Episode VI: Origins

***Previous: Episode V: Pilgrimage***

The Sandstriders finally catch up to Cyric. Their final dance will reveal all - past, present, and future - and shed new light on how it all came to be.

#### Vitaurum

The Sandstriders exit a Rift into the city of Shapeir, on the continent of Vitaurum. The scene is one of chaos, blood, and fire, left by Cyric. They track the enemy down to the desert outside the city and encounter Quen's mother, Zorah Ro'Hani, who appears to be trying to prevent Cyric from entering the Rift - unsuccessfully. Eventually, she is pushed through.

After a few rounds of battle, Cyric also disappears through the Rift.

#### The Sands of Time (Chamber of the One)

The Sandstriders follow and find Quen's parents, Kett and Zorah Ro'Hani, gravely wounded. Though they try their best, they cannot heal the wounds made, only slow their progress.

This reality is one of white sand, blue skies, and giant sandstorms. The party follows Cyric's trail through the storms, eventually finding the Chamber of the One and, in front of it, the dead body of Laz Ursulus, AKA "The Defender." He left behind a message and some help for the party in the battle to come.

The party enters the Chamber of the One and finds Cyric, speaking to a creature of a million faces - The One. Cyric pleads with it to tell him how to use the Orrery in the center of the room, which is showing millions of realities, each flashing faster than the eye can see in its center.

The One refuses, instead telling Cyric it will only teach one person in the room - Quen. Cyric becomes enraged and attacks. An epic battle ensues. Eventually, Cyric goes directly after Quen in front of the Orrery - taking her down. The rest of the Sandstriders, in a bout of heroism, charge in. Tolsmir puts himself in harm's way to heal Quen; McCreedy charges in and grabs his attention. Finally, Pointy teleports onto the dais and, with a clarity of purpose he had never known before, blasts Cyric with the most powerful magical attack the party has ever seen.

Cyric drops to one knee, then cries out in pain. A bright white light flashes, overwhelming the senses of the Sandstriders.

#### Mind Sessions

This burst of energy was Cyric's last-ditch effort to defeat the Sandstriders. His attempt to trap them within their own minds created a psychic link between each member of the party and one of the Four Primordials inside of Cyric's mind. Cyric attempted to gaslight the party into thinking they were merely living their lives as intended; but, through strong insight and some subtle help from Jenova, eventually all of them realized they were stuck inside a mind prison.

**Quen** was traveling along with Al Harik Attar's caravan when she began noticing a strange windstorm that almost no one else would admit existed. Her trial was that of Umoye, the Air.

**Pointy** became stuck in a forest in the Feywild, which began to burn. His trial was that of Agir, the Flame.

**McCreedy** carried out a mission for the Grey Council before falling into an underground series of caves. His trial was of Onione, the Earth.

**Tolsmir** tracked down a missing girl from his Berserker tribe and was drawn by a river flowing the wrong way. His trial was of Imanzi, the Water.

#### Finale

Once the group had individually broken out of their attempted mind prisons, they saw an explosion of energy eminate from Cyric, and he flew back against a wall, unconscious. The group cautiously approached, with Quen asking The One, "Is he going to try something else?" to which The One replied, "Your struggle is not yet finished." Cyric then raised up, cracks forming around his body, and out of him sprung the Four Primordials in their original titan forms. The Sandstriders fought the ancient deities, gaining new powers through the battle - Quen attuned to the energies of the temple, Pointy absorbed the rest of the Seven Colored Gems, McCreedy's Blade siphoned energy off of the Primordials, and Tolsmir became one with his Goddess. With these newfound powers, the Sandstriders proved victorious, but they still had important decisions to make...

#### The Sandstriders

* McCreedy
* Quen Sandstrider
* Teleragus "Pointy" Diragrion (or "Sinjal-Lu")
* Tolsmir

***Next: Aftermath***