Mostly Nyx PoV, minor Astarion and Tav PoVs

Easter Egg: Mass Effect

Nyx's body felt light, as though she were floating, and yet she felt the hardness of the ground beneath her back. She cracked open an eye, peering at the stars glinting through a swirl of purple sky. Queasiness seized her stomach. A groan left her lips as she wrestled herself into a seated position. The portal hummed a few feet above, and Tav was nowhere to be seen. Her concern for Tav was replaced by her alarm at Lae'zel and Gale falling on top of her. She rolled out of the way with haste; the other two greeted the ground as awkwardly as she did.

"Oof! Lae’zel, do you mind?" Gale tentatively slid Lae'zel's armoured boot out of his face.

Lae'zel sprang to her feet, whipped her head around and announced, "The Astral Plane! Praise be!"

The zeal with which Lae'zel inspected their surroundings made Nyx's stomach churn and her head pound.

"Here," Gale stood over Nyx and extended his hand. "Let me help. You'll need to attune your magic."

She gingerly took his hand and rose slowly. Between Gale's assistance and her grounding techniques, Nyx's magic stopped twirling like an unanchored vortex within her body.

"Thanks," she breathed in relief, and Gale gave her a brilliant smile.

Bugger. I should have brought my quarterstaff.

"Oops.", Gale said when the portal sputtered and snuffed overhead. His eyebrows furrowed. "Can't be good. Speaking of which, where is Tav?"

"Here!" Tav was jogging up an incline, Wyll at her side. Gale touched his chest, a brighter smile lighting up his face.

Nyx shook her head. She wished Tav would take more precautions. Throwing yourself into random portals spewing Githyanki is a sure death sentence. And for the rest of us fools who chase after you. Fortunately, each of them remained partially geared up.

Hold on... wait.

"Gale, did you duck into your tent for a quick change between electrocuting Gith?"

He barked a laugh and gestured with a pointed finger. "That would have been quite the feat if it were the case." He looked himself over and preened his robes. "No, this is the fine result, even if I do say so myself, of a new spell I'm working on. The battle was an excellent opportunity to test it in action. Gear retrieval of sorts. Only one item of clothing and a weapon for now though. Fortuitous, don't you think? Since I wear robes." He set his staff down, looking quite pleased with himself.

Tav snickered at Nyx and Wyll's twin dubious frowns.

A "fine" result should include smalls, I'd wager. Fortuitous there is no breeze at the moment.

He ignored them and muttered to himself. "A variation of binding magic. I wonder... if I alter the affinity matrix whether-"

"Chk, enough idle chatter. We were needed?"

Tav pointed at a structure in the distance. It looked to be a giant gaping humanoid skull complete with a strange pulsating magic dome. Nyx set her mouth in a line.

See? This is why we don't jump into random portals.

--- --- ---

Astarion took his frustration out on the nearest unconscious Gith, ushering him along to death's cold grip. Near the campfire, Halsin and Shadowheart were attempting to pry the portal open. But alas, the door was locked, so to speak.

Karlach glared at the surrounding scene; the occasional flame lapped over her skin. She glanced at the lookout and said, "I don't know about you, but I don't want more of these bastards popping up under my ass again."

Halsin nodded. "We should find a more defensible position."

 Shadowheart sneered at the corpses. "Let's move inside the tower. I don't want to have dead bedfellows either."

They organised themselves for pulling up camp, each of them assigned to a task. Halsin went to retrieve the dog and the cub. Shadowheart disposed of dinner, which was both burnt and spoiled by the battle itself. After returning from her patrol, Karlach made short work of disposing of the bodies. While organising his own things, Astarion's thoughts returned to their missing companions, and an unsettling sensation clawed at him.

Ugh, I hate it. This worrying...

--- --- ---

At first, Nyx was sure her feet didn't reach the ground when she set them down; the weightlessness of the Astral Plane was playing tricks with her footing. Another round of meditative breathing on the way to the skull settled her body into its new environment. All of them except for Lae'zel, had to adjust to the change. Especially in terms of physical actions; being able to leap a lot higher, and farther with minimal effort. The lack of resistance against Nyx's body was unnerving.

They traversed several jagged and barren islands, disconcertingly in the shape of vertebrae. Crystals sprouted from floating rocks, drawing Nyx's eye upwards to floating rings, rotating on their axis mid air. Her magic hackles flared when she realised they were travelling across something that looked like a dead giant. She wondered whether the rings may have been bracelets at one point. The closer they drew to the skull, the more signs of battle greeted them. Dead intellect devourers and a hand full of Githyanki littered the area. Distant shouts became audible, and muffled blasts of magic reverberated through the space.

Nyx's magic hackles were standing on end by the time the skull loomed over them, dark against the array of coloured lights reflecting from the magic dome. A prominent, eerie red glow reflected from the cloud of stars below. Parts of the dome's geometric construction would ripple, snapping loose from their frames to settle somewhere else. Its power made her teeth tingle. Wordlessly, Tav hurried them into the open maw. It was also broken; the upper jaw cleaved into two with a few sharp teeth missing, but capable of swallowing their group whole, regardless. Lights flashed ahead.

They hurried onward, and a battle came into view. The presence of which was not unexpected, but the combatants themselves were. Two groups of psionic fighters were engaged in a heated exchange; a group of tattooed Githyanki pressed their assault against a solitary mindflayer commanding a hoard of intellect devourers. The air sizzled and shimmered with translucent power as the factions flung psionic energy at one another. The build-up of static energy made the skin on Nyx’s arm rise while their own group crept forward, keeping out of sight behind cover. Once the conflict reached its apex, a massive psionic blast reverberated through the area, throwing the mindflayer clear from his position to land in a sprawl at Tav’s feet.

Lae'zel roared, brandishing her great sword, "Ghaik, hta'zith!"

"Lae'zel, wait - it's the Dream Visitor!" Tav placed herself between the two.

Nyx and Wyll reacted on instinct and dashed forward to intercept. Each of them hooked an arm around Lae’zel’s, preventing her from striking both Tav and the mindflayer down. Lae'zel would have easily wrestled herself free from their grip, but the determination in Tav's gaze gave her pause. Mercifully, Lae’zel yielded her struggling against them after a soft-spoken word of appeal from Tav.

As soon as Wyll and Nyx released Lae'zel, all of them heard the mindflayers' voice in their minds, and time seemed to slow. "Before you do anything more - it is true. I am your ally. We are in danger."

Tav replied, but her lips did not move. She faced the creature and demanded, "Prove it."

The conversation that followed was unconstrained by conventional means of communication, and the telepathic exchanged blurred the lines between words, images and feelings. All their thoughts intermingled, but the conversation was led by two distinct voices. The thoughts of the first participant were alien and unsettlingly reminiscent of the parasite in her own head. Whereas the other was Tav – the warmth and musical rhythm of her presence unmistakable.

Information passed between the speakers in rapid succession. The mindflayer projected multiple images at a time to convey his allegiance to Tav. It was a retelling of their group’s adventures and the accomplishments they secured along the way, unfolding in chronological order. From when they first met at the Nautiloid crash site to their eventual arrival at Wyrm's Lookout. Including key moments depicting the Emerald Grove, the Shadowcursed Lands, Dame Aylin in the Shadowfell, and their initial encounter with the Elder Brain. The closing telepathic image depicted Tav meeting with a woman unfamiliar to Nyx, and the mental exchange faded.

Was the last image a shared memory? Between Tav and this Dream Visitor?

Wyll gasped and spoke, "You've been the one speaking to us? And wearing many faces."

Lae'zel's entire body shook. "Impossible! These must be lies the creature spouts."

Gale shook his head in dismay. "Not only a mere figment of our imagination, but a mindflayer? How did I not notice?"

Lae'zel gripped her sword tighter, barely containing her outrage. "Don't let it corrupt our minds further. End it."

"Don't. You will end us all." The Dream visitor pointed to another smaller dome deeper in the cavernous skull, a silhouette inside, and he spoke urgently, "The Githyanki is the source of our protection against the Absolute. I must subdue him, or everything we've worked towards is lost. Don't let my form deceive you. I am the one who's been protecting you. Yes, I am the one who came to you in your dreams. To help you. Now, help me."

Tav placed a hand on Lae'zel's sword and lowered it. "Stand down. We fight, then we decide."

Lae'zel glowered at the creature but gave a curt nod. They were released from the telepathic link, and the world rushed forward in vivid noise and motion.

"Ardē."

Heat, fire and light arched over Lae'zel, Wyll and Nyx - each was advancing on an opponent. The mindflayer joined Tav and Gale, providing cover from behind. Be it through magic, bolts, or psionic attacks. The two groups clashed. After a few rounds, it was clear that these Githyanki were not of the same calibre as the ones who had attacked camp. They were trained in martial arts, their psionic abilities sharpened by precise, calculated strikes. Skill and discipline that belonged to monks. The Gith fought both against Tav’s group and the swarm of intellect devourers at the same time. Full attacks were launched against Nyx and her companions, whereas the intellect devourers were effortlessly neutralised by basic countermeasures from the Gith.

It was an unusual battle; magic would ripple through the ambient space, resulting in unnatural sounds and otherworldly aftereffects. Yet, there was an odd sense of familiarity in the rhythm and flow of the fight that reminded Nyx of her duels with Sanika. In contrast, Sanika's attacks were imbued with sunlight, unlike the Gith monks, who favoured their psionic predisposition.

Brute force wasn't a winning strategy as the two groups came to an impasse. Nyx and her companions altered their tactics in a coordinated manner. Tav's bardic song projected over the battlefield, prioritising buffing those in melee with gains in speed. Wyll kept the Gith at arm’s length with a combination of well-timed Eldritch blasts and a quick jab of his rapier, wearing his attackers down from a distance. Nyx followed suit, lacing her knives with more force magic to push through or against any opposing marital blows or parries - aiming to cut anything in reach beneath. Lae'zel was the most adept during the battle, matching the monk's blows like-for-psionic-like in a reverberating dance of blade against fist. The mindflayer was doing his part; a quick intervention at any given moment to deflect any of the Gith's own psionic techniques back at them. Hollow blasts echoed through the area. Gale's timing was immaculate as usual. His magic missiles whirred through the air to harass the attackers from different angles and at unexpected times, allowing the rest to take advantage where opportunity presented itself. Tav's party gained ground in small, meticulous wins - nicking an artery here, slicing through a tendon there, slowly inching the outcome of the battle in their favour.

A fist connected with Nyx's sternum, flinging her backwards. Magic jolted through her body. It burned as though her nerves were set on fire. Barely aware of making contact with the ground, she fumbled over her feet while her lungs heaved desperately for air. The blow was meant to completely disrupt the flow of energy in her body, and even though she had shielded herself a moment before the connecting blow using her force magic, it had partially succeeded. Nyx's magic flared wildly within her and she grappled for Sanika's techniques. Disuse had made them dull and distant. Whispered mantras fell from her lips while she wrapped her own life energy around the invading coil clutching at her sternum. The pressure gave way by a small margin, and she forced air into her lungs.

Breath. Ground. Focus. Repeat.

She rapidly blinked the world back into view, but her vision remained blurred and movements sluggish. All she could do was shield herself, taking more beatings from her opponent before regaining clarity of mind and body. A warm treacle of blood ran down her face, the ache of bruises slowed her reaction time, and her magic answered in jittery stutters. She barely managed to deflect the monk's strikes, pushing her back with each successive round.

An Eldrich blast ricocheted from somewhere, distracting the monk and forcing him to shield himself instead. Nyx's hair whipped around her face after several magic missiles shot past. They hit the monk point blank in the face moments after his shield came down, blinding him. The precious moment she needed.

Breath. Ground. Focus. Repeat.

Nyx called on her life energy, propping up her force magic and undoing the last knots of energy locking away her control. Her body straightened, and she drew a deep, steading breath, sharpening her senses. She widened her stance and planted her feet, grounding herself properly. With her magic firmly anchored, the knots released, restoring her focus.

She aligned her knives in pairs of three along her outstretched arms. In a final swooping motion, she brought her arms across her chest. The knives sliced a horizontal arch through the air, slitting the Gith's throat from opposite sides, severing both main blood vessels at once. A red waterfall gushed down, soaking his gear, blotting out his tattoos, and by the time his body slumped to the floor, he was dead.

Nyx breathed a sigh of relief as the result of the battle came into view; bodies of Gith and intellect devourers were the only casualties.

---

Nyx dearly missed her backpack.

Thank the graces Wyll and Tav have theirs.

Nyx and Wyll were in rough shape. Seated on a nearby rock, Nyx had to use all her remaining strength to follow the telepathic conversation while nursing a second healing potion.

The mindflayer floated to Tav's side and waited rather patiently. Once Tav was satisfied that her crew was intact, she arched her eyebrow over her shoulder at the creature.

It extended a clawed, four-fingered hand. "Thank you. That was too close." When Tav didn't reply, it said, "Don't look at me like that. I am a mindflayer, yes. Without me, you would be a slave to the Absolute."

Her eyebrows climbed into her hairline, and she gave it an even more dubious look. Lae'zel hadn't stowed her sword and spat, "I knew I couldn't trust you! But how is it possible for you to be ghaik?"

Nyx choked on a cough when the mindflayer rolled his eyes! Her still healing sternum protested vigorously at the movement, making her breathless with pain and exertion.

Tav stood and squared herself with the mindflayer. She crossed her arms and asked, "Well? Lae'zel has a point. How is it that the guardian watching over our dreams has turned out to be one of our worst enemies?"

The mindflayer floated in a straight line as though he were pacing. "I was someone once. A person." He projected several images to them. The creeping alienness of his magic made Nyx's skin crawl. A city came to her mind's eye, and the creature claimed that it had been a person once.

The mindflayer showed it hailed from Baldur's Gate, like so many of Tav's group. Adventure called to him often, never allowing him to remain in one place. Misfortune had brought him to Moonrise Towers, where the mindflayers ensnared and turned him. He served the elder brain for years - the very same one they knew as the Absolute.

Somehow, he broke free, returning to Baldur's Gate to live under a guise. He recruited Duke Stelmane as an ally. Although none knew his true identity, he became influential enough to head the 'Knights of the Shield' alongside the Duke.

He sustained himself on criminals, all the while gaining more influence and later being referred to as 'The Emperor'. His guise lasted for years until found out by Lord Gortash, who was now the Chosen of Bane. With his ruse at an end, Lord Gortash captured him, and he was re-enslaved by the Elder Brain. Gortash left him a mocking tribute by continuing to refer to him as 'The Emperor', but he decided to reclaim the title as his new identity.

New sets of images passed before Nyx, with the hexagonal Astral prism taking central stage. Lord Gortash discovered the existence of the prism through means unknown and sent the Emperor after it. But once he came into contact with the artefact, the elder brain's control slowly slipped from his mind.

"I investigated, and it led me here." The Emperor floated away. They followed him toward another dome, a few feet within the skull itself. He gestured to the silhouette inside and said, "To him."

Nyx squinted. There seemed to be another Githyanki trapped inside the dome, restrained by chains. Stronger and stranger magic pulsated from the domed prison. Similar to the magic surrounding the skull outside, the geometric discs of the dome would lift from their matrix. A sound akin to grating glass would have the matrix shift and settle onto another part of the framework.

Tav chewed her lip and probed at the Emperor. "Where they here for him?" She gestured to the fallen Githyanki they'd left behind.

The large crest of the Emperor's attire blocked his face, but he answered nonetheless. "Yes. We fought to tame Prince Orpheus, the son of Gith herself."

Nyx didn't fully appreciate the title, but Lae'zel made a noise as close to a gasp as she'd ever heard her make.

"Impossible! More blasphemy."

He swivelled, shaking his head. "Vlaakith would have you believe the stories of his death. But you only need to reach out to his power to know the truth for yourself. He has been the source of your continued protection against the voice of the Absolute - the power to disrupt hivemind communication. Inherited from his mother. The very same that has given me my freedom and sustains yours."

Grating glass echoed through the cavern. Lae'zel clenched and unclenched both her fists and jaw.

The Emperor continued, "Kith'rak Voss was correct when he spoke to you of Vlaakith. That she usurped power and declared herself 'queen'. Orpheus rose against her, and after his defeat, she sealed him and his honour guard within this prism." He placed his hands behind his back and ruminated, "Vlaakith kept him secret, hoping to take his power when she grew strong enough. But after the prism was stolen, he became a threat to her reign. Which is why she sent you into the prism to kill him, yet you found me instead." He looked pointedly at Lae'zel. "If the other Githyanki ever find out what she had done, there will be civil war. Vlaakith will be finished."

Tav fretted at her braid, not looking away from the prison, she asked, "What happens if we free Orpheus?"

He flinched as though he'd been struck. "That would be a terrible idea. The moment he is free, he will attack you. Your only defence would be to kill him. And in so doing, you would doom us both." A very person-like sigh escaped him, and he turned back to the prison. "He is bound by infernal chains; they cannot be broken by you or me. Orpheus cannot leave. Bound by duty, his guard never would. They were close to breaking my hold on their prince - and if they had succeeded, we would be lost." He peered at Tav. "As long as he remains subdued, we are free from the elder brain's influence. And the chosen. Better yet, we should plan to overthrow them..." A clawed hand touched his heart. "I am relieved you have embraced your potential enough that you could help me eliminate them. Alone, Orpheus will be much easier to control."

Nyx's confused frown accompanied the others.

The Emperor met each of their gazes in turn. "You each carry a tadpole. As far as Orpheus is concerned, you are already Illithid. A sworn enemy. Just like me."

Lae'zel drew herself up, seething anew. "I'm not Illithid. I never will be."

"You are already more illithid that you realise - it has improved you." He beckoned with an open hand. "You seek to reverse an inevitable process, a process of evolution. When I first escaped from the elder brain, I too railed against the change. But the longer I have inhabited this form, the more it has grown on me. Even if my original body remained intact after I transformed, I would not return to it. Doing so would only impose limitations." The Emperor drew himself up. "As an illithid, I have far surpassed who I ever was before. You too should embrace this change."

What!

Tav countered coolly, "We're trying to avoid becoming mindflayers. I thought you agreed to protect us."

"I believe we'll have a better chance of defeating the elder brain if you embrace your latent illithid potential. I've been studying you for a while now."

That line made Nyx's skin crawl anew.

He tilted his head. "I believe I can trigger the next stage of your tadpole's lifecycle while continuing to preserve your independence. You have seen what I can do. Imagine yourself with the same strength. The same intelligence. With the same devastating beauty, if you let me, I can evolve you." He paused for a moment and met Nyx's eyes. "Well, except for you, Silent one."

After taking in the others' surprise, Nyx schooled her face and said evenly, "Speak plainly."

"Your tadpole is damaged. It is in a state of prolonged recovery. I don't know if it ever will recover. Even so, this does not change your fate. Without my protection, you too will turn." He waved a hand in her direction, and she took a step back, fixing him with a warning glare. "It's almost completely inactive, but not dead. Forced into torpor. It's strange. What did you do?"

Expressions of expectation stared at her.

Good. He doesn't know about my magic or the black pit. I intend to keep it that way.

Before she could think better of it, her mouth moved of its own accord. "I fed it to my inner demons."

The Emperor blinked at her once. Gale and Tav's expressions became thoughtful, whereas Wyll was puzzled by the exchange.

Lae'zel directed to Nyx, "Chk. Now is not the time for jest."

Tav sobered and asked the Emperor, "If you can evolve us, why can't you stop ceremorphosis altogether?"

He held up a pair of fingers. "The answer is twofold. One I can, but it would kill you. As I told you before. Two - why would I? You have done well with the limited form you have, but you would do far better as an illithid. So, do you want to evolve or not?"

A grumble of dissent spread through their group, and Tav said, "No. I'm sure none of us would."

Why does he look so disappointed? Did he genuinely think we'll agree to becoming... monsters?

The Emperor searched for something in his attire, making the rest of them reach for their weapons. If he was alarmed by it, it didn't show on his face.

He produced a jar. "I understand. Let us hope, then, that your present self will be sufficient to deal with the three gods of death and a giant, magically enhanced elder brain. But in case you change your mind." He unceremoniously shoved the jar into Tav's hands. "Look after it. Use it when you are ready to evolve. You or your allies - it has vitality enough for you all."

They collectively made a face at the squirming parasite.

The Emperor turned and mused while floating away, "But we mustn't lose focus. We need to resume our goals. We must reach Baldur's Gate. We must find where the Chosen have taken the brain and bring it under our control."

And just like that, their group was dismissed.

---

Stepping from the portal required careful footwork. Despite her body feeling oh-so-very heavy, Nyx clicked her tongue. "How rude," she said to Tav's back and mimicked a deeper voice, "'Get your ass over here and help! Fine, you can bugger off now and take my creepy crawly with you.'"

Gale chuckled. "I hardly think he's outfitted to offer us tea."

She gave him a sidelong look. "At least the offer would've smoothed the entire situation over."

Tav barked a laugh. "Or made it more bizarre if you ask me. 'Oh, by the way, I'm your guardian mindflayer. Would you like some tea with your existential crisis?'"

"By the Abyss, you're right." Nyx ran a hand over her face. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her body settled back into the familiar weight of the material plane easily, her frayed nerves comforted by the smell of dirt and the remaining smoulder of the campfire.

Wyll's voice was laced with uncertainty and worry. "What happened to camp?"

Alarm jolted through Nyx for a heartbeat at their empty campsite, but a whistle drew their attention to the lookout. A shadow outlined in red from the moon above waved at them enthusiastically.

Karlach jogged down the slope and joined them at the fizzling portal. Halsin, Shadowheart and Astarion trailing behind.

Tav squealed when Karlach scooped her up into a swooping hug. "Aw, I'm so happy you guys made it back!" Hugs were dished out to the remaining members of the returning party - even Lae'zel's blistering glower was no match for this hug and the shit-eating grin accompanying it. Nyx kept her face neutral, her bruised sternum not so much, but the hug was worth the temporary pain and discomfort. Grounding in its own way and made Nyx feel leagues better.

Astarion looked Nyx over. "What the hell were you lot thinking? Rushing off like that? Do you have any idea of the ordeal you left us in?" He gestured to the camp at large.

Shadowheart rolled her eyes and quipped, "Don't listen to him. He's salty after breaking a nail by moving the smallest crate imaginable. Tell us everything."

Astarion scoffed, crossed his arms and stuck his nose in the air. Nyx tried to keep the smirk from her lips, which only deepened his pout.

Tav suggested they head back to the lookout and find some seats. “You’re going to want to sit down for this.”

The other's eyebrows bobbed in equal measure concern and curiosity.

---

There was a stunned silence. Sparks snapped from the renewed campfire, and shadows of various kinds danced across their companions' faces. More shadows played against the crumbling walls surrounding them.

Astarion flung his arms in the air and fumed. "Another tentacled freak! And I owe everything to it? Oh, I don't like this one bit!" Nyx patted his knee and retrieved her hand. He watched the gesture with interest, and his posture relaxed.

Tav took a swig of her drink. "Oh, it gets even better." Her retelling included inputs and elaborations from the others as they brought them up to speed.

Gale gestured with the ladle from his position behind the cooking pot. "Orpheus must be incredibly powerful to be imprisoned by so many layers of magic. Infernal, psionic, heh, I wouldn't be surprised if there is magic at work like those soul cages from the Shadowfell."

Wyll rose from his seat and appealed with his goblet in one hand and a fist in the other. "He doesn't deserve to be locked up and guarded by some soulless mindflayer no less. Perhaps we could make him see sense, at least give him a chance to join our cause."

Tav set her cup down and said, "I agree, but we need to be smart about it. We need more information before we do anything. Once we reach Sharess' Caress let's speak to Kith'rak Voss first."

Lae'zel sneered into her cup, her lip pulling back. "Orpheus was supposed to be a fairytale. And yet, not only was his story real, but he is alive. If the Comet could rise to burn the skies once more - would he liberate us from Vlaakith's lies? Could he truly free my people from her false rule?" Her gaze became distant, and Nyx felt a strange shared loss with her.

The rest of the conversation faded into the background while she mused.

Truths are never as beautiful as the lies. Suddenly the world doesn't make sense anymore.

Regardless, Nyx would not trade the terrible truths Keetjah and Sanika had helped her see about her own mother.

The cost of ignorance would have been too high. A lie is never worth it. Including the ones we tell ourselves; they are the hardest to shake.

Her dark memories were interrupted by Astarion's close inspection. "My sweet, you're looking a bit pale."

She was rubbing her bruised chest but managed a warm smile. "Nothing a good meal and rest won't fix." His expression lifted when she added, "Beautiful company makes all the difference too."

"Ah, my love, I think you're right." He preened his hair. "There is nothing more healing than having a gorgeous vampire by your side."

"Truer words have never been spoken." She was rewarded with his wicked grin, and her attention returned to the group conversation.

Wyll was helping Gale serve dinner and said, "Surely, 'controlling' the Elder Brain would be disastrous. Take over the role of the Chosen to lead an army of monsters? The Emperor is mad to suggest it!"

Nyx pursed her lips. "He is talking to his own favour and he needs us compliant."

Uneasy nods and grunts of assent circled the campfire.

Astarion inspected his nails. "Having a leashed Elder Brain could come in handy, darlings."

"A tenuous scenario at best. One slip up and squish." Tav framed her chin with her hands and wriggled her fingers. "We'll be on its leash instead."

A deep frown creased Wyll's brow. "I'm not keen on another leash."

"Why don't we learn more about the Crown? If we can't control the brain, the crown may be worth salvaging." Gale filled his own bowl and took a seat next to Tav.

Astarion chippered while clutching his hands together, "Powerful artefacts? Oh, yes please."

Nyx and Tav shared a knowing look.

Shadowheart peered at the jar that Tav had placed on a create nearby. There was movement inside it. She leaned away and pointing at it with her spoon, she asked, "Speaking of leashes. What are we doing about that?"

Karlach rolled her shoulders and declared loudly. "No, no way." Similar sentiments were raised by each of them. No one was going to take the Emperor up on his offer. The conversation waned naturally as everyone became preoccupied with their own thoughts or dinner.

--- --- ---

Wyrm's Lookout.

Tav stared at the sky above the tower. She was ready, her belly and heart full, steeling herself at the base of the ladder. She was spotted by the others, who called after her. Focussing on the ladder's steps, she projected over her shoulder, "I'm going to check on Baldur's Gate. You're welcome to join." To her delight, everyone did.

She held the ladder steady as her companions joined her at the top of the tower, grunting and groaning while they pulled themselves up. Tav braced herself and gazed over the forest to the horizon. Baldur's Gate stood silent against the dark night.

Finally. Finally, the knot in her stomach unwound, and she dropped her shoulders in relief.

Tav confirmed with the rest, "You see it too? Baldur's Gate is not under siege. It's not a mirage? I'm not being played for a fool again?"

"Why would you say such a thing?" Gale scoffed, his boundless optimism lifting her spirits. "No one thinks you’re a fool. Besides, I can guarantee that no nefarious magic is at work. There are no illusions here. Baldur's Gate will sleep safely tonight, and so will you."

He laced her arm in his. Tav's heart soared while her companions shared stories and laughed. Halsin pointed out constellations above, and Gale brought them to life as animated transposed illustrations, while Nyx supplemented their stories by highlighting their importance when travelling at night. Tav couldn't think of a better evening than one spent with friends. Her gaze settled on Baldur's Gate once more. With excitement and trepidation stirring in her chest.

In only two days, I'll be home. Thank Tymora.

They retired for the evening, and Tav sent one last prayer into the night.

Lady Luck, please help us save our city too.

If it weren't the case that all of us were familiar with the content of BG3 already, this would have been a bit of an information overload. For my own stories I'd likely have paced it out better. But in our case I want to get all of the known stuff out of the way so that we can get more new things ;)