Drow's Dilemma Ep. 125: Archmage

"I have already had sex with Fedwyn's mother. I even gave her a half-sister," Caleldir pointed out. "It would be very strange to have sex with Birchborn."

"So?" Althaia asked, blinking.

"You're not related, so it really wouldn't be weird. We have arrangements like that all the time in our culture," Hadlyn informed Caleldir with a tilt of her head that suggested she was intrigued. "Duskhaven daughters bred with the former Consort, did they not?"

"The older ones did on occasion," Ashyr confirmed. "Not me, though. Sornamal and I didn't have much contact with each other. I always pictured him as an old man, so..." She shrugged and left that part of her explanation at that.

"Eh, by Fae standards, it would not be weird even if they were related," Althaia shrugged. "Worrying about incest is a Mortal thing."

Nirza grimaced. "I noted that. During my project to interbreed my line with succubi and nymphs, some of the female cambions and half-nymph girls tried to seduce their own fathers. That was very awkward to try to deal with."

"Not helped by Ellistraean nudity, I would think," Faraia observed.

"No," Nirza confirmed.

"Fascinating," Caleldir said uncomfortably.

"Well, for our current situation, I wouldn't mind if Selene and Caleldir weren't so opposed to it," Ashyr decided. "If it comes to it, we can still try Plan C as a last resort, though it won't be as easy that way. We might still find it easier than restraining her."

"Fine, fine. As long as we've exhausted all the other options," Selene said.

"We should just move on," Faraia said softly. "But Althaia is right, and Master Caleldir knows it. Mistress Fedwyn will be difficult to talk to like this. She will likely be jealous."

Nirza sighed. "The Geneforge is up ahead. If Hadlyn is to be on Caleldir Duty during that confrontation, rather than Selene or I, we should transfer now."

Selene heaved a heavy sigh. Then she nodded.

Nirza sighingly sat herself down on Caleldir, ghosting through Selene and idly bobbing her hips up and down ('just to get a bit of a feel, Master Caleldir').

Hadlyn seemed to be very happy to slide herself onto him. With the High Priestess comfortably attached to his groin, Dahlia and Faraia did the usual connections. Finally, Caleldir stood up.

"Alright," the Priestess said once everyone was situated. "Let's get going and hope that our... arrangement doesn't anger Birchborn so badly that she won't talk to us."

"We don't know if we'll find her right away here," Selene said as she stretched out her limbs. It was good to be free again. Sort of. She found herself wishing that she had taken more advantage of riding Caleldir. "But we do have things to do at the Forge itself. We can check on Ashyr's unborn!" That thought melted some of Selene's grumpy attitude.

Althaia leaped to her feet. "To the Geneforge!"

The summit of the tower was one long staircase away. Soon the party found themselves once more looking at that sublime artifact that the Old Deusterrans had used to create several deities, refine themselves, and create weapons beyond count. The day was grey and overcast, but the view into the mountains was crystal clear even with the clouded skies. No rain, no wind, barely any sound.

There was one thing majorly different than last time, though. Seemingly growing out of the Geneforge was a small tree, sickly and covered in soot, with withered brown leaves. The tree sighed and turned into the form of a distressingly lovely girl. Tiny she was, at most four feet tall, and slender. Her face was neotenous and exceptionally youthful, appearing almost prepubescent, like an elven child. Or would have, if her body - clad in black rags that left far more of her form exposed than covered - did not show the small breasts and slightly flared hips of adulthood. Her skin contrasted strongly with her rags, being the color of fresh paper. Her hair was long and black as ink, flowing behind her like a rusalka's. Her eyes glowed a sinister red.

Archmage Fedwyn Birchborn, the Manipulator of Life, the Mind of the Divine, fixed her malevolent eyes on the party. Her expression hardened with subdued rage when she saw Hadlyn and Caleldir, but she said nothing and did not attack. Instead, she gripped her staff of charcoal and waited.

Selene sighed to herself; Birchborn wasn't going to give them a chance to play around with the Geneforge before encountering her. It would have been interesting to dig into Ashyr and Caleldir's genetics. But it was probably for the best; they weren't being distracted by offspring while the half-nymph could sneak up on them.

"Fedwyn Birchborn," Selene said, taking a half-step forward and putting on her most diplomatic expression. She couldn't help but notice the anger the small woman felt when she saw Caleldir's predicament. "I apologize for our current state. We had to get... creative to prevent Caleldir from being taken. We all wanted to talk to you. We have some information to share that I think you'll find fascinating."

"Your mother is doing well, by the way," Ashyr interjected. "We helped her with a great deal of confusion. Oh, and you have a half-sister on the way! A lot has changed that you'll probably be fascinated to hear about."

Selene nodded. "We have a way for you to come see them if you'll hear us out.

Fedwyn narrowed her eyes. -You... I remember you...- she whispered along the currents of the mind. -You are Selene. You have used the Geneforge before...- She turned to look at Caleldir and then Faraia, her eyes boring through them. -Goelon and Caleldra are dead, then,- she said bitterly. -Four Pillars downed. And I'm the fifth. You seek to destroy me. You even call me by the name Fedwyn. That is not my name. That is the name of who I was. My bright, powerful, terrible other self.- The cursed archmage sighed and lay back. -I have no mother. No sister. Fedwyn may have found that information interesting, at least.-

The girl sat up again, eyes glowing and glowering. She stared at Caleldir and Hadlyn. Her lips parted, and her hand strayed briefly down towards her nethers, before she pulled it away. -Creative measures? You have some nerve. Fedwyn wanted to share Caleldir. I do not. But I am a patient vampiric halfling dryad and will hear you out. Why should I not kill you all and take what is rightfully mine?-

"That bright, powerful, terrible other self can be you again," Ashyr told the small woman cautiously. "You can have a mother and sisters again. Feel happy again." The ranger remembered how unhappy Goelon had been with his existence. He could have put up so much more of a fight if he wasn't so tired of existence. Perhaps Birchborn was the same way? If she were in Birchborn's place, she... well, she would be insane and irrational and cursed. Ashyr didn't know what she would actually do.

"Even if you don't care about all that, you might be interested in escaping the limiting thumb of the Neverborn. She poisons your research and halts your progress. She stopped you from having Caleldir. Really, all of this his Her fault. It is Her who you should turn your wrath to. We can help you with that if you don't try to kill us," Selene told Birchborn. "And, when she is defeated, we can show you all the progress that has been made outside of the Shifting Halls. Fedwyn's mother has been doing some interesting mechanical plant fusions that you can study and augment once you get away from this place.

-I hate Fedwyn,- the vampire murmured. -Hate and envy her. You know, Goelon was much more powerful than Caleldir. The Brewmaster was immeasurably more powerful than Tokkler. The Clockmaker...- She sighed. -The old Abbot and I, we are weaker than we once were. Limited. Harried. Imprisoned. I hate and envy Fedwyn. But I cannot be her. You know that, don't you? I will never have any of those things. You see, I will die. Or I will not die. I will kill you and take Caleldir. And once I have him, I can use his Divine Essence, the blood of his Titan Father and his...- The woman grinned evilly. -His Mother to enslave the Neverborn. Then I will not die. I will supplant Fedwyn.-

The Archmage's eyes bored into Selene. -She stops me from having Caleldir, you say? Do you not intend to do the same thing?- She began floating up into the air. -I tire of this conversation. But I will give you one last chance to persuade me to die.-

Selene's lips thinned in irritation. She took a quick glance toward the rest of the party, who didn't seem at all inclined to help her or Ashyr out with the persuasion. Well, obviously Caleldir was a little distracted and it was probably for the best that Hadlyn said nothing. The one connected to Caleldir would have no sway with the woman who wished she was the one connected and was therefore angry about the whole thing.

"Do you think the curse won't prevent you from actually using Caleldir if you did manage to get him? The curse already limits your power, and I'm sure it will sabotage you even further. What we offer is the ability to take the Neverborn out today in the most reliable way possible and dispel the curse that keeps you stagnant in this place," Selene explained with some frustration seeping into her voice. "You'll never truly be powerful like this." Selene herself would certainly be persuaded with the temptation of power, as would any drow she met with in the Underdark. Most would even go to soul-changing lengths to achieve this, but they would also choose the most reliable path and then just back-stab anyone they allied with to complete their plans. She was good at negotiating with this mindset.

Birchborn, however, was not responding the way a drow would. She was responding the way a cursed, insane fey would.

-I can find out what the curse prevents or allows at my leisure.- The Archmage sniffed. Around her, magical energy began to coalesce and merge. Arrays of runes floated and spun, and strange whisperings of spells echoed. -You are not necessary for that. Your offers are only for Birchborn. What do you offer Me?- Magical lances began to pelt the party.

"We offer you escape!" Althaia interjected, dodging a spike of death. "Goelon was happy to disappear. Will not you be as well? Are you happy like this?"

-No! I am not. And am I to die without ever having been happy? I think not! I will gain some pleasure from this, at least. And some Joy when I take Caleldir, knowing that I first acquired what my former self never had. What a revenge on Her happiness that would be!- Fire began to rain down around the group.

"Keep her talking," Nirza whispered to Selene, Ashyr, and the others nearby. "She is just threatening, not actually fighting right now."

The Archmage's 'just threatening' was possibly one of the most terrifying displays of magical power anyone here had witnessed, baring some recent godly interactions.

"I think we should offer her Caleldir," Faraia said in a low tone. The woman seemed very pale right now. "If you do not mind too much?"

Caleldir, groaning a bit as he leaped out of the way, pressed his lips together. "I would not mind."

"But Selene does," Althaia added. "We still have R.I.S.A. Birchborn may be interested in Her."

"Your happiness will be hollow! It will only cast into painful relief how very miserable you are!" Selene yelled back with a snarling expression. Psionics floated her in the air to better let her dodge the projectiles coming at her. "We tried to show Goelon happiness and pleasure and he Hated it. You will be the same. You will regret not seeking real power and freedom while you still had the chance.

-Goelon was weaker than the Neverborn. I am stronger than her. Get this through your stupid head, drow, you propose my death. What do you give me in exchange for my death? A promise that my hated rival will be more powerful, free, and happy than I could ever be?- the Archmage snarled, but her attacks continued to be of the threatening type.

The very threatening type.

"R.I.S.A." Ashyr nodded to Althaia and spoke in a hushed tone. "I wanted to be very careful about even pulling out the figurine, but..." She sighed. "This definitely counts as an emergency. Get Caleldir prepared for plan C just in case. Hopefully, we will not have to resort to that."

"I rather hope we do have to resort to Plan C," Faraia said softly. "I liked Mistress Fedwyn." Faraia did not seem to be moving much, just standing away from the fray, and the Archmage did not seem to be taking notice of her.

"Wait, Birchborn! We do have something for you to study!" Ashyr called out, flashing Risa's figurine briefly. "It might give you insight into the Neverborn's mind since you're so intent on taking her out with your own power. We have an animating intellect that was properly born, and she has surpassed all expectations! Do you remember the project Storehouse One?"

"You have Storehouse One here? How?" Nirza asked, surprised.

-I remember Storehouse One.- The Archmage stopped her attack for a moment, though she still twitched a bit and looked angry when her eyes strayed over to Hadlyn and Caleldir. -And that figurine does look like her. But your knowledge is useless unless you are willing to let me have the Demigod.- That said, she folded her arms, and her spells halted.

"If you are going to negotiate, we should probably take Caleldir somewhere else," Althaia said in a low tone.

Caleldir started edging towards the stairway down, but Cursed Fedwyn threw up a hand and cast a spell that blocked their egress. -Don't you go anywhere, Fedwyn's beloved baby Demigod,- she said in a dangerous tone. -Now, tell me of Storehouse One.-

Ashyr slipped in front of Caleldir and Hadlyn in a rather feeble attempt to at least block Birchborn's view. As she was much shorter than Caleldir, she did not make a very good block. At least the thought of Storehouse One piqued her interest. Ashyr handed over the figurine to Selene and let her cousin explain what was going on.

Selene, of course, took up the figurine and held it up for Birchborn to see. "I would activate her portal, but we have no idea how that would affect the Neverborn," Selene began cautiously. "She's called R.I.S.A. now and is fully sentient and sane. Well. As much as any demigoddess can be." Then Selene began to briefly explain her history. "If you really want to study her, though, we have to come to an agreement. She's not something that you can just take and expect to cooperate."

Meanwhile, Hadlyn looked toward Nirza and Faraia with a questioning gaze. "So... you think I may be able to safely dismount here?" She whispered cautiously. "That kind of does seem for the best; I would really rather enact Plan C rather than fight her."

Ashyr glanced behind her. "Selene won't like it, but I agree. If things go sideways again, we'll have you hop off, conceal the seed, and attach it to Caleldir. Maybe she'll be tempted enough if she simply sees him naked."

"I am not sure what the range of the Neverborn's ability to strike is," Faraia said nervously. "I sort of feel like she cannot go within twenty feet of an active Pillar. So... you probably should not dismount until she is very close. The closer the better."

Caleldir held Hadlyn a bit tighter. "That seems very risky. I do not want Mad Fedwyn to kill the High Priestess to get at me."

Meanwhile, the Archmage was examining the artifact. -R.I.S.A., eh? Roving Intellectual Security Animation? Or did Caleldir give her a different set of initials for that name? I did like that name. That is a very clever design for a portal focus.- All in all, Mad!Fedwyn seemed pleased with herself. -I can talk to her at my leisure. You have brought me two things that I really wanted. Well, I suppose that I will not kill you all, then. R.I.S.A. would probably not like that, if I recall her programming. Instead, I can just immobilize your souls. As long as I have your souls...-

"Uh-oh," Abanonda muttered.

Mad!Fedwyn then launched the real attack. The first to fall was Nirza; being nothing more than a soul to begin with, she was easy to trap. The ghostly woman screamed and was suctioned away to a red gemstone on the Archmage's ring. Althaia and Abanonda struck next, but the slim mage caught the monk and the Catgirl in a time-stop and summoned an array of weapons to strike and distract the paladin. She then turned towards the others, eyes glowing balefully.

Selene growled in frustration. "Why do you all have to be so irrational!?" Selene muttered in a tense voice. "Even if you trap us, you little half-dryad, you will be defeated! WE were going to end your suffering, but the next to come along might not be so kind!" Selene threatened as the rune Caleldir's father gave to her activated and she began trying to negate the small woman's magic. Her words may have been mostly bluff, but Selene did have a feeling that various parents who were much stronger than the present party would be compelled to act. Probably. Maybe.

Meanwhile, Ashyr leaped to the side and activated her own rune to try to wrest free the two women who were trapped in time-lock. She'd never tried to use the ability on anyone else, but it was worth trying. They needed to be at full party strength if they had any hope of defeating Birchborn.

Selene was able to break Abanonda and Ylene out of Birchborn's time-lock, to which the mad archmage responded by trying to trap Selene in the same trap. Selene was able to get away, but it was quite tiring. Angry, Mad!Fedwyn tried to launch a time-trap on the entire group, but between Selene and Ashyr's runes, she was unsuccessful. The mage then decided to just pelt the place with instant death and soul-trap spells.

"We do have one more thing to offer," Dahlia said in a sing-song voice accompanied by a naughty grin. She had been standing quietly to the side being neither helpful nor harmful to the situation.

"I think it may be too late," Hadlyn called back with derision. "She's too murderous and irrational. Birchborn just wants to be miserable and insist that she'll die if she tries to get better. Personal improvement is not death, you impetuous child!" All of her words were loud enough for the whole room to hear, but the last sentence was shouted directly towards their current foe.

"She's right: you're really too old to be acting like this! Your apprentice was wiser than you!" The succubus mocked, turning toward the baleful, childlike woman.

Fedwyn stopped mid-barrage and glared at the woman riding the cock she had wanted to ride. -I have no apprentice.- She glowered. -Fedwyn did.-

With the mad mage's summoned weapons no longer harrying her, Althaia interjected. "Goelon had a name besides Caleldir. Do you have a name besides Fedwyn?"

The cursed half-dryad scowled. "No," she said out loud. Her voice was high, clear, and musical, even when speaking in a low tone.

"Then why do you fear becoming Fedwyn again? You will not die, not really. Just become someone else. We all become someone else as we grow, leaving behind our old selves. We offer you the chance to grow. It is only a death if you do not want to grow."

Fedwyn sighed miserably, and landed down on top of the Geneforge, pulling her knees up to her chin and pouting. "I cannot help it," she fretted. "I am cursed so that I cannot fight my own curse." She waved her hand, and Nirza appeared out of the red gem again. "All of you just go. I am totally imprisoned and cannot escape. Even if you show me the door to my cell, unlocked and open with a flowering forest swaying in the breeze beyond, I am still trapped. My curse will activate, and I will see the door as death. I cannot escape. Just... leave me."

The girl hid her head behind her hands and began crying.

Selene lowered herself to the ground and stood around with the rest of the group. Their words had cut her, clearly, and now there had to be some way to take advantage of Birchborn's current emotional state. A few pointed looks were quickly exchanged, coupled with brief hand signs between the drow from Duskhaven. But they couldn't quickly decide what needed to be done.