Session 75: Shadows of the past Report

General Summary

Facing His Merciful Shadow, the group began to fight. They fought heavily with spell and weapon, and even called forth several divine boons and conjured allies, including summoning Cerberus to help, as well as clockwork hounds, and transforming Roisin into a swarm of psychic mice. Boris succumbed to the powerful strikes of His Merciful Shadow and died on the field. Cerberus finally struck the killing blow and as Cerberus time in the world ended it dragged this damned soul back to Hell with it. Their fight concluded, The Guardian flew down from where it had been observing their fight, placed a hoof on Boris' chest, then looked at Roy and said "He needs a friend, will you be that friend?". Roy at first demurred, but finally acquiesced and stepped forward to meet The Pale Queen once again.

Boris awoke to the incredible pain of burning alive, even as every failure and mistake of his long life was brought up and made fully manifest in his mind. Every failure to act, every incorrect action, every bad decision. Boris realized that this, this horror must be Hell. Suffering for some interminable time, for time had no meaning in such terrible conditions. Boris saw a blinding beam, and heard a slightly familiar voice "No, sir Boris. You do not belong here". Boris suddenly found himself on a marble floor, in a marble palace, facing a Queen with skin so pale it might as well be marble itself. "Ah, Sir Boris. We really must stop meeting like this." "It's a tough life." "You could always choose to move on?" "I'm willing to give it another go." "I will never understand those who continually return. What awaits you is so much better than what you suffer." Roy apparated, looked down to see if his body was intact, just as the Pale Queen said "Welcome, Roy". "It seems your friend again wishes to return, but life is not without price." "Is there anything you are looking for?" The Queen smiled sadly, "Oh yes, but you are not Him. The Source binds me in this, I look for nothing for myself. I seek something for you or for your companions. What can you offer for them; something of great cost to you?" Roy thought for a bit. "How about some task or quest I would undertake at great cost? I don't really have anything of myself to give." The Queen sighed. "I cannot ask for myself. What you give must be of benefit for you or your companions. It must be something you do not wish to give or accept. It can be a determination to do better, the relinquishment of a vice, a service to your community, or similar task. The Source demands, not I". "I could offer you a decision in the future?" "That would be for me. This must be for you or others; I may not benefit." "I don't know". "Sir Boris, have you any suggestion for your friend?" A long pause followed as the two men thought carefully about what sacrifice they could offer. Roy considered recent events, when he had caused problems through his excessive stubbornness; unwilling to back off, even when it was unwise, to push forward. Roy eventually spoke. "It's going to take a lot of stuff to defeat the Princess' enemies, I'll do whatever it takes to get what we need" "I'm not sure that's the wisest choice, but The Source finds it acceptable. So be it. Sir Boris, what have you learned from your experience?" "Casting spells while in the grasp of an enemy?" "Magic, while near an enemy able to respond with violence is perhaps not the wisest action. Perhaps a bit more caution in the future. Boris, you may leave. Roy, stay a short while." Boris disappeared, and Roy saw Jeeves step out from the side.

Jeeves, when the horn stabbed through his chest, found himself in the great hall of the Marble Palace. The Pale Queen simply said "I've been expecting you, Jeeves, but there are others we must await. Would you mind stepping over there in that antechamber and waiting until I call you? Jeeves heard nothing else until he heard The Queen call him back. "Roy is here to call forth your friend Boris, and pay a price, which is done and we will speak no more of it. Your twisted mercies were the result of a terrible being called 'His Merciful Shadow'. Your friends have returned it to the Hell from which spawned. It will trouble you no more and your will is your own, as is your future and your destiny. And so you have a choice. Will you proceed now to your just and final reward, or will you return to a world of pain, suffering, strife, and loss; to take a chance to earn a better, or worse, reward?" "I have too much duty to not return." "You have no duty unfulfilled. Your duties are all fulfilled, John. It is, however your choice. Will you suffer untold agonies, or will you end that suffering?" "I gave up the name John, I am Jeeves." "So it is, I will never again call you by that name. Will you choose rest, or continue suffering? Before you answer there is one who wishes to speak." Jeeves saw a woman approach, perhaps mid twenties, the signs of hard life all about her, in a pauper's clothes who looked to Jeeves with with sad and tragic eyes. "My dearest little boy. I am so sorry for what I put you through; the choices I made. I was too filled with pride to accept the help of others, instead I chose to live a life independent, perhaps, but with a terrible price, and I made you see it. I am not surprised you did what you did, I'm not surprised that that horror bound itself to your soul. I don't deserve anything other than destruction, but I would like to know, can you possibly forgive me?" Jeeves struggled to speak, recognizing his mother, perhaps a bit younger than when he last saw her. Jeeves recalled the many abuses, the beatings, the terrible things he was forced to see, the other privations that resulted from her choice to live a life of dark independence rather than service to others. Jeeves further recalled the hatred he held that opened his soul to His Merciful Shadow, and the terrible crimes "Jack" committed because of that hatred. Unable, or unwilling, to release that hatred; Jeeves looked down a moment, then looked up and shook his head. The woman's countenance dropped, and The Pale Queen said "So be it, the die is cast." A door opened to the side, and through the door could be seen a vision of Hell, massive beings torturing the souls therein with terrible extremity of their misdeeds in life. The woman looked with terror and horror, but unable to resist stepped through the door. The door closed, condemning the woman to her fate. "Go now, Jeeves, you do not belong here." Jeeves, at the Pale Queen's command, disappeared. The Queen turned to Roy. "Roy, you fear your old master, do you not?" "I do." "Do not fear him. He thinks himself a Master, but in truth he is but a puppet, and should you meet him now, you are the stronger." "I find that hard to believe, but I feel I must be the one to stop him." "Do not attempt to stop him. If you do you will fail. If you let him act, however, he will accomplish your task for you, and be destroyed in your stead." "If I encounter him I should just let him do as he wishes? Even if he kills one of my friends?" "Precisely, because that is not what he will do. He is captured and cannot choose his actions. When you encounter him he will be with his master, and will act according to his master's nature, and that will serve your ends more than his own." "It will be extremely difficult to stand idle as he tried to harm a friend." "No matter what he appears to be doing, that is not reality, he will be accomplishing your task even as he deceives you. That is all." With that, Roy awoke.

Roisin, the swarm of cranium rats, saw Boris' deceased body suddenly inhale, as Boris asked "What's with all these rats?" Roisin answered, telepathically, "Don't worry, it's me." which Boris heard as dozens of voices all speaking together. Jeeves suddenly inhaled, and sat up, then groaned "Why does this keep happening to me?" The Guardian looked at Jeeves. "I see you've returned to us. Interesting. Well, the shadow is gone." Seeing the cranium rats, Jeeves began to scramble backwards with a look of disgust and fear, mixed with continuing agony. A few moments later Roy apparated out of thin air, groaning. The Guardian noticed that Jeeves was still missing an arm, touched the arm with a horn, and Jeeves suddenly went rigid in agony before fainting. The Guardian also asked Roisin if she wished to be herself, and she answered in the affirmative, so The Guardian said "Then be yourself", and Roisin returned to her normal form. The Guardian asked "Do you accept my challenge?" The party, after establishing that they could wait a bit before doing so, agreed to deal with this "difficulty" in "the next valley over". They were instructed to think of The Guardian and speak a word, and they would be informed of the situation and transported to the proper location. The Guardian then departed. As this happened a slow clapping sound was heard. Turning to see the source Roy saw a tall human male step out from behind a building. "Always an impressive sight; such a useless creature. Hello, again, Roisin." Roisin recognized them as her father's Vizier; "What are you doing here?" "Oh, just stopping by to see how you're doing. You haven't come home, you know. Your father would be sick with worry if he had a mind left; then again he never had a mind, most unsatisfying meal ever. Oh well. I've sent all these people to tell you to come home, and you haven't done it. Why is that?" "I'm not coming home." "Of course you are." "Unless it is under my terms." "Of course, of course." The vizier looked intently at Roisin. "Why can't I reach you? No matter, you'll come to me eventually, and you'll do everything I want." "Never!" "So you believe. Your Master sends his regards, Roy." Roy spit on the ground. "Can't say I don't echo the sentiment. He thinks he's powerful. He thinks he controls me. He has no idea. I enjoy playing our little game with him, for now. Hello Boris. I haven't seen you in a century." "It could be longer." "So sorry about killing your sister and all. Your parents were far more satisfying; they at least fought back a little." "What do you want?" "What I've always wanted. Come home." Boris suddenly had an uncontrollable urge to obey this being, fighting with everything he had. Boris began to give in, and saw Jeeves sit up; something about that jogged Boris' mind and he stepped back. The Vizier's eyes went very wide. "Interesting. Oh, hello, Jack, did you enjoy killing Carver? I left him there just for you." Jeeves began looking around, then shook his head ruefully and stared angrily. The Vizier taunted him. "Oh, go ahead, use your gloves, call forth a weapon." Jeeves, unable to resist, conjured a longbow. "Excellent. Shoot me, you know you want to." Jeeves missed the first shot. "Oh, come on, you can do better than that." Jeeves fired again, the second striking directly center of the heart. The Vizier deftly plucked it out. "Excellent shot, if I was actually here I might have even cared." Boris exclaimed "Why do I feel as if we just killed one of Roisin's family members?" At the name Roisin, Jeeves mind cleared. "Fascinating... It's been nice 'seeing' you all again. We'll definitely have to bring you home sometime, Roisin, but I've changed my mind, I'd rather bring you home in a coffin. We'll have to see what we can do about that." With that the Vizier waved a hand and was gone.

As the group discussed what just happened. Wilderin stepped out from around a corner nearby and they discussed things for a bit.

Deciding to head over to Xolo's for a late evening snack where they enjoyed such fantastical delights as Gelato. After eating, the group went back to their barracks to sleep, then spent a few more days completing their training time. After they had spent the time they needed to train and rest they took a couple weeks to prepare. Jeeves also crafted some Starlight Fireberry. The group thought about seeking more capable items, but simply forgot about it for the most part.