Unndilar 16, 835
ACHU cast Calm Emotions on the assailants, causing all but two of them to turn away from Alyxian’s parents and toward the Clockwork Companions.
As one attacked the mother, Tymlor cast Suggestion on them, forcing it to “go run home!” Meanwhile, Sarielle rushed toward the fray and grappled the other. Tik cast Synaptic Static on two that rushed him and Tymlor. Also moving into the fray, ACHU cast Aura of Vitality, gradually healing his companions and the parents as needed.
Tymlor Mind Whipped the two that ran over to Tik and him. Tik pushed them both away with Eldritch Blast.
Bombarded by three berserkers, Sarielle tossed one of them away from the parents, and ACHU cast Word of Radiance on them.
As one assailant chased Tik, Tymlor hit it with a Fire Bolt and Tik finished them with an Eldritch Blast.
Surrounded by three assailants, Sarielle slashed at one of them and ACHU hit two of them with a Word of Radiance.
Tymlor killed one chasing ACHU with a Fire Bolt. Sarielle slashed into two nearby assailants. Tik pushed one away with two Eldritch Blasts. ACHU blasted two with Word of Radiance.
Tymlor hit one with a Fire Bolt. Sarielle killed one and slashed at another. Tik blasted one with two Eldritch Blasts.
Sarielle killed one and slashed into the last, which Tik then blasted with Eldrich Blast, and Tymlor killed with a Fire Bolt.
As they approached and soothed Alyxian’s parents, the mother said, "Get back inside, Alyx. Everything's all right. They just don't understand."
As they all approached the house, the vision faded and the Clockwork Companions found themselves in an empty underwater chamber and heard Alyxian’s voice in their minds, "What I understood from a young age is this: because of me, they would always suffer."
After taking a short rest, they headed to the right through a short corridor that opened into a chamber that immediately began to shimmer and transform into another memory. Fragmentary recollections filled their minds and they recalled Alyxian as a daring teenage boy who wanted to take part in a village hunt. The vermilion moon was shining full that night, and they remembered Alyxian telling himself that he was strong enough to overcome it. They remembered him donning a cloak and joining the hunt in secret. Their awareness shifted to a moonlit clearing in a forest. Its beauty was belied by the thick scent of blood and the sound of frantic shouts.
It seemed that a drow hunter, Saqiri, had been mauled by two owlbears and it was being blamed on Alyxian’s Ruidus curse. The owlbears were running off, scattering a herd of deer. As Saqiri coughed up blood, the other hunters shouted, "Those beasts were going to see us through the winter! We'll be short now!" "Alyxian has run off!" and "Saqiri's not going to make it! She needs tending!"
They heard Alyxian whisper in their minds, "I learned the price of my selfishness early. I just wanted to—I just wanted to hunt among them, to be with them." He sighed and growled ruefully. "It doesn't matter. Saqiri died that night, and I will carry that regret until I join her."
ACHU healed Saqiri and they tracked down the owlbears. As each owlbear died, it split open, and a swarm of Sorrowfish emerged, which they also killed.
They brought the owlbear carcasses back to the camp and Saqiri said to them, "Go on, boy. Take one of the carcasses to your ma. Tell her you did a good job tonight. I don't know if a curse truly follows you—but people believe it does, and that's enough for them."
Then they heard Alyxian whisper, "I have watched Saqiri's death a thousand times. It never stops tearing my soul apart—but now I know what she would have said had she lived. It is not what I expected after so long."
As the vision faded, they found themselves back in an underwater chamber, empty except for a tunnel to the north and a small chest. Inside the chest were two small gold owlbear figurines and 15 rubies.
The exit north was a long corridor heading west before opening into a chamber that quickly faded as they remembered a tale from the Calamity when Alyxian took shelter in the home of three women. For one night, the women fed Alyxian and gave him a bed to sleep in. Now, they stood outside their home, near which were planted three unsightly and unmarked gravestones made of jagged red crystal.
In their minds, they heard Alyxian say, "They welcomed me into their home. Why can't I remember their names or faces? Please, help me remember."
Entering the house, they found corpses and smashed furniture strewn throughout the ground floor, which contained a living room, a kitchen, and a dining room. A damaged staircase led up to a second-floor bedroom.
Searching the house, they found a book titled Sense of the Seasons in the living room. Inside the book was the name Celeste Zenthas.
In the kitchen, they found a folded note with the name Marissa.
In the bedroom, they found an empty sword sheath with the name Meri carved into it.
As they descended the stairs, three Ghosts appeared. Tymlor called out, “Is that Celeste, Marissa, Meri? Alyxian means you no harm.” Appeased, the three ghosts faded away.
They took an exit to the southeast, which quickly opened up into a chamber where the water felt as slick as oil and they all began to sink until they found themselves standing on the edge of a small village surrounded by hills. Combat had broken out about a hundred yards away in the middle of the village. Shadowy soldiers were pillaging the settlement while villagers mounted a futile effort to rebuff them. One of these soldiers raised his sword above his head and howled, "You ought to be kissing the ground we walk upon, you spineless cowards!" In a flash, he stabbed a villager, who wailed as they died.
As they approached the soldiers, ruidium tendrils spread from their footsteps, and the commander turned to them and said, "Commander Alyxian, these people refuse to pay us tribute!".
As ACHU cast Calm Emotions, Tik replied, “Calm yourself, soldier. Their death profits us nothing.”
"There are bright spots amid the ruin, sometimes. Beauty. Kindness," they heard Alyxia whisper in their minds as the vision faded, "You handled that better than I did. I wish I could have seen their faces happy with relief that they were saved, rather than fraught with sorrow at their losses."
They found themselves back in an underwater chamber and noticed a secret door to the north.
Heading through it, they found themselves in a smaller chamber with another tunnel exiting in the northeast. In the middle stood a marble pedestal, above which floated a mote of opalescent light. A bolt of crimson energy occasionally crackled across its glowing surface. Resting on the pedestal below this light was a tiny gray moorounder doll.
In their minds, they heard Alyxian whisper, "Yes. You let go of hope because you know nothing will ever change."
Tymlor withdrew his spellbook and cast Detect Magic detecting strong, unidentifiable magic from the mote.
As ACHU reached out toward the mote, it immediately disappeared and he had a vision of a young man standing atop a mountain, beholding a green Xhorhasian vista. He held a handful of lush flowers. The vision shifted, and now he looked out over the same landscape blighted by the Calamity—the greenery was burned to the ground, corpses littered the hillside, and he gripped a sword dripping blood.
As Tik picked up the doll, everyone heard Alyxian whisper in their minds, "Maeska, my old friend."
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