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#whitestone bridge
yama-bato · 1 month
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Ralston Crawford, “Whitestone Bridge,” The Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester
Whitestone Bridge (1939-1940)
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Bronx–Whitestone Bridge - Wikipedia
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Bridges - Whitestone Bridge
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nemfrog · 3 months
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Published on the occasion of the opening of the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, April 29, 1939. Booklet cover detail.
Internet Archive
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joeinct · 10 months
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Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, 6 24 23, Photo by Joe Bruha, Copyright 2023
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seniouesbabes · 2 months
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Lily Maymac 🌸🍒💋🌸
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molybdic · 10 years
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over Long Island Sound, toward Manhattan
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fiveboros · 7 months
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crudlynaturephotos · 10 months
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frank-o-meter · 9 months
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Bronx-Whitestone Bridge by Boscove
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matttheww · 2 days
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newtownpentacle · 1 year
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thumping rattle
Thursday – photo by Mitch Waxman October 20th and a humble narrator had just received the most critical bit of equipment needed to enable his “escape from New York.” A car. All of these years in Queens, I’ve been a dedicated pedestrian and married to mass transit. I’ve always opined that having a car in Astoria is more of a curse than a boon. It was actually cheaper for me to use ride shares…
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lilleejean · 2 years
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(via GIPHY)
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towards-toramunda · 8 months
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Thinking about more iconic lines from the show over the years instead of going to bed and created a list that is far too long:
- What’s my mother’s name?
- My best. Finally.
- I have so many flowers to bring to her.
- You were not born with venom in your veins. You learned it. You learned it.
- Don’t get on my ass about it! All I heard is that its pretty easy to do here thats all I took from what you said. (Bonus: its for the god of arts and crafts)
- At dawn, we plan.
- Doo doot doo doo doot doooo donuts!
- What matters more, the dream or the dreamer?
- Sleep well with your bad decisions.
- Nothing happens for a reason. It’s absolute fucking chaos.
- Patience is fine, but it can curdle into apathy.
- I’ve met the devil, thats not him.
- You never take copper. That's just kicking someone while they're down. You take silver if they're an asshole, and you take gold regardless.
- Time is one of my specialties.
- It’s entirely off-putting how disarmingly charming you are.
- How lucky I am to have had all of you. How lucky indeed.
- I smell like a crayon.
- I could tell by the bone structure and the contempt.
- I think I can punch ghosts now.
- Big moon, little moon.
- Pop, pop!
- I need chaos. I have faith in chaos.
- Molly said not to steal from happy people.
- I am going to tell you the story of how I murdered my mother and father.
- Smiley day to ya!
- I killed my family, I’ll throw you under a bridge.
- We’re on the moon bitch.
- She throws it. I shoot it. It explodes! NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE! (FLUFFERNUTTER)
- I am all for faith, and I'm not going to pick a god. They can pick me. It'll be the first one that actually praises me and then maybe I'll fucking answer. I'll wait. They can fucking beg. And I will listen, which is more than they ever fucking did.
- I would like to RAGE!
- The worst thing that has happened to me has already happened.
- We're running; it's bad.
- You can reply to this message.
- Dagger, dagger, dagger.
- Opinions are like opera. Sure, you can listen to them, but why would you, really?
- There is no god that strides this world that I worship more than I worship your heart.
- I would like to live long enough to be someone else.
- Help, its again.
- Whoever it was, just put it back. I think they've earned it. Put it back.
- I’m fun scary.
- Sorry, babe. Gotta handle these ninjas.
- I’m the cleric? I’ve never traveled with a bunch of people I thought would die in front of me.
- He thinks I’m gonna go into the water for some fucking buttons.
- You are, at the moment, the luckiest person in Whitestone. Do you know why? Because you’re at the bottom of my list.
- You need me more than I need you.
- I protect him. He’s my boy. And I keep him safe.
- I made the earth remember him.
- Come correct or get corrected.
- Do not go far from me.
- Are you worth saving?
- How do I want to do this?
- Heaven to some, and hell to others.
- Fix him!
- Why do we tell stories?
- Do you spice?
- Listen you fucking jungle! I'm a paladin of the Wildmother. You're going to move or we're going to bust you wide open! We'll wreck this place. Don't make me fucking tell you twice!
- I am your god, long may I rein, eat of my fruits.
- Anybody can make lights. Anybody could send a message through a wire. I want to bend reality to my will.
- Would you like to talk before or after?
- What the fuck is up with that?
- To reach a hand down to somebody, they need to be beneath you! And I'm beneath nobody.
- The one eyed monster slayed my pussy.
- Time is a weird soup.
- I’m killing someone. Hold, please.
- Gold is a resource by which mortaldom climbs.
- Why are you so mean to me?
- Yours is the face I saw when murder entered my heart.
- This one time I saw a bug carrying a piece of bread that was like five times its size and he was carrying upstairs, like up and then he would turn, and then up, and then he would turn.
- I live as long as Whitestone lives.
- Vox Machina! Fuck shit up!
- I’m not disappointed, I’m just angry.
- Someone prayed for a miracle and there you were.
- We don't leave people behind. That's just the rule. You do not leave people the fuck behind.
- Call me child one more goddamned time!
- Finish it, Champion.
- I am of the Empire. But I am no friend to the Empire.
- I think it has been a long time since anyone has pointed out to you that you're a fool. Pain doesn't make people, it's love that makes people. The pain is inconsequential. It's love that saves them. And you would know that but you have none around you. You said so yourself, you surround yourself with lies and deceptions. And I wish for you, in the future, to find someone to mourn you when you are gone.
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simplysparrow14 · 3 months
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Pikelan is probably the most complex CR ship and more people need to realize that instead of branding it as the "haha funny gnomes" ship.
because the entirely of Pikelan revolves around Scanlan, a very charismatic bard who flirts with literally everyone around him but is head-over-heels in love with his cleric friend but is tragically dogshit at expressing it so he resorts to doing crude bits and gags that ultimatly mask who he truly is.
And then you have Pike, a cleric brimming with self-confidence, who absolutely loves Scanlan for who he is, but is constantly getting mixed signals, because on one hand, he's constantly doing crude jokes and flirting with every person he sets his sights on (even so far as going after his unknown daughter) but on another, he tenderly holds her while she's bleeding and he's constantly at her side during battle and even tends to her emaciated brother for her and it's beautiful to watch, but the moment, the moment she brings it up, he reverts back to his crass personality and it just leaves her reeling about who he truly is.
And then we get to Bards Lament, and Scanlan, after tip-toeing around his true emotions for so long, finally snaps and lets everything he's been feeling (all the pain, and self-loathing manifested as anger towards everyone else, because even in his darkest moment, he's still so dogshit at expressing it for what it truly is) and Pike, who's been wrestling with these mixed signals, finally gets his true feelings on what he feels, calling her magic weird, hating that the same magic that has kept him alive and safe for so long brought him back to his sad existence, hating her for doing it. In the end, Scanlan leaves, just as Pike left the first time and the second time. And Pike stays behind, watching as he heads towards somewhere where she cant follow, abandoning the team and her and grog and everything they've built for themselves. She loves him, and him leaving brings her to that point.
The two are split apart, and despite the anger and hurt, the need for connection with each other is so strong. Scanlan reveals that he dident fully leave Taldorei at first, that he was only 20 miles away in another town entirely, listening to Pike's earing conversations. And eventually, when Scanlan is on another continent, he finds a temple of the Everlight (or just simply begins talking to Everlight) and prays, prays for guidance on finding forgiveness for what he said and did. He's deeply in love with pike, and still is, going to her god for answers to his problems, the quickest connection to Pike that he has between one giant ocean and a continent.
And Pike, despite holding a very rightful disdain for what he said to her, keeps him up to date, informs him of her happenings with the people of Whitestone. She should fucking hate his guts and yet the person she wants to speak to at the end of her day is a bard who (for all she knows) threw his earing away and traveled to some far off place, forever gone from Vox Machina, from her. Yet she keeps speaking.
They switch roles, with Scanlan becoming the quiet solitary one seeking forgiveness for his actions and Pike becoming the people oriented one.
When they reunite, it's tense and sad and angry. So many things said in anger and hurt and they don't really know where to step in the case that something, anything might send them back to that angry, angry place. And suddenly their back at the same place they were before, before the fight.
Pike is, again, trying so hard to sift through the mixed signals he's giving because he's being Scanlan again! Charming bard, essential party member, more confident than he's ever been! but now he's standing near the back and holding his hands and apologizing with a soft voice that she hasn't heard in over a year and a half and rebuilding the bridges he's burned and she doesn't know what to think!
And Scanlan is giving an honest effort at trying to fix what he's broken. He's working harder than ever, he's apologizing. He tries very hard to have conversations with people and fixing what he can. But, again, he's Scanlan, who is less dogshit at expressing what he feels, but still pretty dogshit none the less, and now he's a crime boss and still a beloved bard, but he's also surrounded by the friends, some of them he loves so dearly and he's trying, he's trying so hard
Eventually, everything is forgiven and in the end, Pike and Scanlan come to term with themselves and each other. Pike comes to terms with knowing that Scanlan is a complex person, a broken person just trying to figure his way through this world, just as she had done.
in the end, Pike becomes the person Scanlan feels the most free to be around, one where he doesn't have to put on the mask of a performer, where he can just be Scanlan the gnome instead of Scanlan, bard extraordinaire. and Pike comes to terms with knowing that Scanlan is a complex person, a broken person just trying to figure his way through this world, just as she had done before.
and together, they are beautiful reflection of each other.
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mdr-mardek · 2 months
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Hey y'all, friendly reminder:
It has been only 11 days in game since Bells Hells reunited from the split (episode 64). Can you imagine everything they've done and endured in such a short time?
Helping Keyleth to heal from her wounds back in Zephrah.
Going on a quest to find Evontra'vir in the Shattered Teeth.
Searching for the spark of Rau'shan in the heart of a volcano.
Fighting a Ludinus Da'leth Simulacrum and members of the Ruby Vanguard shortly after.
Returning to Whitestone to plan what's next concerning the Bloody Bridge and Ruidus, Bells Hells volunteered to do a recon mission on Ruidus before the big assault (and because there was no one else currently available).
Ashton tried to take the shard of Rau'shan and almost died, some BH members were not well after that.
Retreat in the Feywild at Nana Morri's place, some well needed team building exercises, they learned a lot from each other. Also Fearne decided to take the spark of Rau'shan and that worked.
Returning to Marquet, infiltrating the Malleus Key site and taking the Bloody Bridge to Ruidus.
Arriving on Ruidus right in ennemy territory, avoiding as much as possible combat, the scouting begins.
So I think you can agree with me when I say that Bells Hells haven't had much room to breathe and having a calm conversation about their personal problems lately, in fact, pretty much since Zephrah.
What I'm referring to here is Laudna and Delilah. For some reason some people still don't understand that Delilah is ALWAYS THERE WATCHING. So you may be thinking: Why the Delilah problem is not solved yet?
Because Bells Hells are working on a bigger problem right now (You know, the destruction of the gods and possibly Exandria, no big deal /j) and also, Delilah doesn't really represent a direct threat for BH, she's aligned with their goal. But on top of that, they don't really know how to fight her and neither does Laudna. So they can't do anything for now. And yes, I think BH are very aware that Delilah is a problem.
What happened with Laudna and the Willmaster in the last episode (ep 85), there's probably a reason behind that but we just don't know it yet. Patience and let the players play their game.
Note: I'm well aware that Laudna and some BH members want to use Delilah's power to accomplish their mission but it's far from being a popular choice within the group, even for Laudna herself.
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utilitycaster · 5 months
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Fighter Breakdown Tracker, episode 3x78
Welcome to what was originally an opportunity to talk about the myriad wizards (not Myriad wizards, a separate concept) of Campaign 2 that occasionally gets co-opted into other things when the thought arises. Anyway, obviously the main event was the Barbarian Breakdown and, relatedly, the Party Breakdown, due to their Communication Breakdown, giving Allura Vysoren specifically her 19th Nervous Breakdown, but I've already talked a lot about Ashton. How are the fighters doing?
As a reminder: characters are included on the basis of 1. are they a fighter, 2. are they remotely relevant to this campaign, and 3. do I have something funny to say about them. I cannot stress enough how important item 3 is in the decision process; do not make requests, my muse speaks to me and that is how the characters (and, to be honest, classes) are chosen.
Cassandra de Rolo: Yes! According to the Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting (not reborn) she's multiclassed into fighter! Anyway that plan to go to the ziggurat went well, huh? totally normal and great. I like to think that due to her rogue levels she saw Fearne march down the ziggurat steps and just peaced out and has been chilling in Pike's little cabin ever since. 4/10: normal "is the world ending" concerns but otherwise she's having maybe the best day anyone on the Whitestone War Council can.
Jarett Howarth: he's specifically avoiding Bells Hells because motherfuckers keep teleporting from Marquet and not bringing any fusaka. This, plus normal "putting the Pale Guard on a war footing and also there's a really mad goat lady in the garden" bumps him up to a 6/10.
Orym: my serious thoughts about the space made for Chetney, FCG, and Imogen to step up aside I honestly think the semi-joking narrative of Orym going off in a huff and working out his feelings quite literally via the power of elaborate bodyweight calisthenics of the sort that grant you 20 Dex and 10 Str would be good for him. Allow yourself a little pettiness, Orym; it's good for the soul. 5/10 because I don't fucking know; we'll see next game.
Ariks Eshteross: I hope he's at peace and buried next to his love as requested; I still haven't gotten around to making those cookies actually and frankly I've had much more of an eye on the gunpowder tea shortbread. 0/10; I like to think he has found true rest.
Bertrand Bell: These motherfuckers have not visited the grave of their namesake at ALL. Traipsing around the Raven Queen's temple - literally everyone but Laudna and FCG has wandered over to that corner of the city - and NO ONE has taken a moment to pause and reflect. He died as he lived: everyone kind of setting him aside for more important matters except for followers of the Raven Queen. 8/10 because hopefully he was entertained by the raven show that got put on but also, come on man you couldn't stop by at all?
FRIDA: I have to imagine things in Vasselheim are wild and it's going to be missing FCG hours, but at least they're in great company! 5/10; they're a pretty even-keeled robot all things considered but the situation is pretty tense.
Otohan Thull: My sole regret about how great this episode is and the fact that we're dropping into the Fey Realm for a bit to have some much-needed time to regroup is that we are likely delaying their richly deserved demise. Anyway everyone's beloathed Palpatine knockoff is unfortunately super unflappable; another reason why they are boring as shit and why I very much want Bells Hells to make the bridge a little bit bloodier on the way up. 3/10.
Percival Friedrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III: Here's the thing. All things considered, his personal position is stressful, but not terrible. The ziggurat did not blow up; Gwen appears to either have not told him about her Delilah incident or did so in such a way that he didn't realize what was going on; he doesn't seem to have noticed the break-in into his parents' bedroom yet; Allura was reassuring re: Whitestone likely being safe (although...it's on a ley nexus so watch out!); and he got to deliver the line "ever since I met you, I knew you were destined for stupidity" which is actually how he specifically blows off steam. On the other hand, every single window in the castle has been destroyed, Allura had to leave, and I just checked and confirmed that Pike does not have the mending cantrip. Maybe one of the local clerics does? Maybe one of his kids does? Maybe Vilya or Ebenold does? Maybe Grog's in town and can be convinced that the role of the Grand Poobah etc etc is fixing windows? 6/10.
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12pt-times-new-roman · 2 months
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c3e86
Fearne emerges in cold air beneath snow-dusted peaks. She immediately goes back through the portal at the bottom of this lake, and her telepathic communication is restored.
Imogen and Fearne exchange spell slots -- Fearne expends a 4th level spell to give Imogen 4 sorcery points. The language Matt used here is very similar to how he described the feeling Orym got when using Ludinus' funnel.
Slowly but surely, they all pull themselves through the portal. The sun is setting, and they can see both Catha and the leylines, so they're definitely on Exandria somewhere; Chetney identifies the trees as high-altitude pines, and the air is cold, thinner than sea-level, so they're somewhere up high.
They turn into clouds, and travel straight up: they're in a lake cradled in the middle of a sprawling mountain range, but even from this high up, they don't recognize this region. It's not the Alabaster Sierras near Whitestone, or the Flotket Alps, or even anywhere on Marquet. Even with a high perception check, they can't see any towns, cities, or even light sources -- but there are structures built on the edge of the lake, like a village.
They enter and find that it's a very simple village, but there are no lights, no sounds, no people wandering around -- just silence. It looks abandoned, and much of it has fallen to the elements, decayed. There are still supplies on the shelves of a shop, but they're covered in dust.
In the clerk's office, they find records of the town: Ria'doin village, on the shores of Lake Umamu. They gather, from the nomenclature and the position of the sun, that this village is Issylran, but there's not a single temple anywhere.
It doesn't look like there was a battle or a struggle here. Laudna finds a thread of notes in the clerk's space talking about business abandonment, people just getting up and leaving the village. There were disappearances here: a child, an entire family, the Otises, all in succession -- there must've been a rumor making people leave, but the next night, there were four families gone without a trace. Then the fishmonger was seen walking into the lake. Rumors spread about bad blood, business competition, small-town politics -- before the clerk disappeared.
FCG talks to a bird, and is very rude about it. But the owl tells him that she last saw someone five years ago; they wandered through, looted some stuff, and eventually walked into the lake too.
They decide to rest here for the night, and plan to relay information about the lake portal before returning to Ruidus.
They identify the two silver rings they took from the Willmaster: one of them is a "ring of life detection," which is paired with another one somewhere else that alerts the wearer if something happens to them; and the other they have to save until morning.
Chetney update: As a result of his deal with Morri, he gets a feat. He can craft a very well-made and well-carved wooden toy with an hour of his time. It's unclear if this does anything other than generate money/story, but hey!
Sending stone to Caleb: Caleb Widogast, we are in a village called Ria'doin. It's a backdoor to the moon, maybe. Do you hear me? Come for a visit? Ah! Hello. This is strange. This has not worked in some time.
SENDING WORKS, BABEY! Time to run Matt through his paces and make him play a half-dozen NPCs!
Imogen casts sending to Caleb: I assume this means you're alright. Again, that's Lake Umamu. Can you get word to the resistance? Jas, this is Caleb Widogast. I don't know what's changed; these communications have not worked for some time. I do know where -- (sending cuts off.)
Imogen sends to Keyleth three times: We found a secret entrance back on Exandria, in Lake Umamu. Leads to subterranean Ruidus. We're in Ria'doin. Hi! Hello! Is everyone okay? You're in Umamu? That's the Karamoran Reach, Issylra. What about Ruidus? After the Bloody Bridge, the capital city of Kreveris is where they're gathering forces. There's a tunnel that leads down. Halfway there. We'll show you. Alright. Let me finish some business here, and I'll try and meet you. I'm curious to hear how much you've learned. Time is starting to run short. The portal is in the lake. We're heading back in in the morning -- haven't learned enough. Going to Kreveris. We'll leave markers for you to follow. Very well. I'll send a team to follow and see what this secret door is in the lake. Good luck moving forward. We're counting on you.
Another voice pushes into Imogen's mind. Um, hello? Mr. Caleb said I was supposed to talk to this person! Is this working? I've tried this so many times and -- so anyway, I'm curious if this is going forward! Is this working?! Please respond! Yes, it works. We met Caleb at the key. We're at Lake Umamu, we just talked to Keyleth. Okay, I don't know who that is but I'm extremely happy for you, and I'm so happy this is working! Who are you? What are you doing? How do you know Caleb? What-- I'm Imogen. We went to Ruidus. We met Caleb at the key, he was captured, we haven't seen him since. Okay, well he's fine now, and it's nice to meet you that knew Caleb at the key. Don't know what that means either, but thank you! Okay. Who is this? Oh! My name is Jester.
aDSFsdgkjghfdk my heart---
Orym sends to Dorian: Dorian. We're alive. Been to the moon, going back. Find the Tempest. If I don't get the chance again... I really missed you. There's no response, but Orym swears he hears something outside. He needs to check in on that, needs to see what it was. It might be Dorian. They wake everyone, and Orym wants to go outside, but why wouldn't he have answered?
So if sending just suddenly works now, there's one of two options: either it's the proximity to the lake -- a rift between Exandria and Ruidus -- that's causing it, and the same thing would've happened at the bridge; or the Vanguard's plans are advancing and the leylines are calming down because of that. Or, y'know, the entire sending thing was a complete fabrication by whatever's in this lake (but that doesn't explain Jester).
Meanwhile, Matt is rolling saves for all of them behind the screen -- they at least got a short rest, but there's something calling them toward that water to inspect it, make sure everything's okay. There's a presence in the water that makes them wonder whether there's an ally in that lake -- they're not alone, but not in a bad way.
They start making their way through the fog, toward the bank. The lake is appealing to their sensibilities -- Orym senses a presence that could be Dorian, Chetney senses a disturbance in the portal, Ashton senses a useful tool, FCG senses an ally.
Imogen uses detect thoughts on the lake, and there is an intelligence that settles behind and below her -- those enthralled are wading into the lake, being pushed -- they disappear under the water, and we go to break!
Can I also just say -- Liam is portraying a soldier's hope so well with Orym. Like, the situation is near-hopeless, the deck is stacked against them, they are staring into the face of unfathomable threats, and yet. And yet. They have to do it. They must. Not because it's easy or even because it's right, but because it must be done. Fate has dealt them these cards, whether they like it or not, so they have to hope. They have to. If they don't hold on to that, if Orym does not put forward and wholeheartedly throw his entire soul into paradoxical hope against all hope, then what else does he have? What else is there? He can't cry, he can't bargain, he can't even grieve. Hope is all that's left, left bleeding at the bottom of the barrel -- and if he doesn't have that, if he doesn't even have the delusion of hope, then all truly is lost. So Orym falls, hard, for any shred of hope beyond ephemera, anything that just might be more than whim and blindness, like sending, like Keyleth, like Dorian. And fuck is it heartbreaking.
Imogen grabs Orym as he dives, and she gets pulled down too.
Laudna sticks her head underwater, spots one, and casts animate object on a boat! "It's ghost ship time." It grows little hands out of the front and starts fucking talking -- "what do ya want, missus?"
For the ones in the water, it's nothing but chemical impulse that pushes them forward, toward the bramble growths that surround the portal to Ruidus. It wraps around them, cradles them, and it's a warm sensation, like this is where they're meant to be, it's everything they've ever fought for, ever wanted. While they're down here, everyone takes cold damage.
Fearne spots them, the cocoon where they're being held, and also sees a graveyard of scattered bones. Dozens and dozens of corpses, cradled like children.
Imogen damages the shadows that hold them, and everyone ensnared gets to make another CHA save -- everyone but Ashton breaks free from its influence.
As he breaks away, Orym slashes at the shadow and frees a skull; but as he grabs it, the shadow re-envelops him.
Laudna boards her animated boat and rides it beneath the waves like Captain Jack Sparrow. As she passes, FCG grabs the side and coasts down, and casts turn undead on the shadows: the tendrils turn to hair, the roads of the Changebringer leading away, and although it succeeds this does confirm that this is some kind of undead creature.
Ashton is still trapped inside the mass, and they try desperately to free him. Orym swims down, dashes the tendrils away, and spots them -- he casts misty step somehow to reach Ashton and hacks at their bonds. He action-surges and hits Ashton to wake him up (that's a whole fucking thing that I will get back to--) but Ashton succeeds, they're still buried in there and Orym is still right next to him.
FCG's second turn undead succeeds, and the tendrils all scatter, pull back -- and they have a terrifying view of this underwater graveyard that lies here. Ashton gets to make their save again and finally succeeds -- they see exactly what's below them and dart away, dart toward the surface (alongside Laudna, who also failed the turn undead).
As they surface, all the effects subside, and the shadow recoils.
(Also, I love how Matt has incorporated Candela Obscura's "initiative" rules in C3. This entire encounter happened without rolling initiative once, but it still felt very fluid and inclusive.)
The center of this undead entity is closer to the village, whereas the portal to Ruidus is around 80 feet from it.
They return to the docks, and carve a message into the wood: Beware! Dead shit down there.
Orym leaves the skull he retrieved on the dock, too, assuming that Keyleth can cast speak with dead (and not saving it in the portable hole for FCG to cast that later).
Imogen, with the statement that "none of us are thinking clearly right now", decides for the group that they should all go back through the portal to sleep rather than waiting for Keyleth's envoy to appear.
Now that they've defeated the undead entity here, it's easy for them to re-enter the portal to Ruidus. They immediately go to sleep -- even with tired watches, they get a long rest.
As they sleep, Laudna talks to Delilah. She wants more power from Delilah in exchange for keeping Imogen safe -- "grant me power, and I'll give you everything you need." [You promise?] "I keep my word, if I have a strange way of expressing them." [I have a strange question -- Pate.] "I am no more pate than you are me. We are bound inexplicably, yes -- we are strange bedfellows... Laudna. We will endure. Always." Delilah's visage fades, and Laudna falls to sleep.
Long rest, finally!
They climb out of the tunnels they slept in, and continue across Ruidus to Kreveris. As they go, they leave trails and signs for anyone who might be following them out of the portal in the lake.
FCG identifies the other ring as a ring of protection, which is huge for basically anyone -- it gives a +1 bonus to armor class and all saving throws. Orym takes it, since Ashton already has two rings attuned.
Laudna uses the syphon to absorb the power of the ring of life essence -- it strips the ring of all its magical power, and gives Laudna +2 hit points (permanently) and advantage on al attacks and ability checks until the next long rest.
The Bells Hells leave the cave and move across meandering tunnels for miles, leaving Ashari symbols as they go so Keyleth's forces can follow them.
They all continue in this tunnel for a while, until it comes to an abrupt end. Ashton, although reticent, activates the shard of Ka'mort -- they get bigger, spiker, everything becomes odd and off, a fractal, an exaggeration that is six feet tall kneeling, with the elemental arm a claw. As they phase into the rock, they sense tunnels and caverns around them, and they are not far from the surface -- Ashton clears the way and the Bells Hells emerge onto the surface of Ruidus. There's a mild dust storm going through, but Imogen rolls with advantage (with the help of Fearne) and determines the direction of Ruidus' capital.
Laudna brings up that they all need to agree on when exactly to get the fuck out of dodge. Ashton is determined not to leave until they find allies, but Laudna brings up the fact that they need everyone to complete the mission.
They set off across Ruidus toward the capital, and start walking to save their more powerful spells for the future; but Imogen casts a magic mouth spell for when Keyleth's team comes through. "Hey. We are going toward Krevaris, the direction is slightly due north. Head toward the mountain range. Hope you find this. Heading toward Krevaris."
As they travel, there's a strange vibration in the air, an anticipatory change -- and every stone arounds you becomes incandescent with bright light, time seems to instantly stop. Everyone feels like they've been around forever, the blip of immortal essence passed through them -- and Imogen, eyes white, hair bright red-violet, drops to the ground as the feeling ends. Imogen and Fearne both gain 15 temp hp as Ruidus flares beneath them.
There's a fading warmth to them, and Ashton, as elemental, feels it -- a warmth under the ground, following that trail.
When Ashton comes out of his transformation, it's rough -- they are drained, tired, even after the long rest -- he takes two points of exhaustion . But Fearne offers to carry him, and they puh into the storm, they ear the thunder in the distance.
As they emerge from the fog, from the carved valley before them, they see the faintest view of a skyline, a real sign of civlization that they are on the cusp of reaching (with Ashton on 2pts of exhaustion).
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