[three_fourth]
The Infused Black Pearl had enjoyed many long periods of quiet and smooth sailing. Crysania did her best to keep a mostly-casual mood around the ship and Margrid hadn’t yet pulled any more stunts. Crysania was busy tying up some loose ends around the Captain’s Quarters when she overheard a henchman mumble something about the horizon looking weird. She quickly walked past the officers who were playing some games of chance with dice and coin. She was at the very front of the ship and had a good look around before getting Margrid’s attention at the helm.
Nyx took a break from the games to come up to see Margrid, who was intently fixed on Crysania.
Nyx asked quietly: Where are we?
Margrid’s white-knuckle grip on the helm argued with the controlled tone of her voice: Open seas, but we’re going to enter the Shipsheer Reef soon.
Nyx, innocently: Is that bad?
Crysania held out a glowing hand, and Margrid spun the helm rapidly, causing everyone to lose their balance.
Angel wanted to yell at Margrid when the ship started abruptly turning the other way, causing everyone to lose their balance again.
Nyx: I guess that’s bad…
Margrid: Shipsheer Reef is supposed to be the last obstacle before some legendary something-or-other.
The ship turns again.
Nyx, desperately holding on to the railing, wonders aloud: Then why hasn’t anyone got it yet?
Margrid is furiously working the helm, following Crysania’s lead the best she can.
Spike joins Nyx, grinning and unfazed by the ship’s movements: Wanna know why it’s called ‘Shipsheer Reef?’
Margrid yells: NOT NOW!!!
Nyx: …well I want to know.
Spike: Let’s just say nothing good happens if you hit any of these large, moving, icebergs floating around.
Nyx looks around in between abrupt turns: I don’t see any icebergs…
Margrid, in full panic: these ones are different!
Spike: These float just –under- the surface. Rumor has it that they move to sheer your ship in two if you try to pass.
Nyx: oh my!
Spike notices his tankard is empty and leaves to go get another one, and stops to reflect upon the fact that for once, he’s the only one walking straight.
Nyx: Then how are we still floating?
Margrid yells: Crysania! Legend says the path through the Reef can only be found by those who already know where they are going.
Nyx: So Crysania is already been through here?
Margrid, highly irritated: We’re still sailing, aren’t we?!
Nyx: …I guess…
Margrid had made one of her sharpest turns yet, causing the wooden dice to be thrown to the sea. Spike panicked and leapt after them. Spike rejoiced when he grabbed them, mid-air, but realized he leapt past the side railing and was headed for the reef. Angel managed to get her whip around his boot, but Spike’s weight was too much for her as she was dragged to the side railing, impacting painfully.
For a brief moment, almost everyone giggled as Spike’s bottom half was dangling from the whip, but his top-half was being dragged under water, surfacing between waves long enough to breathe.
Balreth grabbed a hold of angel, Rain grabbed a hold of Balreth, and a couple Henchman behind Rain. Dandd just got out of the way. On the next sharp turn, Angel yelled to pull and the Chain of Quin pulled Spike up high enough for him to grab a hold of a rope Ladder that Nyx had secured to the ship. Spike’s half-drowned self had climbed to the top of the ladder when he shouted in glee “WHAT A RUSH!”
Margrid had turned again and Spike fell backwards! Fortunately for him, his feet got tangled in the rope ladder and he pivoted at his ankles and bounced the back of his head off the exterior of the ship, at speed. The inverted Spike took time to groan to himself a bit before he climbed back aboard. He quietly handed the dice to Dandd, pat Angel on the shoulder, and walked below. It wasn’t long before people could hear a painful scream into an empty tankard.
The reef had been navigated through, and the guild could release their death-grips on the ship. The wind had died and the current had stopped. The ship had come to a gradual halt. There was a visible line where the sea ended, and it was right in front of the ship. Beyond that line was just light, no form or shape or depth.
Raz-One had drawn both her daggers and advanced towards a now nervous Balreth. She quietly lay them both where he sat and without a word she turned and walked towards the front of the boat.
Balreth, and krewe, were equally puzzled at the daggers, but gasped in astonishment as Razy made her way to the very front tip of the bowsprit and leapt off the front.
Most of the Quin officers were rendered speechless as they watched her disintegrate into the light.
Nyx could only utter an “Oh My” as the only break in the silence.
Crysania and Rain were both walking towards the front of the ship, albeit strangely casual.
The officers turned to Dandd, who in turn shifted his attention to Crysania who knew to turn back and give a nod to Dandd, as if to say “it’s ok.”
Dandd: Woof. Uhh…where to begin.
Lalandra just burst: HOW ABOUT WHAT THE @#$% JUST HAPPENED!
Angel: She’s still alive, yes?
Dandd: About that ‘alive’ part.
Lalandra: SHE’S DEAD?!
Dandd: not exactly…
Spike puts a reassuring hand on his old Friend’s shoulder, before walking to join Crysania and Rain.
Dandd: Well The Stabbith Day, as you know her, isn’t exactly real.
There were a succession of jaws impacting the deck.
Dandd points towards Rain: Observe.
Rain makes his way to the tip and leaps off as well, disintegrating in the process.
Nyx: That’s not right!
All eyes shift towards Dandd sharply.
Dandd: He’s not exactly real either.
Lalandra’s panic almost sent ripples in the calm sea around the boat: NOT YOU TOO!
This time it was Crysania standing at the tip. She turned to the Officers and bowed her head, that iconic pose.
Lalandra was virtually in tears as they all watched Crysania fall backwards, and disintegrate.
Everyone was at a loss.
Balreth managed to speak first: How can this be?
Dandd smiled: Remember the “Master of Spirits and Ceremonies”
Angel was still puzzled, but everyone else nodded quickly.
Dandd: Well, you were right. You just didn’t understand the scale.
Lalandra’s anger clouded her thoughts: WHAT?! HOW DOES SUMMONING SPIRITS MATTER NOW?!
Dandd showed his trademark patience: No, child. Crysania WAS a spirit.
Time came to a complete halt for the Officers on the ship. Emotions were varied and intense, everyone trying to process in their own way.
Balreth analyzed first: So that means Stabbith and Rain are as well.
Dandd: Exactly.
Nyx asks quietly: Who else?
Spike yells from the bowsprit: Tell Brickhouse I’ll miss her!
Lalandra couldn’t even watch.
Balreth: Wow…
Dandd: Crysania died a long time ago.
Lalandra ‘s fury grew: MOA@#$%. I was THERE. She lived!
Dandd shook his head.
Nyx tried to calm down Lalandra and Angel was trying to get caught up by Balreth.
Dandd explained: Lalandra, who did you travel through Tyria with?
Lalandra: Crys-wait… wait… Vixoria…the ranger. Crysania didn’t lead me until I really needed her in the Ring of Fire.
Dandd smiled: and by then, she was already dead.
Balreth: As one old man to another, I want to believe you, but I’ve SEEN her in action…over and over again. She’s the ONLY one to LIVE as the rest of us are Lawn Ornaments.
Nyx offered a weak: Lawno…
Dandd shook his head again: Unyielding Consciousness isn’t a hex that prevents sleep, it’s a self-resurrect. What you saw was her auto-revive so quickly it was as If she never died.
The tears were flowing from Lalandra, who could barely contain herself.
Nyx spoke for Lalandra: How did she die?
Dandd smiled again: now THAT’s a good question. Crysania Anchorwind died in the service of Dwayna a very long time ago. She was one of the original members of the 55 Order.
Lalandra gasps in realization, Balreth mutters out loud that he’s pretty sure he’s heard of that. Nyx and Angel are less affected. Dandd continues: The 55 Order bore an artifact of Grenth that simultaneously weakened and strengthened them. They took this artifact into The Underworld and fought for Dwayna. Crysania performed remarkably, alone, down there.
The officers nodded, finally something they can agree with.
Dandd: Unfortunately for many of the 55 Monks, Dhumm’s power grew and 55 Monks could no longer resist the might of The Underworld.
Lalandra’s eyes widened: I know where she died!
The officers turned their gaze to Lalandra.
Lalandra: At the Door! She died at the Door!
Balreth: …the bowed head.
Dandd: and the real Crysania Anchorwind is still trapped down there. It’s only by the grace of Dwayna that we’re here.
Balreth snapped to Dandd: “We’re”
Dandd got up and began walking to the front of the ship.
Balreth: you too?
Dandd nodded.
Angel finally spoke: So if it’s just Crysania down there…why are the rest of you here?
Dandd grinned: Another good question. We’re all Crysania.
Lalandra: WHAT?!
Dandd snaps his fingers: Persona! The Spirit of the real Crysania is quite formidable.
The Henchmen on the ship cheer, their first sound in sometime.
Dandd: Rain is who she was, energetic but naïve. Razy is her darkside, cold and calculating. Cerulean is her need to know all she can to lead the way…and Spike is her trying not to be so serious all the time.
Balreth pauses: What about you?
Dandd makes his way forward: I’m who she wants to become – wise and appreciated.
Balreth retorts: You’ve played a hell of a role in all this.
Dandd: Me? Role play? I sorta wrote the book on all that.
Balreth nods to himself.
Lalandra: WAIT! Who’s Crysania then?
Dandd turns around: Oh yeah. Her. Well – She’s the one who bears the burden.
Dandd makes his way to the bowsprit, and the whole boat starts creaking.
Lalandra: OF WHAT?
The entire boat leans forward and starts moving towards the light.
Dandd: Her friends.
While most were in quiet contemplation, Angel shouted one more question: Wait. You said master of Spirits AND Ceremonies. You’re the spirits…Where’s the Ceremony?
Dandd smiled, and as he began to disintegrate he said: Page 31.
The boat began disintegrating with him. Henchmen were unsuccessfully trying to flee and disappearing.
When the panicky officers arrived past the line, nothing happened. For a brief moment they floated, at the End of the World. Nightfall behind them, and Light in front.
They knew they were falling only because they could see the dark getting smaller and smaller.
They all felt like they were falling forever, but all around them was just light. Angel and Balreth reached out to one another, as did Nyx and Lalandra.
The light became more intense, and the Officers faded from each others’ view.
The last thing that anyone heard was Lalandra echo Dandd: Page 31.
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[one_fourth_last]
Episode 42
4 Feb 2011
Notes: Full reference list to come.
References: Guild History
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