Season 8, Episode 3: "Reach Inside Me // A Confluence of Flesh" Report
General Summary
The Virgin Whore found the Dream Team gasping, those who survived on their last legs, and both Mist and Abelina clinging to their minds. The former found the blowback of impersonating Vic to be too great, falling into Insanity before the crew could administer treatment, his awareness opened to the peculiar nature of his surrounding existence.
Thankfully the Virgin Whore had not come for a fight, and instead she thanked the party for getting rid of Hades for her, and implied that they had opened the way for her to take control of Hades Paradise. She offered them a chance to rest back at her home, and the group begrudgingly agreed, as their original purpose for coming to the planet still lingered — the recovery of the Maelstrom Key.
The crew gathered up what they could of Tesin, Chamas, and Anastasia's remains, and carried a babbling Mist out of Hades' quarters and back into the labyrinth below Geldenleaf Tower. They arrived at a cavern containing several more flesh gimp bodyguards, a single home surrounded by trees, and a massive, metallic tree bursting out of the back. Once resting on a sea of cushions inside, the Virgin Whore revealed that she did know that the Maelstrom Key was inside of her, and that she had not been able to retrieve it for decades.
She explained that she found the Steel Tree in this clearing back when Hades Paradise was just a colony, and that interfering with it had pushed the Ruby Key inside of her, on top of the powerful curse left there by Rowan Terris. She'd found it hard to be parted from the Tree ever since, feeling bound to it in both body and spirit, and thus had built her home with the strength that bond provided her.
After some mystical examination, Isra determined that their was a Window inside of the Virgin Whore, but that it would require the energies of the Steel Tree to break. There was also a strong aura of chaos surrounding the enchantment, one that Mist could likely crack open, provided they could guarantee a moment of mental clarity. It took the better part of an hour for them to come to an agreement, but eventually Mist, Isra, and the Virgin Whore retired to the bedchambers (where the crown of the Steel Tree hung over the bed like an ornament), and attempted to interact with the Window.
What happened next was difficult to explain in hindsight. A confluence of flesh, three bodies melted together into one, dancing through sinew and organs until the Window was revealed. Mist reached out in his madness, understanding the power of entropy more than his sane mind could ever dream, and pulled the Maelstrom Key from the mess. However, where his insanity offered power, it also led to a lack of care, and Rowan's Curse was transferred to Mist instead.
"A cruel fate for those who seek power. To obtain one is to lose another. That which you needed, in exchange for that which you want the most.”
Then the silk of the Virgin Whore's bedsheets called the three of them down, and we shifted focus to the soul of Tesin Movahesh.
Seraphina cried out as her mother's soul went hurtling by, too close to the River Styx for the Daughters of Night to stop her passing. Tesin awoke on the shores of the Doors of Death, her thoughts weighted down as if she were in a dream, as two figures whispered in her ear. The Explorer promised that there was another path, as Pharasma claimed that her deal with Tesin was at an end — finally having perished after her previous release from the Boneyard. But when the goddess reached towards the brand on Tesin's chest, Annabell drew a wand from her robes, and that was enough to give Pharasma pause. It was a soft, crooning whimper that stopped their fighting, as the soul of Skittles waded up from the beach, the light of madness no longer in his eyes. In a surprising speech, the Skittermander revealed that he was actually a Kinder, and that in his mortal life Rufus Geldenleaf had been driving him mad using his dominion over Mind. He foremost apologized to Tesin, and warned her that the Girl Thrice-Abandoned was angry with her, and that he was worried about Lalantha. Ultimately he offered his own soul in return for Tesin's, which Pharasma flatly refused. Annabell argued that the goddess was being shortsighted, and claimed that this End Day might truly by the last. She vowed that MaMa (speaking still of Tesin) would be pivotal in stopping this, and that if Pharasma truly needed her pound of flesh, Annabell would become a Death in Tesin's place. Pharasma refused this as well, stating that her duty was to maintain the balance and to shepherd souls into the next existence, whatever that might be. She claimed that Annabell's evidence about the upcoming End Day was circumspect, and had been observed many times in the turning of the Entwined Infinities — many of which Annabell was too young to remember. Then the attention fell back to Tesin, as all three sides of the debate sought her opinion. She revealed her wish to return to the fight — a new answer to the question Pharasma had asked her not long ago — but that she would not give Skittles or Annabell to do it. Irate, Pharasma claimed that neither were options regardless, and reached to take Tesin's soul through the Door... Just as the Explorer lifted up her wand, and released all the power within directly into Pharasma's face.
Back on Hades Paradise, while the group was resting their weary bones, a disturbance rippled at the edge of the Virgin Whore's clearing. The data ghost of Sara No-Name appeared at the window, her speech bubbles spelling warning, just as a mass of brain flesh and tentacles waded in through a massive gate. Confluence hummed in the minds of the Dream Team, overwhelming their defenses in a single push. He commanded that they drop their weapons and offensive gear, and follow Confluence back into the gate — and they agreed.
Seraphina cried out as her mother's soul went hurtling by, too close to the River Styx for the Daughters of Night to stop her passing. Tesin awoke on the shores of the Doors of Death, her thoughts weighted down as if she were in a dream, as two figures whispered in her ear. The Explorer promised that there was another path, as Pharasma claimed that her deal with Tesin was at an end — finally having perished after her previous release from the Boneyard. But when the goddess reached towards the brand on Tesin's chest, Annabell drew a wand from her robes, and that was enough to give Pharasma pause. It was a soft, crooning whimper that stopped their fighting, as the soul of Skittles waded up from the beach, the light of madness no longer in his eyes. In a surprising speech, the Skittermander revealed that he was actually a Kinder, and that in his mortal life Rufus Geldenleaf had been driving him mad using his dominion over Mind. He foremost apologized to Tesin, and warned her that the Girl Thrice-Abandoned was angry with her, and that he was worried about Lalantha. Ultimately he offered his own soul in return for Tesin's, which Pharasma flatly refused. Annabell argued that the goddess was being shortsighted, and claimed that this End Day might truly by the last. She vowed that MaMa (speaking still of Tesin) would be pivotal in stopping this, and that if Pharasma truly needed her pound of flesh, Annabell would become a Death in Tesin's place. Pharasma refused this as well, stating that her duty was to maintain the balance and to shepherd souls into the next existence, whatever that might be. She claimed that Annabell's evidence about the upcoming End Day was circumspect, and had been observed many times in the turning of the Entwined Infinities — many of which Annabell was too young to remember. Then the attention fell back to Tesin, as all three sides of the debate sought her opinion. She revealed her wish to return to the fight — a new answer to the question Pharasma had asked her not long ago — but that she would not give Skittles or Annabell to do it. Irate, Pharasma claimed that neither were options regardless, and reached to take Tesin's soul through the Door... Just as the Explorer lifted up her wand, and released all the power within directly into Pharasma's face.
Back on Hades Paradise, while the group was resting their weary bones, a disturbance rippled at the edge of the Virgin Whore's clearing. The data ghost of Sara No-Name appeared at the window, her speech bubbles spelling warning, just as a mass of brain flesh and tentacles waded in through a massive gate. Confluence hummed in the minds of the Dream Team, overwhelming their defenses in a single push. He commanded that they drop their weapons and offensive gear, and follow Confluence back into the gate — and they agreed.
Rewards Granted
Tarot Deck
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Created Content
New and updated articles for:
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Notes
This session took place on May 18th, 2022. This report is being written on January 4th, 2023. My session notes are — of course — less than two lines...
Flame in the Night
Tesin Movahesh
Thunder in the Mist
Lockette Endrinmaster 12 2.0
Isra
Report Date
05 Jan 2023
Primary Location
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