Renew the Pact: The Hand of Asumit, p6

Log Info

• Title: Renew the Pact: The Hand of Asummit, Part 6
• Emitter: Whirlpool
• Characters: Seldan, Kravar, Merek, Cryosanthia, Cesran, Serene, Karelin, Aya
• Place: The Wilderness of Alexandros
• Time: Tuesday, June 08, 2021, 8:39 PM
• Summary: The adventurers continue to struggle with alternate versions of themselves. Cryosanthia makes an impassioned appeal to her Other-self, embracing her and singing a lullaby, achieving some understanding after Aya's explanation and witnessing her mirror get struck. The Hollow-Merek starts to cast something. Hollow-Seldan shoots lightning at Griva, striking Seldan who interposes himself, to the mirror's chagrin. Seldan warns a Disjunction is coming, engadges his opposite and warns Reunion to avoid contact. Another Aya appears, and punches the real Merek to near death. The real Aya responds by laying a beatdown on the Hollow-Merek, doing what seems to be as much or more damage to a lesser effect. The other Cryosanthia declares her love, and everyone's, for Cryosanthia but otherwise seems passive. Titan-Cesran begins to cast, opening up a black gate. Serene mounteback escapes from the Hollow-Merek flesh prison and calls her alternate out. Karelin beats his alternate self into a bloody mess. Merek, somehow recovers and heals himself, moving to Griva's side. Kravar attacks the flesh-monster-Merek, shredding and cuttin pieces away. Hollow-Karelin, somehow recovers and stands. Hollow-Serene flies at Serene and inflicts deadly wound after deadly wound. Brass Dragon-Cesran moves to shield Griva, and dispells the gate that Titan-Cesran is creating. Then Griva's alternate appears, her eyes empty holes and leaking blackness. Cryo, calmed and reassured that opposite didn't attack, attempts to explain the situation in detail, asks her to do the same, for help, and for the two Ayas to come watch with her. The battle continues.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  Appearing, in Order  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Seldan       5'11"    187 Lb     Human             Male      Ginger-blonde human in armor wearing Eluna's symbol.
Merek        5'10"    215 Lb     Human             Male      A black-haired, dusky male with golden eyes.
Cryosanthia  6'9"     291 Lb     Sith-Makar        Female    A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman.
Cesran       6'1"     185 Lb     Human             Male      A tall dark-skinned man
Serene       6'2"     175 Lb     Eldanar/Charn     Female    Glacier meets granite meets strawberries.
Karelin      6'2"     256 Lb     Human             Male      Tattooed Korite warrior. Tall, dark and scarred.
Kravar       6'2"     220 Lb     Human             Male      Big Aesir Hero...with wings
Aya          4'7"     105 Lb     Shadow Elf        Female    Mul'niessa. Braided hair. Simple clothing.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=  NPCS of Note   =--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
Griva Brassbringer               Khazdi            Female    Head of the Alexandrian Chapter of the Resurrection Society
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
     
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=  As the GM   =--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
Whirlpool    5'0"                Otyugh                      I am stinky!
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

Previously

The battle continues with the faux-foes seemingly getting the upper hand. Overwhelmingly, they are taking more damage from spells and breath weapons, but Hollow-Karelin shakes off the stuns of regular Karelin and nearly does him in. Hollow-Cesran becomes a Titan to his Brass Dragon, and the other Cryo summons a darkness that blots out the stars and grows worse. Merek is nearly swallowed by himself, spared only by Serene, who struggles under the blob, as Seldan struggles with his opposite.

Kravar's frown deepens. It appears that words and understanding have failed and perhaps it's time to try horrific violence once more. He spins his sword in another flourish and launches into the air, flying after the mass of twisted flesh that was the Merek double. His glowing sword leaves a blurring trail behind, hiding the way it reshapes itself into a lighter, curved saber as he approaches.

Cesran gives a roar as his doppelganger chooses to fight instead of stand down. "Why do you have to make this so hard on yourself? We could be friends, but you choose to not to be. I feel so sorry for you. I am a great friend and you should know I'm a great friend because you are me. I don't know what you've seen or what happened to you, but it makes me sad to see you like this. All your friends and family would be ashamed to see you like this. Hurting others just because you yourself has been hurt. Where is your compassion and your empathy towards others. For shame Cesran...for shame. You brought this upon yourself."

The brass dragon's propensity to give emotional arguments rather than logical ones is shining through as Cesran continues to be swayed by this form. Cesran ignores the hit from Faux Serene, it hurt, but not as much as being ignored by himself. He move so he can get at least 2 in his line of acid as he inhales and then fires the 100 ft line of acid into his time-displaced copy and into the blob of living flesh that is Faux-Merek. He shakes his head and turns to Cyrosanthia, "Unity? I'm afraid I need more to go on than just that and Asumitt is a conduit. A conduit for what? I'm sorry this doesn't make much sense and without proper time to study I really can't make sense of it on the fly."

His T-rexes having to move around the Wall of Stone Cesran put up only get one bite at Faux-Merek this time around, both missing as they roar their frustration.

Merek's tentacles, the other-Merek's tentacles that is, lash out. He's also still covering Serene. Seems he doesn't care either way as he continues to twist into a horrible, Mereky blob of flesh and matter and endless maws that are trying to devour the paladin. the tentacles grab onto the tyrannosaur and the binds of magic holding it here seems to spark, but are held together by Cesran's pwoer for the time being.

Griva, visible now, is bleeding from her eyes.

"I think ... I think ... I can see something. Sort of. I'm going to try something. Cover me! Cesran, get over to me! Now! You too, Merek!"

Now

The stars are down.

'You wouldn't understand.' Her Mistress' words. Her answer to every question when it wasn't 'time for adjustments', or 'obey'. Cryo certainly doesn't. There's her pit of despair spreading across the sky. How? Why?

She stares at herself. Her refuge and her detachment are not unassailable. Her senses scream, that woman is in trouble. She smells it, heat pits read it, sees it in her movements, feels it. Her frantic voice. That reek, is it her? Is it me? Is there a difference? Everything almost the same and not making any sense at all.

'Wez de dust of Star stuff.' Baz's voice, clear as day crosses her mind. The screams of battle and death surrounding him. His oddly introspective comment in Kor's heaven adding to the puzzle.

"Seldan. Ask Reunion, the other Reunion. And Listen." Cryo's voice is calm in the eye of her storm, detached. "Griva, can you increase..."

A bolt of negative energy interrupts her. Strikes her stained-scale self. Her composure shatters.

"STOPPIT! Don't hurt her!" Cryo snaps at Merek. Pain stabs between her shoulders; a snap of sails; her canopies come in. So close, some meaning just out of reach, gone now. It's growing colder. Overwhelmed by her wretched self. Her pupils wide, her eyes like holes. The ground frosting around her. Spreading. The deepness in the sky, growing. Her scales are streaked black as night and her blade a piece of darkness. And mine, ice.

The stars are down.

"I'm not evil." Cryo chokes on the words, her voice cracking. She can't watch her other die. The emptiness and despair goes all the way down. The whitescale drops her dagger, again, steps forward leaving herself wide open. To embrace her mirror self. She holds her, hoarfrost crinkling in the crush. Cold. Her chest heaves, her breathing wracked. Her voice is too broken by gasps. Think of Lily. Think of... him. A thrumming starts up in her throat, in fits, then a trilling. She sings. No words, but long notes ululating and warbling. A Sith'makar lullaby.

Cryosanthia closes her eyes and sees bleak stone. Her hand moves through a graceful gesture and more noise adds to the soundscape. Bugs, the burble of a swamp and stream, the rustle of leaves and dripping noises. Something heavy moving out of sight. Her embrace tightens. Feel me! Past the prison. Am'shere. Home. Her song evoking refuge across the battlefield. Her scales continue to twinkle, tiny points of light all over her, shining through the frost. Her wings close protectively around them both.

The stars are down.

And I understand.

GAME: Cryosanthia casts Ghost Sound. Caster Level: 10 DC: 14
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls perform/sing: (8)+21: 29
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Cryo, roll sense motive :)"
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls sense motive: (6)+-1: 5

As much as can be understood.

GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+14: (7)+14: 21
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+14: (11)+14: 25
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+14: (5)+14: 19
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+14: (20)+14: 34
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+14: (19)+14: 33
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls spellcraft: (20)+7: 27
GAME: Seldan rolls spellcraft: (11)+18: 29
GAME: Cesran rolls spellcraft: (9)+41: 50
GAME: Serene rolls spellcraft: (10)+13: 23
GAME: Kravar rolls 4: (15)+4: 19

As Griva speaks, the twisted echo of Merek's flesh turns and raises it's liquifying face towards her direction. As its eyes run down its face in blood and jelly, it twists up and lets its many mouthws begin to speak in an echo of magic.

A twisted spell eminates fron one of the fake Merek's mouths. It seems to be some kind of disjunction. Oh NO! Presumably aiming to target Griva. While the Prime individuals all have to be concerned about the impact of that kind of magic on the immediate vicinity, their alternates bear no such compunction.

It's painful on the ears.

GAME: Seldan rolls reflexes: (7)+23: 30
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 10d6: (31): 31

"Griva, griva, Griva. You'll just make things worse again. The secrets your eyes have seen, we *know* them. You see the ending: embrace its salvation. Let it break, let the world stop breathing through its corrupted lungs, chasing visionbs of a future never meant to be."

Lightning crackles at his fingertips and scorches over towards the caster, but your Seldan, the other one, leaps in front of it.

The empty-eyed Seldan sighs heavily.

"Are we so predictable?"

<OOC> Seldan says, "No, this time full attack. I need to keep him busy and press the attack."
<OOC> Seldan says, "Power Attack might help me."
GAME: Seldan rolls reunion + pa: aliased to weapon1 + -4: (16)+24++-4: 36
GAME: Seldan rolls reunion+pa-5: aliased to weapon1-4-5: (6)+24+-4+-5: 21
GAME: Seldan rolls reunion+pa-10: aliased to weapon1-4-10: (4)+24+-4+-10: 14
GAME: Seldan rolls reunion+pa: aliased to weapon1-4: (16)+24+-4: 36
GAME: Seldan rolls 1d8+10+8: (3)+10+8: 21
GAME: Seldan rolls 1d8+10+8: (4)+10+8: 22

"Stop the other Merek! He means to disjoin!" The shout is Seldan's first, panicked reaction, but any thought towards counterspelling or dispelling on his own is swept away as dust in the face of his own alternate-self's attack on the Conclave wizard. He throws himself in the path of the bolt, without hesitation, wincing as burns join the blood covering him.

"You are, because you are what I might have become, had I succumbed to despair." Steely and cold, with an edge to his tone, Seldan rolls to his feet after taking that lightning bolt, and stalks towards his doppelganger, blade held at the ready. "Your blade is made of naught but fear, and it is in my mind that you are even so. Who are we to decide what the future may hold? Certainly it is not ours to merely discard it as a child's plaything."

"Seldan, you can feel his blade?" Fallia's querulous and nasal tones cut through his cold, focused readiness.

"Yes, Fallia, but it is not as you. It holds fear, hunger, foreboding. Do not touch it."

With a battle cry, and without further comment, he leaps at the false-Seldan, sword a whirlwind of fast and hard strikes, some of them even landing. _Keep him busy, keep him away from Griva._

GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+23: (11)+23: 34 (Hollow-Aya)
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+23: (10)+23: 33
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+18: (7)+18: 25
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+13: (2)+13: 15
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+8: (16)+8: 24
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d10+10: (12)+10: 22
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d10+10: (6)+10: 16
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d10+10: (12)+10: 22

Aya suddenly appears again! A blistering series of attacks on Merek follows that leave him battered, bloody, and slumping to the ground, unconscious.

The anti-Merek flinches, though not as badly as the first time.

"Hm," says this Aya, "Interesting. Unexpected."

She turns her head around to look at the flesh-thing-Merek and nods thoughtfully before taking a step back.

... that's definitely not *your* Aya.

<pre><OOC> Whirlpool says, "You now have a twin on the field."
<OOC> Aya says, "Well, since -she- so rudely hit Merek for me... Ah, yes, I'll strike the other Merek. All with the Silverguard's 
<OOC> Aya shall abundant step to him and full attack. Flurry of blows, with Ki. Initial is Elbow Style strike for non-lethal.
<OOC> Aya says, "If the first hits, I get another at BAB-5. Also, if the first hits, due to nonlethal, free intimidate to demoralize. If demoralized, any sbsequent hit renders him flat-footed against the remaining. If flat-footed, Medusa's Wrath grants me two additional full bab attacks."
GAME: Aya spends TWO points of KI POOL.
GAME: Aya rolls weapon0: (8)+23: 31
GAME: Aya rolls weapon0: (8)+23: 31
GAME: Aya rolls weapon0: (4)+23: 27
GAME: Aya rolls weapon0-5: (18)+23+-5: 36
GAME: Aya rolls weapon0-10: (15)+23+-10: 28
GAME: Aya rolls weapon0-15: (2)+23+-15: 10
GAME: Aya rolls weapon0: (13)+23: 36
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "So, intimidate away."
GAME: Aya rolls intimidate+4: (8)+19+4: 31
<OOC> Aya gets the elbow in, now, also.
GAME: Aya rolls weapon0-5: (8)+23+-5: 26
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Intimidated!"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "DEMORALIZED"
<OOC> Aya says, "Ok. Then the subsequent hit renders him flat-footed. Not sure if that would help with latter hit rolls."
GAME: Aya rolls weapon0: (12)+23: 35
GAME: Aya rolls weapon0: (17)+23: 40
GAME: Aya rolls damage0: aliased to 2d10+6: (11)+6: 17
GAME: Aya rolls damage0: aliased to 2d10+6: (14)+6: 20
GAME: Aya rolls damage0: aliased to 2d10+6: (10)+6: 16
GAME: Aya rolls damage0: aliased to 2d10+6: (6)+6: 12
GAME: Aya rolls damage0: aliased to 2d10+6: (13)+6: 19
GAME: Aya rolls damage0: aliased to 2d10+6: (15)+6: 21
GAME: Aya rolls damage0: aliased to 2d10+6: (10)+6: 16

Aya arches a brow when her own ... alternate enters the fray. Initial reaction: well, she -did- start by striking Merek down, so their arrivals were not so different. Whether more parallels or divergence will be discovered later remains to be seen... "Interesting, but hardly surprising." A brief nod to the SilverGuard and then... she vanishes.

Only to reappear adjacent to the Merek-ooze attempting to cloak Serene. "However. You. Seemed. To. Have. Missed. One. Allow. Me. To. Assist!" Today there are always more Mereks to punch. Or kick. And/or elbow. Each word is punctuated with a strike upon the semi-solid one, immediately followed by a puff of shadow and relocation to another angle. Then it repeats in a very rapid series. Aya appears to all but flicker as she does this as if, in addition, she must ensure to put on a more impressive display than the other.

The embrace of her alternate seems to create a pause, a ripple. There's a horrible sense of wrong eminating from it. The emotional pain writ all over this alternate's face seems both so real and so devoid of reality at the same time.

"We all love you," says this Cryosanthia.

"Someone has to."

Alternate Cesran begins to cast.

A swirling black gate erupts from the ground beneath him.

"Uh oh" again.

<OOC> Serene says, "Or invoke Mountebank"

Serene has little wish to be enveoped in a fleshy Merek prison. A quick command activates some of the waiting magic in her cloak, and in a puff of smoke she reappears a short distance away. She keeps her shield interposed between herself and the mishappen creature, but she turns her eyes and points her sword in her doppleganger's direction. "Hailee Serene Tiigril! I am calling you out! I name you a coward and you will face me!"

<OOC> Whirlpool says, "You and evil Karelin are still shouting witness and slugging each other"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "It's a korite's dream"
<OOC> Karelin says, "Who am I to argue -- FA Stunning Assault w/ Haste."
GAME: Karelin rolls 1d20+39: (15)+39: 54
GAME: Karelin rolls 1d20+39: (17)+39: 56
GAME: Karelin rolls 1d20+34: (20)+34: 54
GAME: Karelin rolls 1d20+29: (9)+29: 38
GAME: Karelin rolls 1d20+24: (10)+24: 34
<OOC> Karelin says, "..so, 1 hit, 2 crits -- I'll roll damage, and 3 DC 30 Fort saves"
GAME: Karelin rolls 1d10+31: (10)+31: 41 (Hollow Karelin Fort)
GAME: Karelin rolls 2d10+62: (12)+62: 74 (Hollow Karelin Fort)
GAME: Karelin rolls 2d10+62: (3)+62: 65 (Hollow Karelin Fort)

Karelin continues fighting, going for more concussive, belling blows. His aim is particularly good as he strikes: "You know, Kor once told me that there's just one war -- so why are we facing each other?" It's not like the words stop his strikes, though.

Karelin looks down the length of his sword at his mirror, looking at his own blood drip into his own face. "Guess it doesn't matter to you now..."

GAME: Merek casts Heal. Caster Level: 14 DC: 19

Merek is taken in by the flurry of punches, breaking bones as well while he takes the time to begin backing up. The man lifts up a hand while he draws upon the magic of healing, sealing all of the wounds while he watches the fake Aya, "Thank you, I need to uh. Go help Griva," he says, then he will try to walk that way and assist the woman. He does take a look to Cryo while he waves with the only arm that he has, "Try not to listen to it. We'll deal with that!"

He doesn't really need to think anymore, he'd given everything and moved on from this world already. With that peace along in mind, he will maneuver. "You tell me what I need to do Griva."

<OOC> Kravar NOW is going to full attack the Merek double, using power attack, dropping his shield to use 2 hands
GAME: Kravar rolls 30: (4)+30: 34
GAME: Kravar rolls 30: (20)+30: 50
GAME: Kravar rolls 25: (8)+25: 33
GAME: Kravar rolls 20: (5)+20: 25
GAME: Kravar rolls 15: (6)+15: 21
GAME: Kravar rolls 30: (12)+30: 42
GAME: Kravar rolls 2d6+78: (11)+78: 89
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Kravar, you shred anti-Merek pretty well! He is in tatters"

Kravar's expression seems to lighten somewhat as Serene extricates herself from the grip of the faux Merek. Kravar relaxes his grip on his shield and then shakes his arm in a practiced motion. The enchanted darkwood tumbles and falls until it thuds to the ground, spinning once like a coin. But the swordsman has already moved past, now raising his sword in a two-handed grip before bringing it down to strike the space between neck and shoulder.

<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Serene goes for Serene"
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+30: (9)+30: 39
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 30: (1)+30: 31 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+25: (20)+25: 45
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+25: (14)+25: 39
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+20: (16)+20: 36
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+15: (19)+15: 34
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d8+12: (3)+12: 15
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d8+24: (14)+24: 38
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d8+12: (4)+12: 16
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d8+12: (8)+12: 20

Karelin ... not your Karelin, but a Karelin, lays defeated on the ground. His eyes blanky stare up accusingly at the swordsman standing over him before he ... rattles and begins breathing again. His wounds pull together.

"...not ... yet ..."

He staggers back to his feet, smiles.

"There is no one left to witness."

Serene's alternate stares at her a moment.

Then she flies towards her on silver wings, a trail of blackend specks and bloody feathers left in her wake as she skids to a halt in front of her a blinding blur of sword strikes.

It'ws awful to witness. Wound after wound is inflicted upon Serene.

<OOC> Cesran says, "Cool, then I'm going to defensively cast greater dispel magic on fake cesran to stop his spell."
<OOC> Cesran says, "Then move my dragon self to guard Griva, wings fully out to obscure her from enemy sight,"
<OOC> Cesran says, "so she can do her work in peace."
<OOC> Cesran says, "Oh I'm not sure if I rolled for when I get my dragon's breath back."
GAME: Cesran rolls 1d4: (1): 1
GAME: Cesran casts Greater Dispel Magic. Caster Level: 20 DC: 28
GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+20+4: (14)+20+4: 38
<OOC> Cesran says, "Oh T-rex attacks. I think they get their full round."
GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+20+1+2: (17)+20+1+2: 40 (CT-Rex 1 Bite)
GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+20+1+2: (13)+20+1+2: 36 (CT-Rex 1 Bite)
GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+20+1+2: (6)+20+1+2: 29 (CT-Rex 2 Bite)
GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+20+1+2: (11)+20+1+2: 34 (CT-Rex 2 Bite)
GAME: Cesran rolls 4d6+22: (13)+22: 35
GAME: Cesran rolls 4d6+22: (14)+22: 36
GAME: Cesran rolls 4d6+22: (11)+22: 33
GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+32: (4)+32: 36 (CT-Rex Grab)
GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+32: (8)+32: 40 (CT-Rex Grab)
GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+32: (20)+32: 52 (CT-Rex Grab)
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Merek is destroyed :)"

Cesran's attention first goes to Fake Merek who's starting to cast a spell, he instantly recognizes it as Mage's Disjunction. Griva does not need that spell on her or anyone else around her. Fortunately his companions manage to interrupt his spellcasting. When Fake Cesran starts to cast the Gate spell through Cesran knows what he has to do. He once more defensively casts Greater Dispel Magic on the Fake Cesran spoiling the spell. He rumbles deeply, "Don't you know that it's extremely rude to bring uninvited guests to a party, especially when you didn't inform the hosts. You must be from an alternate reality where manners evidently don't exist, because I know our mother raised us better then that no matter what timeline you come from. Your fight is with me, so let's rumble."

Cesran swiftly beats his wings to fly and put himself between the other fakes and Griva. "I'll try to shield you so that you can do it, if you need more help then that let me know." The huge brass dragon spreads his wings out wide to try to block Griva from the sight of those fakes who might try to stop her.

The Celestial T-rexes finally get their act together as, with a mighty earth shaking twin roar, they descend upon fake Merek and with heavy chops they pull and tears him apart, holding his gooey flesh in their mighty jaws. They both shakes their heads as they start to chew.

Griva is about to say something more, do something more, but finally the last anti-version has appeared.

Kneeling on the ground, now, revealed by the parting of shadow is ... herself.

Her hands covering her face, sobbing endlessly. When she finally looks up, tears are revealed to be streaming from the raw, empty sockets of her eyes. Tears mixed with blood, with ooze and blackness streaking her face.

Griva, your Griva, recoils in horror and shock, eyes wide.

"... no... "

The last few notes of the lullaby fade away, followed by the thrumming in Cryo's throat. It worked for her, she's stabilized again. The other? She's not sure. The wrongness of her other self assails her. Her words were eerie, with multiple potentials, and the grief. That... that she understands. "I'm a Speaker and I don't know what to say," she mumbles, sounding lost.

Her next words are more confident, "No Merek, you're wrong. You had it right earlier. It's us. We need to deal with them like ourselves." The other Merek is torn to shreds by T-Rexes, "Or. I don't know."

And she turns to face herself, the mirror with the pain on the outside.

"I forgive you." Cryosanthia looks at her icicle dagger, reformed in her hand. Those words were lies before; now, for herself, here, perhaps true. She holds the wavy, semi-rounded blade, handle towards her other self. "I forgive me. I love you too."

Calm, cold and collected.

"We came to examine a local Ley-Line, and found it was empty of magic. There are holes in the sea of Mana too, seeming deliberate holes. I'm not sure if they're related. There were all these crystal cysts. We disintegrated one and black, wrongness came out. We charged up a Rod of Absorbtion to break the blockage, and that worked. That's it over there. Then a lot more black came out, that ..., and you came out of that ... yeah."

Look! A huge Brass Dragon!

Cryosanthia exhales, she's calming down and warming up. Her frost is melting and refreezing into a thin layer of clear ice. Her stance is casual, her own scents, well they're still all over the place but improving. "I don't know if that made any sense to you, or what you were trying to do. I think we're the same, just rotated fifteen degrees, and have the same goals."

She holds out her other hand, empty, to herself "Can you explain ... anything?" Calls out loudly, "Aya and Aya, come here, watch with us."

The pieces of a Merek on the ground twitch. Does death have no meaning to them?

Evidentally not.

Combatty

 ===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 6 =====================
 ---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
     27   Karelin-Hollow   1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     25   Cesran           1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     23   Griva Brassbrin  1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     21   Cryosanthia      5  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     18   Hollowed Merek   1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  >> 18   Seldan-Hollow    1   <<
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     15   Seldan           1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     14   Aya-Hollow          
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     13   Aya              6  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     12   Cryo-Hollow      1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     12   Cesran-Hollow    1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     8    Serene           1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     8    Merek            1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     6    Karelin          1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     6    Kravar           1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     3    Serene-Hollow    1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ==============================================================================
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 |     Name      |  CHP (T) |  HP  |
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 | Aya...........|  192     | 192  |
 | Cesran........|  154     | 154  |
 | Cryosanthia...|  118     | 118  |
 | Karelin.......|  205     | 281  |
 | Kravar........|  213     | 237  |
 | Merek.........|   99     |  99  |
 | Seldan........|  145     | 219  |
 | Serene........|   88     | 240  |
 | (C) Silver....|  152     | 152  |
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OOC

<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Good lord the text xD"
<OOC> Cryosanthia tailswishes embarassedly... "I had a week... I kept editing ... but not down much.'
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "AYa sent wword that they will be another hour :)"
<OOC> Kravar never thought he'd see the day a Baz quote would sound like wisdom
<OOC> Cesran says, "It's truly the end times"

<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Well, for Copy-Cryo, if I'm evil it will be time for "Ha ha you naive fool! You fell into my trap." And something like Full Attack backstabs, or finish whatever eldrichs summoning is going on. If not evil, realize that while this could be a very odd emotional attack, it's far more likely to be an effort to console and demonstrate trust. That the other me recognizes the unresolved grief. So, reciprocate the comforting noises, and try to sing with her and calm down, and perhaps tell the other hollows to hold. Or. More scary randomness."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Now, trying to pose and take care of the response to Cryo"

<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Cryo, still hugging?"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "yes, essentially."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "was going to stop the song and say some things, but being non-violent"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "also trying to trade daggers with her"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "handle first. we already tried point first"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "also calling out to the Ayas to come over"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "make the pose?"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Yes, go ahead"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Let's pause here"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "ai have to respond to Cryo's emit anyway with something and it is Seldan's turn. I believe next week will be last combat rounds."
<OOC> Cryosanthia nods
You paged Whirlpool with 'I hope my pose was good'
Whirlpool pages: air is!
Whirlpool pages: It is even
Whirlpool pages: Darn phone
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "I had a much longer explanation I cut for time :)"

<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "mostly though everyone is very much being themselves."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "and i'm not sure i'm right"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Cesran's idea that they're all faces on the fingertips of a paw that's summoning itself, could be true too"

Serene pages: We will see. I have my own speech I've been hoping to use.. not quite as impressive as Cryo's.. but the opportunity hasn't happened yet.
Long distance to Serene: Cryosanthia hugs, "Thanks."
You paged Serene with 'I want to go 'it's you, they're doing what you do. Merek's doing weird dangerous things without explaining,
Seldan is ignoring things he doesn't want to hear, Aya is curious. I'm very upset by all this. I don't know the rest of you but they're yourselves. deal with you like yourself.'
Serene pages: Yeah, I'mgetting a simliar feel.

<OOC> Merek says, "did i miss my turn or"
<OOC> Merek says, "sorry wasn't at this screen"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "hasn't gotten to you yet"
<OOC> Cesran says, "And I think there is a fake Aya that knocked you out."
<OOC> Aya says, "There was one, yes. It was all her fault."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "No, I just wanted to make sure that you knew you had been knocked out :)"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "You're at -10 atm because fake Aya showed up and ALSO punched you. XD"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "It is Punchable Merek day. <3"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "I mean"
<OOC> Merek says, "Why is Merek dying."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Because Merek got punched by Fake Aya."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Repeatedly."
<OOC> Merek says, "Did my thingy kick in?"
<OOC> Merek says, "The 5 DR?"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Ah, no! I did not account for dr. What kind of dr is it?"
<OOC> Merek says, "Angelic Aspect DR 5/Evil"
<OOC> Aya says, "Evil or +4 or higher, I think."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "So Merek will be upright but not by much"
<OOC> Aya points to this as proof that she is, in fact, not evil!
<OOC> Merek says, "Ty!"
It is now Merek's turn! Karelin is next!
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Merek!"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Merek!"
<OOC> Whirlpool poke!
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Mereeeeek"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Let me know when you are here, Merek"
<OOC> Merek says, "I'm here"
<OOC> Merek says, "apologies"
<OOC> Merek says, "I'm going to go assist Griva and use Heal."
<OOC> Merek says, "on myself"
<OOC> Merek masters CHIM.
<OOC> Merek says, "https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/CHIM"
<OOC> Merek says, "Did I do good at figuring out what they were?"
<OOC> Merek says, "was i helpful"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Partly. You did say they had the same pain. Aya said there was a connection, but not a real one, more unexpected shock. Plus their tactics were very mirror-like. Oddly shooting the other Cryo helped because Cryo suddenly understood what Aya really meant."