Episode 15: Through the Cracks

**Episode 15: Through the Cracks** - At last the Nearlies go to do the thing that they were made for. The test run reaches its climax and we see if the Sacred Curses can stand up to the Great Awe of the Glorious and their loyal Herald. The first round of this battle is not fought in the flesh, or even in the mind, but in the soul, and the stakes are higher than death. The Nearlies psyche’s are strained to bursting by a vile and cunning force… but somehow we still manage to laugh our asses off through pretty much the whole episode. Sometimes when the night closes in, the pain seems too much to bear, just have a fucking laugh right in the face of the void itself.

Begin Arc 1 Climax! Pretend like we knew what was going to happen! HERE WE GO!

## Cast

### Nearlies

Josh | Xenator Brisbane
Kathy | Lavaleen Crest
Andy | Martin Sirque
Amanda | Gwendylyn Cloot
 Robbie | The Speaker
 Aaron |  Production & Sound

### NPCs

APPEARING
 Sarah
Manni
 Grandma Ninn

## Summary

The group experiences visions, personalized to their experiences. Gwendylyn is back at Grandma Ninn's being told everything was a dream; Martin is in a forest and encounters some pigs, and some dead bodies, accusing him of causing their death; Valeriana is in an Inn with the rest of the Nearlies, being toasted a hero; Lavaleen encounters the creature who she made a Wish with, and he is eating her egg; Xenator is standing at the crater that was once Abernathy.

After some struggles, the group all manages to escape the vision. Sarah tells them that the Glorious will mix truth with lies to trap you. They move ahead and encounter a Glorious. The Nearlies are unaffected, but Sarah immediately drops to her knees in supplication.

## Synopsis

### Prologue

The Mercenaries have jumped down the corpse chute.  They come across a door that makes them uncomfortable and confused.  The door opened on its own, and they found themselves walking in.  The hall beyond the door was massive.  The ceiling was so high that it could not be seen, and it was supported by a forest of columns that stretched upwards. They are separated.  “I should never have let you kill me.”  The Mercenary turns to see the image of her dead sister, the one that she had killed by a blow to the head with her staff.

### Episode

The group awakens, the Manticore is gone, but there are some weapons left on the ground, I addition to the Manticore sword that he had previously given as an act of good will. Lavaleen takes the spear, Gwen and Val get some turtle shell armor from Orgess Ungerverden and head to the obelisk, and head down the corpse chute.  Val cloak swoops; Martin turns into a feather; Lavaleen flies down; and the rest climb down a rope.  Upon getting to the bottom they come across a door.  Xenator sends his reanimated skeleton to open the door, revealing a massive area, and a forest of pillars in every direction.

Gwen’s vision pulsates, affecting how she can see. She is all of a back  in her home, Grandma Ninn pulling a potion’s vines from her neck, asking if she is alright.  Grandma Ninn then warns her to be more careful and offers her some brandy. Gwen insists that this isn’t real and screams.

Martin is walking along a forest, hears some wild pigs ahead of him, and sees a boar.  He backpedals away from the creature, and stumbles across a dead body. He knows this person somehow; he has done something bad to this person.  “You did this.”

Valeriana has walked into an inn.  Sarah slides her a tankard of beer.  The other Nearlies are congratulating her, and her heroic actions during the recent fight.  Valeriana knows this isn’t real; not only does she not have any memory of the fight, they are being too nice.  The building begins to collapse and Valeriana bolts.

Lavaleen hears the sounds of eating up ahead. A small man is eating an omelet, clearly luxuriating in the decadence.  “Well, what did you think I was going to do with it?”

Xenator is at the crater of what was once Abernathy, and encounters someone.  They acknowledge that it is a vision. The curator of sorrows and I respected you too much to try to trap you in lies, so they brought truth instead.  The curator of sorrows is the one we’re about to worship.

We return to Grandma Ninn trying to calm Gwen. She expresses doubt, “so you’re a hero in this delusion?” Gwen gives a rather scattered but accurate explanation of how the Nearlies  what she has experienced with the Nearlies.  Gwen tries to get Todd to verify, but Todd can’t talk, it is extremely doubtful that Gwen has witch powers, and wishful thinking that she has friends.  Gwen knows this is fake and casts verdant lightning at Grandma Ninn.

Martin is running before being pulled into the brush by someone.  They are mad at him for killing them. He had done something bad when he was trying to solve a problem.  “you did this.”  He snaps out of this and meets up with Gwen, who is screaming.

Val is being encouraged to ‘drink from the goblet’. She knows these aren’t her friends.  Lavaleen is offered a bite of the egg omelet.  She slaps the fork out of his hand. “He’s going to find you.”

The group all starts out of their dreams, and awake back where they were.  They are told by Sarah that the Glorious will mix truth and lies, “that’s how they get you”.

Ahead, there are footsteps.  “My children, you may worship me now.”  Applejack drops to a knee to be consumed, but the Nearlies are unaffected.  Their lack of supplication infuriates the Glorious, and it attacks.

### Epilogue

“You killed me” the sister’s corpse accused her.  The Mercenary manages to choke out, “I’m sorry,” and her teeth fell out.  There was something.  Something she could take.  So she did.  And then the last Mercenary fell against the Glorious without a battle.  Fell to worship the Glorious, Clasped Hands.

## Notables

Episode 15

 Objects Acquired

 Spells Used

 Metamorph Attempts

## External Links

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