49 - The End of a Civilization

When we arrive, it's not a crystal sphere present, but a ship graveyard.
Sprigg joins the deck, confused.

When we get closer, the ships are stationed in a big circle around a much bigger ship parked in the middle.
The sails are brightly colored with different designs, but it appears that something larger attacked the masts.
When getting nearby, a warning light pulses from our control board:

We're asking Naus about the suits and how long we can explore with these.

We put the spacesuits and we make our way stealthy.

Axel casts [Pass without Trace], and we head on.
[Stealth] We're making our way to the center of the ship graveyard, leaping to ship to ship. We see a lot of dead Giants on the way, along piles of massive bones, skeletons... and the stench of death everywhere.
[Medicine & Investigation] We notice that the bodies have only bones. When observing closer, the weird thing is along the femur is chipped, like carved with a knife or sharp tool. We notice them on a few bodies.

We get moving to the central ship, as it takes around 20 minutes to reach it.
At one point, we all have the sensation we're being watched, but it's a quick feeling that fades away.
Axel creates an [Embolding Bond] within the party (without them).
We make the jump and climb to the deck, which is bigger than the rest (the deck is 150yd). It doesn't have much on it aside the typical ship stuff, aside:

• On the far end, there's a giant skeleton, but in decomposition, holding a giant book.
• Tied to the mast, we see a Giant corpse, appears to be mummified (like a bog mommy).

[Perception - Pass ✔] Axel, Balnorin and Senri hear this weird sound, like someone licking themselves.
Senri follows the sound, and it comes from behind the body tied to the mast. A single big eyeball, coming out of the side of the mummy, is staring at us.
Senri casts [Eldritch Blast] to that eyeball (hits thrice for 25 dmg), resulting a pain sound and the licking sound stops, finally revealing a large sliming beholder, floating towards us.
It opens its center eye and look at us. A strange chimerry light cloaks the party.

Axel heals themselves with 8 HP after the combat, and casts [Cure Wounds] to heal 10 HP.

We investigate the corpse with the journal, and we start to read it. It seems to be the journal of a woman Giant named Una, the Chieftess of the Aurochs Clan.

Most of the journal is mundane with damaged entries, until a page catches our attention:

It all began the day the First One died. I remember it clearly; the sky split open and in that moment we knew that our Creator had fallen. It was like every Giant in the world simultaneously howled their grief into the air, then we all blinked. Afterwards, things were different. Many of my kinsmen had disappeared, including my only daughter. We were scared, confused, and in mourning; Our Maker was gone, none of us knew what to do.

Kierja the True, our wisest prophet, climbed to the Stone Giant’s Cradle and spent a winter in trance, hoping to seek guidance from whatever remained. Finally, he returned with an answer; our people were sent into the stars, and the spirit of the Stone Giant had given him the power to find them. This morning we set sail, a new generation of wayfarers sailing into the blackness. Kierja gifted our longships with the power of flight, and as I write this we make way for the hole in the sky above the Cradle. I wonder what we will find out there, and if we will ever return.

We left the half-kin behind. Kierja says that the realm between the stars is a dangerous journey, and their weakness would only inhibit our search. When we left them on the beach, there was one in particular who burned herself into my memory. Her hair was a fair blonde, unknown to true blood Giants, with a strong and beautiful face that was marred by an eyepatch. She roared and screamed at us as we left, begging us to bring her along. The air boiled around her, and I swear it seemed her rage would conjure a storm to drown us. Her clan spirit is strong with her; impressive for a half blood tiger whelp…

We find this next entry a bit further in the journal:

It has been four moons since we left our homeland, at least that’s what we’ve assumed by tracking the days; there are too many moons to keep track of here. Kierja leads us to our lost people, and I gladly follow him into the wilds. The Galaxsea is beautiful, more than I could’ve ever imagined.. The days pass by quickly enough; a bit boring but the sightseeing makes up for it. The voyage seems to be a success so far, but I have my doubts. There are whispers moving throughout the armada, and the burden of leadership is beginning to take its toll on Kierja. I fear that if his worries continue to grow as they have, they’ll consume us all. The Elders know something, I can feel it in my bones, but I doubt they will inform the armada of any trouble until it is already too late. I try to push these worries out of my mind and focus only on my dearest Fjendra. It’s likely that she is having the time of her life; she always loved the auroras and now she’s swimming through them. I pray that she is warm and fed, and that she thinks of her mother as often as I think of her…

Some more pages are hard to read, as it's mostly about the daily life on the ship, until we find this one:

The trouble has been revealed; the Old Word is gone. Kierja said that the Word only works on our homeworld, and despite his best efforts the magic that’s stored in our bones has run dry. The ships cannot fly without our breath to blow the sails. We are lost and listing. Kierja tells us to hold the faith; a kind soul could come rescue us, we could eventually drift to dry land, or (least likely) we could find a New Word. He said the Giants were the first on Wundera and that we would surely be the last, after we’ve reunited with our star flung kinfolk.

I continue not for my faith in him or the Word, but for the love of my daughter. It’s been a year at sea and my longing has become second nature. Every morning I rush to the deck and pray that Fjendra is standing there, smiling at me, confused as to why I look so worried. Every night I climb the mast and sing her lullaby into the void, then retire to fitful sleep. I dream that there’s some strange traveler passing by who later shares a fire with her, and when they hum my melody she recognizes it, and knows I’m searching for her.

My grief is a mountain. All of my prayers, my songs, my anguished wails and my howls of rage; all of it has gone unanswered…

There are several pages that seem to be nonsense written in a frenzy. There are two entries
that stick out. The first being the following, written in bold script that covers the whole page:

FJENDRA WERE ARE YOU?

The second is an empty page, with a single sentence written at the bottom:

The Giants are dying.

We keep going through until we find a proper entry:

Some time has passed, exactly how much I am uncertain. What I am certain of is that this is the end of my people. We are starving, exhausted, and madness spreads through the armada like wildfire. We desperately held onto the delusion that we would be saved until Giants started dying. Many of them starved (I didn’t think Giants could starve), others leapt from their ships and were pulled to pieces by Astral waves. Such beauty and such violence.

Kierja still breathes, despite many of us wishing he didn’t. He led us here, away from the comfort of our homes and into our suffering. The surviving clans have shunned him, leaving him to rot in his guilt. Despite this, he still insists that we will be saved; either by the Word or by the spirit of the Stone Giant. Never once has he suggested that we save ourselves.

The question of what to do with our fallen kinsfolk has found a gruesome answer. There are no birds, no foxes, no bugs or rats for a proper sky burial. We have taken to eating the remains. We convince ourselves that we do it to ensure their spirits return to the cycle. I’m doing it because I am hungry. I can’t be the only one who feels this way…

Most of the pages have been teared after this point, or soaked in ink. We finally found a "proper" entry, written in haste:

They’re all dead, except for me. Even Kierja has left this life behind, though I must admit it was by my own hand. He must suffer for what he’s done to the once great Giants. I crushed his throat in my hands, and afterwards I embalmed his body. I drained his blood, dipped his corpse in salt and oil, and strung him up to dry. No sky burial, nor cairn nor tomb for the betrayer, his soul must stay trapped in his body; eternally watching the graves that he built for us.

All I am is hungry. Hungry for food and drink, yes, but also hungry for home; hungry for solid ground to stand on, hungry for the way the sun rises over mountains, hungry for the droning hum of the Old Word, and hungriest for Fjendra. She is all I have left. I am no longer Una the mighty chieftess of the Aurochs clan, I don’t even think I’m a Giant anymore. I am a mother whose daughter is lost, I am alone, and I am ravenous.

With a note at the bottom:

I am going to die.

After a few comprehensive writings and rambling, we find what seems to be the final entry:

Fjendra, if by some miracle you find this journal, please know that this wasn’t your fault. We believed the Word would guide us to wherever you are, and we were wrong. That’s all it is. Sometimes people do whatever they think is best, and sometimes they are wrong. Wherever you are, know that I am waiting for you in the place between. I won’t reenter the cycle until we’re together again. I gave this life to find you, and I will give a thousand more if I have to. You are my greatest joy, don’t let the mountain crush you like it did to me.

I love you, see you soon.

- Una, The Last.

Nesvalyn looks at his journal, and started to silently sobbing and turns away from the party.

And he turns to Persy, who looks tense, looking down.

But there is no response from Persy.

Persy is walking to the mummified Giant, kneels and puts a hand against its leg.

Persy sounds different. Axel puts a hand on Persy(?)'s shoulder.

Upon hearing Persy sounding different and behaving strangely, Nesvalyn tries to shake it off and rejoin Axel and "Persy".

He looks and observes his body.

"Persy" looks offended.

"Persy" tried to spit, but only the sound got out.

Senri eyes go wild, removes her helmet and jumps out of the railing. With shimerring lights, Senri reappears with gold hair, blue eyes.

Anria stands on the railing of the ship, looking at Dieterich.

He goes to embrace her. She looks away and crosses her arm, and pushes back a bit Dieterich.

Dieterich has a sad look, or at least tries to.

She observes closer Dieterich.

Nesvalyn got no answers, as Anria still stares Dieterich.

She jumps the railing again and spaghettifies. The glowing happens and it's Dottie Lombardo getting back.

After Dieterich trying his best to save her, he collapses and Nesvalyn goes to Dieterich to confort him.

Dieterich is sobbing, and Nesvalyn stays next to him to console him.

Dottie Lombardo summons an Ignatus to pull a sheet to hide the view of Dieterich.

Axel tries to cast [Silence] on her, and Dottie Lombardo tries to shut down Axel by saying the activation phrase.
Axel silenced first Dottie Lombardo. While in the silence area, both of them stares intensely. Balnorin joins to sit and observe the show.

Eventually, Dieterich gets up on the ground, looks at the Astral Sea.

We make our way back to the ship, and updating Dieterich a bit on the way.

[Perception - Pass ✔] Axel and Nesvalyn notices a bunch of figures on our ship.
As we get closer, they're all dressed in silk, wearing head wraps and a veil covering their face with deep colors. We can hear them talking, but not really catch what they say.
Nesvalyn enables the Psy Whispers.
Axel casts [Pass without trace]
[Stealth] They speak in a singing tone, like a deeper smooth quality to their voices.

They both laugh, and by observing more, it seems there is 8 intruders.

Balnorin casts [Thaumaturgy] and stays hidden.

They all react, pulling out their swords, and stand into the center, a voice booms back:

Axel and Nesvalyn are going on the other way of the ship.

After a moment Sprigg and Sabine are tied and brought on the deck, Ludwig has his hands tied, and the leader figure grabs him.

We all reveal ourselves, and get on the deck of our ship.
There is an heavy smell of perfume and cologne, remembering us of luxurious things. We head to the person in charge, standing on the middle.
His face is covered, but we notice behind him is a long furry tail. Then the second thing up to where Ludwig is gripped, and looking closer we notice a Rakshasa, all of them, pulling out their face masks.

Ludwig tries to react, but he's being held by his Father, and no sounds come from him.

But we don't hear his answer as he's gagged, the Rakshasa hold him to stop his answer.

We realize they're listening to us telepathically, due to his confident expression.

He turns and all of the sudden the lights power down of the ship.

[Insight - Pass ✔] If there's something Dieterich knows after living a whole life, sometimes the foes you can't get a read on are the most dangerous foes.

He snuffs, and all the Rakshasa regroups and holds their hands.

[Perception - Pass ✔] Dieterich hears Samir and whispers "Tell Manal that the job is done."

And they all disappear, bringing Ludwig with them.

✒Quest added: ✔Saving Ludwig

All that remains is the party, on a powered down ship, next to other power down ships, in the darkness of the Astral Sea.

Next session: 50 - Tropical Thunder