[Endgame: rise or DROWN]

[warpweft]

[How long have you been exploring Nessa's palace now? You've met her family, viewed her memories, learned how to fight as a witch and tried to find the source of her power and the Treasure of her palace: the Voidheart. And along the way, you've tired your best, with mixed success, to avoid the incarnation of her eldest cousin and the representation of her trauma and fear, the Nightmare of Esmau.]

[Wherever you are in the Palace right now, you feel the ground briefly shake under your feet. Little shakes here and there haven't been out of the ordinary - Esmau is trying to blow the place down to the studs, after all. But that felt different. That felt....worse.]

[Your phone beeps as you receive a message.]

Comments

[survivaltricks]

You think I'm afraid of you? Ha.

[. . . well, he will note that she's invincible, so-- by now he's cast four basic spells which means when he falls back away from her, he turns invisible with Stylish Phantom, and attempts to parry]

[voidhearts]

[Parry Roll:
Esmau rolls 1d20: 14
Akira rolls 1d20+2: 13+2=15

Akira's invisibility throws off Esmau's swing just enough - his dagger pushes the blade of the glaive away, making her open, then with one fluid movement, Akira flips through and drives the heel of his boot into Esmau's head, knocking her back with a critical counterattack. She snarls - no damage done, but.

Something just got knocked loose. Two purple crystals float above Esmau's head. Faces appear within the crystals.

On one...



On the other....



Those who see their faces on the crystal...you can feel something coming from it. You can feel Nessa. She's still holding on. She's still fighting. She's still reaching out to you.

You feel a warmth building in your hand. If you focus on it, a memory orb will appear inside it.]