Court of the Fallen
[God Quest] time stood still - Printable Version

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time stood still - Alys - 04-19-2025

Alys's quest was at an end.

She made her way to Ludo's Woods, to the shrine that lay entombed there. It took her a few trips; she had brought all that Mort had asked for, and by the time she was finished, there were jars of water from Frey's Breath and the Eyes of Vi; snow - now melted - from where Sascha was killed; and, of course, the little ursur's body, wrapped in a linen shroud and laid reverently upon the ground before the shrine.

The seer took a deep breath. She'd learned so much from her quest, and yet she couldn't shake the feeling that she wouldn't be whole - that her family wouldn't be whole - without Sascha at her side. Even if it was hard, even if there were challenges, she had to believe that her companion would choose to return to her.

Alys sat before Sascha's body, cross-legged, and gazed up at the shrine. [say]"Hi, Mort,"[/say] she said, more at ease than the last time she had called upon the god of death. This time, she felt as though she were greeting an old friend. [say]"I've done as you asked. I spoke with three people who have died and come back, and I learned something unique from each of them. I think I understand what you were trying to tell me - that coming back to life won't be easy for Sascha. But I think I've also learned that it might be worth it.

"The people that I talked with all seemed grateful for a second chance at life, even if they struggled. It seemed like time back among the living seemed to make it... well, maybe not easier, exactly, but... Ronin and Maea seemed to be at ease with their transition. Zavien struggles more, I think, because it was so recent. So raw. I think I can help Sascha through any difficulties that she has adjusting. Or at least I can be there for her, the same way she was always there for me.

"Anyway, I hope she wants to come back. I still won't force her, but if you're there, and she wants to... please let her return to me."[/say]

---

Alys is turning in the quest received in took this dagger in me and removed it.

1. In three different threads speak to someone who has died and come back from the dead, asking about their experiences to better underwhat what Sascha will be going through
2. Bring water from Frey's Breath and the Eyes of Vi
3. Collect as much snow from where Sascha was killed and bring her body if possible


RE: time stood still - Mort - 04-22-2025

The wind through Ludo’s Woods quieted, as if the very trees were listening. The flicker of candles stilled. Then, slowly, light began to bloom.

It wasn’t firelight, nor the silvery touch of stars—it was golden, rich and soft, as though sunlight had found a way to filter through from a place beyond the world. Between the ancient trunks of the woods, space seemed to stretch—taller, wider, deeper than before. For just a moment, it was as though the trees were no longer trees, but vast pillars in some distant hall of eternity. Mort’s hall; and then he stepped through.

Barefoot and boyish, curls tousled by a wind that didn’t stir the leaves here, Mort emerged into the shrine’s clearing with his usual gentle brightness. His brown eyes, warm as sunlit earth, found Alys immediately, and his smile deepened—not with amusement, but with something quiet and proud. [say]"You’ve done well,"[/say] he said, his voice low and kind. [say]"And you’ve understood more than most ever do."[/say] He glanced to the linen-wrapped form at her side, the reverence in his gaze unmistakable. Mort turned, stepping aside; behind him, the light from his realm pulsed, and from within it came the soft sound of paws—deliberate, hesitant, and then quicker as recognition bloomed.

A small, snowy shape bounded forward, the golden light glinting off white fur. Her steps faltered only once before she came fully into the clearing, blinking in the dim candlelight as if waking from a long, peaceful sleep. Mort smiled and nodded toward her, then toward Alys.

[say]"Go on,"[/say] he said gently. [say]"Call her."[/say]

RE: time stood still - Alys - 04-23-2025

Light bloomed from the shrine, golden, rich, and soft, from between the ancient trunks of the trees of Ludo’s Wood rather than filtering through from the leaves above. Alys watched as the space between the trees shifted, changed, looking for a moment like pillars in an eternal hall. Humbled and awed, the seer watched as Mort stepped through the veil, a warm presence that amazed and inspired her.

Mort’s praise was like a balm she hadn’t known she needed, and Alys basked in it with a radiant smile. [say]”Thank you,”[/say] she said, her voice a soft murmur. Then Mort stepped aside, and from within his halls, Alys heard the quickening pace of soft paws. Then the little ursur appeared, white fur tousled as though she’d simply awoken from a nap, blinking in the dim light of the Wood.

Alys looked from Sascha to Mort and then back again. With tears in her eyes and a smile on her lips, she called for her beloved companion, with all the love in her heart laid bare. [say]”Sascha.”[/say]

RE: time stood still - Mort - 04-25-2025

Mort’s smile softened as Alys spoke, as pure and brilliant as the golden light spilling from behind him. He remained still, a steady presence on the threshold between his halls and the living world, giving the moment wholly to them. At the sound of her name, Sascha’s ears perked, her snowy head lifting higher. For a heartbeat, the clearing held its breath.

Then, with a joyous yip that was unmistakably hers, Sascha bounded forward.

The little ursur crashed into Alys with all the clumsy enthusiasm of a creature who had missed her person beyond all telling. Her cold nose nudged insistently at Alys’s hands, her thick paws scrabbling at the ground in excitement, and the familiar, comforting weight of her settled against the seer’s lap as if not a day had passed between them.

Mort watched them, his brown eyes crinkling at the corners, dimples flashing deep. [say]"She chose freely,"[/say] he said softly, almost reverently. [say]"And she chose you."[/say]

The light behind him pulsed once more, and Mort glanced back toward it—toward the place he would return to. When he looked at Alys again, it was with quiet pride. [say]"Take good care of each other,"[/say] he murmured. [say]"And remember—life is a gift. Even when it hurts. Especially, perhaps, when it hurts."[/say]

With that, Mort stepped backward into the golden light, leaving behind the lingering warmth of his blessing—and the sound of an ursur’s joyous huff filling the night.

~FIN