Beathra then felt what was coming next. The sickly pestilence of Moscareina washed over him and he shuddered. With effort, he endured it[1] and did not faulter.
"If..." He said with effort, "If you believe yourself trapped by fate, then heed these words of wisdom: Life finds a way."
At Patch/Moscareinas words, the Omega Knight reflexively mov4d to stand between her and EB, Ronny and Palin. Then he felt a wave of ‘wrongness’ wash over him. Like nausea but… not quite.
Endurance check DC15
1d20=4
4+5=9
Yikes! Without that +10 from EB, Kage would be feeling Really sick right now.
9+10=19
Phew.
Gritting his teeth, Kage forced himself to breath slowly and calmly. He also made sure not to let his tension show, nor to slip into a combat stance.
Again, he felt a mixture of anger and sadness.
”What is it that you think MUST happen next? What has the bug witch convinced you of.”
"DC 15 Endurance against the pestilence aura. Fail and take 15 Fatal Damage. While most of the players can safely assume it's due to Moscareina, anyone with Half-in, Half-out knows this for certain."
okay, Endurance: 10 + [d20]=14 end=24
Destron has 1/2in 1/2out
the aura of rot rolls outward crinkling the Princess' nose... when this was over at least she would have a companion with whom she could compare experiences of possession.
"I don't know what you'd call this body of mine, but it's not life. Not anymore." She glanced at one of her hands, watching the miasma spread along its contours.
"No one's convinced me of anything." She met Kage's gaze. "I've become something evil, something that can only spread suffering and misery everywhere I go. And it is the job of the hero to strike down evil, is it not?"
In the back of Patch's mind she heard a familiar whisper, "As you see, they step in the way instead of allowing you to do what you need. If those twins have caused such suffering, are your friends truly your friends if they defend them?" Dee could tell Cher was bristling at something but couldn't tell what.
DC 17 Endurance against the pestilence aura. Fail and take 17 Fatal Damage.
Beathra struggled against the decaying power of Moscareina. A scowl twisted his face at how the moth queen had degraded their friend.
"Do not blame yourself for what has been done to you."
Turning to the others, he said,
"Moscareina's aura pervades this area, it will kill you, the longer we stay here. You all must go, find the children, if they are here. I will remain to help Patch."
Turning back he added, "I owe you that much, at least. Your fall brought my rise and I will not merely let you disappear again, even if it may mean the end of this life."
I'll edit in the skill check when I get home, it won't change what Beathra does either way.
[1]Endurance Check:
Roll(1d20)+5:
5,+5+10 From EB
Total:20
The feeling of nausea-but-not-quite intensified as Patch spoke, yet the Knight was still able (though with a bit more effort) push through and hold firm. Listening to Beathras words however, sent a shiver up his spine. Looking to Patch, he spoke firmly.
“Heros and Villains,” Kage shook his head. “Nothing is ever that simple. I am no hero and you are no force of evil. No matter what you think, no matter what the bug witch tries to whisper in your ear about how this is your Fate. About how we somehow now stand in your way. I—we—are not here to ’strike you down’. We are here to save you.
The bug witch is a lying, malevolent force a nature! A vile fallen goddess, twisting your intentions into her own destructive desires.
Didn’t you want to ‘fix’ the world, to save it? How is letting her goad you into ’spreading suffering and misery’ going to do that.”
Turning, the Knight grabbed Palin by the scruff of the neck and gestured to Ronny. “Death is not the answer. They will pay for theit crimes and they will live to regret them. But there are uncountable innocents up here that do not deserve the manipulations they have suffered. Nor the death that the bug witch is trying to get you to unleash upon them. We will find the children, we will free them. Then we will return to teach the bug witch not to mess with our friend.”
The longer he spoke, the sharper and angrier his voice became. Pulling a picture from his utility belt and held it up, before handing it to Beathra.
”This is who you are Patch. Who you will always be. The way other people see you. Strong and kind and powerful.
You had best still be here when we get back my friend,” he said to Beathra, “or i will find a way to kill a fallen goddess. Permanently!”
Dragging Palin behind him, he said. “EB, Destron, Night Cap. We need to leave and find the children. Tear down this places secrets.’
As the Kage and the others started to leave, EB stood up straight. He couldn't explain why the air around Patch felt wrong, but it just did.
"...no. I'm gonna stay here, too. And no one's dying." In spite of the grim mood, he managed to smile a little at Beathra and Patch.
Even though he had failed to reach her before, surely, this time...
Kage stopped and looked to EB. He didn’t really want the rabbitman to stay, yet he also felt like EBs past connection to Patch was going to be very important. Reaching out, he pit a hand on his friends shoulder.
”Stay safe. We will be back.” Turning to the Princess he said. “Lady Destron, can you drag the other YPNR idiot Ronny along with us please?”
Then he took one last look at Beathra and the corrupted Path, before heading back to where the woman whom EB had recognised waited. He had more than a few words to say to Susan.
DC 17 Endurance against the pestilence aura. Fail and take 17 Fatal Damage.
Endurance: 10 [d20]= 12 ...total 22
Viknadian Strength (Brawny) (2)
You gain a +5 bonus to Might checks made to push, pull, lift, carry, or break things.
might: 10+5+[d20] =6 ...total 21 Destron attempts to lift the person kage asked her to
groaning with fatigue, not weakness Dee hoists Ronny up into a fireman's carry
"Of course. That's the man I remember. Of course he would save a fallen foe from certain death. Of course he would want to save me too, as futile as it is."
She shrugged and laughed, her expression becoming almost mirthful.
"I am lucid enough to see what I've become. My patron, I don't mean to be insolent, but isn't it time you were honest about your intentions for me?"
In the back of Patch's mind she felt a smile, then heard a familiar whisper, "In a few ways, you've been doing what I want. When things die, new life springs in it's place. Several people have certainly died from your actions and new life has come from that death. And isn't that for the best? Wouldn't the world be better if mage hunters--the very people on this vessel--died to make way for the better? I gave you what you wanted, darling. I gave you the power to kill mage hunters. What I want...is for you to actually use it."
Beathra and EB: DC 19 Endurance against the pestilence aura. Fail and take 19 Fatal Damage.
As Kage, Dee, and Night Cap returned to the hallway where Sue'zhan was, they walked upon the guards in the midst of an argument,
"...and why weren't they in their room?"
"I don't know but they helped us and I'm glad! None of us could have stopped that guy with all those weapons."
"Droids could have handled it. This woman may have surrendered but she was helping the guy with the weapons. These guests are a danger. They have some animal...WHO TALKS...that knocked out one our citizens with something that caused it to snow indoors!"
Sue'zhan scoffed, "I mean, I'm a YPNR citizen..." "SHUT UP! We don't need your lies! A YPNR citizen would never have teamed up with someone who attacked us."
As Patch consulted with Moscareina, Beathra pulled the ring from his finger and approached her, holding it out in his extended hand.
"I know not what she will say to you, Patch, but I, at least, will offer you a possibility." He said, struggling through the aura. "This ring is made of a metal that purifies energy. It is that which allowed me to absorb yours without harm. It may do the same for you."
He sighed, frowning, and added, "I know little of... Magic. My power comes from the Earth. From life. I feel it in the wind, but I do not know it. Not as you do. I believe you might know what such a thing would be capable of, if anything."
EB coughed, but that didn't help clear the air. He wasn't sure what to say, but he had to try.
"C'mon, Patch, you saw what happened to Tijuego. It's never too late to turn back."
"Exterminating the mage hunters is a worthy goal, yes. But it's not just them, is it?" An image of the frightened girl's coughing fit came to mind. "I've become an agent of indiscriminate death and decay. Even my own form is slowly breaking down. You claim this is what I wanted?"
"And yet... I can't even be angry at you. I was the fool who sought power, even as I feared it would consume me. And I was the one who accepted it in a moment of desperation." She laughed again, her voice betraying a note of bitterness. "I thought this inhuman form was the fulfillment of my fate to become a monster... but you've shown me what becoming a monster truly means."
She looked at her former comrades. The look of concern on EB's face. The ring in Beathra's outstretched hand.
"I could accept all of this, throw away the last shreds of my humanity and my soul, and become the avatar of death you've empowered me to be. But my fate was not just to become a monster; it was also to be destroyed by those I once called friends. And that's why I've come here, my patron. Because, through the madness, I found clarity in knowing that this was how it was meant to be. The fated end I once feared... I now accept willingly."
Presence check to get the angry guards attention and shut him up.
1d20=15
15+7=22
Nice!
As Kage came upon the argument, hos jaw tightened.
“No, YOU shut up1”
Laying Palin down the Omega Knight crossed his arms and stared at the more talktative and less kind of the guards.
”Your tin soldiers and fancy guns would not have saved you from that man. The self-proclaimed ’Master’ SAVAGE is the leader of a barbaric group of thugs and mercenaries who use brute force and intimidation to get their way, The willing follow them in search of glory, while the innocent are manipulated or forced to help them through fear and violence.
Just because you live in a city in the sky, does not make you better than those of us on the ground who have to deal with the hardships of life on a daily basis. It does however, seem to make you more aggressively opposed to that which is out of the ordinary. Like our equine companion.
Or magic,” he added pointedly.
”Your great republica technologically and mathematically advanced, but it is not some grand utopia that is devoid of any who would perpetrate crime or evil.”
Before Patch grabbed the galvorn ring, Friday February appeared. There was a look of worry and uncertainty on her face but Friday said, "H-hello Patch. I'd like to say 'I know what you're going through'...but I don't. There's a lot of experience I don't have and Oracle isn't here for advice. I don't know much about magic but with some of the things you've done maybe you could use the ring to...not purify yourself to death but purify yourself of the dark magic. You talk about fate but you can control a lot of your own fate. And a lot can't be predicted. Master SAVAGE was just defeated and up here of all places. Finding the missing kids would be easier with your help. I'm at a loss for words, just...
I guess the only way for me to word it is 'Help us to become a stronger force for good and make the world a better place. Start saving the world today.'" Friday paused and pleaded, "'We need your help!'"
All the while, the aura of death and decay around Patch continued to grow stronger.
Beathra and EB: DC 25 Endurance against the pestilence aura. Fail and take 25 Fatal Damage.
Sue'zhan responded, "Correct, my name is Sue'zhan. I'm a citizen of YPNR but ground born. My citizen ID number is 19640124." The more aggressive guard commented, "Well, with an ID I can prove whether or not you're a citizen. Monday, assist me!"
Monday March did not appear.
While waiting, the calmer guard remarked, "Maybe, maybe we could all get some liquid smile after this to relieve the stress?"
"Destroyed? What-" Before he could process what she meant, Friday appeared.
Suddenly he lurched forward and gasped for air, as if he had been punched by an invisible fist. He put up a hand against the wall for support as his senses went numb for a few moments. Tiny black veins started spreading across his chest.
"D-don't give up on yourself. We... we won't." He wheezed out the words, as abnormally dark blood leaked from his nose.
