The Spirit's Rise: Episode 8

### Links

***The Spirit's Rise* Episode 8** was streamed on Arcadum's Twitch channel on August 13th, 2022, and premiered on Arcadum's Youtube channel on August 27, 2022.

### Summary

Once the party defeats Labros the Spider, the homestead function is activated. The party appears inside the homestead. Challa and Maelie are the only members of the party that are conscious. As Challa is debating leaving the unconscious party members on the floor, Namalos picks them up and puts them in their respective bedrooms to rest. As Challa and Maelie explore the house, they question their food and ration situation. Challa finds some Conflux spices in the kitchen. During the investigation of the kitchen, it is explained that the kitchen will provide magically conjured food. Namalos explains that they can ask for a limited amount of resources a day and the house will provide it. Maelie requests some fresh bread and butter while Challa asks for butter chicken. Maelie makes a soupy sandwich with the bread and butter chicken.

As they have a philosophical debate about automation, Challa decides to share the food with the unconscious party members. Maelie asks for some soup and gets chicken noodle. Challa explains that in his past life, they'd pay respect to their recovering soldiers by chewing up food for them and spitting it into their mouths and he plans to pay the same respect to the group. Maelie, not wanting to be insensitive, goes along with the plan being his "nurse". Challa successfully baby birds all of the unconscious party members.

After....helping...the rest of the party, Maelie and Challa sit down talking about their life asperations. Maelie reveals she wanted to get a house in her past life and talks about her prior profession of grave robbing. Challa digs in more and Maelie refuses to talk about the topic further. Challa says he doesn't really remember must of his past, but remembers the sensations of it. He doesn't really remember much of her but remembers the energies. Both members decide to turn in for the night. However, Maelie decides to take the moment of solidarity to change into her house clothes to get comfy, takes her journal and goes to the living room. She sits on the couch and writes her endeavors down in the journal. Maelie reflects on the events and as emotions build up, weeps. After having the moment to grieve, she finally goes to bed.

Effie wakes up screaming that she is on fire (still thinking she's in the fight), Maelie wakes up to comfort her telling her the fire is out. Effie goes back to sleep. Irha wakes up next and Maelie is there to tell him that the fight was successful and they're in the homestead. Maelie reveals they were nourished in their sleep and Irha questions this. Maelie explains they were baby birded as was culturally appropriate for him. Ihra dry heaves, goes to the bathroom, cleans his mouth out and sits on the couch. Maelie goes to freshen up and bathe. Seino wakes up next, falling out of the bed and questioning the soup taste in his mouth. He grabs his notebook. Luka wakes up next, also having a strange taste in his mouth. He gets up and heads out the door and see's Irha. Luka is then filled in about the homestead. He then feels sick and goes to the southern bathroom. Using the mirror, he fully understands that he is no longer a tiefling. He doesn't fully remember what he was in his prior life. After realizing the severity of the situation, he vomits in the toilet.

Effie finally wakes up, confused but content because she's full. She goes to the vanity and looks at herself in the mirror. She finds a diary and doodles a cover with her and Namalos getting married. Effie changes to her house/comfy clothes and heads to the bathroom to wash up. It's reveals that the bathtub magically replaces the water and heats it.

The rest of the group congregates in the living room. Ihra confronts Challa about the baby birding and Challa reveals that the situation was all out of love. Challa then gives Irha a short sword. Effie gets word that Namalos is outside and finishes bathing, getting ready and then heading out. The remaining "naked" party members get dressed and head to the living room. Luka finishes in the other bathroom and heads to the living room. Namalos reveals that the group has finished enough trials to be deemed worthy by the Spiritorium and he will be the guide for the group. He offers to answer any questions.

Effie asks how Namalos got there from Kalkatesh and he reveals he was magically conjured. Effie asks about the week of peace and when it happens (first week of the year), with Namalos mentioning it's the end of summer currently. Namalos reveals that Conflux is a SHIP?!?!?! Effie asks further questions on the boat/ship. Namalos reveals that the ship has phases, but the phases are stuck which is causing issues with awakening. The traveling souls are the effect of a malfunction and Namalos thinks it's due to be disconnected from the dream. Namalos reveals he's been taught a lot of information from someone and Effie asks who. He says he was taught by Malentharious, who is on the Counsel of Maltos. He states his body was reconstituted and he was turned into an angel but was made from darkness and refers to himself as a dark angel. He says he was tasked to meet Primus at the Apature, his light angel counterpart. Namalos states Primus is in charge of the phases, but the phases are stuck, The Apature is located high in the mountains in the center of Conflux and is the central hub of conflux. He wants us to assist getting the phases started. Namalos states he knows the proximity of the other continents to Conflux. He states the phases of Conflux are to make it from a ship to a full continent. The name of the phases are: Seeker, Seeding, Atlas, Lume and Binding. He says we are in the Atlas phase and have been stuck for some time. At the end of the Atlas phase, there should be full awakenings and nature will be full fledged. At the Lume phase, the layline will be reclaimed and as much possible mana reconstituted. In Binding, the rest of the laylinic energy will be sent back to Maltos. It is explained that this energy will go back to Maltos and Maltos decides how to redistribute (which is not evenly). Namalos reveals the index will help him get connected to the "network" and the easiest way to get one would be to finish the Spiritorium or go to the Apature. He also says that a Sphere that controls the weather has been destroyed so the flux storms will get worse. It is noted that the Spiritorium is used to help ascend new Mages. Those with no magical abilities will become Sovereigns.

Malentharious stated that not having the access to the dream was a detriment, which the Spiritorium will unlock. It is also revealed that the house will be a pouch that can be carried once exited. On the outside, it just appears as a spiders web. Ultimately, more information is stated on the house and Spiritorium.

Effie asks for a map and gets bearings on where they're at. The group decides to go to the Apature via the causeway for several days before breaking off to go slightly off track to go to a town called Ridge Row.