Renew the Pact: The Hand of Asumit, p7
Log Info
- Title: Renew the Pact: The Hand of Asummit, Part 7
- Emitter: Whirlpool
- Characters: Seldan, Kravar, Merek, Cryosanthia, Cesran, Serene, Karelin, Aya
- Place: The Wilderness of Alexandros
- Time: Tuesday, June 15, 2021, 7:14 PM
- Summary: They still struggle. Seldan and his Hollow are fighting, but he moves to shield Griva when her opposite appears. Cryo's opposite stares, doesn't attack, tells her she doesn't understand - there is no future. Titan-Cesran blasts Serene, injuring her badly. Merek summons a hound archon to protect Griva. Serene heals herself, appeals to her other stand with her against darkness or accept her failure. Kravar rushes the Titan-Cesran, wounding him so badly it's raining blood and he is struck by a retributive spell. Kravar turns to stone, plummets and shatters. Serene's clone stares with empty eyes, listens to Serene's words, heeds them and dissipates. Aya shadowsteps to Cryo's side, chastizing her opposite that if she has surrendered to despair or would share it with others, it proves her weakness. Any fraction of her would know this, and if not, perhaps they are all mad illusions. Brass Dragon Cesran lectures his opposite with a three point plan that will guarantee success and is mathematically sound, and he didn't even need to magic up a chalkboard to do so. The other Aya shadow steps beside herself, whispers to herself, and waits for acknowledgement. Griva, meanwhile, channels a tremendous amount of magical energy into the Rod, which surges, power rippling through the area. All are afflicted. Pieces of Merek twice. Cryo's opposite is snapped free in her last moments, truly sees her and says, "You must save her." She shatters like glass. Titan-Cesran tells his other, "The holes -- you can't see them, but you'll need to find them." He fades away. Griva calls for a dispell. Karelin speaks to his opposite now that he's defeated him, asking "Why the Fuck are we fighting?" The other Karelin seemingly agrees, saying "There's none left to witness." and breaks apart. Merek casts Dispel as Cesran prepares to back him up with something strong if that fails, and warns others to get away. The Rod pulses and Griva grabs it, calling for Serene and Seldan to assist.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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 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 casts, dispelling the gate that Titan-Cesran is creating. "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, interposing himself protectively, his wings spreading wide to block Griva from the sight of the Fakes. "I'll try to shield you so that you can do it, if you need more help then that let me know."
The Celestial T-rexes descend upon fake Merek, tearing him to shreds, chewing his gooey flesh.
Griva is about to do something more, when the last anti-version appears.
On the ground, revealed by the parting of shadow is ... herself. Her hands covering her face, sobbing endlessly. Her tears are revealed to be streaming from the raw sockets of her eyes. Tears mixed with blood, with ooze. With blackness.
Griva recoils, "... no... "
The last few notes of the lullaby fade away.
The Speaker of the Sith'makar, speaks. "No Merek, you're wrong. You had it right earlier. It's us. We need to deal with them like ourselves."
And she turns to face herself, "I forgive you. I forgive me. I love you too.
Cryosanthia holds out her icicle dagger, handle towards her other self.
"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."
Her stance is casual, her own scents, are 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."
"Aya and Aya, come here, watch with us." She holds out her other hand, empty, to herself "Can you explain ... anything?"
The pieces of a Merek on the ground twitch. Does death have no meaning to them?
Evidentally not.
Now
Seldan and has clone are in it, now, circling each other. Lightning crackles from fingertips and sword strikes are exchanged. Locked in combat, now, and that's all there is to it.
It's the arrival of Griva's opposite that distracts him, leading him to dart over to her, both of them actually, one for her protection and one for her end. Seems he's always had his eye on the prize, hasn't he?
Meanwhile, Cryosanthia and her oppoisite are close together. The opposite is staring at her. Staring with a black-eyed, blank expression. A slow shake of her head.
"No," beginns the hollowed one, "You don't understand. You will. No stars, no future, no light, no empire. It all changes in front of you."
Cesran's opposite floats back a step, then brings a blast of energy to bear on Serene, attempting to strike her with it.
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+11: (11)+11: 22 GAME: Serene rolls fortitude: (16)+34: 50 <OOC> Cesran says, "Please don't let this be the timeline where I disintegrate the Great Paladin." <OOC> Whirlpool says, "I mean you did just try :)" GAME: Whirlpool rolls 4d6: (13): 13
A blast which could disintegrate her...
Merek looks then to Merek when it looks like Merek will be killed. Well, that's that. The man nods while he begins to lift up a hand while he draws forth a magical spell. A hound archon will begin to summon from the Plane which it is from, then it stands along to fight the faux Griva. "Griva! YOU NEED TO GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF!" he calls while casting and standing with the woman, "Do what you need to do! Let me hold the line!"
GAME: Serene spends ONE use of LAY ON HANDS. GAME: Serene rolls diplomacy: (12)+40: 52
"Defender of the light?" Serene's voice drips with disappointment as she raises her shield to fend off the winged one's attacks, her sword held off to the side as if to invite the creature's assault. And it turns out to be rather effective, finding holes in Serene's awkward defence. But wounds appear to begin to close even as they are made, and Serene seems to become infused with a soft, glowing light as she faces off against her dark copy.
"I am told that you are me and I am you. But I know myself. I have failed many times in my life, and every time rise again to stand between the darkness and all that it would consume." She grunts as a blast from the twisted Cesran hits her in the back and she stumbles foward, another opening taken advantage of by fallen paladin, but even as the blow strikes true Serene lifts her shield and pushes back. "I learn from my failures, I do not let them define me or my actions are YOU ARE NOW! You failed. Accept it. Rise up to stand against the darkness once more. Do not let your failure drive you to smother the hope that we might succeed where you did not. If you and I are truly the same, then I know the truth of you... and the truth is you will not be a party to allowing the darkness you face snuff out what you see here."
GAME: Kravar rolls 33-5: (16)+33+-5: 44 GAME: Kravar rolls 2d6+78: (9)+78: 87 <OOC> Whirlpool says, "That really hurts faux-Cesran" <OOC> Whirlpool says, "And triggers his contigency." GAME: Kravar rolls fort: (2)+17: 19
Kravar turns his gaze away from Merek's double and scans the battlefield quickly. Picking his next target, the Aesir launches himself at Cesran's double. He puts his second hand on his sword just before slashing the wizardly figure in a savage blow. An instant later the swordsman is a statue, falling from the sky. And an instant after that he hits the ground, shattering.
The Cesran clone is badly hurt. Incredibly so. A flood of blood is raining from the sky.
Serene's clone stops dead in her tracks. It turns, wings spread as it stares at her with empty eyes. Listens. There is a slow nod...
- And then she collapses. Dissolving. Dissipating.
Aya does not take her awareness fully off of her alter-ego. She would not do so with any unknown quantity, but even less so if this ...thing is anything like the mul it resembles. She does, however, heed Cryosanthia, one brow lifting slightly before she vanishes in a puff of shadow to re-appear at the whitescale's side. To watch, it seems, and Cryosanthia receives a nod of acknowledgement.
The words of the sith simulacrum are also noted, though not heeded. It is to that version that offers, "If you have surrendered to despair, and would share it with others to try and ease your pain... then you have already lost. It proves you are weak. None here would do so, no matter how you appear." A head tilt to her alternate. "If that one is a fraction of me, she would know this. If she does not, then she is not. If she is not, then perhaps none of you are truly like what you appear, and matter no more than any other mad thing to be put down or ignored."
<OOC> Cesran says, "I too will try to talk to my clone and using reason and logic try to dissuade him his course of action." <OOC> Cesran says, "May I use a knowledge skill instead of diplomacy? ;)" <OOC> Cesran says, "Or just a straight up int check" <OOC> Cesran says, "I'm pretty sure I could magic up a chalk board. ;)" <OOC> Cesran says, "hoping that reason and login will reach him, hoping not to roll diplomacy." <OOC> Whirlpool says, "Roll what you want to try" GAME: Cesran rolls intelligence: (9)+12: 21
Cesran sees that Griva is dealing with her duplicate, but before he do anything Kravar is struck down, turned to stone mid-air and then sent tumbling to the ground. The shatter of his companion makes Cesran take stock. They have been fighting and fighting, but gaining very little ground. He takes a moment to organize his thoughts and put together a logical well reasoned argument that will perhaps stop the fighting or at last stop himself from fight. "Cesran. Hostilities should cease and I would like you to hear the reasons why."
"Point 1. This is not your reality, whatever has happened to you has not happened to us. At least not yet. Killing us or whatever your plan is might instead be the reason you are like this."
"Point 2. If you could tell us what has happened we can come up with a solution together. Working with others to solve a problem leads to faster results. We are two of the most brilliant minds. We can come up with any solution if we were to work together."
"Point 3. You are not evil, fighting each other instead of fighting whatever evil has caused this only means that evil will get stronger. If we work in the spirit of cooperation, those that seek the ruination of others would be hard pressed against the combine forces of some of the most powerful people currently alive times 2."
So the other Aya stares at your Aya. There's a stare, a tilted head. Then she leans in closer. Closre. Moves to her. She's just ... there. On her, now. A leaned in whisper. A quiet one. A single phrase that might be anything, for none of the rest of you can hear it.
Then she steps back. Acknowledgement awaited.
Griva steps back again, swiftly, moving to the side of the Hound Archon that's due to appear somewhere nearby. Like she can sense where Merek's going with his new spell, that summon and its arrival. She points towards the rod and invokes a spell, yes. Not disjunction, but something just as recklessly dangerous. The sheer amount of diamonds she's channeling the mana through that she's grabbed from reagent pouch is just enough to warn of that. The rod implanted in the earth begins to glow with white light and then ... there's a flash.
A rippling sense of power that *pours* through the area.
GAME: Serene rolls fortitude: (4)+34: 38 GAME: Cesran rolls fort: (14)+16: 30 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+15: (9)+15: 24 (CT-Rex 1 Save) GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+15: (18)+15: 33 (CT-Rex 2 Save) GAME: Merek rolls fort: (20)+13: 33 (CRITICAL SUCCESS) GAME: Karelin rolls fort: (1)+23: 24 (EPIC FAIL) <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "charmed life 1 of 3" GAME: Cryosanthia rolls fortitude+4: (16)+8+4: 28 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 15d6: (54): 54 GAME: Griva's Limited Wish damaged your constitution for 4 points. 4 total damage. GAME: Griva's Limited Wish damaged you for 25 points. 65 HP remaining. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | Name | CHP (T) | HP | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | Aya...........| 192 | 192 | | Cesran........| 89 | 114 | | Cryosanthia...| 65 | 90 | | Karelin.......| 31 | 161 | | Kravar........| 213 | 237 | | Merek.........| 16 | 85 | | Seldan........| 217 | 219 | | Serene........| 100 | 200 | | (C) Silver....| 152 | 152 | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Yet, you still are." Cryosanthia stares back. Her eyes wide pools of pupil, only the thinnest rim of sapphire. Her nostrils slowly flaring as she inhales, thin streams of fog when she exhales. "If I lost everything, all those emotions again. I couldn't continue."
Serene's words cut in, causing Cryo to turn, listen. Stare, at how she's taking the blows, so stoic. And the result, Seren's opposite fades away. Cryo's wings close in. Her head turns back. She lets her icicle dagger fall once more, reaches with both hands into her haversack to pull out two objects. Leaving herself exposed, her front undefended to her other. Vulnerable in body and spirit.
She holds out two things.
Her Mask of One Thousand Tomes. Shaped for a Sith'Makar's face. Made with her friend, Mikilos, out of precious ruined tomes. She insisted a page of the Crimson Pen was included in the paper-mache' before it was enchanted. A useful magic item with a fond memory of it's creation, one that literally allows you to have your face in a book. All books.
And a Scroll of Share Memory. A spell very much abused by the Queen of Endless Winter, and one she's played around with far too much after her experiences.
One in each hand. An offering that may not be necessary. There were better words.
Did Kravar just shatter? What was that! Aya's appearance beside her is a comfort, as well as the Shadow-Aya. Focus. Continue.
"You must have some hope to go on. And... all that they said. Those are great arguements." The icy one tells her darkness self. A deep breath, her neck straightens, then her heartfelt plea is made, "You're not evil. Don't accept what happened. Help me. Forgive me."
And then everything explodes. She flings her wings out to shield those with her. The energy hits hard.
Seldan circles himself, no words or blows exchanged this time.
Hollowed Merek stops moving for the moment, as if the energy washing over it had some kind of impact. It's not quite dead, but not quite alive either. It says nothing. It's a pile of rent flesh.
Cryosanthia's opposite has stopped and stared at her now, as if the severing that Griva just performed, if in fact that is what it is, has clarified something for her. Her words are listened to and then she slowly offers a sentence, a hand outstretched. "You have to save her."
- ...and then she collapses to the ground, shattering like glass.
Cesran has stopped too. He's turned towards him, now, slowly, bleeding. He looks down at the fallen, stone form of Kravar. He smirks once.
Then back to Cesran. "The holes -- you can't see them, but you'll need to find them or else it won't matter."
- And then he fades entirely from view.
Griva steps back, winded. "Dispel it! Dispel it now! Quickly!" She point at the rod. "End the magic before the blight leaks out!"
<OOC> Karelin says, "Okay. I haven't been able to figure out what hollow-K did last. Is he still there?" <OOC> Karelin says, "He stood up, got hit by the wave.... maybe?" <OOC> Whirlpool says, "Yes" <OOC> Whirlpool says, "He's still there, but he's not doing much" <OOC> Whirlpool says, "You kinda puddled him, Karelin." <OOC> Karelin says, "Okay. Time to say something to him." <OOC> Karelin might even roll Dips ;) I'll try to make it less scary and more reasoned GAME: Karelin rolls diplomacy: (8)+21: 29
Karelin gets hit by the wave, and in a moment of madness, just tries to tough it out. His knees buckle, but he stays upright, sword pointed towards his double. He winces, and lowers down to a low guard. "Look, you know as well as I do Kor told us that there's only one war, and that all wars are a part of it. What side are you on -- look around. I know where I've been, and I know what I've seen, and you will have studied it too. War is politics by any other means. It's the exercise of power -- we just skip the talking. So why the fuck are we fighting?" He keeps it short, but the question hangs there, pointed.
GAME: Merek rolls 1d20+15: (10)+15: 25
Merek looks then to Griva, and will nod a little, while he takes the time to begin bringing his magic into being. He notices Kravar when he falls from the sky, he notices Cryosanthia when she is dealing with that. "It'll be alright everyone, take care of what you need with your other selves!" The man draws the magic away to seal it as well while he takes the time to manipulate the magic.
As they already are.
The fallen form of Karelin's opposite, one who lost only by the barest of margins in truth, stares up at his oppposite. He starts to say something, but then pauses, smilkes, and then startsg again.
"There's none left to witness."
- ..and then he breaks apart.
Cesran listens carefully to his duplicates parting words, "The holes. I will find them." The brass dragon rumbles before he turns to look at the others. He heard Griva, but holds his spell ready to cast should it be needed. "I'd suggest everyone back away from it. Give me at least 50 feet if you value your magical items and spells."
<OOC> Cesran says, "Holding Mage's Disjunction to cast on it if Merek's Greater Dispel Magic didn't work."
...and then the rod pulses once after Merek's magic hits it and dispels ... *something*. Tamps it down, actually, as it can still glow in fits and sparks. Like it's a fire trying to spark out from under something smothering it.
"That won't last long, but it'll do. Seldan! Serene! Grab hold with me."
She reaches down to grab hold of the rod, and with their help, yanks it free from the earth. There's a monumental shaking to the ground that nearly takes everyone down off their feet, and then the *air before you* shimmers, reality ripples like a pond. Stabilizes.
She drops to her knee, Griva does, her own opposite seeming to shatter away into nothingness as she does.
"My gods," she heaves, "They were us, but clad in nightmare. Poison leeching into the land all around us, and into the Sea of Mana."
Combatty
===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 7 =====================
---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
27 Karelin-Hollow 1
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>> 25 Cesran 1 <<
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23 Griva Brassbrin 1
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22 Aya 6
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21 Cryosanthia 5
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18 Hollowed Merek 1
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18 Seldan-Hollow 1
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14 Seldan 1
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12 Cryo-Hollow 1
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12 Cesran-Hollow 1
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8 Serene 1
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8 Merek 1
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6 Karelin 1
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6 Kravar 1
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3 Serene-Hollow 1
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==============================================================================
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Name | CHP (T) | HP |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Cryosanthia...| 65 | 90 |
| Karelin.......| 31 | 161 |
| Kravar........| 213 | 237 |
| Serene........| 100 | 200 |
| (C) Silver....| 152 | 152 |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kravar Dies
[WhirlChan] Cesran says, "Oh no Kravar is dust in the wind."
<OOC> Cesran says, "Sand of Navos Kravar!"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Yeah, you may want to since it is instant death"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Krav?"
<OOC> Cesran gasps it's true...if you die in game you die irl.
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "It must be :("
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Serene-hollow stood and talks to Serene!"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Up to you, Krav :)"
<OOC> Kravar nods ok. Not sure how all the mechanics work but I'll give it a try since I've never actually used it before. Been raised a few times ICly but that was before I got the Token.
<OOC> Kravar says, "What was it that killed me?"
<OOC> Cesran notes Raise dead only cuts the cost of raising you by 50% or 75%. vs 3 RPP to reroll.
<OOC> Merek says, "Ya that's for resurrections after you die offered by others."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "That's right, Krav :)"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "The token just makes it cheaper"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "What's killing you is petrificatiob"
<OOC> Aya says, "Petrification doesn't kill you, anyhow. Technically?"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "makes a lovely lawn ornament"
<OOC> Cesran says, "It's the smashing afterwards that kills you."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "No, but he is flying right n---"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Yes xD"
<OOC> Cesran says, "Gravity is a bitch. ;)"
<OOC> Kravar nods it is 75% cost for me, would that be 1350 gold? I can pay that myself. Although I also have a ring of feather falling, but if the ruling is the fall kills me then so be it.
<OOC> Serene says, "The other difference is if you spend the RPP on the reroll, you're not out of the fight if you succeed."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Anyway, if you wanna eat it, that's fine! not outside the party capacity to res you :)"
<OOC> Serene says, "For sure"
<OOC> Kravar nods...honestly that is fine at first it was kind of a spot decision but the more I think about it I may need to drop out of this plot now that summer is upon me
<OOC> Aya ahs and forgot about the flying.
<OOC> Kravar says, "But for sure I can foot the bill myself!"
<OOC> Merek says, "I actually can prep Resurrect if need be at my level."
<OOC> Kravar steps away once more!
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "wow."
<OOC> Merek says, "noooooooooooo"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "D:"
<OOC> Cesran gets out the glue.
[WhirlChan] Serene says, "Well. I am happy I was not forced to kill myself."
<OOC> Merek says, "Merek at this point is just looking at his broken down half-alive body as it writhes in many pieces."
<OOC> Merek says, "And thinks to himself."
<OOC> Merek says, "'I wish I was back at home fishing'."
<OOC> Aya can be conversational when she wishes. "It seems a viable alternative to random petrifications, disintegrations, and/or de-resolutions."
<OOC> Aya really must collapse, now, though. "Awake for work in six or less. :/"