In reply to Fithelos (msg # 680):

You are ushered to the dorms. They're actually quite nice. They give you a schedule of when different things happen, whew to train, where to eat, where to meet, etc.
Do you have any plans while you wait to hear from Samael.

In reply to Twiz (msg # 681):

Not really.

Well.

Assuming Fithelos has his own room...

He will sit in a meditative position and clear his thoughts of everything but an image of a weighted scale. (As he does not remember what Balance looks like)

In his head, he'll say-

Balance. If time and circumstance permit, I would like to speak with you.

In reply to Fithelos (msg # 682):

There is no response.

Assuming you didn't have anything in particular you wanted to do if he didn't respond...

A couple of days in, Marla stops by with a warning.  The more weave "unwound" the more energy is unleashed.  If there really is an island hidden by the weave, the energy released could be strong enough to sink the boat.

It takes several days before a messenger comes for you.  You are to travel by with a "fleet" of four boats around the island to Dennin's Delve, where you will pick up a group of Shar's followers and leave behind a gift for Shar.  From there you will head to the location of the island.  Erl is to accompany you to help pinpoint the location of the island.

When you arrive at the docks, there is one large ship (though not nearly as impressive as the one that got you to the Isles) and three smaller ships.  You notice the crew is made up of undead servants mostly.  At the wheel, you see several robed figures, the captain (most likely based on his dress), and a couple of drow. Erl is beside you with several maps in hand, as well as a cart being pushed along behind you by another servant mostly full of maps. Erl, excited to put some of his knowledge to the test, quickly moves to the larger boat and down into the ships quarters.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:36, Fri 02 Oct 2020.

In reply to Twiz (msg # 683):

Fithelos follows Erl, heading to the largest boat and boarding it.

In reply to Fithelos (msg # 684):

What is this, and why was it a private message?  I can't figure out where this is supposed to go.  Is this just like a shout out to Fraz before you get on the boat?

He'll shrug.

Fraz. Britannia will soon be known to all beings on Abeir-Toril. Some of my memories have returned, though I have little knowledge of what they mean. It is still unknown to me why I was used by Balance. He doesn't seem to care about anything, and hardly seems a threat to you.

Finally,

If you have any further instruction, it may be in your best interest to make it known now.

Based on when I received this and the timeline of everything else...

There is no response.  Which might not be strange in and of itself, but you also haven't been bugged by his minion since you left Myrrdale.


The room you're given has a mat on the floor and a porthole to do your business.  Around noon, after the captain makes his rounds verifying everyone and everything is ready.

The trip to Dennin's Delve was short and uneventful.  Boats in these water's would know better than to mess with anything under Samael's flag, which was a holy servant kneeling before the symbol of Faluzure.  When the anchor is dropped off the coast, you hear undead servants gathering crates identified as gifts to the Sharran clergy.

Anything you would like to be a part of?

In reply to Twiz (msg # 685):

No. Fithelos feels he'd only get in the way or disrupt the balance of everything if he does or says anything. He'll just let things play out as they will for now.

In reply to Fithelos (msg # 686):

I'll update in a bit, but I forgot that after the library, you leveled.

In reply to Twiz (msg # 687):

I have no idea what level I am now.
I used Fithelos as a boss in another campaign and leveled him to 20. I forgot to go back and change him to whatever he was.

Most of what I've rolled has been skills, where they were a +3 for like...Perception and stuff, now---HAHAAHAHAA--it's the same. Nevermind.

In reply to Fithelos (msg # 688):

So is Fithelos going to just chill until they find the island and bring it back?  I mean, we can definitely do some epic ocean battle if you want, but it won't add to the storyline.

In reply to Twiz (msg # 689):

Well...I don't know what else there is for him to do. Fithelos doesn't have a good track record when getting involved. Knowing his luck he'd unknowingly kill some noble or royalty and start a war between Samael and who ever.

Or he'd try to free an undead and the undead ends up being a lich Samael bound to keep the world from falling into ruin.

Or try to help with the ritual, roll low and wipe out everyone on board.

Or he could go up on deck, but has to hope he doesn't see anything because if he were to help some travelers for example, helping them would lead to his current crew abandoning him OR his current crew turns those he helped into the undead OR the travelers end up being pirates and cause severe damage to his boat.


No. Fithelos is going to stay out of all of it. He lives in an absolute state of paranoia and anxiety.

In reply to Fithelos (msg # 690):

Though meta, since you've already made the decision, that's probably smart.  Samael doesn't believe he needs you anymore.  If you got in the way, they'd like try to kill you.  By keeping your distance, they basically forget you exist.

That is until...

After a couple of months of searching, Erl comes down and slams on your door, "Fithelos, we've done it!  We've found the island!  Come quick!  We're prepping for the ritual!"  You hear him run back onto the deck.

In reply to Twiz (msg # 691):

Fithelos will go up on deck.

In reply to Fithelos (msg # 692):

It is important to understand that up to this point, Fithelos was safe.  No matter the decisions he made, the fights he started, or the people he met, Fithelos was going to make it here.  From this point forward, that is no longer the case.  The decisions he makes now 'til the end of the campaign (which is quickly approaching) will have major consequences beyond just life and death for Fithelos, though those are both real possibilities.  The path he should choose will be obvious to you and I, but may be grey for Fithelos given what he has lived through.  I, personally, would make the decisions I would want for Fithelos, rather than worrying about what Fithelos would do.  Though it makes for interesting stories to try to see through other's eyes, Bran was pretty close to being right about there being a god above gods controlling every person in his universe.  He missed out that Fithelos was an oddity.  Unique across all others in that he had his own helping mold his future.

You get above deck and Erl is standing back from the Sharran Priests, watching them work.  He motions you over, "We should let them work.  I wouldn't want to be blamed for any mishaps."

The deck looks much different than before.  It has been painted with runes with blood, now dried under the sun.  It only seems to be a portion of the runes though.  You see the other two ships have gathered across a black speck from this ship.  You realize the black speck is the island nation that's been hidden away.

Erl, "They say it should take a few ten-days for the islands to grow back.  We should have a few hours here, then be able to retreat to a safe distance as the island grows."


You see the head Sharran Priest call for the rite to begin and a moment later you hear their chanting, and see their hands and fingers begin glow as they gesture, and feel a slight rumble in the boat.
The speck begins to glow brighter, a wind seemingly originating  in the center of the ritual blows outward in all directions, beginning to push the boats apart.
Suddenly, as fast as you can perceive, no doubt faster than most that are with you could imagine, the light disappears and the island nation of Britannia explodes back into existence, its protective sphere smashing into the ships, decimating them and injuring most of the people on them.  Though you cannot move quick enough, you perceive time differently than most, especially with huge adrenaline rushes like this.  The island nation started as a marble, but now you are miles high above, the islands stretched out before you.  The islands expanded like an explosion, but the sphere has remained intact.  Sand falls into your eyes.  As you wipe it off, you realize it's the sand given to you by Fraz-Urb'luu.  You can no longer control it.  The ritual has sapped the magical energy from the area.

Then the top of the sphere, right in the middle of all the ships, begins to fade out of existence.  Slow at first, then suddenly, the entirety of the sphere is just gone.  There's a surreal moment for you before the fall.  You're easily a hundred miles up, everyone is.

You lurch forward as the ship topples over.  Unable to cast any spells, you do your best to dodge debris and use its momentum to narrowly avoid their blows.  You hear Erl yell in a way that makes you sick to your stomach.  He has been speared by debris.  You cannot even try to help, because you're already putting all your effort into keeping yourself alive.  An instant later Erl is struck by a cannon that finally worked its way loose.  It was no doubt a mortal blow.

There's nothing you can do for him, so you focus back on yourself.  Twisting and contorting your body around awkwardly to avoid ship parts, cannons, people…  You try to strike debris away from you, but the momentum of everything causes most of your hits to push you away, rather than damage the item.  You slide your body barely past a barrel that flies by to see a large group of cannonballs coming right at you.  You put your hands up to "catch" one, which speeds up your decent.  Its mass allows you to maneuver on to, and above the others, but a mast breaks loose from its sail and comes directly down on top of you.

Everything is black.  As you begin to come to, a flood of memories roar back.  Everything that Balance put you through, the people you dealt with, the dragon brothers and their mother… It is all back.  You have the answers to your questions, though you still don't fully understand Balance's reasons for choosing your or sending you on his quest.
You open your eyes, the world around you is missing, just a pale grey. You're no longer falling.  You realized the mast was a mortal blow.  You stand in your afterlife, waiting for Fraz-Urb'luu to claim you, waiting to answer his questions.
Suddenly below you are hundreds of black hands, boney, singed, some missing flesh, trying to pull you down below the grey.  Struggle as you might, there are just too many to get away from.  Before your head is pulled under, you see a figure in plain clothes walking toward the "pit" of hands.  The closer it gets, the more its flesh burns.  Your head goes under.

A hand smashes down from above the flesh is completely gone from its fingers and more is melting away.  You hear the muffled words, "Fithelos, I can pull you free, but you have to grab my hand."

You consider your options.
You can give in, let it all end.  Allow the cursed hands to pull you down.  Your soul belongs to Fraz-Urb'luu, eventually he'll have what's his; why delay the inevitable?  You feel like your entire life's purpose was just to be a play-thing for the gods.  At least with Fraz-Urb'luu you don't have to pretend like you have free will.
Or live.  Fight.  Fight until the end, then fight some more.  Giving in to Fraz-Urb'luu hands him an undeserved victory.   In the Library you learned there may be ways to free yourself from him once and for all.  Without him, you can live out the rest of your days being you.
You calm yourself, then make your decision.

In reply to Twiz (msg # 693):

Huh.

At this point, why would anyone want to save me? he thinks.

All things considered, he didn't see how it could get any worse.


Reaching up, he takes hold of the extended hand.

In reply to Fithelos (msg # 694):

You feel like you are being pulled apart, but you are definitely now moving upward.  Your head is back out and you see a male half-elf with its flesh missing from its arms and it had begun to drip away from his face.   Once completely free, he smiles, though the sight is somewhat morbid, "A moment longer and I would have had to turn away.  Let us leave this horrible place."  Away from the pit, his flesh is now beginning to regrow.  Without giving you a chance to respond, he turns and begins walking away.  A portal opens, and he steps through.  The hands begin to creep your way again.

In reply to Twiz (msg # 695):

Fithelos resists the urge to kick at the hands and follows the half-elf through the portal.

In reply to Fithelos (msg # 696):

Through the portal see the half-elf waiting for you, his flesh has almost worked itself whole again.  His Skin is tattooed with many symbols, some you recognize as great deities, some as names with a weapon next to them (his fallen brothers of war you surmise), still other you can't place.
The grey is replaced by an equally endless haze of greens and blues.  No structures as far as the eyes can see.  Just you and the half-elf as the portal fades away.

"Hello Fithelos, I am Curu, the Sword of Dylian.  I have pulled you from the Abyss on his behest.  I'm sure you have many questions.  I'll answer any I can."

I had a whole big thing written up, but thought Fithelos deserved a chance to speak first, if he wanted to.

In reply to Twiz (msg # 697):

Sword of who?

"Why me?" Fithelos asks, suspiciously. "I've clearly done more harm to Toril than not. I would think they'd be ecstatic to finally hand me over to Fraz," he coughs, clearing his throat. "Don't misunderstand me, I am grateful for what you've done. I just don't understand why."

In reply to Fithelos (msg # 698):

This takes place a long time after the events of War of the Dragonkind.  I don't know, several thousand maybe?  Time is hard when it seems endless.  Dylian is not a forgotten god anymore, but there's still a decent chance Fithelos has never heard of him.

"Your life has been endlessly controlled by the gods, the demons, and the devils.  Almost everything you have done in life has been planned out by forces outside of your own, more so than you would even know, especially since Balance entered the picture.  The night you made a pact with Fraz-Urb'luu, was an ambush setup by him.  When Balance used you in a bet against his brothers, many gods saw this as an opportunity to be rid of him and his brothers.  Many were involved in the effort to get you to release the island, knowing full well the tension in the weave would be explosive, killing you and every person involved."

"Dylian, however, felt the secrecy and the deceptions were cruel.  Fraz-Urb'luu was unable to claim your soul this day, because was trapped by a mortal named Zagyg in a stone prison. that part is actual lore, but I forced the timeline to fit my story so don't try to bring different events together.  Dylian put Zagyg on this path to give you a second chance at life.  One in which you can be who you want to be, without the gods interfering."

"If you so choose, Dylian will return you to the material plane with your body, untouched by Fraz-Urb'luu. This will be your chance to live your life, your way.  This he offers to you with no ulterior motive.   You will not be granted anything by Dylian, nor will you be given any orders from him.  You've done much to change to course of the material plane, He feels you deserve this option.
Additionally, if you live this second life in a way He sees fit and you so choose, Dylian will place a claim on your soul over Fraz-Urb'luu and lay it to rest for eternity.  You will not have to serve neither Dylian nor Fraz-Urb'luu in the afterlife.  Your soul will be absorbed into the universe, freed from all consciousness."

In reply to Twiz (msg # 699):

I love that you used Zagyg. Greyhawk is the ultimate campaign setting in my opinion.

Fithelos simply stares at the half-elf in moderate disbelief.

"I..." Fithelos can't think of anything bitter to say.

"Your master is...generous in a way I am not accustomed too," he says, picking his words carefully. "I don't know what to say," Fithelos kneels down. "It could finally be finished? All of it?"

His eyes shift left to right as he tries to comprehend what it all means.

"I don't know what to say," he repeats.

He takes a minute to calm himself again and gather his thoughts.

He arches an eyebrow. "Given my past, would it be too much to ask to be put somewhere new, where no one knows who I am?" his fingers twitch a bit. "There is a place I've read of, called Khorvaire..."

In reply to Fithelos (msg # 700):

Really?

quote:

He arches an eyebrow. "Given my past, would it be too much to ask to be put somewhere new, where no one knows who I am?" his fingers twitch a bit. "There is a place I've read of, called Khorvaire..."

Fine, just destroy my entire ending with a simple request.  See if I care. _{it's actually quite upsetting.}

Curu raises an eyebrow, at you, then turns and looks at, well nothing as far as you can tell.  There's only empty space as far as you can see.  What feels like an eternity later, he turns back to you.  "It just so happens that you befriended the Chosen of Selûne.  Selûne protects a path to Eberron from one of it's moons to ours.  She has agreed to grant you passage."

There's some weird theory about the moons of Eberron being lenses into other planes.  I'm capitalizing on that.

"Just remember, your soul is still destined for the Abyss, and Fraz-Urb'luu will still be able to claim you from Eberron if he is released.  Live a life worth living, Fithelos, and Dylian will keep promise to claim your soul.  Oh, and not that I think it will be an issue for you, but if you follow any other god, make a pact with any demon, or a deal with any devil, Dylian will not be able to make a claim.  Even the gods follow rules, though they are sometimes strange to us."

He smiles at you, "Is there anything else before we part ways?"

In reply to Twiz (msg # 701):

If I changed what you had in mind--feel free to act as deity and turn down my request. Fithelos would understand, he's lucky to be alive...

"Anything else?" Fithelos says, now in complete shock. "I didn't think I'd be granted anything without having to promise..." his eyes narrow a bit. "Well. I suppose I am making a promise of sorts. I still must do what...Dylian would have me do, don't I? Yet..." he sighs.

"What would you consider a life worth living? What is it that Dylian expects of me? I do not want to make any pacts again, but to be honest, it does sound a little like I am doing so with your deity,"

Fithelos shrugs. "I will say though, if it involves being able to save screw-ups like myself and giving them another chance after being used by demons, devils and gods for several years, count me in."

In reply to Fithelos (msg # 702):

I believe having your plans ruined is the life of the DM.  Had your request not made sense, or been unreasonable, Dylian would have denied the request.



"Absolutely not.  Feel free to kill, swindle, gamble, torture.  This second life is yours to live however you see fit.  That is Dylian's gift to you, no strings attached.
However, if you want Dylian to accept his offer to claim your soul when your... done, he cannot unless you follow the rules.  No more pacts and don't worship any others, but Dylian doesn't need you to worship him or follow his laws.  Just be a good person, or at least not an evil one.  If you don't like the idea of Dylian claiming your soul in the end, you can ignore those rules."

In reply to Twiz (msg # 703):

Fithelos nods.

"Fair enough." He gets back to his feet. "Do we shake on it or do you need some of my blood or....?"

In reply to Fithelos (msg # 704):

"No blood.  Maybe a little vomit though."

You see a twitch in Curu's arm, then suddenly his palm is against your chest, "Goodbye Fithelos."  With that, he shoves you backward through a portal at speeds your eyes can barely process.

A rush of wind deafens you as you race through planes hitting portal after portal, getting glimpses of the Shadow Realm, levels of the Abyss, lands of ice, fire, forest, or dessert, through an unfamiliar town with Toril in the sky, eventually landing on the ground in an unfamiliar forest.  You're a bit nauseated, but you won't give Curu the satisfaction of beign sick.  When you look up, you see several full moons in the night sky.

Your body has been restored to the day before you met Fraz-Urb'luu and you no longer have access to his powers.  You are younger, but also weaker than you were before.  You are now the same Monk you were the day you were ambushed in the Underdark, in level and physical ability, though you retain knowledge of all events that had transpired (including those in Britannia).

You hear something running your way.  You are ready to defend yourself when into the clearing jumps a massive lycanthrope, with Selûne's symbol branded onto its arm.  He drops a bag for you, then motions for you to follow.