Session 154 - Fifteen years old
Hywin sighed as his daughter chattered and made false promises.
“It’s difficult being a father, but I know what I was like at her age. I was willful and headstrong. Arrogant about my own place in the world. Sometimes caring for your children means saying no – because they’re not ready for the difficulties out there in the world – the harshness of life. You have to protect your children but also make them fearless. I worry that Iolah hasn’t seen enough of the harshness to understand. She is headstrong, and that’s to her credit, but I don’t want her to go down a route she’s not ready for. She has an entire life ahead of her – she needs patience.”
“But I’m telling you of my troubles, and you have your own. How can I help you, from here without bringing trouble to myself?”
Braz asked if he had any allies who might join the conflict.
“I see nobody who would see this as their fight under the waves, but above the water, I’m sure there are plenty.”
Alke spoke up, “There’s a chance we will fail – should this happen, how will you get through what comes next?”
Hywin assured them he wasn’t concerned about this, as before the Oath, they didn’t attack under the waves – they let them be. “I won’t be involved, better left alone, out of sight – out of mind.” He straightened up, “I know much of the seas; I can hear their calls on the currents.”
Braz asked about contacting them from afar – he suggested they set up contact with Hywin in some long-distance contact form.
Xan asked him about the Nethersea, what is it? Hywin said it isn’t a sea. Xan described the next island they might visit – the Spear. He named it The Father of Monsters. It has great power, but one that isn’t claimable. It’s a place where conflicted monsters come from, gryphons, chimera, those monsters made from conflicting ideas.
He pulled a bubble of air from nothing and spun it around until they saw a flux. “You see this, it’s a window – a portal to another palace. An untamed one. It goes to somewhere worse than the Netherseas. It leads to The Depths of Tartarus.” Braz shifted. He spoke.
“This is the path I must take; Mother Bellis is there.”
Braz asked if it was a clear window.
“It isn’t just a window, it’s a mouth that speaks madness.”
“Is there a way to protect ourselves?” asked Hipofilius.
“I’m unaware of one. And if there was, it would be extremely powerful.”
Xan listed off the islands they planned to visit. The Nymph was named but had no relevance for Hywin.
“The Nethersea isn’t a sea. It’s the gap between our plane and the underworld. It isn’t large but is large enough, you can sail upon it, but before the world was made, before the underworld was made – the hells, the planes, before any of it, there was the Nethersea. Think of it as the workshop of creation.
(A primordial soup. What is soup? Don’t worry about it.)
“You can drown in the Nethersea. You would have to be extraordinarily strong to survive the Nethersea. It’s the essence of creation. It undoubtedly holds magical effects and would be dangerous to swim within.”
Hywin didn’t concern himself with such tales of those who traveled the Netherseas, but he knew any that ventured under the primordial water had never returned.
Hipofilius asked about things they might be able to use to protect themselves in the battle – did Hywin know of anything more they could gain? He sniffed at it – they had a number of weapons he knew of already to send fear to the Titans.
Hywin believes the gods of the land are fallible, including Sydon. If they were to be defeated they would return to their temples but he suspects in this time of flux that it might not happen.
“When Sydon has defeated the five, they will instill it into themselves and their children”
“Do not worry about if the titans will return once defeated - please defeat them first.”
On the ship
The Party returns to the ship with the knowledge that Iolah is not around in the village. Xan, frustrated that she was banished from joining them on their adventure, is hopeful that she has somehow escaped onto the ship.
Theo notices that Xan is acting a little suspicious and questions her. She blabbers on about the mermaid, wishing to have a friend her own age. At first, it seems Alke is supporting her, mentioning that she was turning men to stone at that age – but no – not a good thing. Xan agrees it is not the best thing.
Back on the ship, Xan and Theo regale the crew of the world they visited, exaggerating the tales from under the waves.
As they sail, a dolphin appeared at the side of the ship. Xan feels a jolt of glee through her veins as she recognizes a druid. The dolphin jumps towards the ship, transforming into the mermaid.
Xan rushes her under the deck and calls together the Chosen. They have a heated conversation about the presence of the mermaid.
"Do any of us have the right to tell you who can fight for this battle? If you think you are mature enough to fight for the world, you must be mature enough to speak with your own father. We cannot decide who fights this fight but you cannot use us as a joyride. We carry the fate of a lot of people here."
“I just want to help, I want to go on an adventure.”
Theo assures her it is not an adventure. It is possible, almost guaranteed death.
(We also named Gavin the elf - deathwish Gavin.)
Calliope gently speaks up “bad fate follows us around - we are not a lucky group of people and if you attach yourself to us that fate will find you one way or another. I made a similar sort of choice at 15 and the loom of fate spun and spun and it ended with the death of almost everyone I love. It was not my intention but that moment and choice to leave my daily at 15 made a difference to my life that meant 15 more years later I didn’t have a family to go home to any more. There will be unforeseen consequences to your choice made today. None of us can tell you what will happen if you tie yourself to us.”
Hipofilius sends a note - we didn’t take her, she chose to come, this is her route. Then he leaves her in the kitchen to write to her father. He responds, saying it is her choice but he will hold us responsible for anything that happens her.
Xan tries to speak to Iolah about the people on the ship, she mentions Chondrus but Xan explains he is a bad boy. This does not seem to help in the matter and despite describing his as a dark wizard, she seems to only get more interested.
Xan leads Iolah to where Orphea sits in the chill out space and leaves them together as the ship approaches a stormy world.
26 VALLION, 500 DA