Loose threads 18 shards of The Unbound remain at large
Participants Kaelen
She-Who-Lays-Among-The-Jagged-Rocks-And-Feeds-The-Wandering-Crabs-As-They-Scuttle-Past-Her
Locations Dread Citadel
> When I was a child, a story was told
> about the Devil and a girl so bold.
> He offered her riches, a fortune of gold,
> and lovers abound.
> But she lifted her soul, she lifted her soul clean.
> So clean.
> As the story was told, on a dark country road,
> the same man appeared to me.
> But I reached.
> I reached,
> through the rain,
> to the Devil's feet.
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We began our journey in First Landing, myself (Siobhan) alongside Calador, Time-Tempered Incus, and Kaelen, who would serve as the catalyst for our adventure. Following the events of a prior sojourn to Zar-Mothet, Kaelen was at a crossroads of possibilities. His weave of all possible futures had not yet resolved, and so we set off so that he may find his resolution, and take his place among the Tapestry.
Our expedition was aired by a curious vessel- a stunning white ship of elven design which we had neither hired nor expected, but was ready and waiting for us to embark. And so we did, and we were transported, in luxury, by an extant yet undead crew of elves to what could best be described as a vacation resort. Our every whim was cared to, had we chosen to partake. Food, items, even an organized combat against a small force of undead - all was provided to us with no ask in return. The other guests at the resort, all of whom were the same undead elves, claimed to be visiting from Dazrit. Each of them, I realized to my horror, had managed to sever themselves from the Tapestry - their threads twisting and braiding in on themselves. They were isolated. Alone. No future, no past.
Sensing something amiss, our party explored the island further. Eventually, in a room which was off limits to the guests, we found the great attractor which brought Kaelen to this place. It was a metal shard emitting shadows, in a room filled with runes. Following the example I had seen in the past on such a shard, I began to chant. *Dies irae ila, vos solve in favilla*- "that day of wrath will dissolve you into ash." Shadows sprung from the box, and after the ensuing violence had been quelled, the runes of the room no longer remained. We exited the room, and the resort no longer remained. The elves, too, had disappeared. All that remained was cobwebs, dust, and our ship- still waiting to ferry us along.
After much internal debate, during which we discovered that contact with the shard induced violence and anger in whoever touches it, we decided to bring the shard back to Zar-Mothet. I would be remiss to omit that Incus was opposed to this course of action, but we all had convinced her to come along, myself included. As we arrived on Zar-Mothet, the Iruxi who had previously been hostile to us welcomed us as their kin. They had been expecting us. After receiving a history lesson from their leader, we set off into the jungle towards a "place of power," to meet with Stevenerith and unseal the shard.
On our journey in the jungle, we were set upon by giant mosquitos. If not for Incus' intervention, Mac may have died. Incus, as you may recall, did not wish to join us, but nevertheless did. For that I am grateful, and yet eternally sorrowful.
The place of power was deep underground, near a sealed entrance to the Elven city that once flourished on this island. Kaelen stumbled through a ritual, and shadows again sprang forth from the shard, as well as from Kaelen, Cal, and myself. They occupied Incus' body, who then grew in stature and broke down the seal. They then reformed into the shape of a woman - The Unbound herself, who thanked us for our assistance and Incus for serving as "the useful tool." Incus, of course, was unable to hear this, as she had perished in the ordeal. Her lifeless body lie discarded on the floor.
I had mentioned a history lesson from the Iruxi, earlier. The Unbound corroborated these stories, and made it clear what chapters she intended to pen next. As the story was told, Zar-Mothet was once inhabited by Iruxi and Elves, living in relative peace and harmony. The Unbound was the sovereign of this land. Then the dragons appeared with their kobolds, and claimed the island for their own. Solely for their own. The resulting war saw the Unbound sealed away into 20 pieces, the elves and their city destroyed and buried deep underground, and the start of a cycle of violence.
Both sides of this conflict seek a path not towards peace, but towards victory. The fighting will continue until there remains only one. If the Unbound is completely free, she seeks the annihilation of the dragons and the kobolds, not just from Zar-Mothet, but from everywhere. Her and her followers have separated themselves from the Tapestry, and share no future with the rest of the world. The end of their road leads only to destruction. Genocide. Emptiness. This is unfortunately the legacy that Incus unwillingly gave her life for. This was the resolution to Kaelen's crossroads - as I came to realize was Cal's fate as well - the threads of their potential braided in on themselves.
Cal and now Kaelen are Unbound. Incus is dead.
And I guided them here.
> As darkness sets in,
> an avoidable sin,
> a truth I tried not to believe:
> That I reached.
> I reached,
> through the rain
> to the Devil's feet.