Cutting the Power
Dear Phoebe,
I’m so frustrated with myself I could scream. In our search for easy booty (Get it? Because we’re pirates?), we followed a distress signal to a derelict space station. It had all the appearances of an abandoned facility, so we boarded it, thinking it would be a quick in and out.
It was not a quick in and out.
As soon as we docked, our ship’s power was cut, so we ventured forth to find out how to undo the lockdown, loot, and leave.
I don’t even know how to describe what we encountered without sounding like the summary for a cheesy B-movie.
The station was infested - and INFECTED - with the undead. Some aspect of Myrkul had gotten into the station’s computer system hundreds of years ago when the planet the station was orbiting was destroyed, and it had been festering in there ever since. Our presence, it seems, caused the infection to come to a head and spill over. We spent four days in that hellhole and barely made it out alive.
At the end of it all, after we had finally managed to gain access to the station’s control tower to undo the lockdown and return power to our ship so that we could leave, the Shade of Myrkul confronted us. And this is where I’m kicking myself. It was only interested in talking to me and ignored my companions. I wish it had talked to Galva or Eo, who we’re both far more level-headed than I could hope to be at that point.
Phoebe, I was so tired, and disgusted, and ANGRY. I was at the absolute end of my rope, and couldn’t think straight. This aspect of an evil god was right in front of me, and it wanted so badly to gloat and to lord it over me, the pathetic, idiot disciple of a missing god. And instead of letting it, I shut it down. It claimed to know what happened to Kelemvor - it claimed to have killed him! I could have asked it where it had done so, at the very least, I could have gotten SOME clue. I could have swallowed my pride and groveled a bit, because it was so clearly looking to be entertained, and we both know the kinds of behaviors that entertain bullies the best. I’m certain doing so would have gotten me SOME answers. But do you think I did? Of course I didn’t.
I don’t know if that aspect of Myrkul is still out in the void of space, or if it was killed when the station exploded. I hope it’s dead. Even if that Shade was just a drop in the bucket, one less drop of evil in the galaxy will do good for someone, somewhere.
I can hear you now, telling me to stop dwelling on the bad and to focus on the positive. So, I will attempt to do so, and share that with you as well; an uplifting closer to a truly depressing letter.
Zellias has improved somewhat with his aim. Although he DID cast Fireball centered on himself a couple of times while we were trapped, he centered the majority of the Fireballs he cast on OTHER targets. My constant nagging must be having some effect at last.
We encountered a Revenant in one of the staff break rooms in the station’s hospital. Somehow, by some small miracle, the DDR machine in that room was still functioning, and by a very lucky coincidence, Eo is a DDR pro. She challenged the Revenant to a dance-off, and won! She beat his high score, he was able to pass on peacefully, and now we have a DDR cabinet for the ship.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Lifting the physical lockdown on our ship also somehow freed the hundreds of souls who had spent the past few centuries trapped in that hell. The station-destroying explosion I mentioned earlier was of course the work of the captain. It took out an entire colony of undead abominations along with - I hope - the Shade of Myrkul. The destruction of the god that had stolen their lives was the closure those hundreds of souls had needed, and they were all able to pass on.
…Honestly, as I write that, I DO feel a little better. You’re right, as always. If I find myself dwelling for too long on the abysmal performance of my exhausted brain, I will try to remember the feeling of helping all of those poor souls, instead. I could certainly have done a lot better, but in the grand scheme of things, I could have done worse.
I miss you so much it hurts.
Please take care of yourself. I shall endeavor to do the same.
All my love,
Finch
Finch's Journal Ordered oldest to newest
-
A Letter Home
Chapter 2, Session 6
-
After the Ruin
Chapter 2, Session 9
-
Toppling a God
Chapter 2, Session 12
-
The Settling Dust
Chapter 3, Session 17
-
Deneir Theater
Chapter 4, Session 20
-
The Lunar Epilogue
Chapter 5, Session 26
-
Cutting the Power
Chapter 6, Session 35
Chapter 2, Session 6
Chapter 2, Session 9
Chapter 2, Session 12
Chapter 3, Session 17
Chapter 4, Session 20
Chapter 5, Session 26
Chapter 6, Session 35
The major events and journals in Finch's history, from the beginning to today.
Cutting the Power
Dear Phoebe, I’m so frustrated with myself I could scream. In our search for easy booty (Get it? Because we’re pirates?), we followed a distress signal to a derelict space station. It had all the appearances of an abandoned facility, so we boarded ...
08:58 pm - 31.12.2022The Lunar Epilogue
Dear Phoebe, Now that we’ve officially left, I can tell you all about the Lunar Festival on Chandran, the Temple of Selune, the grisly murders, the were-shark (with pants), and the sweet new friend that we made. Before I go into details, though, I...
08:56 pm - 31.12.2022Deneir Theater
Dear Phoebe, I have witnessed Captain Zellias Vance-Arland cast the spell Fireball FOUR times since I’ve met him, and he has centered himself in the blast for THREE of them. The most recent two weren’t even twelve hours apart! I’m not getting ...
03:05 am - 05.12.2022The Settling Dust
Dear Phoebe, I'm sure you've already seen the news, again. I wish I had something to say in my defense this time, but the Council's propaganda machine is essentially on point, for once. I must admit, I am a little surprised to realize I don't feel as m...
04:21 am - 07.09.2022That insane man has exploded himself two times in the span of one week, and I have pulled him back from the brink of death two times in the span of one week. Twice! In one week! If he does it again I may cure his dumb ass and tell him sorry, he's a zombie now, there was nothing else to be done. Since the threat of turning into a literal black hole does not seem to deter him from casting Fireball centered on himself, maybe the threat of undeath will.
08:36 am - 31.07.2022Toppling a God
Dear Phoebe, Well, I just received the unpleasant and unwelcome reminder of how utterly fucked I am. I suppose at least the wanted posters spared mother and father the indignity of having their name directly associated with a dangerous, irredeemable cr...
12:15 am - 18.06.2022After the Ruin
Dear Phoebe, Here is your promised follow-up: despite the wildly careless captain's best efforts at burying all of us under the remains of an old Giantkin ruin, I'm still alive. We all survived. We found what we were after, deep at the bottom of an an...
01:08 am - 16.06.2022Today I did an impromptu and non-sterile surgery on the dusty surface of a large asteroid as it hurtled through space. My hands were shaking so hard from adrenaline I could very easily have killed the patient. It bothers me a little that that doesn't bother me more. A doctor is supposed to be impartial - "Do No Harm", and all that. But Corgim Brasspatch has undoubtedly brought harm to many innocent people. Would allowing a man like that to die really be doing harm? Or would it be harm reduction? His death wouldn't undo the hurt he's already caused, but it would likely prevent future harm to others. ...I should probably leave philosophy to philosophers. Now if only I could leave pirating to pirates...
09:54 am - 29.05.2022It's easy to see how the captain earned a reputation as such a formidable spellcaster. Note to self: Ask him for another look at the collar once we get back to The Reliable. I want to make sure the spells he's been casting haven't affected it in any way that might cause him injury, since it is no longer functioning as intended.
06:15 am - 09.05.2022A Letter Home
Dear Phoebe, I have been staring at this blank document for far too long trying to figure out what to write. I won't lie and say that I'm well, because I'm not, but I'm alive, and that is what I've - ironically - been dying to assure you of for the pas...
03:13 am - 06.05.2022The captain is an idiot. He's going to get us killed. Or worse, arrested. I would rather restart my entire residency from Day 1 than deal with the consequences of whatever's about to happen.
04:49 am - 19.04.2022Two things have happened to me in the past month that I never imagined: One, that I'd be accused of necromancy and sent to prison, and two, that I would then break out of prison in the company of an infamous pirate, a highly accomplished and intimidating swordswoman, and a fairy monk with a twitchy trigger finger. I want nothing more than to wake up from this nightmare and go home, but it seems I'm trapped for the long haul. And I somehow already have a laundry list of things that need to be done. - Research the biotech collar grafted to the captain's body and try to figure out how to remove it - Research the wildly advanced AI and tech in this ship that facilitated our escape, and attempt to help them recover their lost name and memory - I still need to help Wilhelm remember his unfinished business and help him move on ....Maybe I shouldn't have written it out like that. Looking at it now, I have no idea where to even begin.
06:04 am - 11.04.2022Met the notorious and infamous pirate Zellias Vance-Arland today. Charming guy. I thought he'd be taller.
06:03 pm - 27.03.2022The list of amazing people following the adventures of Finch.
Social