Wouldn't you like to use more than words?

[letsplayamod]

The last thing you recall is likely your own death. Whether it was fast or slow, it's over now. And you're... where are you?

One moment, you were among the living. The next - you may be one of the unfortunate ones who actually died. In which case, you've found yourself flowing in the lazy rivers of the river Styx, unfathomably deep underground. Just for a moment, mind you. It's not long before your consciousness is yanked from the waters by some scary monsters, shoved into a healed body, and pushed through a portal.

Or, maybe you were caught red-handed and sentenced to your doom. But, instead of a proper death, you were whisked down into the Veins of Tartarus. And there's really only one place that could lead to... Or is it?


You've been tossed down here by the will of the Titan, but what you find is A helping hand swooping you up - possibly literally, and potentially out of the grasp of the Titan himself.

Not a moment after, you're whisked through another rift, this one a shimmering gold. Into a realm of slightly more stable platforms and a lot more shit to look through. The area is practically littered with the ill-gotten goods of a thieving God (who is happy to note via pop-up illusion that you are touching his stuff). Here, however, you are safe; assured that Typhon cannot find or hurt you here.

For the moment, you can breathe before the next part comes.

Comments

[raiseyoulikea]

[Your new "host" of a sort, Fenyx, is taken to her role with gusto. Like all things she seems to take to. This is a woman of energy and boundless optimism... it's honestly a little glaring how bright she can be when you remember she's apparently allies with other gods?

She's been doing a bit of cleaning up around this nexus of junk. Phospho, her phoenix, is never too far behind, often swirling overhead. She's always happy to strike up a conversation, even if she can be absentmindedly checking with something in her pocket: a small baggie of indeterminate importance.

Later... well, later is complicated. At some point, Fenyx has managed to transport a large cauldron to the center of a cleared-out zone. Water sloshes dangerously at the sides, but she manages to keep it steady.]

Yesss. This should be a world of help. [she raises her voice, to nobody in particular,] Heeey! Does anyone want to see what's going on topside?

[markofnobility]

[ Ferdinand quite likes Fenyx. Maybe not surprising- corporate wants you to find the difference between these two pictures etcetc. So he's been taking time out to chat with her when he's not, you know, laying on the ground from goth wife deprivation.

So he notices the cauldron right away]

Topside?

[raiseyoulikea]

The realm of the living!

[She slaps the side of it... and winces.]

With this Caldron of Delphi, we can see just what everyone else is up to!

[markofnobility]

Oh! Yes, yes please!!

[ Gimme gimme]

1/2

[raiseyoulikea]

Excellent. Now... Just let me...

[There's a lot of finger wiggling here. Power visibly flowing from the tips into the water. Like a rock fallen into an ocean, it ripples out. Fenyx laughs to herself.]

Ha, and Hermes told me I'd never get better at conjuring.

2/2

[raiseyoulikea]

[An image comes into focus rapidly. The waters showing you a view of what appears to be the inside of the temple. You can see the others! They're still alive! In fact, there's Cerejeira right now! She's... Oh.

Oh no.]

Oh no.

[markofnobility]

...

...no.

[He covers his mouth, eyes wide and trembling]

[rockymountaindie]

[ Alex is kind of. ambling his way over. And sees the way Ferdinand reacts there. ]

What? ...What happened Ferdi—

[ His words die in his throat. ]

[markofnobility]

Who... who would even-

[Quark and Aoi were probably their least combat capable. Someone targeting them-

-his horror is quickly spiraling to fury]

[rockymountaindie]

I- I don't know. I don't- w-we don't even know what- what they were threatened with, we-

[ He has to think. If you stop thinking, it's over. But he sees Quark and Aoi there and his brain just grinds to a halt. ]

[markofnobility]

[The anger demands he lean further over, watch the investigation with all his focus. Figure out who did this so he'll be ready to-

-to what? What can he do? He gave up his right to have any say in what happens to the living Seekers, didn't he? The rage drops out of him like a rock, leaving him shivering. He takes a deep breath... and takes Alex's elbow, urging him to walk away]

Come on.

[He can't do anything for them. But he can try to help those here with him.]

[rockymountaindie]

—No, no we gotta- I gotta figure it out. If- if you stop, then—

[ He has been out of the environment of the living for weeks and weeks. It all comes crashing around him. ]

[necromants]

[let's be honest here, we all know ivilezlei only cares about one person and he is apparently not dead (yet) so great!! have fun dealing with the trauma, the rest of you, he's just going to silently watch from over here.]

[tailoredfate]

[Aglaea has enough tact left in her to not make a comment about how last week's debacle clearly meant nothing. More death. More people hurting. More children dead.

There's a sour taste in her mouth as she stares down at the water, and a sharp sting in her arms as her nails, once carefully painted a pretty gold but now all but bare, dig into her flesh.

It's wrong to see Quark dead. Quark... Quark was as much of a guardian as she was. He had to make it out, for all of them. And Aoi, one of the sweetest...

... But also... a part of Aglaea wants to be selfish. She hasn't been selfish in almost a thousand years. But their brief reunion with the living stirred something inside of her that won't go back to sleep.]

How do we see the others? Is there a way for you to do it without taking focus off of what's going on here?

[raiseyoulikea]

If you'd like, you can look at anything you want. [Fenyx seems like she's trying to be careful with her words. This is a delicate, painful moment, and she can see that Algaea is feeling that too.] It might not always work, though.

later after the investigation

[markofnobility]

Fenyx, may I speak to you?

[raiseyoulikea]

[Fenyx is already making sure the straps of her armor are fit. Phospho perches over her, cawing at Ferdiand and getting Fenyx's attention.]

Oh, of course. What is it?

[markofnobility]

Will you need to retrieve our friends like you did Omega and I?

[raiseyoulikea]

Of course. [She straightens a bracer.] It will, hopefully, be a lighter rescue than what you and your metal friends went through. Now that I've found all of you, I can rush in a lot faster.

[She extends her wings, stretching to their fullest spread.]

Now, I can bring her straight here. No need to solve that annoying maze.

[markofnobility]

And what of Typhon? He will not be able to follow you back here?

[raiseyoulikea]

[She digs into a pocket, producing a small baggie tightly wrapped. She gives it a little shake.]

This holds an important artifact: one of Typhon's eyes. Normally, he'd be able to see us wherever we go, but with this we're practically invisible.

[markofnobility]

[ his eyes widen at that, excited]

... and what next? Surely we can not simply... wait here? Gather each of us when we die and hide until Athena returns? There must be a counter move we can make on our end-

[raiseyoulikea]

You're right. That's a terrible idea. [She's already thinking. Tapping her foot quickly.]

...We might have to reconvene after whatever happens in this trial. I'd like to pick your brains a bit - all of you - about potentially striking back at Typhon ourselves.

[markofnobility]

Striking back... Well, you have my spear- once we have a real plan.

[raiseyoulikea]

Fantastic. I've fought him before, and I can do it again.