.
-"Matchitisiw, thank you for all you have done for us.  It is good to finally
-see you for the first time, and I hope that all is well with you, your
-people, and with Roget.
-"If I may, I would like to ask a question of you.  In these trials that we
-have been through, are the people in them inhabitants of Hades' realm, or are
-they the images of those who have passed on to the afterlife in their
-respective planes?"
-"Both," she is quick to answer.  "The Fates were only able to populate their
-creations with those who had already departed the world of the living.  It is
-true you were traveling through Hades' realm and that he rules only a portion
-of the land of the dead, but the Fates could draw from all the dead."
-Then, as if she senses the relevance, she continues, "Worry not about Daniel,
-Roderick.  He rests in the Offering Fields aside your lord."
-Turning back to the rest of you, she says in a more boisterous voice, "And
-since you also ask about Roget, perhaps it is fitting that you all see your
-old comrade."
-She gestures to the clouds above with a single, outstretched hand, palm up.
-A second later, a small cylinder of rain appears next to her.  The drops
-begin to glint with a rainbow of colors until the whole forms an image.
-After a few more seconds, you no longer see rain and instead see a scene from
-somewhere else.
-Roget is sitting on a rock, head cradled in his hands.  He is surrounded by a
-number of young men holding wooden swords and makeshift shields.  Slowly, he
-rises.  He has become more muscled, seemingly, and there is something ...
-different about him ... perhaps something in the way he carries himself.
-He speaks to the assembled young men, "OK ... because yesterday someone's
-feelings got hurt, today I'll start with everything you did right ... none of
-you managed to stab yourselves with your practice swords."  In the
-background, a young man hides his bleeding arm behind his back.  "As for what
-you did //wrong// ... "
-The sound in the image shuts off while the very animated Roget continues his
-lecture.  It's Roget all right.  And you realize what the difference is ...
-he is having the time of his life.
-The image disperses into colored rain drops.  Then rain drops.  Then, it's
-gone.
-Matchitisiw turns back to the group and Vincent steps forward.
-"When the time comes," he asks, "is there one among us whom you favor to
-wield the assembled crystals?"
-"The crystals are a key to a larger prize.  As such, it does not matter who
-opens the door - but that the door is opened."
-Vincent continues, "Do Aramil's memories contain information that would
-significantly aid our quest to defeat the Shadow Lord?"
-"Aramil's youth was nothing but torment and sorrow.  The loss of those
-memories is no loss at all."
-"I am concerned about Bigby's use of the Chaos Wand.  Is it harming him?"
-"All powerful magic has risk.  But the wand should concern you more for where
-it came from, rather than what it is.  The Lords of Chaos now bend to the
-will of Shadow.  All that is of Limbo is now of Shadow."
-Then, Vincent hesitates for a second, his eyes touch upon many of the rest of
-you.  Finally, he asks, "Who is my Father?"
-"The pieces of the puzzle of your life - and that of your cousin - were used
-to demonstrate a point.  Roderick should understand that point, now - and in
-time, he can provide you with the answers you need."
-Before Vincent can digest the answer or consider a follow-up, Pavo blurts out
-a series of questions - as if he fears he will miss his opportunity if they
-are not asked immediately.
-"Would it be advisable to attempt to claim my birthright, either in the long
-deep or elsewhere?  Should I follow clan law, or lay my claim without the
-assistance of my family, my uncles in particular?  Should I rely on force of
-arms, the assistance of my campaign companions both current and past, or
-perhaps a powerful combination of both?  How would you direct my path for a
-favorable outcome?"
-"There is no such thing as a birthright - though people have killed and died
-to defend them.  The greatest of kings can lose his throne.  And the lowest
-of serfs can rise to be worshiped as a god.
-"If you believe you have a right to something, then it will be yours only if
-you claim it - and only if you hold it.  But doing so with force of arms is
-more difficult and dangerous than with compromise and negotiation.  Your
-uncles are wise, but can be undone by greed.  Whether that is their weakness
-or their strength is a matter of how they are approached.
-"As for your companions, I sense that the deep frictions that have plagued
-your company from the beginning are kept at bay only by the larger
-obligations.  If you survive the coming challenges - which are not limited to
-the crystal in the Drow city - then I foresee few of them willing or able to
-help you."
-As Pavo puzzles through his answers, trying to decide whether she answered
-them all, Bria steps up.  "Will I ever regain my kingdom?"
-"Though the land it once occupied is now fouled with orcs, Bria, your kingdom
-lives on with Corellon in Arborea.  When the human kingdoms have been
-restored to Thentao's northern coast, the forest folk will return.  But what
-was once Pleven will not be seen for centuries, if ever."
-She scans her eyes over you all once more, pauses for no more than a second,
-then turns her head to the clouds.  Instantly, the rain returns - harder than
-before.
-"You may rest here as long as you need.  Hades no longer shields you from
-returning home.  But do not wander.  These lands have boundaries like any
-other - and many of the landholders here do not appreciate trespassers."
-And with that, her body melts into water and flashes upward into the dark
-clouds overhead.
-The rain continues unabated for a //very// long time.
-[[voyager70|Back to the session description]]