Ch22 - Dame Aylin

Ch22 - Stuff

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Another day came and we're gearing up for the Gauntlet of Shar. Astarion has mentally recovered and everyone is ready to go, however, I fail to notice the pure silence from Shadowheart.

Gale held his moonlantern firmly at the front of the pack, whilst I hold up the rear with my hag light. It took only 20 minutes to reach the entrance and a further five to descend into the gauntlet of Shar, as I was told on the way, the final umbral gem was collected from Yurgir. All that remains now is to pass through the final gate and enter the Shadowfell.

Hovering down using the statue of Shar, I had the chance to look hard at the underground purple temple in all its glory. Great halls lined this place like an ant colony, you could only imagine just how large the cult that thrived here before was. That is before they mostly died fighting on Shar's behalf, I can't say they will be missed.

We reached the final door and Shadowheart marched forwards with her gem in hand, placing it in the holder, the gate slid open revealing a large blindfolded figure of Shar with her arms wide standing before an ethereal pool of water.

We walked in calmly, the footsteps echoed painfully loud on our descent. Reaching the pool, Shadowheart turned to us and said, "I need to pray". Without waiting for a response she knelt down and begun to commune with Shar.

Honestly, I got a bit bored so I used my [Iron token] to see if Ethel was free for a talk. In sylvan, I say "Ethel are you busy?".

"Oh it is you petal! I thought ut was someone escaping for a moment! What is it that you need?" I strangely missed her, I feel bad for not calling more.

"Oh no worries on that, we're all in the gauntlet of Shar, nothings happening at the moment so I thought I'd check in." I responded back.

"Oh nothing too new happened, Oh! Actually, do you know that BITCH Maggie? Well apparently, she's wanting to try and take over a small patch of Avernus! The fat cow and her madcaps can only dream of that, especially now with the blood war. What about you then?"

"Oh of course she'd try and do that, she's got no common sense. Oh something big happened actually, I met Cegilune. She wanted to kill me at first because I'm not a true hag, but I persuaded her to give me a blessing instead"

"You're fucking joking aren't you? When did this happen?"

"Oh it was about a week ago, I don't know why I didn't think to tell you in the moment, but it was when I did my first ritual. I made a hag light, using my green hag wart and a broken moonlantern." I might've lied on the timeline a bit, but it's just worse if I forgot to tell her for a month.

"Oh a hag light? I might fancy myself one of them, anyway one of my redcaps just threw up so I'll talk to you later petal." And she hung up on me. She's becoming like my actual auntie at this rate, it's a bit weird but nice. From what I've learned, most hags are a lot more cruel to allies than Ethel is, so it's nice to know an exception.

After some time, Shadowheart stood up and said, "I'm ready". Hearing that I walked over to rejoin the group, but Gale came to talk to me, "I didn't know you knew sylvan Charles, I knew you were well read in the langue department but sylvan tops it."

"Ah you know, I've got a friend in every circle, so it comes with the territory I guess." I pat him on the shoulder before cannon-balling into the water, transporting me immediately to the Shadowfell. Landing slowly due to the odd gravity here, I look around to see everyone else knocked out completely. I forgot I have enough condition immunities to kind of nullify being knocked out or prone.

I consider waiting, but then I see Balthazar stood in front of the Nightsong, reaching out for her. I figured that I would be easier to fight him alone since he is fully incapable of doing damage to me, after all, his spells are poison and necrotic and his minions will deal damage to him instead.

I flew down to him and the Nightsong, "You alright you two?" I see an overweight, pale-blue man in necromacer's robes stood staring at me in curiosity. Contrarily, the nighsong, Dame Aylin stood in destitute clothes at an impressive 7ft, her pale blue skin with grey lines tracking through it only hidden by her dirty golden hair.

"And who are you?" Balthazar said.

"I'm Charles, I'm here to set her free and in turn, kill you. An easy plan in my opinion."

Dame looked skeptical but hopeful, whereas Balthazar looked at me with a smug grin. "You think you can waltz in here and just-!" I run up and punch him hard in the nose, "Absolutely."

He was sent flying back, gripping onto the edge of a rock formation to keep him on the platform. "You pest!" He summoned a small army of undead, each of them begun to shoot and charge at me. I stubbornly decided to stand completely still, wanting Balthazar to know where he fucked up.

[Reflect undead activated]

His smile dropped as arrow holes begun to appear in his skin, bruises and broken bones snapped out of his body and before he could even call them off, had his throat impaled by a sword. The skeletons dropped before he did, stumbling around for something, anything, he died with no chance to speak his peace.

Not wasting time I ran up and robbed his circlet, I have a lot of summons, so having bone ward activate for them will be good. I take everything from him actually, I like his robe so I'll wash it and wear it tomorrow even.

"So Dame! As I said I'm here to free you, but I need to see something. We have a Shar worshipper with us and I need to see if she'll make the right choice. If not, then I'll grab the spear from her myself and cast it away." I clap my hands together like a sketchy businessman and lay out my plan to her.

"I can understand that, as long as I am free from here to kill Ketheric Thorm, I will assist." She agreed a bit too quickly, but being trapped here with an undead creep will absolutely do that to you.

"Perfect, we even have the same goal! Right I'm going to go get the party, they might be awake by now. Remember, I wasn't here!" I shout the last part to her as I fly up to the initial platform.

I see them stir and groan, as they start to open their eyes. "Took you guys long enough, come on!" I floated around them in my [Undead form: Crypt Chanter] playing the flute really badly to make them get up.

(Crypt Chanters are ghostly bards, mainly evil. Listening to them play does damage, if you die to them then your ghost joins their band.)

Obviously, I played the flute badly intentionally, not to cause actual damage. So they were annoyed, yet uninjured. "Come on then, whenever you guys are ready"

They're all stood up now, awoken in a less than pleasant way. Shart was the first to recover, as she begun leaping down the platforms like her life depends on it. We all quickly followed behind, with Gale at the back, the poor man has no stamina.

"There! I can see the follower of the Moonwitch!" Shadowheart excitedly pointed out, I think I might have to take the spear off her after all. Leaping further down, we got to the platform I was on earlier, a look was shared between me and Dame.

"A worshipper of the Goddess of lies, come to strike me down in the name of a cruel God?" Dame begun her monologue, slating the unholy name of Shar.

"Quiet! Shar does not lie, she guides us!" Shadowheart aims her spear towards Dame, I ready myself.

"She does not guide, she manipulates! As soon as you have reached your use, you too will be cast aside. You think I don't know you? A little girl afraid of the wolves, seeking refuge in the false truths you've been taught?"

A truly harrowed face appeared on Shadowheart as her voice dropped to a whisper, "What did you say?"

"So much she has promised you, so much you were told you would receive, but what about what you had! What about the life you had before Shar took you in?!"

The words were obviously affecting Shadowheart, whether she liked it or not. "No matter what you know of me, it won't change anything once I become what I was fated to be!" Once more she readies her spear.

Finally, I speak up, "Is this what you want?"

"What? Of course it is! I've been led to this moment my entire life!" She seemed pain at my lack of understanding.

"You have been led to it, but you had no choice in it. Tell me, is becoming a dark justiciar truly what you want? A life of nothing but Shar, a life of temples and torture?"

"I- I don't know, oh gods why don't I know?! I was made for this, the spear fits my hands, and yet why don't I know?" Tears drop from her face, suddenly, a stinging sensation ran through her hand, making her drop the spear. The purple light on the back of her palm grows brighter.

"Quick! Cast the spear away!" I shouted. Looking pained by her hand, she looked back at the spear and at me. Her eyes closed for a moment and finally, she made her decision.

Bending down to pick up the spear, she aimed it quickly and recklessly sending it flying into the depths of the Shadowfell. With quick effect, the light subsided and Dame's cage shattered, she fell to her knees and I could see all the nicks and wear on her body mend itself back together.

Between deep breaths she stood back up, summoning plated armour to be donned. "Come see me lost one, I will show you what you have lost and what can be revealed in the light." And with that, she took flight to the skies, using [Planar Shift] to go back to the material plane.

A portal opened up just as she left, "Come on quick! Before Shar can do something!", I herded everyone into the portal, pushing them through. But just before I left, I took a lot of soil samples for rituals and committed Dame's sealing sigil to memory.