The Nature of the Flame

*The Nature of the Flame* is the title of the eighth episode of the eighth season of S.H.A.D.O.W. and the ninety second session of the entire game.

This session was played on February 28th, 2021

## The Nature of the Flame

### Writer

Jonny Christie, Richie Maynard, Eric Rios

## Plot

Darrow's time away from home has lasting effects on Aragi.

## Synopsis

A flash of light. Aragi tumbles off of the Ruby Flame. He looks back to the dragon and finds it sinking in a panic surrounded by black ooze. Aragi is terrified as he turns to see the World Tree, corrupted. He fires a Vale arrow and a wolf howls. A large black lupin comes up to him and offers him a ride. It races to the branch of Saturnine where the corruption has not spread yet. He dismounts as the wolf shifts into a very familiar face, Aguero. Aragi hugs him and asks what happened here, he thought Sachayoj was destroyed. Aguero simply tells him that the true evil has returned and they must fight first, tell stories later.

*On the tundra of Wintertide, Darrow awakens in the carcass of a yeti. He hears the blare of a horn and gets up to see where it is. The storm is blinding so he lights his blade to get any form of light. In the distance he sees it, a group of frost giants are charging in his direction. He raises his blade to fight but is paralyzed in place for just a moment, but long enough to be kicked by one of the passing men. He is sent flying and stands back up, the giant that stumbled on him stops and turns to see what he tripped on. Darrow smirks, thinking he was going to die out there alone, at least now it’ll be in a fight. He jumps at the giant, slashing at it but it catches him and begins to crush him. He stabs it in the hand and he is dropped. Another horn is heard, another tribe charges. The battle ends with no clear winner except Darrow. He looks off at the horizon as the sun appears to be rising. It is not the sun however, but a woman. The planeswalker, Neve. She appears friendly, though it is short lived as her face begins to contort and her body grows into a colossal monstrosity.*

*Darrow is for the first time he can remember, scared. But he still raises his sword to fight, slashing at the being’s finger. It retaliates by slamming down into him, crushing his body into a bloody pulp. He fades out of consciousness as is vanishes, as if never there. He hears a woman’s voice. Neve has appeared once again. He is expecting her to be another shapeshifter but this time it’s really her. He passes out and wakes up in a bed, surrounded by horned white dire wolves. Neve is sitting across the room, smiling. She asks if he remembers her and his memory feels fogged but he does recall her. He asks her why she helped him and what she did to his skin. It is coarser, stronger. She tells him it is to better help him get through the storm and return home. He likes it here. This plane is more home than Eris ever was. She convinces him that the Winds of Wintertide are too great for his mortal body and he will perish here, frozen and alone. He gets up, and begins to leave. She hands him a necklace and warns him he has three chances with it. He does not thank her with words but his eyes say enough as he heads out towards the portal off plane.*

The Dragon bursts out of the ooze, now corrupted with a familiar thorned armor. Aragi apologizes for “bringing a friend” but Aguero is not angry. This places Sachayoj into a vessel that can be destroyed once more. They prepare to fight and Aragi fires. It tilts its head towards them and launches a counter. Aguero morphs into a giant eagle to distract while Aragi fires from the ground. The altered vocals of Kokkalo and Sachayoj terrify the duo but the fight must continue. They are outmatched and Aragi is whipped by the dragon’s tail and launched almost into the door of Saturnine but Aguero shifts again, back into his wolf form to save him. He releases a powerful howl that sends the dragon retreating for a moment but the sonic force also knocks Aragi unconscious. Aguero knows this is not a winnable battle without sacrifice and he turns back into his human form, turning to Aragi and placing a seed into his shirt pocket before turning back to the charging dragon and throwing his hand up, sending them both spiraling off plane and into the cacophony of damage that is Thanato, the one place nothing can survive. He watches Kokkalo-Sachayoj evaporate and closes his eyes, accepting his fate.

Aragi awakens to a mythical Elk walking up to him. He asks if it’s Aguero but the being tells him that he is not safe here. Mortals are no longer welcome off of Eris at free will, they have risked the other worlds too often. Through tears he fires off his remaining four Vale arrows. Wolf, Wolf, Wolf, and before he can see the last shot, he is forced out of the Vale and banished back to Eris.

*Darrow arrives at the Vale and comes face-to-face with Aguero who is not pleased to see him. The man asks why and how Darrow has arrived here. The Emberstorm tells him he “died” but Aguero is not willing to gift him asylum here, Fire destroys too much and does not give enough to nature after. Darrow offers him a chance to lead him to the exit and fight, or die right here. Aguero turns to leave, showing him the path but Darrow slashes at him, missing but cutting Yggdrasil just enough for a faint black ooze to protrude from the wound.*

## Cast

### Main

* Aragi Maxul
* Darrow Emberstorm

### Guest

* Leqiri
* Neve

## Trivia

* Aguero Cryhawk makes a cameo appearance in this session. Though his fate is unclear, It is assumed he did not survive his trip to Thanato.
* This session reveals that the party did not completely defeat The Demon Sachayoj.
* The ramifications from this session effect not only the party, but all mortals from visiting other planes.