Godkiller Chapter Summary - 69 - The Blooming Man

• Chapter begins on the early evening of the the 68th of Spring, Annum 4466
• Our heroes had made a minor detour to check out the mysterious going-dark of Site Heron. A detour that proved to not be so minor at all.
• Cyrus disguised as a young Kerketh student Emmanuel Longbone, and Mal disguised as an elderly mage named Danby Strongnut crossed the arcane dead zone towards the tower on foot.
• A sudden distortion in the air gave way to a hulking, three story tall abomination. Running on knuckles and feet like a gorilla. Its flesh, similar the shoe Cyrus had found, was a menagerie of matter. Plant, crystal, stone, fungi, and all manner of incongruous material blooming out from its center like a blossom. The front of its torso a pitcher-flower void, and from it, a fleshy spine and skull rosing like its stigma. A pair of intelligent lidless white eyes peered from the otherwise emotionless skull.
• A fray of frantic and arguably questionable tactics won The Street Dogs the ground to Site Heron. The fearsome creature proving not only immune to any harm our heroes could throw at it, but it seemed more keen on kidnapping than killing.
  • During this fight a call from Jed came on the bells. Jed had been trying his darndest to keep his eye on things back at the tavern. Reporting that Lord Stoneshard had been extracting water from the cistern and exporting it in barrels. Despite Magnus’ insistence that this was not the time, Jed was as descriptive, and verbose as he could manage.
• Once within Site Heron, The Street Dogs were met with Yves (a strung out gnome), Arkis (a quiet dwarf), Marta (a kindly old human), and Dac (a grouchy goblin)
• Two other members were absent, deeper within the perilous tower’s structure. Ibes (a formidable aaracockra), and Erictho. The leader of their operation. A discerning elven woman with a mutation of jagged monstrous teeth marring her otherwise pretty face.
  • While the other mages seemed simply glad to see fresh faces, Erictho held something else in her eyes. Something more suspicious. A skepticism that went both ways.
• Yves, despite his relief in seeing friendly faces, remained nervous. And he talks when he’s nervous. Telling The Street Dogs everything about the perils they had faced.
  • Strange ongoings at Wiseman’s Fear attracted the attention of Kerketh. Deploying an expedition via the camp at Site Heron.
  • When no one returned, The sent a more well-equipped rescue mission that also did not return.
  • Then a body showed up in Erictho’s bed chamber. One from the first dispatchment. Deformed and hauntingly beautiful. Bloomed, as they would come to call it.
  • Then “it” came. The blooming man. A strange aberration capable of shifting between planes, immune to pain, and keen on kidnapping the remaining mages
  • Fortunately something keeps it from the tower. Assumed nebulous pre-undoing magic. Unfortunately this also seems to prevent communication with the outside.
    • Though… Jed was able to communicate with Magnus…
  • Many mages tried to escape The Blooming Man’s territory to which it seems bound. Some succeeded but were quickly kidnapped by Ger’zar.
• Speaking of Ger’zar, Go’igi and the mages were quickly at each others throats. Fortunately The Street Dogs were able to talk them down.
• When asked for more information Go’igi spoke of his culture. Shining light on their reverence for machine’s and their respective “souls”. The height of which is “The Philosophers”. Warforged held to their grand alter then put into religious sequestration.
• The grandest, and seemingly newest of these philosophers is called The Changed One. A half man half machine mystery discovered wandering The Nothing. Found wandering with a chunk of stone in its arms.
  • Just as Sherman had seen in the arms of Em’s compatriot when he’d taken the sword hilt.
• Thinking it best to learn what they could from Site Heron, escape, then set for Camp Ger’zar, The Steet Dogs set to work.
• Poking around, the learned of
  • Barnabas, a transmutation wizard focused on the arcane aspect of The Blooming Man. Drawing parallels between whatever force effected it and The Undoing. Unfortunately he was not around to answer any questions.
  • Yves’ divergence from sanity. An obsession with Black Dogs. Poorly drawn doodles of them smattering the notes on his desk.
  • And evidence that Erictho is a speaker
• Still needing more, Cyrus opted to sneak into Erictho’s chambers while she slept. A locked drawer in the bottom of her dresser holding a myriad of secrets.
  • They hadn’t just drawn connections between The Blooming Man and The Undoing. They’d all but proven it. Though it seemed transmutation was outside of her expertise and she was struggling without Barnabas. This was a breakthrough of possibly historic proportion. Or at least its beginning. Erictho is not set on being free of The Blooming Man. She wants to understand it.
  • But this was not her only secret. Erictho is a skeptic of Kerketh. And possibly a relatively new one. Her sponsor having been none other than Colin Coinge. A man she did not seem the biggest fan of herself.
• Erictho is an extremely capable arcanist. Stymied by both her circumstances at Site Heron and the ego of Colin Coinge. But she doesn’t seem to be letting these things stop her. Researching under peril, and learning whatever she could about The Skeptic’s Game. Having gathered at least a list of relevant code names.
  • Lion
  • Silver Mask
  • Peacekeep Pias Thren
  • Strangle
  • Cradle
  • Little Wooden Doll
  • Slackwrists
  • No-tricks
  • and Viscera’s Mad Dog
• Chapter ends on the very early morning of the the 69th of Spring, Annum 4466