OOS 54

Notunoth 26, after speaking with the Council of the Gods regarding the asteroid. It occurred during between sessions 26.5 and 27. OOS 53 and 55 occur concurrently. 
== Transcript == 
Concludion carries Kiono into the house and looks around for a place to deposit the Kiono. 
“Take her to my room,” Izora says, and then looks at Concludion not moving for a moment before realizing he would have no idea where that is. “Right. This way.” She guides them to the upper floor to her room. Concludion brings Kiono to Izora’s ridiculously large bed, and plops her down. Or tries to. Kiono does not release him. He attempts to pry her off, but she remains steadfastly attached. 
Kiono, I can’t- Hey,” He struggles a bit but to no avail. “Allow me to try something,” Izora offers and slips into the bed beside Kiono and says, “Okay, I’m here, let’s let the poor Concludion breathe for a moment.” 
Kiono responds with a fervent shaking of her head. 
“Hmm, seems like an acute case,” Izora says, wrapping her arms around Kiono’s chest. “Might need some help with this one, doctor.” 
Kiono loosens her grip in surprised more than anything, but doesn’t let go of Concludion. 
Concludion remains unable to get out of her grasp, but manages to wriggle out of his coat, at least, which he deposits on the ground, and allows himself to be pulled into the bed, as well. “Alright, alright, I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you.” 
She smiles as she cuddles into Izora somewhat more than is strictly necessary. “Good, I’m counting on you.” 
“Are you alright?” Izora asks into Kiono’s neck. “What happened while you were there?” 
“We… They discussed what to do about… the upcoming apocalypse caused by completing the halberd.” Her grip on Concludion tightens. “There’s a giant asteroid being held back by… by Time’s… essence? They discussed some ways to destroy it.” 
“Oh hmm,” Izora hums, “That sounds… okay, did they come up with any kind of plan.” 
“The halberd suggested finding strong people who aren’t gods. Someone called the Dark was one of them… The plan everyone else liked the most was letting Lysaro fully manifest to destroy it, and casting a world-wide Blink spell to protect the world from his Entire Existence.” She states this with a bit of a mocking tone. 
“It’s not the worst idea.” Izora murmurs. “I don’t hate finding a bunch of strong people. I haven’t heard of anyone all that strong called “The Dark”. 
“She didn’t say who it was. Lysaro seemed to know. That was when she… she started sticking her tongue out at him...” 
“She did what?” Izora sort of half sits up at that. “I’m sad I didn’t get to go.” She falls back into the bed. 
“Several times,” Kiono confirms. “She started answering all of his questions by doing that near the end. Started singing some sort of song when he asked who she was.” 
“I’d have rather liked to see that.” Izora smiles. “Lysaro deserves more people sticking their tongues out at him. 
“Metaphorically.” 
“So you’re not worried he’ll try and get revenge or something?” Concludion asks. 
“For what?” Izora smiles. “He’s a Council deity. He can hardly smite someone without just cause. He’d have the whole multiverse rioting if he even tried it.” 
“Good to know,” Concludion says. “I mean, I’d still have kicked his butt, but good to know.” 
Izora snorts. “He can’t kill you if it’s not ‘your time’ or whatever, but one could make the argument that ‘picking a fight with Death’ is a pretty legitimate cause. 
“Well, he can, but it’s frowned upon.” 
Kiono sort of turns to look in Izora’s general direction. “You’re sure?” 
“Quite sure,” Izora says softly. “My familiarity with the guy is very much because of his inability to do anything of even trivial import on this plane.” 
“Oh.” Kiono doesn’t seem sure whether to find that comforting or not. She decides it’s a good thing, and settles back in. 
“You said you know him?” Concludion says, “What’s that about?” “Not something I’d really like to talk about. Suffice it to say that we’ve had our run-ins with the god of death, and he kind of sucks. 
“Can we launch Lysaro at the Asteroid? Was that discussed?” Izora asks. 
“Launching Akaros was suggested, and siccing Lysaro on it, but not specifically launching Lysaro,” Kiono giggles. 
“I’ll work out the logistics and present my findings at a later date.” Izora murmurs, still into Kiono’s neck. 
“How would they go about casting a worldwide spell like that?” Concludion asks, “The Blink Spell, I mean.” 
“They’d need leyline access, they’d have to be aligned. It’d be a whole deal. Doable, but I’d want to bring in some experienced mages to make it go smoothly.” Izora says. 
“The one in charge of casting the spell would have to attune so wholly to the magic of the world that they likely won’t survive,” Kiono confirms. 
“Might be better if we use someone already dead, then.” Izora says, “Would probably need to get Vidh Zadh on board anyway, he’s sitting on a major leyline as it is.” 
“Oh. I… I don’t think he likes us.” 
“You met him?” Izora asks. “I’m sorry.” 
“Y-yeah. He, uh… We ran some errands for him… He gave Teer a magic ring, and a means of teleportation for the group… But, uh… “ She thinks for a moment, suddenly unable to remember which of Renn’s personas was present. “Tallo…? I think made him mad with all her questions and Veg was… well, Veg…” 
“What if we cast the planet spell on the asteroid somehow, and also used the Devoured to smash it?” Concludion asks somewhat abruptly. 
“If the net is still in place, it could potentially be used as a vehicle for a spell. I’m not familiar with it enough to be sure, but using the net in lieu of ley lines isn’t the most outlandish idea,” Izora murmurs. 
"The halberd was already considering trying to connect with the net itself if she could. It is her..." 
“Hey, what’s the Devoured?” Izora asks, her words spoken into Kiono’s neck, barely audible. 
Kiono looks at Concludion, fearful. Hesitantly, she says, “He, uh… he’s a… a god that was… the lover of the Spider Queen… she, uh… bit his head off... There’s a… a set of rituals that exist to… to bring him back. If Concludion’s idea is viable, then we might be able to summon him long enough to… well, smash the asteroid… Launch the Devoured at it...” She waits for a response from Izora, and is somewhat relieved when her only response is the sound of the tiefling sleeping. 
She breathes a sigh of relief and looks back at Concludion’s face. He has also fallen asleep. Kiono nestles in closer to Izora and tugs Concludion closer as well. A not insignificant portion of her mind was excitedly working the puzzles pieces of the ley lines and rituals as she drifts off to sleep. But as she listens to the others breathing beside her, their arms around her, and she thinks that, perhaps just tonight, the destruction of the world may not have to be her focus. 
Sylmore walks through the stillness of his house in the wee hours of the morning. Belxari had been by, he was certain, judging by the scorch marks on his lawn. He smiled to himself. Whatever she was up to these days, she still left chaos in her wake. 
He drapes his coat over the back of his chair on the way past the front study, a cold panic gripping him momentarily as several gold coins slip out of a pocket and roll under a counter. Despite being effectively and inexhaustibly rich after becoming somehow the head of the Burnett household and Belxari needing something to do with her ridiculous wealth, he still couldn’t shake the knee-jerk reaction to losing a few coins. He considers fishing them out from under the counter, but he decides against it. It would be better if they were found by the various staff that maintained the place. He considers himself a generous employer, but even so… 
He smiles and walks on. The house is chillier somehow without Azaria around. Too big. It was too long ago that Izora was a child, her gleeful… well, her reserved joy and endless fascination at the world filling the halls. He missed when she would climb into his lap with some book she’d pulled out of the library. Are these real? Yes my owlette, they are. I want to go see them. Maybe one day you will. 
He walks past her room, the slow simmer of satisfaction warming his exhausted body. He notices her door opened, the dying embers of a fire casting a dim illumination into the hallway. He sighs and shakes his head, and knocks softly- too softly to disturb her, but enough to let her know he’s there if she’s awake. He waits for a moment, and hearing no response, enters. 
He is surprised be the two additions atop his daughter’s bed. His fists instinctively clench in paternal fury at the thought of intruders in his daughter’s room, but he catches sight of Izora’s sleeping face. A stray lock of her unruly hair is stuck to the side of her mouth. Her expression is one of contentment- something he rarely gets to see on his daughter’s face these days. He knows the wizard girl, Kiono, but the boy is unfamiliar to him. He shakes his head and sighs. The tension leaves his body as he studies their sleeping faces. Izora seems satisfied, dreaming of pleasant things for once. Kiono appears content between the two of them, pulling at the boy and pressing into Izora, as if looking for anchors to keep her moored. The boy clutches at Kiono, as if she might drift off if he were to let go. The three cling to each other, as if desperate to stay afloat amongst some tumultuous sea. 
He remembers being pulled with great protest into a pile of Grah, Sam, Merric, and the others, Belxari and Sah giggling- young children at the time, not understanding the dangers of being caught outside in the dead cold of winter. He’d led them astray, into the darkest part of the forest, looking for a shelter that had burned down long ago, trying to stay beyond the fringe of a settlement that was hunting for them. He was feeling stupid and self-destructive, bent on leaving the people he’d led into darkness to survive without him. On suffering alone. They’d literally shaken the nonsense from him, though he wouldn’t fully learn the lesson until much later. 
A small sound from Izora shakes him from his reflection as she nuzzles closer into the nape of Kiono’s neck. His daughter was largely beyond his help these days. The things that troubled her weren’t things she wanted his help with, most of the time. She carried a lot of weight on her young shoulders. He knows it is foolish, but he had been the same way. Foolishly soldiering on when people willing to share the burden were already walking alongside them- especially when they were doing so anyway. 
Maybe these kids would help her. Maybe she would help them. He’s not sure, but he’s glad to see that she isn’t as alone- that she has more company than her parents and a pair of bizarre tieflings. He takes a blanket from the foot of her bed and shakes it out before throwing it over the three of them. 
“Goodnight, you weird idiots.” He whispers as he leaves the room.   
== Trivia == 
* This OOS was written in Google Docs instead of the Discord, thus the different formatting.
Category:OOS