The Abbess at the Library was surprised to see them appear. And even more surprised to see the Purple Wolf accompanying them. But she immediately recognized its significance and what it was.
After they filled her in on all that had happened since, she told them that she might have a solution. She had been researching soul fragments since their last visit. And she thought she had a way to retrieve the Wolf’s lost memories. When a soul fragment was created it was created with a copy of the host’s memories. All of the host’s memories. Including subconscious… If she created a soul fragment from the Purple Wolf, then the recipient might be able to access memories that the Wolf himself could not. She only had one condition. She wanted to be the recipient of the fragment. For a historian like her the opportunity to see memories from a being as ancient as the Wolf was simply too tempting an opportunity to pass up. They readily agreed, and she performed the ritual.
She was a bit stunned afterwards. She said she needed time to reflect on all that she had absorbed. But she whispered in the Wolf’s ear, and he remembered. He would once more be able to open the Cage of YinYue.
The Abbess opened the Library’s vast Archives to them, allowing them re-equip themselves with whatever they wished.
And then she told them where they could find another Astral Pool – to return to the Spear and have it out with Nezbal once and for all.
They returned to the caverns inside the Spear. To where their last journey through the Astral Plane had ended when they met Iban. The way to the Cage lay ahead.
But it was not unguarded. Several of Nezbal’s strongest Chosen stood guarding the way. Including the mighty dragon Nephyrix.
Marty kept the dragon occupied while the others dealt with the kobolds.
Hans battled a deadly kobold ranger, veteran of hundreds of campaigns. But Hans had just a few more tricks than the kobold had seen.
Svetjana battled the mighty Draezhul. A powerful champion with a fearsome sword. But in the end still mortal.
Winny duelled with two of the finest kobold sorcerers. They were powerful. Not long ago either one of them would have been too much for her. But she had learned much from their quest. And they found themselves overmatched.
The dragon was strong, but not strong enough to outlast the four of them united. Once more they had been forced to kill a legendary being.
Passing through the doorways on the far side of the cavern led to an ancient ritual chamber of some kind. With Nezbal already there, waiting for them.
She tried one more time to recruit them to her cause. Marty tried to talk sense into her, but she refused to see reason. She accused them of continuing the “genocide” their kind had always waged against dragons. Marty protested that they hadn’t wanted to kill anyone. They only wished to prevent the death she threatened to loose upon the world. She stared back angrily, and then began calling out names. Names of her children. Names of the dragons they had already slain opposing her.
She was done talking.
Now she would issue a challenge… with flame!
They quickly spread out to attack from all sides. Hans found a good position from which to snipe from the shadows.
Winny attempted to interfere with Nezbal’s attack with a psychic assault, but the ancient dragon’s mind was too strong to succumb.
Svetjana charged in close, and gave the dragon a grievous wound on her leg.
But in return she was slammed back into a wall!
The huge dragon loomed over Yana, prepared to finish her off… When Marty caught Nezbal completely unprepared. Soul Ignition. It was not a magic to be used lightly. It was not a fate he would wish on anyone. But Nezbal had left him little choice.
And then he knelt to help Yana recover.
Past the ritual room, in a seemingly empty natural cavern, the Wold began to sniff and whine. It started pawing at the air, until a tear in the world itself opened up – revealing a featureless white plain.
They entered hesitantly. Flat snowy emptiness extended in all directions. Even time seemed frozen, as snow hung suspended in the air rather than falling or blowing. And in the distance they could see a single Willow tree and a small patch of green.
When they drew near they saw what appeared to be a sleeping elf maid. The Purple Wolf whined and licked her face. She was badly inured. The wounds appeared fresh, but were not bleeding – as if they too were suspended in time. The deep puncture in her side from the spear was obvious, but why were there other wounds?
And then another form appeared. An ancient elf. Long since dead. “I am Thalorel. Protector… and Defiler… of this Cage. State your business mortals, or feel my wrath!“
He and the Wolf exchanged a look, and then the Wolf stared meaningfully at the sleeping Goddess. Thalorel sighed.
“Yes. The other wounds are from me. After all the sacrifices I had made to find the Cage. To find the Wolf. To enter seeking the Goddess’ wisdom… When I found her unconscious – unable to answer the simplest of questions – it broke me. I tried to take the knowledge and power from her more directly. When I came to my senses… when I realized what I had done… I devised the rest.”
That was when and why he had wiped the Wolf’s memories and sealed himself inside the Cage. So that he could serve as Guardian to prevent others from following in his footsteps. He suddenly frowned, and then pointed in the distance. “You left the door open behind you. Another comes.”
They turned to see where he was looking. And saw a ghastly sight. Nezbal had returned. She had had a contingency even for her own death. Not willing to let even that deny her thirst for power and vengeance.
She breathed a massive deluge of spectral fire, but Marty withstood everything she could dish out.
While the others attacked from other directions.
Until finally Winny disintegrated the spectral Wyrm, permanently ending Nezbal’s quest for godhood.
They returned to YinYue, unsure of what to do. The Cage needed to be sealed. Permanently. But the Wolf was literally an immortal sentient key. He suggested that they seal him in – breaking off the key in the lock, as it were. But that seemed a cruel and lonely fate. Marty considered offering to stay with him – so that at least he would not be alone. But Winny whispered to Thalorel, and he slowly nodded. There was another way.
YinYue had been a Goddess of Music and Power. The living embodiment of the Song of Creation. And so Hans sang. And Winny used that power in this place to weave an alternate end to the story. YinYue could never die nor ever again awaken. But that did not mean that the Purple Wolf could not come to her. Winny bound the Wolf to the Goddess’ dreams. So that they could finally be re-united.
Back in the Astral Cave, Thalorel told them there was one thing left to do. They could seal the opening, but as long as it existed there remained the possibility that another could find a way in. The Cage had been wrought by primal gods at the dawn of time. And only such power could finish the job.
He had absorbed power from YinYue herself. It was now a part of him. By using *himself* to seal the Cage, he could repair the flaw. There would be no more door to find. YinYue and the Wolf would be sealed off in their own multiverse. Never to be disturbed again. And he… would have his absolution.
It was finally over.
After returning to the Academy, the Raccoons founded a new Order. The Order of the Purple Wolf. An Order dedicated to preserving and protecting their world. And all its hidden songs and forgotten places.
Yana became the first Knight of the Order, particularly patient at training squires.
Marty taught healing and wisdom to aspirant priests. Not just the ways of magic and books, but also how to truly see and hear the beauty of the world around them.
Winny accepted a position as a professor of magic, ensuring that young mages learned to respect and understand the magic of branch and leaf as well as fire and lightning.
While Hans… made sure that Adventurer training was never dull.
And once a year they would gather under a willow tree, and raise a toast. In memory of the Goddess and the Purple Wolf.
Author’s Notes:
All in all quite the rollicking adventure! It did seem to graduate to extra-planar shenanigans a little quickly. I would have liked to have spent a little more time with the Raccoons as a low level crew. But that’s all rather understandable for a single modder effort!
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