Unndilar 17, 835
The Clockwork Companions decided to enter the black mass from the place where their rivals had emerged.
While Tik transferred one of the motes he’d absorbed to Tymlor, Sarielle’s Echo explored the tunnel to see if Alyxian the Hunter would return.
As soon as the Echo disappeared into the tunnel, Sarielle said, “Well, that didn’t take long,” indicating that the Hunter was approaching.
As the companions quickly followed ACHU into the black mass, the motes burned briefly within them, protecting them from harm as they entered Alyxian’s Heart of Despair, before being torn from their souls.
They emerged from clammy darkness and tumbled onto the glassy surface of a lake, which felt as solid under their feet as any floor. Rising out of the water were three rocky isles, upon which rested crumbling structures that looked like ancient prayer sites.
Waterfalls tumbled from the clear sky, giving off mist that blanketed the area in shimmering silver. Directly in front of them, a life-sized statue of Alyxian, armed with a spear and a shield, stood on a white stone pedestal that rose just inches above the water's surface. The statue's expression was serene, much like the water.
As they examined the islands, the Apotheon's voice emanated from the statue and said, "After so long, we can finally speak to one another, and I am overjoyed. You have seen what I have done. What I have become. You, better than anyone, have the clarity of sight to judge me. May I leave?"
Tik began to approach the statue, eager to appease Alyxian, but Tymlor held him back and gave him a knowing look, and a Message, to remind the kenku of Theo’s warning.
“Alyxian,” Tik replied, approaching the statue slowly, “you must know that you were never betrayed in the end. Do you know that?”
Recognizing the three prayer sites as belonging to Avandra the Change Bringer, Corellon the Arch Heart, and Sehanine the Moon Weaver, Tymlor suggested that he, ACHU, and Sarielle split up and petition the three gods to forgive Alyxian.
“I wasn’t betrayed?” Alyxian mocked, frustration clearly turning to anger. “Of course, I was betrayed. I’ve been left for a thousand years, and the few who have come here have came only to rip away at me.”
“That well may be true,” Tik conceded, “that most have come for that reason, but not all. We came on behalf of the gods. They granted us—in their way—some measure of power and aid so we may come and aid you. We are the proof that you are not abandoned.”
As Sarielle and ACHU made their way to the farther islands, Tymlor reached the nearest island—the prayer site of Sehanine.
“I’ve been here for so long,” Alyxian replied, his anger turning to disappointment, “I don’t even know if they remember me anymore. You say you’re here on their behalf. Then let me go.”
“It’s not the prison that holds you,” Tik counseled, “it’s yourself. It’s these vile feelings of regret, of anger. They’re truly what’s keeping you bound. You have to understand that. And the only one who can release you from that is you. That’s the first thing you have to accept if you are to be truly free.”
“You don’t think I know why I’m here?” Alyxian replied, becoming more distraught. “This is why I need you to tell me if I can leave. I don’t trust myself. You’ve seen my memories. You’ve seen all the terrible things and the suffering that I have caused the people around me.”
Tymlor knelt down at the prayer site to Sehanine and prayed for her to forgive Alyxian, or explain what needs to be done for him to be forgiven. In response, the island’s statues and altars suddenly began to melt into a black ichor that slowly sank into the water.
“Treachery!” Alyxian roared at Tymlor. “You don’t really believe in me! Why are you petitioning the gods? You’re here for me.” Suddenly, the Heart of Despair rumbled. The water churned as if in anger, and the sounds of breaking glass and cracking stone pierced the space as the Apotheon spoke. "I have prayed for freedom. I have begged for release. I have screamed to an uncaring world and the impassive heavens for salvation. Yet even here, with you before me, I am denied. No more waiting. I will claim everything I have waited these long centuries for, and you will be the ones the world forgot."
The statue of Alyxian melted into a mass of pulsing black ichor. It filled their noses with a putrid scent, like a combination of iron and rotted meat. Thunder boomed as crimson storm clouds blotted out the sky. Bright red light flared from the remaining prayer sites, which were crawling with tendrils of ruidium that glowed with malevolent power. Silence hung over the lake for a moment.
Then the silence broke. A milky-white monster with dozens of arms, too many blinking eyes, and a thick hide festooned with blades burst out of the inky ooze. It reared back, then crashed down onto the lake as it howled in vengeance.
“You don’t understand!” the monster screamed in torment, “No one understands the pain of spending this many years down here.” With one of its many arms, the tormented monster grabbed Tik.
“You need to forgive yourself.” Tik insisted. “Perhaps this will help.” And the warlock rebuked Alyxian with three Eldritch Blasts, falling free of its grasp.
Avandra’s prayer site began to glow with a bright crimson light as a watery tendril rose out of the water and grabbed Sarielle.
The weapons embedded in Alyxian's hide detached and flew toward Tik, spinning around the kenku, who disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Advancing on the aberration, Tymlor tossed ten shells at it and cast Animate Objects, causing them to swirl about and slice into the tormented creature. Sarielle’s Echo appeared next to Alyxian and stabbed it three times before getting hit by a monstrous arm and disappearing. ACHU cast Mass Cure Wounds on his companions and engaged the creature.
Alyxian the Tormented stared at Tik and Tymlor, trying to draw their soul into the void within its many eyes, but the wizard resisted.
“I know all the pain and suffering you’ve caused is a lot to think about,” Tik castigated, appearing next to Alyxian, “but you have to remember the good too. There’s so much good that you have done. You brought so much greatness into the world. You deserve better, Alyxian.”
“This monstrous form…,” Alyxian replied with a glimmer of hope in its voice, as two of its arms fell off, “you must destroy it. I can feel its hatred tearing at me. Please! I can feel my spirit inside straining to escape!”
As Tik hit it with three Eldritch Blasts, the husk split open like a cocoon, and a radiant figure with angelic wings and wreathed in a halo of spears emerged. With a gleaming spear in his hand, he looked down in judgment on the companions. In a cold voice, he said, "Your words mean nothing. I am the Apotheon, born of the blessing of three gods. Thousands died by my hand. You will be no different."
“It is as I thought,” Alyxian the Callous shouted, “you are imperfect judges. You have not known my suffering. No one can know it. I am my only judge.” Golden chains rose up from the water, binding Tik.
Approaching the Corellon's prayer site, Tymlor summoned his owl to assist ACHU while his animated shells continued to rip into Alyxian. As he approached, Corellon's prayer site began to glow red, and a wisp of the light emerged and flew into him, but he resisted its effects on his mind.
Meanwhile, the watery tendril from Avandra’s prayer site released Sarielle and fell back into the water. Engaging Alyxian the Callous and stabbing him twice, Sarielle quipped, “Not worthy of being a judge? Dude, I can’t even remember where I came from! How am I supposed to know your whole backstory?”
“Were you not paying attention to all I have shown you this whole time?” Alyxian the Callous demanded as he shot Sarielle with a flare of radiant light.
ACHU hit Alyxian the Callous with Inflict Wounds and tried to use his Jewel of Three Prayers against him, but he ignored its radiance.
“I have lived a thousand lifetimes and felt a million sorrows,” Alyxian bemoaned, as he turned and released a cone of divine energy toward Sarielle and Tymlor. “I am the judge this world deserves—and mine will be the final decree.” The radiant blast nearly bowled the two companions over, but they stood their ground.
“All that you speak of are illusions,” Tik coaxed. “You know this. You need to think on it. I’m sure one day you’ll be able to escape these feelings. Until that point, have another illusion.” The warlock used his mystic arcanum to cast Mental Prison.
Though immune to the spell’s enchantment, Alyxian withered at the damage to his psyche and retaliated by blasting Tik with a spear of radiance.
While his animated shells continued to rip into Alyxian, Tymlor knelt down at Corellon's prayer site and asked the Arch Heart to forgive Alyxian or let him know what the Apotheon needs to do to be set free. Sensing his failure to reach the deity, Tymlor used his Chronal Shift toward a more preferable outcome. Then he heard two words from the Creator, “Save him!” as the prayer site began to melt into a black ichor that slowly sank into the water. Avandra’s prayer site began to glow with a bright crimson light as Tymlor dodged a watery tendril that rose out of the water. As Alyxian was filled with rage and hurled a spear at him, he tried to distract him with a Silvery Barb, “The gods have deemed that you will be saved, but you must work with us.” The spear struck the old wizard, nevertheless.
“I was paying attention,” Sarielle insisted, “and I still think there’s good in you.” Assisted by Tymlor and his owl, the Echo Knight then stabbed Alyxian the Callous until the Apotheon's angelic form fell, striking the ground in a golden starburst. Its gleaming feathers crumbled to ash as Alyxian rose yet again.
Before them was an old, haggard man, hunched and weary. His gray hair fell over his face in loose strands as he readied his spear and his shield and snarled, “If the world will not pay for the hurt it caused me, then what? What happens?”
“You can start anew, it’s not that hard,” Sarielle continued, stabbing Alyxian the Dispossessed.
“You do have a way with words, puny one,” Alyxian mocked, grabbing a dagger from his hip and stabbing at Sarielle.
Channeling his divinity to Preserve Life, ACHU healed Sarielle and Tik while using his Jewel of Three Prayers to blast Alyxian with radiance.
A gem-sized shard of ruidium appeared next to Alyxian and exploded. ACHU was protected by his jewel, but Sarielle was overwhelmed with exhaustion.
“Would you stop pontificating and look around?” Tik pressed on while advancing upon Alyxian. “We have traveled from literally halfway across the world following the leads of the gods who told us about you, all to find you at the bottom of an ocean underneath a desert. And here you are talking about how no one is trying to save you. We’re here, we’re trying, and by the gods, we’re going to save you!” Then he struck the old man with an Eldritch Blast.
Engaging Tik, Alyxian the Dispossessed grabbed the warlock’s vest and demanded, “How can this be righteousness? How is any of this allowed by fate, by gods that once fought by my side?” Then he shoved his dagger into Tik’s chest, and the warlock stiffened, unable to move.
“Take it out!” Tymlor shouted as he dashed toward ACHU and Avandra’s prayer site, and his animated shells continued to rip into Alyxian. Switching places with her Echo, Sarielle pulled the dagger from Tik’s chest, and he was no longer petrified. Tossing the dagger into the lake, Sarielle cut her arm with her own blade as a Vital Sacrifice. After casting Mass Cure Wounds to heal his companions, ACHU used his Jewel of Three Prayers to teleport next to Alyxian, with a blast of radiance.
“You know I might not be as old as you,” Tik entreated, “but sometimes things just suck! When my brother died—and you remind me a lot of him—it just sucked! And you can’t throw your hands up and ask the gods why? All you have to ask is what you’re going to do moving forward. And so that’s the question to you. Being trapped here sucked. I get it. But here we are, and you have the four of us here to help you—we’ve traveled all over the world. You have gods trying to help you. Will you take the help, or will you continue to wallow? That’s the only question you have at this point.”
Alyxian’s demeanor softened, and he lowered his spear, admitting, “I have survived for this long. Surely it was for some purpose.” As the Apotheon looked toward the sky, he took in a long breath, then released it, shuddering as tears ran down his face. A smile of relief came over his countenance. "My soul feels so light," he whispered. One by one, he looked at each of the companions, and finally said, "Please. Let us leave this cursed place."
Sensing the overwhelming peace within Alyxian, Tik shook his hand and replied, “Yes, indeed. Let us be done with this.”
Closing in on the redeemed Alyxian and patting him warmly on the shoulder, the companions agreed.
Feeling absolved, Alyxian helped the companions escape from the Netherdeep as it shook and began to collapse around them. All the ruidium began to fade and disappear, including the ruidium infecting Sarielle. Tymlor made some adjustments to his Teleportation Tablet, and they all quickly returned to Ank'Harel.
Turning to Tik, Tymlor recalled what the warlock had said about his brother, Tok, adding, “I always knew he was with us for a reason. If it wasn’t for him, you wouldn’t be with us, and if you weren’t here, we never would have saved Alyxian.”
No longer hampered by his fury, his memories, and the empty silence of the Netherdeep, Alyxian gaped in wonderment at Ank'Harel. The busy city that stretched out before him seemed filled with pleasant chatter, birdsong, and sunlight. At first, he flinched, overwhelmed by this new world, but together the Clockwork Companions agreed to help him settle into his new life.
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