An Exercise in Futility
| An Exercise in Futility | |
|---|---|
| Date | 03/25/24 |
| Storyteller | Slayzo |
| Tier | Legendary/Master |
| Player Characters | Shadefrost, Satori the Insatiable Armorer, Serene Leyvald, Clam, Illiam Elro, Hiromi |
| Rewards | 350 xp (3 people technically died), 22000 gp, aeon stone (amber sphere), aeon stone (black pearl), starfaring cloak |
| Result | Death |
| Author | Slayzo |
| Downtime | 0 |
Log
Six brave associates were telepathically contacted while sleeping, urging them to find the speaker if they sought greater power. Seeking to investigate this mysterious message, as well as figure out what could possibly bypass Illiam's defenses against dream magic, they set out into the forest beyond town. Hiromi and Illiam focus on the spirits around them, determining something of "Balance" is "Forward". As they travel they encounter an Arbiter, a small aeon that serves as a messenger for the group. It offers to guide them to the "Pleroma" that spoke to them, a creature of which none of the party can identify by memory. Serene studied the Arbiter, noticing that it acted far more malicious in its speech and actions than an aeon should be, but it is still very much an Aeon. They follow, somehow more wary of this situation than they already were.
Being led to the Pleroma, it becomes very clear very quickly that something is wrong with this creature. Now seeing it they are able to get a better idea of what a Pleroma is, a being of balance depicted by a form covered in starry formations. It would wield creation and destruction in the palm of its hands in equal measure, and never act without utmost necessity behind everything it does. This creature was wrong. Its stars were dimmed, its hands were drenched in red liquid, as if space itself bled. It spoke erratically and often nonsensically, seeking to "test" the party and facilitate greater growth in them. It summoned 5 maruts and proceeded to attempt to kill the party.
The Maruts were powerful and crippling, constantly regenerating from each injury and striking with force in their hands that could blind or deafen the target. They unleashed chain lightning upon the team wherever possible, and made a point to target the weakest links whenever possible. Satori tried to rush the Pleroma, but a blade barrier and its constant flight made this near-impossible. When he got too close, an unleashed orb of creation attempted to pull Satori in and tear him apart, creating new land behind it as it went. Though he escaped, the Maruts left him no time to breathe. Serene was able to distract the Pleroma by resisting the lethal effects of its orbs of destruction as they were launched at her, but a frustrated Pleroma's disintegration spell finally killed her outright. Satori was soon to follow the same fate, and a desperate rush by Clam was only met by the blinded lizardfolk being swept away and mulched by the lingering orb of creation, leaving no sign of them in its wake.
With the Maruts finally defeated, the Pleroma calls this test complete. After further events, it leaves "rewards" for the newly resurrected party and departs, its distorted sense of balance sated for the time being.