Complete Private Eastern Brisshal The Far Shore

[Ash Vargold]

Eastern Brisshal - Synra's Temple

Hidden in the woodland is a quaint temple to Synra, built right up against the Blue Rapid river. The temple is occupied by a priest and priestess, who take care of the temple and its surroundings, welcoming any interested passerby with a respite from their travel, a warm bench, a beautiful scene of the river, and some refreshing water. Worshipers often come to buy a small boat to release down the river as an offering to the goddess of death.

In the end, the peaceful ambiance of Synra's temple made sense.

Perhaps some part of him still envisioned ominous architecture and hooded cultists. It expected a temple of death at its worst - that final darkness, that clawing beast that would eventually swallow anything. But Synra was no callous god coveting human souls, or so he had been told. She was a goddess of the threshold, the hand leading the way from life to death.

Ash watched the river, his half-emptied cup of tea gently steaming in his hands. The temple's keepers had welcomed him warmly as a guest. They'd asked him if he needed anything, they'd told him about the grounds, and they'd said nothing about the aura of chill surrounding him, even as their eyes flicked to the spaces above and behind him, not just looking, but seeing.

They knew why he was here, but they were waiting for Ash to ask first. He wasn't sure if he was grateful for that or not.

Ash hadn't noticed it at first. It had been four years since his first death, and he had few memories of what happened after that. And when he'd started playing again, it was easy enough to dismiss any oddities as artifacts of a different world and body. But then there had been the Fever, and there had been Camp Hope, and after his near-death against the Calculator he could no longer deny that something had changed. That something was wrong.

What had started as a gentle susurration at the back of his mind had grown into a constant companion, even when he wasn't invoking a spirit's aid. Like tinnitus, but rather than sound it was thoughts, fragmented emotions and memories flickering through his own. If it had stopped there, then perhaps he would have been fine, and he could have learned to tune it out...

The sound of the river helped, its gentle rush drowning out the noise and clearing his head. This was a place for rest and reflection, and god knew he needed both. For the first time since he'd started playing Terrasphere again, it felt like his thoughts were his own.

And there was the problem, because he should have no reason to doubt his thoughts in the first place.

 

[Jin]

As he awoke more to the curses that blighted him, Jin only grew more restless. He'd been more than adequately occupied when it was only the world of the living that commanded his interest. Now as the blade resonated within his soul, it drew the unrested spirits that lingered into his sight. Though he was growing slowly accustomed to the erstwhile wanderers, understanding their movements and the powers that bound them to this world stood to enhance his ability to manipulate them.

Thus, rather than coming to deal with the problem of those spirits he could see, Jin set out to shed light on a different matter. Death is this world was by and large a mystery, and the Starcalled were able to cheat it thrice before they came to be trapped inside of it. If there was a god that lorded over the dead and the process of dying, certainly as an anomalous group of interlopers, said entity would not look upon them fondly.

What was death to these, the cultists dedicated to its Keeper? If he could understand their perspective, perhaps, he could earn their trust- or more pragmatically, their cooperation. And then...

Well, let it not be said that Jin was one to get ahead of himself.

He looked out over the river with an absent expression, less entranced with its beauty than wistful. Arcia thus far was a smattering of just such beauty, more frequently rife with scenic views than he was used to back home. It was as though it were masterfully designed to be a world truly fantastic, more appealing at a glance than reality.

What snapped him back was the other Player that chanced wander here, for reasons unknown to the Bloodsworn. He wasn't one to interrupt someone's silence, but perhaps if he waited for the man to speak to the Temple's denizens, he could "happen to overhear" what purpose the Beastman had.

@Ash Vargold

 

[Madison Mortiere]

Trips through the In-Between were usually never this awkward.

Carol sat outside in the driver's box, guiding the ghostly steeds down the black sands towards the neon horizon of the afterlife. Usually, conversation was light. "How're ya' doin' today, Ms. Freebird? Any good stories from the trail? Hey if you go to this graveyard in this city, swing by and tell so-and-so I said hello and ask them if they're ever gonna' join me for Poker again!"

Instead, she picked a particular tree of dialogue that turned things a little icy between the two of us.

"Whattaya' mean, you ain't ever paid your respects to Synra? All this time huntin' revenants and you ain't ever bothered to meet the gal that signs your bounty checks?!"

And there I sat, stuffed inside the stagecoach, shoulder to shoulder with two spirits on either side of me and staring at the... subdued bastard who I had been tasked with sending back to where he should've been in the first place. Or, bits and pieces of what remained. My guns had done a damn thorough job; and do you have any idea at all how hard it is trying to scoop up a soul in a glass jar provided by some spooked city watchman?

"Look, Carol." I'd have leaned back if I had the room. "I just got back. It's been a hell of a couple months for me. Actual, literal Hell. And four years ago, before all us Travelers got locked out, I was starting to practice necromancy."

A gob of neon blue tobacco juice sailed past the window.

"Oh it ain't like that," I spat back. "Responsible necromancy. The real reduce, reuse, recycle kind of stuff. Forgo the soul; just go straight for the bones." I really can't tell you how mad I am that I am physically unable to cross my arms in a righteous huff right now. "I wasn't looking to start wars with Urukhan or anything. But I suspect that Synra would've had choice words to say to me if I tried to make contact back then."

It was a long moment before Carol said anything more. And that pothole she just hit? I'm pretty sure that was out of sheer spite. "Well, you're doing good by her as of now. If we're going to continue our little agreement--" Another pothole, for good measure. "Then it'll behoove you to meet the trail boss. Or, at the very least; familiarize yourself with her. You ain't got anything else going on today, I hope?"

"I don't now," I grumbled as I clenched a fist.

"Glad to hear. Next stop--Eastern Brisshal!"

----------

And before I knew it, a boot to the backside sent me tumbling out of Carol's stagecoach and back into the realm of the living, hitting every rock and root along the way. Ow! Fuck! Shit! Sonuvabitch! God! --Dammit! Friends, this is why you invest in a good tailor with experience in enchantment. It prevents incidental damage to your clothes at the hands of petty-ass spirits of the journey to the afterlife.

My minimap flickered back into focus, and told me I was right along a bend in the Blue Rapid River. Before me, nestled deep within the forest, stood a temple that... Well, truth be told? Didn't look at all like one that would be used by a goddess such as Synra.

Where were the skulls? The gravestone motifs? The gargoyles with linen sheets of stone draped over them to give off a spooky Halloween vibe? The only symbolism I saw were white lilies. And they were everywhere along the temple grounds.

And as my luck would have it--"Well, hell." I finally got to cross my arms over my chest. What a relief!

"I get done putting down one vengeful soul, and here I am faced with another." I crack a grin at the edgy fucker in front of me. "Glad to see all your skin's grown back. How're ya'?"

@Jin @Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

Peace, of course, couldn't last forever.

He'd noticed the man (@Jin) when he arrived - or really, he'd smelled him. The scent of death was unmistakable, though around the other man it seemed... different. It put a foreign unease in the back of his mind, one he tried to let the river take away. It seemed to be working until that chorus began to grow, (somethingiscomingsomethingiscoming) anxiety creeping up his spine and forcing him upright as it reached its crescendo...

...and cut off suddenly as a woman (@Madison Freebird) seemingly fell out of midair.

Ash blinked. Even the spirits seemed confused by the development, falling silent.

His heart began to rattle an anxious tempo. He frowned at that, and stepped forward. She, too, smelled of death, and it made him wonder if there was something about this temple that drew people that messed with the dead. They seemed to know each other though, which made the coincidence seem less contrived. He glanced between the two, noting their more... thematic outfits, then quietly cleared his throat before speaking.

"Uh... hey, are you alright? That was quite the fall. I've got some potions if you need one."

 

[Jin]

Glad to see all your skin's grown back.

Jin looked down at his hand, feigning surprise. "Why, so it has!" he looked up toward Madison, a woman he'd met now on multiple occasions, and for a member of the Lions, not altogether bad. His smirk intensified as he did, fanning his fingers one at a time to display the general level of dexterity expected of a toddler. "Curious, that."

How're ya'? she asked.

Her entrance had been wholly unexpected in the physical sense, but when something moved manifested through otherworldly means, he was not wholly unaware of it. Though he couldn't have pegged it for Madison, it was fortuitous that it was someone he knew, and not someone trying to gain the upper hand. He did prefer to avoid unnecessary altercations, after all.

"Oh you know, this and that. Guild contracts keep a body busy; and between that and getting called up by the Astorean government for 'special work,' I barely have time to explore my own frivolous fascinations," he gestured to the Temple, a wave of the wrist ending in a dismissive flick.

"Call it Paid Time off."

Uh... hey, are you alright? That was quite the fall. I've got some potions if you need one.

He tilted his head as his gaze shifted slowly toward the man he did not know, who interjected to offer of all things aid to the newcomer. Jin watched the man in silence to gauge him as the other two interacted. A benevolent interloper, or something else...?

Soon, they would know for certain.

@Madison Freebird @Ash Vargold

 

[Madison Mortiere]

Special work, he said. To the Lion who super tuned her skill set and color-coordinated her awesome outfit with the express intention to be a hired gun to Levi and Astor and make short work of whatever problem they pointed their finger at. I'm going to be honest here; it made me a little jealous. Just a little bit. A wee, tiny amount. Less than a gram of resentment, I promise! But you know me--and how much I love to collect my grudges.

"Wish I could say this is time off for me." I motioned towards the temple. "My... handler is getting her panties in a twist because I don't know much about the goddess who ultimately hands down the bounties I hunt.

Another witness to my little mishap clears his throat and makes his presence known. "Potions?" I turn to face him, and give my UI a cursory glance. "Oh, I'm fine. Nothing hurt by my pride. I appreciate the offer, though."

But I'm not stupid. I know how this all works. Jin, here exploring. Me, on duty (as always). And this third person... "What brings you here, friend?"

@Jin @Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

Ash nodded, expression neutral to hide his confusion. A member of the AG who took on 'special jobs' for Astorea. A woman who'd yet to state her allegiance openly, but she spoke of a handler and wore the Lion's blue. Both figures that moved in circles he... well, intentionally avoided, to be frank.

And him...?

"Ash Vargold," he said, nodded his head in greeting. "I came here looking for... 'help', I guess, for a 'condition' of mine. I work with spirit magic too, but..." He hesitated, trying to corral his thoughts in a way that made sense. "...but I'm self-taught, and I've hit a wall..."

"Ah, so you have all arrived, then?"

Ash jumped, hair standing on end as he turned to the priestess standing behind him. He hadn't heard her approaching at all.

The priestess smiled. Her lavender dress was simple and handmade, its style showing none of the modern influences of Starcalled tailors. The only flourishes were embroidered flowers along the hem. White lilies, like those planted by the river. "Won't you all come in? It's awfully cold out here, and I've prepared some tea."

She bowed, before turning and walking back towards the shrine. Slow at first, then faster only when she knew the others were following.

Ash watched her leave, still tense. She spoke as if she knew this was going to happen, like she'd expected all these people to arrive. He should be wary of that kind of thing, he knew.

...but they were working with spirits, here, and they followed their own rules. He glanced towards the others, and with a vague nod he set off after the woman.

---

The room the priestess led to the others was... a fairly normal sitting room.

A vase of white lilies, their leaves bright and crisp. An mismatched assembly of sitting chairs and couches, well-worn by years of use. A few paintings, the largest being that of the river outside. It looked less like a temple and more like a funeral home, and it made Ash uncomfortable in a way he didn't want to think about.

Or maybe that was just because of the incense - a sharp, floral scent that was overwhelming to his enhanced sense of smell.

"Please, take a seat. I'll go fetch the tea." The priestess gestured towards the couches before disappearing past a belled curtain that rang faintly as she passed through, leaving the three to their own devices.

@Jin @Madison Freebird

 

[Jin]

My... handler is getting her panties in a twist because I don't know much about the goddess who ultimately hands down the bounties I hunt.

The implications drew Jin's attention back for a moment as he digested the idea that some Lion boasted enough knowledge and wisdom of spirits to "handle" someone with actual skill in combat. Someone who took work directly from a deity. Madison, it seemed, had ingratiated herself to some powerful people, and not just the King and his lackeys.

But more on that later, perhaps.

Ash Vargold.

Had he heard the name before? He strained to recall, but no immediate recollection found him. For Jin, that was a tall order. He was used to putting a name to a face, and quickly. It seemed he would have to make sure to not forget Vargold's again, given their apparent shared interest.

I came here looking for... 'help', I guess, for a 'condition' of mine. I work with spirit magic too, but... but I'm self-taught, and I've hit a wall...

Gods be good, an honest man! Jin almost showed his instant amusement and shock on his face at the revelation, but instead tempered his smile with a mirthless chuckle. "A condition, is it?" `he reached up and scratched at his chin. "That sounds more like a desire for knowledge than an ailment," he was watching the dog-man more sharply now.

"Though much has likely been left unsaid. I fear as far as ailments go, I'm quite insensitive to the woes of others, so I will ask for your patience."

Ah, so you have all arrived, then?

Before Jin had time to broker a more detailed conversation, the current one had been derailed. A woman- a priestess, to be precise- greeted them.

Won't you all come in? It's awfully cold out here, and I've prepared some tea.

It was obvious that the other man was clearly taken unawares by the hospitality, but he quickly recovered. Jin was less keen on accepting an invitation from a cult adherent to any god of Death due to certain circumstances, but to gain knowledge, one must needs take risks.

A vase of white lilies, their leaves bright and crisp. An mismatched assembly of sitting chairs and couches, well-worn by years of use. A few paintings, the largest being that of the river outside. It looked less like a temple and more like a funeral home, and it made Ash uncomfortable in a way he didn't want to think about.

The trappings of a House decorated and dedicated to the dead. Despite the lack of contemporary furnishings, the distinct scents of rich and savory incense that masked decay and the more pungent, foul stench of formaldehyde were not unfamiliar to Jin. The flowers were dried out, preserved so that they could serve their purpose long after life had ebbed from them.

He still remembered the day they moved his father from the funeral parlor to the cemetery. The longest drive of his life, and an even longer hour and a half of rites and grievances for the dead. It was all he could do not to piss onto the coffin instead of tossing a flower down.

With a heavy sigh, he pushed the intrusive thought from his mind.

Please, take a seat. I'll go fetch the tea.

Jin gave a bow, though he held some reservations about fully accepting the tea. He'd cross that bridge when they came to it. He took a seat adjacent to the other two and waited.

@Ash Vargold @Madison Freebird

 

[Madison Mortiere]

What I wanted to say was "What Jin means is that caring about the troubles of others minimizes the importance of his own--which, according to the Way of the Edgelord, is the most harmful thing one can do that would cause them to stray from the path." But I had no desire to learn how much he had been studying the blade in the times I've been logged off to deal with my friggin' insurance company, so I kept my mouth shut for a change.

But I did note that this Ash guy had that deer-in-headlights look as soon as the shrine's attendant materialized out of nowhere and invited us in. Not sure what might have been going through his head; but I had a few theories of my own.

"We probably just stumbled upon some invisible quest marker," I said, leaning in and keeping my voice low. "I've always found that this world's easier to deal with if you constantly remind yourself that it is--for all of everything else about it--still a video game."

Straightening out my sleeves, I fell in step behind the woman in the lavender dress. "Tea would be lovely, thank you."

Once the four of us were inside the sparsely-decorated temple, I threw myself down on one of the couches and kicked up one leg over the other. By the grace of whatever gods were watching, my revolvers weren't stuck somewhere awkward. While the two men seemed to be made uncomfortable by our surroundings... I had to admit that this place where death is unpacked and celebrated and respected was a little more at home to me than one should probably admit. My family... is pretty big. And pretty old. And I am the youngest cousin. We use to joke a lot that we'd see each other more in funeral homes than we did at birthday and Christmas parties.

Probably not the most healthy thing to find humor in; but that's my family for you.

"So this... Condition you spoke of. Is it related to spirit magic at all?"

@Ash Vargold @Jin

 

[Ash Vargold]

"That sounds more like a desire for knowledge than an ailment. Though much has likely been left unsaid. I fear as far as ailments go, I'm quite insensitive to the woes of others, so I will ask for your patience."

Ash nodded. "Looking for help and looking for knowledge aren't that different, in the end." To be honest, he didn't expect the others to care much for his issues. They were strangers, after all. It was better that way, really - he hadn't told his own friends about it because they would care.

"I've always found that this world's easier to deal with if you constantly remind yourself that it is--for all of everything else about it--still a video game."

Oh thank god, someone who kept that in mind. Ash knew too many people who went too deep into the immersion and forgot that, be it accidental or on purpose. "Yeah. Though sometimes it's very good at burying the hooks."

He sat down, tail thumping vaguely on the fabric. "Pretty sure, though it could also because I died once. That was what I was hoping to figure out."

The priestess returned, a tray of chipped teacups and a teapot in hand. She took a moment to pour out the tea, then offered the tray to each person. Ash took one of the cups without hesitation. It looked like normal tea, and as he brought it towards his face it smelled like normal tea. He took a sip and made a face at the bitter taste.

"It's rare that we see the Starcalled come to this place." The priestess took a seat herself, pouring her own cup. "You, who know the ways to refuse Synra's hand and escape Urukhan's grasp. Rarer still, to see those who resonate with Her."

She took a long sip, then turned her gaze towards each of the Starcalled in turn. Her eyes were grey, almost white, and they carried an intensity that ran contrary to her pleasant mien.

"Madison Freebird, who enacts Her will. You come to honor Her."

The tea was normal, whether they chose to drink or not.​

"Ash Vargold, who stands in the shallows. You come seeking silence."

But the smell within the room is intense in a way that made them dizzy. The smell of lilies, overpowering all others.​

"Jin, whose soul is both lock and key. You come in pursuit of strength."

The rush of the river, louder every second, until only it and the priestess' voice could reach their ears.​

"I am not the one who can give you the answers you seek. I can only show you the way."

The last thing they see is her smile.​

Spoiler

The lap of waves. The smell of lilies.

The river is wide and calm and unfathomably deep. The sky above is black and starless, but lights flicker across the surface of the water, fire light dancing before they fade.

They stand at the shore. Their presence in this world is tenuous, temporary. Their spirits are not yet meant for death - though in the case of Ash, he seems more present. Death already marks his soul, and thus he has a foothold the others lack.

Whatever lies on the far shore is too distant to see, swallowed by darkness. But on their side of the river they are not alone. Whatever might have followed them to the shrine has followed them here, too, and so the dead have joined them.

"...what...?"

@Madison Freebird @Jin

 

[Jin]

Madison's discretion saved her a mighty long winded speech about the Apex of a Great Mountain, and ultimately, spared Jin the pain of having to deliver it. However, neither of them would ever be aware of how thankful the other was for the smallest of gestures. Alas.

Looking for help and looking for knowledge aren't that different, in the end.

...was that true? In Jin's own experience, one could easily find knowledge; but it was rare for them to stumble upon help, especially willing help. Perhaps others had varying results, but he knew better than to look for different answers when so many times, the questions had yielded the same fruit. "...indeed."

Whether or not they agreed, it was now established that none of them were hostile toward the other two. That was enough to allow Jin some measure of peace as the woman returned with the tea. Madison was quick to accept, and Ash recoiled from how bitter it was. Jin accepted and sipped it, more than used to the taste of bitterness. Its warmth was welcome.

Madison Freebird, who enacts Her will. You come to honor Her.

Jin's eyes moved first to Madison, and then-

Ash Vargold, who stands in the shallows. You come seeking silence.

-to Ash, who's purpose he had not anticipated. Silence? So he too was aware of the ambient spirits. But moreso, perhaps? Or perhaps he was more empathetic than Jin, and their woes and ills became as his own.

Jin, whose soul is both lock and key. You come in pursuit of strength.

His scarlet gaze found the woman and locked with those intense, gray-white eyes. He didn't need to affirm his purpose, nor was it possible to deny. The woman it seemed could see everything, and as they were dealing with the affairs of spirits, that stood to reason.

I am not the one who can give you the answers you seek. I can only show you the way.

He felt the swirl of his consciousness blending together with the Aether before he saw light melting away into darkness, but Jin did not brace for it. There was no fighting the sensation of drowning, diving deeper, only to come up gasping for air...

Elsewhere.

He had seen flashes, glimpses of it before, but the way it stretched out before him was baffling. Every way he turned, the expanse stretched out into infinity, a realm where the rational was defined only by what the mind was willing to perceive. He need only become willing in order to see.

Along the landscape, a river spanned the plane. Its vastness and depth were imperceptible, but for the small flickers of light-that-lacked-warmth. This was a place not meant for the living, yet not intended for the dead to remain. An in-between.

Jin reached out to inspect the denizens of the world, but he was opaque where they were transparent. Fleeting. Anchored to the world of the Living, the Bloodsworn was rebuffed by That which had Faded. It wanted no part of him.

"...fascinating..."

@Madison Freebird @Ash Vargold

 

[Madison Mortiere]

I could waste your time remarking about what the shrine attendant said to me. Honor the goddess of passage? I do that already, with each bullet fired and each soul returned for passage to their final resting place. Even as she said it, I paid it no mind. I know my work, and who it serves. And I can guess how thankful She may be for it. Since that's all there really is to it... well, there you have it.

But as I gazed upon the river before me, its soft cerulean waters lapping at the banks, I couldn't help letting go of the grip of one of my revolvers. "This place feels.... familiar."

Perhaps a little too familiar.

My mind wandered to the neon-outlined rocks racing past me, the giant stone monuments of the Old West dotting the horizon as I rode from place to place in Carol's stagecoach. The thunder of hooves from the ghostly horses eerily similar to the waters rushing over rocks down as the currents carried the departed to what awaited them.

And even then-- "I think I've been here before." I glanced around, towards Ash first, and then Jin. "After the battle inside Titanius, when the Ynglar Brotherhood asked a bunch of us to essentially commit suicide because they only cared about keeping their portals open long enough to save what few landers survived."

My gaze drifted back towards the river. "A friend, Lucia... She dragged me through the veil between life and death and brought me here to catch a ride somewhere... Safer."

Which leads to the important bits. "So why are we here now?"

@Ash Vargold @Jin

 

[Ash Vargold]

.

The Deathless? Here?

The Deathless, walking the shores of death! How funny, how strange!

A pair of voices ring out from behind the group. Was that tree always behind there, or did it come into existence for the sake of the two creatures perches within its branches? A pair of enormous vultures peer out from the trees - one feathered and lively, the other little more than bones and feathers. For a moment their heads swing back and forth, and then both suddenly fix their attention on Ash.

But look! This one smells of death! You have died, oh Deathless one!

How brave, how foolish! To risk Urukhan's scorn having escaped Him once before!

The vultures' cackling laughter fills the air as they launch themselves from the tree's boughs. They circle in the air above, wings motionless as they continue to chatter loudly.

If she has sent you here, then that can mean only once thing.

You are here to choose, to decide, to make a vow!

All those who seek the blessings of the far shore must make a choice.

Two choices, two paths! Two gods of death!

There's a strange power to their voices as they speak - as if the world has narrowed down to them and the vultures alone. The rush of the river seems muffled, drowned out by the flapping of their wings.

Do you swear yourself to dour Urukhan, and bring those wandering souls to their final destination?

Or do you seek the favor of sweet Synra, and walk with them on their final journey, no matter where it leads?

The two birds swoop downwards, landing on the ground with heavy thuds. They stand on opposite sides of the group, as if trying to mark a physical division between the two choices offered. The brown one preens its feathers, while the skeletal vulture mimics the behavior, scraping its beak against bones.

Perhaps you already know your path? Many come here having chosen.

Others dilly and dally and question endlessly. But in the end, all make their choice!

---

Ash narrowed his eyes at the pair of vultures. He'd come here looking for a solution to a problem, but instead he'd been given more problems. "...I didn't come here to swear any vows to the gods," he finally said, frowning.

The brown vulture cackled. "Perhaps not! To meddle in their domain without their blessing is a choice, too. But to walk the shore unprotected is to risk your being." It closed its beak, peering at Ash with a gleam in its eye. "But seeing as you already bear the smell of death... perhaps you don't mind that risk?"

Ash bit his lip, feeling attacked. He glanced at the others instead. "...I don't like any of this. What do you two think?"

((Feel free to puppet the birds as you wish.))
@Madison Freebird @Jin

 

[Jin]

Caw, caw.

Those were the sounds birds should have been making, but then, expecting the rational from a fantasy was irrational in and of itself. And in the land of the dead and transience, those already bending laws binding what is sensible became even more malleable. Jin listened as they prattled back and forth derisively, speaking on the duality of two gods of death. True though it was, Jin rarely bothered to delve too deeply into the lore surrounding Arcia and the larger part of Terrasphere, because until that very moment, the idea of "gods" and "mythical creatures" was allegorical at best.

His lips pried upward in a wicked smile as the bleating birds piqued his interest. Urukhan, the god of death, they mentioned by name. He'd heard it mentioned in passing. If Jin could entertain conversation with a godly entity, that would be the one. The one who's blessings and curses eluded him more than all the others.

"Vow is a strong word," Jin interjected as @Ash Vargold asked for their opinions. "Where I come from, vows aren't taken very lightly, and if a god comes asking for them, they're looked on with skepticism. I'm a rational man, and I fear you've found me at a great disadvantage, this being a less than rational place," he said, regarding the two vultures with a much more languid, less contemptible smile,

The likelihood that these creatures were somehow agents of the divine themselves was considerably higher, given how quickly they were to broach the subject. Even more likely was that the gods might be listening. So, why not speak candidly? It wasn't like he was going to get away with lying to Death at Death's Door.

"Quid pro quo," he said. "I'm alive. He could take my life and add me to the collective hordes of the fallen, that doesn't afford much to the Lord of Death than he already has. No, I'd wager that being alive is the sole thing that would make him take any interest in us whatsoever. Rather than an Oath, what would your god say to a deal?"

@Ash Vargold @Madison Freebird

 

[Madison Mortiere]

I'm going to be honest here--buzzards make sense. But I was really expecting crows. Then again; one crow is considered a bad omen but two are considered good luck? And not a lot of people (except maybe Evanescence over here) would consider getting dragged to the world of the unliving good luck... So maybe a pair of carrion birds like Bones and Feathers works better.

Those are their names now. I don't care what the canon is.

"Bold assumption that you're the one in a position to negotiate with a god. You are Starcalled; and nothing more." I slowly drew one of the revolvers from its holster on my hip. "But making vows and taking oaths can lead to great things."

I held up the gun for Jin and Ash to see. In this realm, what was once gold filigree that traced complex patters across the blackened steel had turned to soft fluorescent blue.

"I took an oath to hunt down those who refuse to accept their final fate and escape to the world of the living to raise havoc or hide and return them to the embrace of Synra. And in exchange?" A grin crept across my painted face. "Fast travel."

@Ash Vargold @Jin

 

[Ash Vargold]

.

A deal! He would make a deal with Urukhan!

The two buzzards began to cackle, their human voices mixing with the screeching of fowl and the clattering of their beaks. The brown one stretched to its maximum height so it could meet Jin's gaze with one black eye.

You should listen to the hunter, curse-eaten! Lord Urukhan cuts no deals. If not even the Gods cannot satisfy him, what makes you think a mere Deathless speck could?

The laughter continued. Ash glanced Madison's way, his eyes lingering a little too long on the gleaming pistol. "...fast travel? That sounds pretty convenient. Not sure if it's 'swear my digital soul to a virtual god' convenient, but..."

But there was something tempting about the offer of power. He had one foot in the grave already, and something that would let him survive in this game was more boon than bane. The idea of making a deal with a god of death to avoid death was pretty ironic, though.

The bone vulture joined its companion, the blue light in its eyes piercing in its brightness as it too looked towards Jin.

Better to beg Lady Synra's sympathy! With words and weeping you could pierce her heart, as many souls already have.

But you... oh you crave, curse-eater. Sympathy is a meager morsel in the face of your hunger, is it not?

Despite the lack of flesh, there was an unmistakable impression of a wicked grin on the bone vulture's face. It sidled up to the brown vulture and briefly leaned against it in what was an unmistakably affectionate gesture. The brown vulture responded with fluffed feathers and an agitated clack of its beak, but made no attempt to move away.

Certainly you have won my sympathy. For we are all carrion-eaters here, hungry for the glories of the far shore!

The gods may not strike deals, o Deathless one... but we old scavengers might be convinced.

There was something hungry in the eyes of the vultures and in the way they leered at Jin. It made Ash's fur stand on end. "Speaking of fast travel... you wouldn't happen to know how to fast travel out of here, would you?"

@Jin @Madison Freebird

 

[Jin]

"Better to not mince words and serve meaningless platitudes when faced with my own mortality, is it not?" Jin asked, shrugging pointedly. Anyone who knew what it meant to stand at death's door understood that those dead and dying had seen the truth beyond the veil. They had stood for judgment at the scales, and the masks they attempted to wear were ripped from their faces. The birds could see his curses. They could taste the venom that picked at his bones, and they spoke of sympathy for a fate far worse than their own.

It was, therefore, pointless to lie or attempt to hide anything.

Bold assumption that you're the one in a position to negotiate with a god. You are Starcalled; and nothing more.

Jin offered Madison a smirk. "Fortune favors the bold, Sherriff." His gaze turned back to the two birds, still smiling.

"I've no interest in longevity, I'm afraid you're right about that," he replied. "And a dread fascination with what lies beyond, sorely tempted as I am to lose myself in your lands and scour them for secrets. Hunger is an apt word, though if we were being candid- insatiable fits much better."

If they were looking at him with any amount of voracity, the way he looked back could be considered even more unnerving. The crooked smile and wide, blood colored eyes traced the forms of the vultures, his tongue gliding across his teeth.

"I can see that you, too, are creatures that delight in the finer things," he said, his hands forming a tight ball in front of him, fingers splaying as eerie blue-green energies began to materialize between both palms. "What is it that you seek," he asked, "freedom? To traverse the lands of the living? Would you exploit my power to regain something you lost, or perhaps, to glimpse something you have never seen?"

His eyes narrowed.

"Know that I would gladly amuse myself entertaining your desires if it meant I could see your Lord for myself," he told them, the spiritual flame that burned in both his hands now transitioning to only one, burning gently, softly. "But humor me," he said, crossing one arm and letting the other rest out in front of him, offering the heatless fire for them to gaze upon more closely. "What would you offer this simple peddler for his wares?"

@Ash Vargold @Madison Freebird

 

[Ash Vargold]

What others might have found unnerving, the vultures simply seemed to find enticing. Especially as @Jin detailed what could offer, which caused the two vultures to turn towards each other, staring at each other in silent conversation.

Shall we tell him a story, my beloved, my beloathed?

...very well.

The brown vulture spread its wings to their full span, gaze passing across all three of the shore's inhabitants. His shadow flickered and darkened, no longer a vulture's shadow, but the shade of a person...

Once, we two walked the same lands as you! With sword and spell we wrote our legend in the blood of the wicked!

Until the day that one of us fell, not by blade, by by a sickness of blood. Synra took him, and Urukhan claimed him.

But my dearly damned, he would not accept such an end! And so he sought new power - the power to surpass death!

He scoured ancient tomes and made deals with demons, all to find the secrets with which to unlock deaths' gates. And of course... he found it.

Any moment was too long apart. We met once more here, ready to make our escape... but we were caught. Not even by Urukhan, but a hunter of the dead, not unlike her!

The brown vulture gestured towards @Madison Freebird. Was that a glimmer of anger in its black eye? It was hard to say.

What a struggle it was! A vain and valorous battle! In the end, not even the hunter could slay us... but with their dying gasp, they cut us from life and death both.

We will grant you our wings and our claws. Our sword and our spell. We shall show you how to cross the river... and how to return with your ill-gotten gains.

We merely request you free us... and feed us.

A generous deal, o Deathless one! After all, such a sword as yours will leave the loveliest banquet in its wake...

---

"...I really don't like the sound of that."

There was something wrong about those vultures that made his skin crawl. It had been quiet until now in his own head. Something about this river shore had quieted the chatter. But now it was back, and it was... insistent. Fearful.

It felt like something terrible would happen if Jin made the deal.

"Something's wrong. We shouldn't trust those vultures." Ash took a step forward, only for the brown vulture's gaze to briefly fix upon him. A chill passed through him and he froze, unable to take another step. As if there was something in the way, keeping him from getting closer.

 

[Madison Mortiere]

"I agree."

I didn't whip out my pistols and put out the eyes of Feathers, as was my right as an indignant, ornery, edgy, entitled piece of shit Starcalled (or so I have been called, and will partially admit to being). But I did brush aside my coat to just let the vultures know that the blackened steel piece was there. Casually resting my hand on the grip, letting my thumb touch the hammer. Keeping my trigger finger close to where it I might need it to be.

"Sounds like a bum deal." I leveled an equally venomous glare at the birds. "Dollar store boons granted by a pair of assholes who got taken down by man because they weren't worthy of the attention of the gods." Ruffle one feather, rattle one bone and I will put these two deeper in the dirt than the game's code will reasonably allow.

"At least my abilities are granted by Synra herself."

 

[Jin]

"To surpass death, you say?" Jin's expression remained constant, even as he stroked his chin and listened to the vultures lay their cards out in front of him. His blood gaze moved from one to the next and back in consideration. "The power to be free," he repeated, as if he hadn't quite heard them properly the first time, "to come and go as you please?"

Such weighty and grandiose promises they would make, and so bold! In the very house of death, to utter such blasphemies- oh yes, Jin knew that they would not go unheard. He could feel the chill of the grave on them, the harsh and judgmental gaze that told them that they had come to a place they should not be.

Perhaps they felt it to? Perhaps it was what prompted Vargold to speak. Something's wrong. We shouldn't trust those vultures. Jin did not have to turn to look at the man to make a response.

"Trust? No, I wouldn't trust them," he replied. "Not even as honest as they are. Freedom implies that the knowledge and power they would impart could give them an escape from this place." His lips curled in a smile. "They want me to feed them for knowledge that would ultimately end with me being exactly as they are, beings trapped in the in-between, cursed not to see paradise or return to life."

Sounds like a bum deal.

"So it does, Sherriff," he agreed.

Dollar store boons granted by a pair of assholes who got taken down by man because they weren't worthy of the attention of the gods.

"How very astute." His lips curled into a smirk.

Of course they were hungry. It was their lot to remain here, to feast only on the leavings of those who transgressed, who met with the same fate they had. It was a barren land, without milk or honey, without food or drinkable water. The desert stretched out into infinity, beyond imagination, and they could fly straight for days and never find Urukhan's gates. Jin could tell simply looking into the unknowable, unthinkable depths. They were beyond reach, those souls that traversed the flow.

How many times had they submerged themselves, only to come just barely out of reach of a meal?

At least my abilities are granted by Synra herself.

"But Synra didn't show you two mercy, did she?" he asked, referring to one of their many platitudes. "Kind and gentle though she was."

Jin drew now his blade, the very source of the Curses that bound him. Ancient magic that could undo the mysteries of life and death, could unravel the thread of the soul itself. He held it in his hand, tempting fate, running the edge across his palm. Crimson welled up in his palm and he let it spill over, dripping into the river. The damned cried out in anguish, in hunger they had forgotten as they burst upward. They swam toward the vaguest hint of flavor, something that had been stripped away by death.

He would call their bluff. They wanted to feed. Now they could reach those few souls that dared to come close to the surface for a meal.

But how, then, would the gods respond if the vultures fed on innocent souls, destined for rest?

"You say that you have power for trade," he said, "so, what have you to fear?"

@Ash Vargold @Briarheart