RQG 175 - Ascension

## Summary

Join Alex, Helen, Bryn, Lydia, and Ben as they encounter a stranger with an offer. This week Zolf chooses a different method of transport, Hamid tries to make sense of things, Azu receives a visitor, and Cel witnesses something they've always hoped they would.

## Synopsis

We pick up in the middle of Cel’s conversation with Sohra, with Hamid listening. Earhart walks up and asks Cel who the stranger is. Cel explains the situation, reassuring everyone in a panicked voice that “this time, everyone is going to get to walk away.” Cel gives their full name and pronouns, and Sohra once again introduces themself as “Sohra the Elder.” She then suggests they hold the introductions so as not to waste time before the resurrections.

Earhart asks for a private word with Cel and Hamid. She says she’s suspicious of people turning up right when people turn up with exactly what’s needed at exactly the right time, and asks if they’re trustworthy. Cel says they’ve heard good things of the Ursans, as their village had indirect trading links across the arctic with their cities; this is news to Earhart. Hamid is shocked and confused that there are cities — or indeed people at all — here. Earhart cuts Hamid off. Upon Earhart’s request, Cel vouches for the Ursans and nervously agrees to act as diplomat.

Cel goes back to Sohra and asks her what she needs; Sohra asks for their patience and trust when the time comes. Hamid asks, still shocked, whether Sohra can really bring people back, and Sohra assures him that she can, if they wish to return. Cel doesn’t understand Hamid’s confusion. Sohra suggests everyone sits, eats, and prepares themselves for another journey. Cel asks whether this is metaphorical or not, and Sohra just says “yes.”

Hamid asks what to do with the bodies, and Sohra instructs them to protect the bodies from the elements. She goes off towards the trees, saying she won’t be long.

*[Editor’s note: there’s a brief discussion of how the characters know resurrection exists, but also know that it is banned magic and even before, was incredibly rare and expensive. To everyone but Cel, this seems like a ludicrous offer.]*

Azu comes over and asks what’s going on; Cel and Hamid explain. Cel talks about how their village, New Greenwich, was an “eastern-focussed” trading port, but nevertheless indirectly traded with the Ursans. (In the background, an enormous eagle leaps up and flies into the mist.) Cel’s father was from London but their mother’s people had heard of the Ursans through many degrees of separation.

Earhart butts in, asking what they need to do, and Cel recommends starting a fire to keep the bodies warm. Earhart starts commanding the crew to put up a tarp and making a fire.

Hamid and Azu are still confused by the existence of these people and how they’re going to do the resurrection, and Cel is confused by their confusion — they explain that “there’s people everywhere,” even in places with lots of wild magic. Zolf comes over and asks what’s going on. Azu explains and asks if Zolf thinks it’s strange, but Zolf isn’t surprised by anything anymore.

Meanwhile, Hamid’s gone to talk to Skraak, who’s still securing the perimeter. Hamid explains the potential resurrection to an almost-disbelieving Skraak, and Skraak starts mobilizing the kobolds and Barnes to set up camp.

Zolf is helping set up camp. Azu is shell-shocked. Hamid casts endure elements on everyone, which is useful because they’re in thick snow in a very cold landscape. After everyone sets stuff up, people start getting antsy. Hamid forces everyone to eat, and Zolf meditates for an hour to change his spells.

Azu, meanwhile, goes off to a quiet place at the edge of the clearing. She takes off her necklace, holds it, and asks Aphrodite if she’s “a stupid and bad healer.” Azu gets the feeling of a benign presence behind her. She turns around but there’s no one there. When Azu closes her eyes again, the benign presence returns and gently squeezes her hand and holds tight. There’s a voice in Azu’s ear: “healing and patience are often as one.” Azu squeezes the hand back. The pendant is hot against her skin, and she can see its glow through her eyelids. Although Azu knows that this is a monumental experience, beyond anything she’s previously experienced, she’s also trying to keep her cool because Zolf’s not surprised by anything. The hand finally lets go, though there’s a faint lingering, nostalgic perfume in the air that she can’t quite place.

**BREAK**

Zolf casts gentle repose on all four corpses (removing the shackles from Wilde beforehand and putting them in his bag), which preserves them for 9 days. He notices that his clerical magic is behaving slightly differently, though not in a bad way.

After about three hours, Sohra returns; Sohra and Zolf cast spells so people can understand each other’s languages. *[Editor’s note: there’s a long conversation about who uses what spells, and it’s not clear exactly what the results are.]*

Sohra announces that things are ready for them to take the next step. She instructs people to gather their things and place the broken parts of the ship within it. Zolf, after a brief and blunt miscommunication, goes off to do that. Sohra asks if Zolf is a young soul: Azu says’s he’s an old soul, while Cel thinks he’s young for a dwarf but will probably not get less grumpy — but they agree he’s a good person.

Azu introduces herself to Sohra, and bows. Hamid asks how he might repay Sohra for what she’s offering, as resurrection magic is generally very expensive. Sohra seems confused by the question — they say that there will be prices to be paid, but not to the Ursans. Cel repeats their earlier offer to work off any debt, and Azu and Hamid tell them that they won’t need to do that alone. Sohra says they’ll all have excellent conversations later, but not right now.

Sohra hesitates, gestures for everyone to come near, and places their hand on the earth. There is a faint tremor in the ground — something massive is approaching. There are more tremors; they can’t see anything through the mist and the snow falling again. Sohra says it’s “home” and Cel’s very excited. Sohra counsels to gather and calm their people, and Cel shouts that everything will be okay. Azu carries Hamid with his permission, so he won’t fall over.

A huge bear paw sweeps into the scene extraordinarily quickly, then disappears, planting itself a short walk from the clearing. Hamid yelps, everyone has to brace themselves not to fall over, and disturbed snow falls on them. Hamid tells Sohra that they saw giant bear skeletons; she remarks that they must have come from the south, and says that it’s a shame that that was their first impression. After a while where Sohra just stands quietly and calmly, Cel finally stops vibrating, though is still excited.

The sound of creaking timber comes from above, followed eventually by a broad (30x30 ft.) wooden platform, suspended by thick ropes, landing in the clearing. Sohra encourages them onto the platform, saying that the ship will be rescued in a different way. Hamid asks Cel whether the Ursans travel on the back of giant bears, but Cel doesn’t want to spoil anything for him.

Zolf says he’ll stay with the ship; Sohra says that the ship’s journey will be less comfortable, and recommends he ties himself down. Earhart also stays with the ship. Azu tells them to be careful.

People put the corpses in the centre of the platform, and the rest of the crew surrounds them. Sohra closes her eyes and with a judder, the platform rises smoothly in the air. There’s the occasional gust of wind that swings the platform slightly.

As they rise, Cel asks Azu and Hamid if they really didn’t think anyone lived here. Hamid says he hadn’t thought of it much, but that’s what he was taught, and Azu agrees. Cel wonders aloud who was trying to hide this from them.

At this point, the platform breaks the low cloud cover into bright sunshine. The first thing they see is an astonishingly dense city, sat at the fog’s level. The buildings are mostly timber and occasionally stone. The city’s almost all alleyways, with walkways built on top of each other. Hamid sputters in astonishment, while Cel babbles excitedly about how they never thought they’d see an Ursan city — they had a picture book of this as a kid.

## Quotes

**Helen**: "Azu's gonna try and pray to Aphrodite."
**Alex**: "Can you explain to me the nature of the prayer and that will explain the nature of the response."
**Helen**: "Azu is going to go find a little quiet place, like probably at the edge of the clearing, and she is going to get her necklace out and hold it. She is going to reach out and the question that she is asking is: Am I a stupid and bad healer?"
**Lydia**: "*Ooooh*."
**Bryn**: "No! No you're not!"
―Azu takes a moment to pray.

**Alex**: "You feel a hand gently reach and grab your hand and just give it a gentle squeeze."
**Helen**: "Aww, ok. Azu is vaguely reassured."
**Alex**: "There is a voice in Azu's ear. This has *never* happened before."
**Voice**: "Healing and patience are often as one."
**Helen**: "That is very wise."
―Azu gets a response.

**Alex**: "Something massive sweeps through the mists and fog and so on in an astonishingly quick speed, a way that something so large should not be able to move and for a moment it looks like, I dunno, maybe like a huge bear is just rocketing towards everyone. And as you have time to recognise that, you realise, no this is a paw, *just a paw*, sweeping across. It just disappears into the mists above and just plants itself a short walk from the clearing."
―The bear arrives.
## Dice rolls & mechanics

* Azu Perception check to notice Aphrodite: 14
* Zolf Perception check to notice that his magic is different: 28
* Zolf casts gentle repose on the bodies