Curse of the Crimson Throne: Seven Days to the Grave [IC]

[PSinger]

The forearm that was offered with the hand gets only the hand, but Phi learned that not all accept such an ancient salute so he has learned to set it up as a handshake, but with openness from the body in case anyone wants to do the forearm clasp. Kaul took the hand ..... softly.

"None of the company shall fade while I yet draw breath."

Alpha looks towards the Varisian Harrow-spirit ... who faded while Kaul was drawing breath.

Alpha was probably in the middle of asking his question, but Zeta answers. "Zellara overstayed her power in being able to read the cards for everyone. She can only do this so many times a day. You see, her will is bound to the deck in the same way that some extremely rare weapons are imbued or possessed by an intellect. I do not know her end purpose, but she serves the wielder of the deck with an illusion that she can control, and through that she can speak properly. Her stay-time seems to have been vastly greater than normal. I guess it was because it was in line with her purpose.

"As to your question, Alpha ... how does the leaf of a mountain laurel find its way to the ocean? The choices, the events, the alliances, the enemies ... all of these things that we witness, experience, and interact with in our past lead us to our future. These events are upon us will you or no. You cannot hide in your room and say, 'Not I, I will prove myself my own master,' and expect that the world will create a protective bubble around you. Better that you control your fate by meeting it on your terms. No man has ever outrun his destiny; he's only run toward it."

Spoiler: Harrow Deck of Zellara

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So, in "Edge of Anarchy" Paxre & Co. helped Zellara find rest (she had been murdered), but not entirely. She is like a magic weapon, but a magic Harrow deck instead, in that she provides mental stats. The deck has a purpose power of major image. The fluff is that the intellect of the cards can be called on by invoking the illusion and allowing the deck to control it as the vision and voice of Zellara. All of that card reading stuff went way beyond any duration possible, so the DM just handwaves it to work because .... plot stuff. That, and not taking a week for everyone to draw cards. It just made sense that as soon as the last person's Harrow was read, she would peace-out.

But I love how perfect Kaul's phrasing about the fading was. Awesome.