Shadow rondo

[Ebiris]

"Yes," Alicia says, looking down into Colke's eyes. "These may be our final days, and Creation needs heroes. People who'll make a difference, for all our tomorrows."

[Anastasia]

> roll 1d20+17 (+7 sacred)
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+17 (+7 sacred) --> [ 1d20=16 ]{33}

Colke offers a hand up, gaze on your own. "I'll help you."

[Ebiris]

Alicia takes that hand, pulling Colke to their feet beside the bed.

[Anastasia]

Colke rises and becomes more defined. A woman now, with long, straight black hair and fine features. Delicate but regal, like that of a queen. Her green eyes meet yours. "I think I can change my form now," she says at last, "That this is only a reflection of whatever truth I hold in my soul."

A shift. Then he is like the male Colke you met in Ysgard, strong  and well developed. "The truth of who I am is more important than the lies that were forces on me. Lies fall before truth, and truth shines no matter what."

[Ebiris]

"And the truth is, we're all in grave danger. Whatever hopes the Abyss had of devouring all... Shar is the one who is closest to enacting her nihilistic designs upon Creation," Alicia explains.

She also creates a simple unisex cloth robe for Colke to wear and garb his or her modesty.

"Will you stand against the destruction that comes?"

[Anastasia]

The robe is taken and worn.

"I will," Colke promises, "I promise."

[Ebiris]

"Then we're glad to have you," Alicia says, satisfied.

"But were you seeking in the Abyss, that you found what you feared?"

[Anastasia]

"You know of my quest?" Colke asks, another shift - back to the previous, feminine form. "There is much to tell, but do you know much of me before my ill fated trip there?"

[Ebiris]

Alicia shakes her head. "Very little," she admits. "Indeed we never heard your name until we set foot there ourselves."

[Anastasia]

"In my life, I chose to study lore. I had an ever thirst for knowledge and to learn. In time, power followed from knowledge and with it greater knowledge came. Until I came on one of the greatest secrets of Creation: Why. Why it was made and its purpose, to provide an Answer."

She brushes a loose bang back as she goes on, then looks to Antenora. "What happens to those who seek knowledge but value it above what is right or other people?"

"They find Cania at the end of their path," Antenora concedes with open understanding. "Was it for you?"

"No, but I grew callous and chill towards others. Not evil but I was deeply flawed. I sought knowledge best ignored and came on lore of 666. I felt it had purpose and it had meaning. That it could make sense of the contradictory truths I came across in Creation." Colke turns back to Alicia, "I was a fool. My only defense is that I felt that there was something profound there."

"Good, then I don't have to tell you that you were a damned fool," Syala seconds, "Go on."

"Cold enough to seek it, foolish enough to think the Abyss had any meaning. I found what I feared, that everything was a lie and that truth was meaningless." Colke concludes.

"You're in good company," Antenora lays a hand on Colke's shoulder, "For the noblest of reasons we explored 666 ourselves. It was our own bit of foolishness, even if we stood against those lies, it was a grave risk that we could have avoided."

"But you saved me, Sylica. All of you did," Colke continues. "Each of you is a holy deity, and in that each of you is a fragment of the truth. Imperfect as I believe none of us can comprehend righteousness fully, but I have become more than I was thanks to your wisdom to set me on the path towards Chronias. I have retained much of my skills and knowledge that 666 forced on me towards destructive ends. Reborn by your will and the light above, I can put them to better means."

A moment.

"I am an avenger, a mage, a cleric, a warrior. Many arts lie within me now. They are in your service now." Colke concludes.

"And the resemblance to Alicia?" Syala asks, "A little of Antenora as well, but the hair's a giveaway."

"My soul is what matters. My body?" A shift, and now a perfect copy of Syala sans her lights appears. "Is just clay for the soul to shape."

[Ebiris]

"The Abyss is part of Creation. Expecting that it should have some meaning is no sin," Alicia says after hearing all of that.

Does the changed body appear real as far as Clearsight sees?

[Anastasia]

Yes.

[Ebiris]

She doesn't pay much mind to the casual shapechanging. Marie is about the same. "For the moment though, Sylica is in an upheaval although it's a glad one. Take a day to rest and see our realm while we tend to its transition. After that we can discuss how you might help in our struggles."

[Anastasia]

Colke bows and departs to do that. Once done, "So many boxes on the formula did this tick off, Antenora?" Syala asks.

With a slight smile, "Naked, beautiful woman, serving Alicia?" Antenora questions aloud, "As amusing as that is, I'm relieved good has come from that trip of ours."

[Ebiris]

"Well, they're sticking around rather than wandering off into the sunset with a pat on the head and a pouch of gold, so might turn out good," Marie agrees. "So are you going to tell Mystra, then?"

"Assuming everyone's happy with us relocating to Elysium, yes," Alicia says, politely ignoring Syala and Antenora's commentary.