A Drow's Dilemma Ep. 70: Decisions

"I will stand before the city and confess to my fathe- to my crimes," he finally agreed. "I do not relish the thought of death, but I can see it is the only way. For me, and for Port Afron. I do not wish my city to fall into chaos and distrust of its leaders." A look of chagrin crossed his crimson red face. "Any more than it already has. Once I am resurrected, I swear to help you get things back in order. I would like to make up for what I have done in this life."

Ashyr frowned at the furred tiefling sitting in front of Althaia. The fiendspawn not only seemed - well, not evil - he seemed like a legitimately good person, now that he was finally away from his father's influence. It was all very confusing for the drow, since she dearly wanted to hate the man partially responsible for all that death.

"I understand a little of what it means to struggle against my heritage," Althaia said softly, guessing at what the tiefling was feeling. "My kind spends their time hiding in secluded springs and living lives of worthless hedonistic indulgence. I have been struggling all my short life to rise beyond that, but I cannot imagine what you have done with your life. My own heritage tends to hedonism, not evil. You have my respect for becoming the man you were."

"It is possible to deny your own blood, Paladin Althaia," Faust assured her. "... as long as your parents don't interfere." He leaned back, looked to the ceiling, and let out a puff of air in an explosive sigh.

"My parents really are not going to interfere," Althaia stated with sad confidence. "They are too... busy."

[It seems that keeping him imprisoned is no longer necessary.] R.I.S.A. said. Her voice was distant and weak. The wall of force dissipated. [You should be immune to possession now, Lord Faust. That spell... well, I burned Divine Essence to cast it. Your being here made me aware that there were powers that could break into my plane, and I had to remove that vulnerability forever.] A sighing noise wafted through the demiplane. [I will be able to participate in the reincarnation in two days time, but will not be able to assume physical form, not even of my weakened alternate personality, or give you access to the rest of the plane, for another six.]

"That is probably why she has not asked us to... you know," Althaia muttered to Ashyr in broken Undercommon.

Meanwhile, Faust reached out and placed his hand flat where the barricade had been. Sure enough, his hand passed through it. Rather than looking pleased, the tiefling merely looked resigned. Technically, he was free. Technically, he wasn't. "Will I have the blood of a specific celestial? Will they try to use me as an avatar? I don't want to be used again. Not for good, not for evil. I would like to make my own decisions." His voice was a soft rumble, yet somehow sounded vulnerable. Vulnerable, and very, very tired.

Ashyr walked through where it had been. She sat down cross-legged beside Faust, facing him. Even when she reached out to feel his second set of horns near the back of his head, he completely ignored her. The tiefling was more focused on the paladin.

Althaia frowned a little. "Well, I was going to use some of Aelsuna's power, some of R.I.S.A.'s, and perhaps some blood from this other Aasimar that I know of to give you celestial blood but that will not leave you open to possession. Even if it did, Celestial creatures will not use someone against their will like that. There is a big difference between the heavens and the hells."

She glanced over at Ashyr, shooting her a questioning expression, then turned back to Faust. "When will you be ready for... well, everything?" she asked quietly.

"I would prefer it to be sooner rather than later," Faust responded. "Sitting here, waiting for my death..." A humorless smirk pulled at the edges of his mouth "... the anticipation will drive me insane." He sighed. "But I don't suppose being a ghost is going to be very pleasant, either. -What are you doing, drow?" He finally asked in an annoyed tone when Ashyr began to feel the texture of his hair down the center of his head.

"Is your father a goat man? A red goat man with, like, a dozen horns and a wild mane? Like a satyr, but... eviller?" she asked softly. When she said this, Selene turned to give Ashyr a funny look, and Faust a contemplative one.

"Yes? I didn't get all that from my elf mother." He responded in a slow tone that suggested Ashyr was being stupid.

"Right. Okay." The older drow said. Though Faust gave her a questioning look, she didn't elaborate. Instead, she got to her feet and went to Selene. The two of them shared a Look.

Althaia watched Ashyr, Faust, and Selene's interaction with a slight quirk of her eyebrows. So... chances were that Ashyr and Selene knew either Faust's father, or someone like him. Good information to file away for the time being. But now was not the time to address that. She stood up and turned towards the inactive portal out.

"I will confess, but it needs to be done in front of as many people as possible." Faust told Althaia as he stood. "Send a message out, have the city gather in my - in your courtyard this afternoon. We can have the staff set up my podium, and we will address the people. Then... well, then you can execute me in front of whomever will watch." He didn't look entirely pleased about the plan, but he was at least resigned to it. "I will remain here for now. It wouldn't do for people to see me free."

"Then we will return once the preparations are made." Althaia sighed. "I am beginning to think that being 'in charge' is 90% running around delivering messages, or having people deliver messages to you. Or maybe I have a skewed perspective. Anyway."

Faust shook his head, almost looking amused. "No. It is 90% telling other people to deliver messages. Now, go and get the message out."

Althaia giggled slightly. "I suppose I have that to look forward to." She sighed. "Well, shall we be going then? We can have you confess now, and... get the rest over once Caleldir is back." She did not really like talking about executing a man in front of him, even if it would be a temporary thing.

[Two days until I can help.] R.I.S.A., voice even more distant, reminded everyone. [You can use this room in the meantime, but I cannot create anything for you to use. Everything you need will have to be brought in.]

"We remember," Althaia said. She gestured the others towards the portal.

"Sounds like a good plan to me." Said Selene. "Now, we should probably see about getting Caleldir back."

"Back?" Faust asked, confused.

Ashyr grinned. "We are trying to deal with your rusalka."

"Oh." Then realization dawned on him. "Oh. Ah. Yes. You... probably shouldn't leave him alone with them."

"Yeah, probably not," Ashyr said as she reactivated the portal.

Althaia chuckled. "Caleldir gets himself into these sort of things a lot. It is how I met him and the drow, after all. Let us go get him and Tsabdrin." She followed Ashyr out of the portal.

Ashyr waved Selene through the portal and closed it on a contemplative Faust. "Alright. You go get a town crier or whatever it is you surface-dwellers use for delivering messages. I'll talk to Zarag and them, tell them the good news."

"... And I'll see into getting my brother and Caleldir back," Selene said. She didn't fare well with the rusalka last time, but she was confident that she would manage this time around. "We can meet back at Faust's rooms in, oh, fifteen minutes?" The mage squinted over at the sun, which was a good hour or two from its zenith still. It promised to be a nice day for an execution. "We'll still have most of the day to plan for things."

Althaia took a deep breath. "I guess I can try to find a town crier. Whatever that is. I mean, I have no idea how people spread messages. Maybe I would be better off going with Selene to get those two? I mean, I can handle the rusalka. I certainly understand them better than I do messengers. Or whatever." She shrugged helplessly. Althaia had only the most general of ideas how human cities functioned.

"The castle staff will help you." Selene responded dismissively. "That's what they're there for. I assume they get paid for it and everything." Unlike with the Duskhaven manor staff in the Underdark, where they were lucky to see a coin or two every now and then. "They need to get used to you giving them orders, just as you need to get used to giving them." Selene was fine with retrieving the boys by herself. If she was lucky, she'd get to unleash her power on the decidedly evil fey without Althaia's spell or her staff backfiring on her. At the very least, she could torment that rusalka whose hair she ruined.

And so, the drow departed. The nymph, eyes the grey of stifled emotions, body language still a bit drained, went off to find a servant to make the declaration.