Walking to Rosewater

[Ebiris]

"Aww, not even when you rescued her earlier? It sounded really heartwarming too," Marie coos sadly.

"I had thought it might be the sort of thing that would stick with her even if she got away, but the bridge has been burnt now," Alicia says more neutrally.

[Anastasia]

"Then if there's no hope for her now, seal her," Antenora sighs, standing. "Syala?"

"Alicia got most of my questions," Syala remarks at last, "Let her rot."

[Ebiris]

Alicia and Marie stand up as well. "Thank you, Naeys. Did you want to ask anything to clarify her spellwork before we put her away?" Alicia asks.

[Anastasia]

"Nothing I care to learn," Naeys says, and tiredly, "Not every arcane secret is worth it for me. Mystra may be able to handle that, but I will not."

[Ebiris]

"Then we're done with her for now," Alicia stands, walking over to pick up Violet's comatose form. Vanishing with her, she appears in a set of caverns deep underneath Sylica, walking past traps and defences devised by Syala into a mausoleum like structure where statues of various beings sit, gems embedded into their bases each containing the soul of a being they've decided needs to be sequestered away for a time.

Stripped of all her clothes and possessions and dressed in a simple white cotton shift, Alicia traps the fiend's soul in a brilliant amethyst and creates a statue in her likeness above it. So perhaps ends Violet's story.

[Anastasia]

Thus it is done, Violet trapped away. For the moment at least, you stand used but triumphant.

Okay, any immediate moves now?

[Ebiris]

We'll tell fake Robeaux what we know about his original identity and offer to restore his body to that (Naeys can probably manage a body sculpting spell for it). Alicia's avatar will go visit Arvandor to tell the Seldarine what we learned from Violet about the mystery elf.

[Anastasia]

When you return to see Robeaux, you find Emmaline is with him. The two sit quietly, the former with his head in his hands. The latter sits opposite him, slowly drinking tea. There's a silence between them - a deep one, though you don't sense that feeling of awkwardness, either.

[Ebiris]

"Emmaline, thank you for taking care of our guest," Alicia says first of all as she comes over and sits down. "We managed to learn a little about who you were originally, but not much. As far as Violet knew you were just an unfortunate fished out of the Styx, but you had a tattoo that looked like one worn by a group called the Free Fliers."

[Anastasia]

Robeaux looks up as Emmaline nods to you. His eyes are bloodshot and his features are sunken. His shoulders sag as he looks at you, or perhaps through you.

A long pause.

"That's..."

A pause again.

"It's something," he finally says. "Can it patch what's peeling off? He remembers it - the way you can just keep on peeling if you do it right." He mimes a slash with a knife, "Get under the skin to the bone, grab on and be strong enough to keep peeling. Liked to say you have to patch what's peeling off to keep going." He licks his lips, "Gotta patch it. Gotta patch what's peeling off. Is that a patch?" he looks up, shaking. "Is that a patch for my life?"

[Ebiris]

"It's not much, but it's the only start we have," Alicia says. "The real Robeaux's still out there, and if anything is worse than your memories tell. You can't be him nor should you want to. We can restore your original appearance... in truth it may be kinder to take away the memories of Robeaux as well, but I won't force that decision on you. My sister had her memories taken by the Styx, there is a future after such things."

[Anastasia]

Emmaline nods faintly after that, "There's a future here, too, if you want it."

Robeaux looks down again, head in his hands. "I can't remember being anyone else. But I'm not him, so who do I be? Do I be me but without being me? Do I be him without being him? Do I try and be him knowing I'm not him? G-Goddess please. Show me." The fake demon looks up to you, "He's terrified of you. B...but maybe I shouldn't be."

[Ebiris]

"Don't be him," Alicia says it firmly. "That path has no future for you. And little enough of one for him. As I see it you have three choices: Be not-Robeaux, take his memories and use them to make something better. Seek the solace of amnesia, lose the memories of Robeaux and everything else to start anew. Or try to discover your past, regain your former appearance and seek the Free Fliers to find those who once knew you and the answers they hold."

[Anastasia]

"What...what should I choose? I don't trust him, I don't trust me." Robeaux pleads, "You mean something, please. Please tell me what I should choose, because if he chooses it'll be patches and I can see how I'd do it. He wants to do it, I want to do it but I know I'm not him and help me, I think my head's going to burst."

[Ebiris]

Alicia's silent for a moment before, "Very well, I'll take responsibility," she agrees before pronouncing. "The memories of Robeaux are not yours and you should never have been cursed with them. We'll have them removed and your appearance restored. From there you'll be free to make whatever life you wish, but we'll contact the Free Fliers to see if you have any kin able to help."