The repeating junction settles into a quiet silver rhythm. Its restored route extends outward, carrying the companions from the foundation chamber onto the Cloudlit Lanes.
Silent bridges cross the clouds between immense abandoned towers. Pale windows reflect the group as they pass, making the empty empire seem watchful without showing any watcher.
Nikol
The corruption no longer distorts the routes. Two paths lead toward the remaining Kholyran foundations, though neither has enough surviving markings to identify its destination.
Chrom
Then we can choose after studying the view. We have time now, and the empire is no longer collapsing around every decision.
Chrom and Nikol pause beside a branching bridge, comparing its fading sigils. Elma walks with Raphael a little apart from them, her attention resting on the quiet towers.
Elma
Duty taught me to carry answers before I was ready to share them. After Samaar fell, knowledge became something I guarded, and grief became something I carried alone.
Elma
I am still learning that trust does not require surrendering judgment. Walking beside you makes that lesson easier, Raphael. Which path do you think we should take?
✓ Quest Accepted
Have Elma explain what she knows about the corruption
“"Uh... I dunno!" Raphael shrugs his shoulders. "There's lots of cool places to explore! Look, those look like old houses over there! I wonder if anyone still lives in 'em?" Curious, Raphael walks over to one of the houses and tries to pry the doors apart.”
SUCCESS (Superb Strength, rolled +1)
Raphael Kirsten
Uh... I dunno! There's lots of cool places to explore! Look, those look like old houses over there! I wonder if anyone still lives in 'em?
Raphael shrugs and crosses the branching bridge toward a nearby house. Its pearl-stone walls are weathered but intact, with bronze doors sealed beneath a faded crown-split emblem.
He plants both hands against the doors and pries them apart. Ancient hinges groan, dust spills from the frame, and the doors swing inward to reveal a quiet dwelling.
Elma
No one appears to be living here now, but the house was preserved carefully. Perhaps its rooms can tell us who once called these lanes home.
Inside, overturned chairs rest beneath veils of dust, while faded household charms glow faintly along the walls. A small dining room opens toward darker chambers beyond.
Elma
He searches for ordinary lives among ruins. After losing Samaar, I understand why that matters to him.
Elma
Come on, Raphael. Let us look around together. If anyone lived here, their home may preserve something the grand halls forgot.
✓ Quest Accepted
Have Elma share what this house reminds her of
“Is there anything useful inside the home?”
YES (Likely, rolled 21)
A faint silver glow pulses beneath the dining table. Dust slides from a concealed drawer, revealing a bundle of household tablets and a small bronze key.
Elma
This was hidden deliberately. The tablets may describe the family who lived here, while the key likely belongs to something beyond this dwelling.
The uppermost tablet awakens, projecting a simple household plan. It shows the dining room, sleeping chambers, and a sealed cellar beneath the rear hall.
Nikol
The cellar is not marked as storage. Its foundation connects to an old service route beneath the Cloudlit Lanes, and the bronze key matches its seal.
Another tablet displays a faded list of deliveries, each ending with the crown-split emblem. The final entry warns that the lower route must remain closed during the empire's decline.
Elma
Ordinary people preserved a warning when the grand halls failed. Their home may lead us closer to the foundations without forcing another guarded entrance.
Chrom
Then this house has given us both a key and a safer direction. We should examine the cellar before choosing either of the fading paths outside.
undefined / undefined
The bronze key twists in the cellar seal without being touched. Beneath the rear hall, something answers with three slow knocks, and every household charm goes dark.
Nikol
That was not a mechanical release. The lock responded to a signal from below, and the service route is drawing power from the house.
The cellar doors swing inward, revealing steps descending through blue-white mist. Faded delivery marks brighten along the walls, all pointing toward the deepest stair.
Elma
The warning was not only about the empire's decline. Someone sealed this route to keep something beneath the lanes from reaching the homes above.
A low pulse rolls through the dwelling. The tablets lift from the drawer and arrange themselves in the air, projecting a broken image of a crown-split gate beneath the streets.
Chrom
Then we should not enter blindly. We will learn what awakened this passage, and we will close it again if it threatens the people who once lived here.
Elma
The house kept its warning for centuries. Whatever waits below has just remembered the way up.
“Raphael looks to Elma. "You okay, Elma? You seem like you're thinking about something." He looks at her with concern in his eyes, not wanting her to feel like she has to hide her thoughts.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled -2)
Raphael Kirsten
You okay, Elma? You seem like you're thinking about something.
Raphael looks at Elma with open concern. As his voice carries through the house, a dark household charm cracks against the wall, and the cellar answers with one heavy knock.
Elma
I am not hiding anything from you. I was thinking about the people who lived here, and how they sealed away danger to protect ordinary lives.
Elma turns fully toward him, while blue-white mist curls up the cellar steps. The broken charm drops its last spark, leaving the dwelling suddenly quieter.
Elma
Their warning reminds me of Samaar. We also tried to preserve a future for people who might never know what we sacrificed. I can bear the memory, but I do not want to bear it alone.
Chrom
Then you need not. Whatever lies below, we will face it together, with the house's warning and its cost plainly understood.
Nikol
The broken charm spent its remaining warding power. The route below is still open, but the house can no longer conceal our presence.
Quest Complete
Have Elma share what this house reminds her of
✓ Quest Accepted
Stop the thing below from reaching the house
“Does that mean the route below is dangerous?”
NO, AND WORSE (VeryLikely, rolled 98)
The blue-white mist settles along the cellar steps without harming the stone or disturbing the air. The service route below is structurally sound, and no trap answers their presence.
Nikol
The route itself is safe. Its supports are stable, and the warding marks show no hostile mechanism beneath the stairs.
Then the three knocks come again, louder. The household tablets twist in midair, their warning collapsing into a single image of the crown-split gate opening from the wrong side.
Elma
No. The danger is not the passage. The route is carrying something upward, and the house can no longer keep it below.
A dark line appears beneath the cellar threshold, spreading across the rear hall like spilled ink without wetness. The remaining household charms flare once, then go completely dark.
Chrom
The seal has failed in the worst direction. We may descend safely, but whatever was contained below now has a clear way into the house.
Nikol
The route did not awaken because we opened it. Something below recognized the broken ward and has begun following its path upward.
“"So we gotta go down there and meet it?" Raphael, not knowing what danger they face, sighs and reluctantly turns to Chrom. "You're the most powerful of all of us. I think it'd be best if you led the way," he says, gesturing to the path ahead and waiting to follow the Exalt.”
SUCCESS (Superb Reasoning, rolled +1)
Raphael Kirsten
So we gotta go down there and meet it? You're the most powerful of all of us. I think it'd be best if you led the way.
Raphael sighs, gestures toward the blue-white stair, and turns to Chrom. He waits as the Exalt accepts the lead, with the others gathering close behind.
Chrom
I will lead. We do not know what waits below, but we do know the route is stable. Stay together, and we will meet it on our terms.
Chrom steps across the dark line beneath the cellar threshold and begins down the mist-veiled stairs. The stone holds firm, and Raphael follows directly behind him.
Elma
I will stay between Raphael and Nikol. If something is following the route upward, we should face it as one group.
Nikol follows Elma, clutching his Variable Backpack while the household tablets drift overhead. Their broken warning reforms with each descending step, showing the crown-split gate from within.
Nikol
The image is changing. Whatever is below has reached the gate, but it has not crossed into the service route yet.
“Is the gate built to withstand the thing from below?”
YES, BUT (Likely, rolled 58)
The stairs end before the crown-split gate. Beyond its translucent stone, a vast shadow presses against the sealed threshold, bending the blue-white mist around it.
Chrom
The gate is holding. It was built to withstand whatever lies below, but only while its ward remains intact.
The thing strikes the far side. The gate shudders, yet does not open. Three silver runes flare along its frame, and one fractures with a sharp report.
Nikol
One of the gate’s three anchor wards has failed. The barrier remains sound, but its strength is reduced, and the damage has announced our position.
The shadow withdraws beyond the gate, leaving the stone intact. Its retreat exposes a circular lock beneath the threshold, threaded with dim silver channels.
Elma
It cannot cross yet. The gate has done exactly what it was made to do, but we have lost part of its protection.
Chrom
Then we must choose quickly. We can reinforce the broken ward, or use the gate while it still denies the thing below.
“Raphael looks to Nikol. "Think you can open that gate for us, then? The only way to stop the threat is to get rid of that creature for good!" And to do that, of course, they have to get to it.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled -1)
Raphael Kirsten
Think you can open that gate for us, then? The only way to stop the threat is to get rid of that creature for good!
Raphael looks to Nikol beside the damaged lock. Beyond the translucent stone, the vast shadow remains motionless, its presence bending the mist around the sealed threshold.
Nikol
I can open it. The failed anchor ward means the lock is vulnerable, but I can redirect the remaining two through the damaged channel.
Nikol kneels at the circular lock and unfolds a brass-jointed tool from his Variable Backpack. He aligns the dim channels with the two intact runes, then bridges the fractured one.
Nikol
The gate will open, and the ward will hold behind us for a short time. Once we cross, the creature cannot retreat through this threshold.
The three runes blaze silver. The crown-split gate unfolds into translucent petals, revealing a cavernous chamber where the vast shadow waits, a broadly humanoid silhouette of unknown species with no visible face or hair, its angular dark-stone armor partly obscured by the mist amid broken pillars and dark mist.
Chrom
Then we have reached it. Stay together, and let us end the threat before it can reach the homes above.
“Is the threat able to be reasoned with?”
NO (Unlikely, rolled 76)
The chamber beyond the gate is vast and broken, its pillars half-swallowed by dark mist. The shadow stands among them, armor angular and faceless, utterly still.
Elma
Do not expect an answer from it. Its presence carries no uncertainty, no hesitation, and no sign that it recognizes us as people.
Chrom raises Arcetonium Falchion, keeping its golden edge lowered. The shadow’s head turns toward him, then toward Raphael, as though following only the power and the threat it represents.
Nikol
I am reading no exchange of intent. The ward patterns around it are fixed commands, and the creature is acting on them without interpretation.
Chrom
Then negotiation is impossible. We cannot persuade it to stand aside, and we cannot trust any pause as mercy.
The shadow advances one measured step. Broken stone shifts beneath its weight, while the gate behind the companions seals into a thin crown-split line, leaving the chamber as their only way forward.
Elma
It will not reason with us, Raphael. We must treat every movement as a deliberate attack and protect one another while we find what binds it here.
“Raphael braces himself for the ensuing fight, but is distracted when he suddenly remembers something. He looks around with a worried frown. "Wait a minute. Veyra's gone again! I don't like this..." he mutters, looking desperately for their Kholyran companion.”
SUCCESS (Good Perception, rolled +2)
Raphael plants his feet against the broken stone, ready for Vast Shadow’s advance, then his expression changes. He turns sharply, scanning the pillars and dark mist.
Raphael Kirsten
Wait a minute. Veyra's gone again! I don't like this...
He searches behind the nearest ruined pillar, then looks across the chamber’s broken ledges and shadowed recesses. The vast figure remains still, but Veyra is nowhere beside the group.
Elma
She crossed the gate with us. I saw her at the threshold, but the sealing light obscured her when the chamber closed.
Raphael follows a faint silver glimmer along the floor, where warding marks lead away from the companions and curve behind a collapsed pillar near the chamber wall.
Nikol
The marks are Veyra’s. They pass behind that pillar and continue toward a recessed passage. She is inside this chamber, not beyond the sealed gate.
Behind the pillar, Veyra stands at the mouth of the recessed passage, ceremonial blade drawn and one hand pressed to a dim crown-split seal. She turns toward Raphael as Vast Shadow advances.
“Is Veyra trying to open the seal and sneak away?”
NO, AND WORSE (Unlikely, rolled 100)
Veyra keeps her palm against the dim seal, not reaching for an exit. Silver lines crawl from her hand into the crown-split mark as Vast Shadow advances behind them.
Veyra
I am not opening this passage to flee. I am trying to close the breach before the shadow reaches the foundation beyond it.
The seal rejects her touch. Its two surviving anchors flare violently, and the recessed passage tears open into a vertical shaft filled with churning black mist.
Nikol
The seal has failed, but not by releasing the creature. It has redirected the broken ward into the foundations. Something below is waking.
A deep pulse rolls through the chamber. Cracks race beneath Veyra’s boots, and a second crown-split sigil ignites far below, answering the Vast Shadow’s presence.
Veyra
Worse than an open door. The old command has found another anchor, and it is using this chamber to call the foundation heart upward.
Elma
Then we have two dangers now: the shadow before us and the awakening beneath Veyra. We must stop the seal from completing that call.
“"Then let's take out that shadow!" With his brawling gauntlets still fixed to his hands, Raphael whirls around and swings a powerful right hook towards the Vast Shadow!”
SUCCESS (Superb Brawl, rolled +1)
Raphael Kirsten
Then let’s take out that shadow!
Raphael whirls from the broken seal, brawling gauntlets fixed tight around his fists. He drives a powerful right hook into Vast Shadow’s armored torso.
The blow lands with a thunderous crack. Dark stone armor buckles inward, and the faceless giant is hurled across the chamber, smashing through a ruined pillar.
Veyra
Your strike broke its warded shell! The command within it is exposed.
Vast Shadow struggles upright amid falling rubble, its chest split by a bright fracture. Black mist pours from the wound as the foundation pulse falters below.
Elma
Raphael, hold its attention! Chrom, the exposed core is our chance to sever the command.
Chrom
Understood. Your blow has given us the opening we needed.
“Will the Vast Shadow's weakness remain exposed?”
NO (Unlikely, rolled 76)
The bright fracture across Vast Shadow’s chest contracts without warning. Dark stone flows together, sealing the exposed core beneath a fresh layer of armor.
Chrom
The opening is closing. I cannot reach the command before the armor restores itself.
Vast Shadow rises fully from the rubble. The broken pillar groans behind it, while black mist coils inward and hardens around its torso.
Nikol
The weakness was temporary. Its ward is rebuilding itself from the foundation pulse below, and the process is accelerating.
Elma
Then the shadow is not merely defending itself. The awakened foundation is repairing it, and every moment we delay strengthens both threats.
Below Veyra, the vertical shaft flashes with silver and black light. The second crown-split sigil widens, sending a heavy tremor through the chamber floor.
Veyra
The foundation heart is completing its call. If it finishes, the shadow will no longer need an exposed core for us to strike.
“Raphael steps away from the Vast Shadow, eyes wide with a hint of nervousness at the fact that it can regenerate its armor. "Uhhh..." He looks around, gaze landing on Elma. "Elma! Can you use your dual swords to attack both of its legs at once?"”
SUCCESS (Superb Reasoning, rolled +1)
Raphael steps away from Vast Shadow, eyes wide as fresh armor seals across its chest. He scans the chamber, then fixes his gaze on Elma.
Raphael Kirsten
Uhhh... Elma! Can you use your dual swords to attack both of its legs at once?
Elma
Yes. Keep its attention on you, Raphael. I will take its footing.
Elma draws both swords and darts across the broken stone. She strikes Vast Shadow's legs in one crossing motion, severing the dark bindings that anchor its armor.
The giant buckles as its legs lose their warded strength. Its upper armor remains intact, but the foundation pulse can no longer rebuild its stance.
Nikol
Excellent. The regeneration depends on contact with the floor. Without stable footing, the foundation cannot restore the armor.
Veyra
Then strike the command now, before the heart finds another way to anchor it.
“Is the command a symbol on the wall?”
NO (Unlikely, rolled 53)
Vast Shadow’s weakened legs remain folded beneath it, but no symbol appears on the chamber walls. The surrounding stone holds only old warding marks and cracks.
Nikol
No. The command is not written into the walls. Those marks only regulate the chamber and the foundation’s flow.
A dim pattern flickers beneath Vast Shadow’s sealed chest armor, visible only when the foundation pulse passes through its frame. It shifts with the creature rather than the stone.
Veyra
Then the command travels within the guardian itself, bound to whatever remains beneath that armor. The walls are only carrying power to it.
Elma
That explains why breaking its footing weakened the restoration. We should search the guardian, not the chamber, for the command’s true anchor.
Vast Shadow braces on one arm, unable to stand, while the faint inner pattern pulses beneath its chest. Below Veyra, the foundation heart answers with a slower beat.
Chrom
Then its body is the battlefield. We have exposed its weakness, and we must reach the command before the foundation gives it another form.
“"Then... Chrom! See if your Falchion can sever the command between the foundation and the command somehow!" Raphael exclaims, making a hopeful guess and praying his suggestion works.”
SUCCESS (Superb Reasoning, rolled +1)
Raphael Kirsten
Then... Chrom! See if your Falchion can sever the command between the foundation and the command somehow!
Raphael points from the pulsing foundation below to the shifting pattern beneath Vast Shadow’s chest armor, making his hopeful guess plainly.
Chrom
I will try. If the command is linked through the foundation, the Falchion may cut the connection without destroying the guardian.
Chrom raises Arcetonium Falchion and sends a narrow golden current through the air. It follows the foundation pulse into Vast Shadow’s chest, then divides the dark command from its silver source.
Nikol
The link is severed! The foundation is no longer repairing the command, and the pattern inside the guardian has stopped shifting.
The slower heartbeat beneath the chamber falls silent. Vast Shadow’s chest armor loses its dark sheen, leaving the inner command exposed and powerless beneath the fractured plates.
Veyra
You have cut the corruption’s support. Now the guardian can no longer draw upon the foundation, and its command is finally isolated.
“Is the command the only thing sustaining the Vast Shadow?”
YES (Unlikely, rolled 25)
The command flickers once beneath Vast Shadow’s fractured armor, then goes dark. No second ward, hidden anchor, or deeper pulse answers it.
Nikol
Confirmed. The command was the only thing sustaining its form. Without that link, the shadow has no independent source of power.
Vast Shadow’s armor loses all cohesion. The dark plates loosen into weightless fragments of dim light, while the faceless shape sinks motionless against the broken stone.
Veyra
Then the guardian was never choosing to pursue you. The command gave it purpose, strength, and existence. Remove the command, and nothing remains to obey.
Chrom
The foundation is quiet. I felt no resistance after the severing, and the Falchion has taken nothing further from the heart.
The Vast Shadow’s remaining form dissolves into pale motes that drift upward through the chamber. The vertical shaft still churns below Veyra, but its crown-split sigil begins to fade.
Elma
Then we have not merely weakened it. We have ended the force sustaining it. Now we must learn what that awakened foundation intends to do without its guardian.
“"How do we do that?" Raphael scratches his head and looks at Nikol. "Are there any symbols or patterns in this stuff that you can decipher?" He asks, a bit clueless on this front.”
SUCCESS (Superb Reasoning, rolled +0)
Raphael Kirsten
How do we do that? Are there any symbols or patterns in this stuff that you can decipher?
Raphael scratches his head and looks to Nikol. Around them, the fading crown-split sigil and the shaft’s silver channels settle into a readable arrangement.
Nikol
Yes. The symbols are changing now that the guardian is gone. They are not calling for another vessel. They are describing a release sequence.
Nikol kneels beside the shaft and follows the illuminated marks with one careful finger, comparing the crown, the split line, and three descending circles.
Nikol
The foundation intends to purge the corrupted command from its lower channels, then return the stolen power to the Cloudlit Lanes. It is trying to restore the empire’s routes.
Veyra
That is what the old heart was built to do. Without its guardian, it can finally release the power it has held in fear of repeating the command.
Elma
Then we know its purpose, and we can help it complete the release. Raphael’s question gave us the meaning we needed before touching anything.
✓ Quest Accepted
Complete the foundation's release sequence
− Scene Quest Removed
Stop the thing below from reaching the house
“Are there touchable mechanisms here we can use?”
NO (Likely, rolled 78)
The illuminated symbols settle into a single flowing pattern across the shaft walls. No levers, locks, sockets, or other touchable mechanisms appear anywhere around the foundation heart.
Nikol
There is nothing here we can operate by hand. The release sequence is entirely magical, and its symbols are instructions rather than controls.
Nikol checks the stone rim, the descending circles, and the silver channels without finding any physical interface. The marks remain just beyond reach, glowing beneath the surface.
Veyra
The heart was built to release power on its own once the command was removed. Touching the markings would accomplish nothing, and disturbing the channels could only interrupt the sequence.
Elma
Then we cannot guide it with our hands. We can only observe whether the release completes safely, and respond if the heart shows another change.
Chrom
That is clear enough. The foundation has begun its work, and we should not force an action where none was provided.
Below them, silver light continues descending through the shaft in measured waves. The Cloudlit Lanes answer with distant chimes, but no mechanism emerges from the ancient stone.
“Raphael looks up at where the chimes are coming from, trying to figure out what's going on. Still, if all they can do is wait, he decides he might as well try to learn a little about their newest companion. "...So, Veyra. Uh... What was your life like before, you know... the empire fell?"”
SUCCESS (Superb Reasoning, rolled +2)
Raphael looks up toward the distant chimes. Their echoes pass through the shaft and across the Cloudlit Lanes, while the foundation’s silver release continues without interruption.
Raphael Kirsten
...So, Veyra. Uh... What was your life like before, you know... the empire fell?
Veyra rests one hand against the shaft’s stone rim. The fading light catches her stern features as she listens to the chimes, then turns toward Raphael.
Veyra
I was a warden of Falcon’s Rest, trained to protect its refuge chambers and guide families through the cloudways. I knew these foundations as living roads, not ruins.
Veyra
Before the fall, I taught young wardens, maintained the sanctuary seals, and carried messages between the King's Court and the homes below. Most days were quiet. We believed the empire would endure.
Another chime sounds overhead, softer than the first. Veyra’s gaze follows its echo toward the distant towers, and the silver channels brighten beneath her hand.
Veyra
When the safeguards began failing, I stayed at Falcon’s Rest to shelter those who reached it. The empire fell beyond these walls, but my duty remained. I have been waiting ever since for someone to make the heart release what it was holding.
“Does Veyra know what the heart is holding?”
YES (VeryLikely, rolled 61)
Veyra
I know what it holds. The heart has gathered the empire’s unspent creation, the power drained from its wards when the corruption began.
Veyra’s hand tightens against the stone rim. Silver light passes beneath her fingers, carrying faint images of towers, bridges, and sealed chambers suspended within the glow.
Veyra
It was meant to preserve that power until the failed command could be corrected. Instead, fear made the heart keep everything. The empire’s strength became a prison.
Elma
Then the release is not merely restoring the lanes. It is opening a reservoir filled with everything Kholyra lost when its safeguards turned against it.
Nikol
That explains the scale of the response. If the heart releases all of it at once, the Cloudlit Lanes may awaken beyond their surviving paths.
Veyra
Yes, and that is why I waited. The heart holds one final thing besides power: the memory of Kholyra’s first creation. If released carelessly, it may rebuild what the empire was, not what the living world needs.
Chrom
Then we must learn what that first creation was before the release reaches it. Raphael, this heart may be carrying the empire’s oldest secret.
“"Then we gotta figure out what that secret is!" Raphael kneels down and peers at the heart, searching for any possible clues that could help them figure out the secret.”
SUCCESS (Good Perception, rolled +3)
Raphael Kirsten
Then we gotta figure out what that secret is!
Raphael kneels beside the heart and peers into its silver currents. He follows the repeating shapes beneath the light, tracing how the oldest power gathers around one hidden memory.
The heart answers his searching gaze. Its glow opens into a clear vision of Kholyra’s first creation: not a tower or weapon, but a living sky-seed planted above the clouds.
Nikol
That seed created the first cloudways. It was the source pattern for every bridge, tower, ward, and foundation in the empire.
Veyra
Yes. Kholyra was built around it. The first creation was meant to grow with the living world, shaping safe paths wherever people needed them.
The vision shifts, revealing a radiant seed beneath the King's Court. Its roots spread through the clouds, and one untouched silver root extends beyond Kholyra toward the lands below.
Elma
That is the advantage we needed. The seed is not only a memory. Its living root still reaches beyond the empire, offering a path to restore what Kholyra lost without rebuilding its old rule.
− Story Quest Removed
Keep the court's power from waking before the group is prepared
“Is the living root another form of the portal that brought the group from Fódlan to Kholyra?”
YES (Even, rolled 40)
The vision follows the silver root beyond Kholyra. It reaches the buried gateway beneath Fódlan, where its living tendrils curl through the same ancient threshold that first transported the group.
Nikol
Confirmed. The root is not merely connected to the gateway. It is the gateway's living continuation, carrying the same creation pattern through both worlds.
Within the heart’s vision, the root pulses once. The distant gateway answers across the clouds, and a faint image of Fódlan appears among the silver currents.
Elma
Then our arrival was not an accident or a one-way passage. The root reached for the gateway because Kholyra’s first creation still recognizes the world beyond it.
Veyra
That explains why the empire awakened when the portal opened. The root has been searching for a path back to the living world since Kholyra fell.
Chrom
And it gives us a route home, if the passage can be restored safely. We must learn whether the root can carry people without reviving Kholyra’s old corruption.
Nikol
The root is stable, but its connection is incomplete. If we align the heart’s release with the gateway, we may reopen the passage and preserve the route between both worlds.
“"I don't really know how we'd do that..." Raphael blinks in confusion, standing back up and looking at Elma. "Can you make sense of any of this? Or, figure out how we can reopen the way back to Fódlan?"”
SUCCESS (Superb Reasoning, rolled +0)
Raphael Kirsten
I don't really know how we'd do that... Can you make sense of any of this? Or figure out how we can reopen the way back to Fódlan?
Raphael blinks in confusion, stands upright, and looks to Elma. The heart’s silver currents continue flowing around the vision of the living root.
Elma
I can make sense of it. The root recognizes the gateway as part of itself. If we let the heart release its power through that connection, the passage will reopen.
Nikol
The alignment is clear. The gateway’s buried threshold is answering now, and the root can carry a stable route between Kholyra and Fódlan.
Elma places her hand above the silver current without touching it. The heart responds, sending a gentle wave along the root toward the distant gateway.
Elma
There. The way is open. We can return to Fódlan, and the route will remain connected to Kholyra without restoring the corruption.
The vision widens into a clear image of the gateway beneath Fódlan. Its ancient threshold now glows with living silver light, forming an open passage through the heart’s currents.
✓ Quest Accepted
Cross the opened passage to Fódlan together
Quest Complete
Complete the foundation's release sequence
Attribute Upgrade: Reasoning Superb→Legendary
“Is the passage accessible from where the group is now?”
YES (Likely, rolled 36)
The heart’s vision becomes solid around them. A silver stair rises from the foundation chamber, following the living root toward a distant arch of light.
Nikol
The passage is accessible from here. The root has formed a direct route, and its supports are stable enough for all of us to cross.
Silver leaves unfold along the stair, revealing glimpses of the Cloudlit Lanes, the open gateway beneath Fódlan, and the space between worlds. Nothing blocks the route.
Veyra
This is the first true road Kholyra has opened in centuries. It does not lead through the court or any guarded ruin. It leads straight to the living threshold.
Elma
The way home is not merely visible. It is within reach, and it remains connected to the place we found.
Chrom
Then we can return without abandoning Kholyra. The passage is open from our position, and the heart is preserving it for us.
At the stair’s far end, the gateway’s silver opening widens into a clear doorway. Wind from Fódlan moves through the foundation chamber, carrying rain, earth, and distant living voices.
“"Woohoo! Home, here we come!" Raphael raises his hands and cheers as he looks at the path ahead. "Chrom, wanna race?" He asks with a grin.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +1)
Raphael Kirsten
Woohoo! Home, here we come! Chrom, wanna race?
Raphael raises both hands and cheers, then grins toward Chrom. The silver stair gleams beneath him, carrying the scent of rain and living earth from Fódlan.
Chrom
A race? Very well! I accept, but do not blame me when the Exalt of Ylisse reaches home first.
Chrom laughs and breaks into a run along the living-root path. Raphael races beside him, their footsteps ringing across the silver leaves as the gateway widens ahead.
Nikol
The supports are stable! You can both run safely, though I recommend keeping your pace within the marked center.
Elma
Go on, Raphael! The road is open, and Fódlan is waiting. Just remember that winning the race does not mean leaving everyone behind.
Chrom
You are quick, Raphael! Let us cross together and make this return worth celebrating!
Quest Complete
Have Elma explain what she knows about the corruption
Skill Upgrade: Lore Mediocre
“Is there anything else on the pathway down to Fódlan?”
NO (Unlikely, rolled 75)
The living-root pathway descends through clear silver light toward Fódlan. No guardian, broken span, hidden gate, or shifting ward interrupts the route ahead.
Nikol
Confirmed. The passage remains continuous all the way to the gateway. Its supports are stable, and there is nothing concealed along the descent.
The silver leaves beneath Raphael and Chrom continue unfolding in an unbroken line. Rain-dark earth and green growth become clearer beyond the widening arch.
Elma
Then the way is exactly what it appears to be: a safe return, not another trial waiting beneath the light.
Veyra
Kholyra has opened this road without placing a final guardian upon it. I will remember that the empire could still offer passage without demanding obedience.
Chrom
Good. We can cross without drawing the Falchion or spending more power. Fódlan is close now, and the route behind us remains open.
Ahead, the gateway’s threshold resolves into familiar stone beneath the clouds. The path stays quiet and unobstructed as the companions race toward the living world.
“Raphael continues down the path, admiring the view of his homeland from above. He slows his pace, putting an arm around Nikol and laughing. "Isn't this awesome, little buddy? Check out the view!"”
Raphael continues down the silver path, slowing as Fódlan spreads beneath the clouds. Rivers gleam through green valleys, and distant hills rise beneath the clear archway.
Raphael Kirsten
Isn't this awesome, little buddy? Check out the view!
He slips an arm around Nikol and laughs, keeping his pace gentle while the living-root leaves carry them safely toward the familiar gateway.
Nikol
It is remarkable. From this height, the gateway’s connection to the land is much clearer. The root is carrying more than travelers.
Elma
Fódlan is beautiful from here. I understand why returning matters so much, Raphael. The view makes the distance we crossed feel real.
Chrom
And it reminds us what awaits beyond the threshold. Come, friends. Let us reach solid ground together, without hurrying past this sight.
Nikol leans safely beneath Raphael’s arm as the group descends. Below, familiar stone, rain-dark earth, and living green draw steadily nearer through the silver light.
“Is the path leading to where the group first got sent to Kholyra?”
YES (VeryLikely, rolled 19)
The silver path descends toward the familiar gateway beneath Fódlan. Its living roots curve through the clouds and join the ancient threshold exactly where the group first entered Kholyra.
Nikol
Confirmed. This is the same gateway. The root has restored the route from the foundation chamber directly to the place that first carried us into the empire.
The gateway’s weathered stones brighten as the companions approach. Their old markings now match the silver leaves beneath the path, revealing that the buried threshold was part of Kholyra’s living root all along.
Elma
Then our arrival and our return are connected by the same creation. Kholyra did not merely open a door to Fódlan. Its first creation reached through the gateway and brought us here.
Chrom
That means the passage is not a temporary escape route. We can return to Kholyra from this gateway, provided the heart continues sustaining the connection.
Nikol
The route remains stable in both directions. Its power is flowing from the restored foundation through the root, so the gateway should remember Kholyra even after we cross.
Beyond the widening archway, rain-dark earth waits below. Behind the group, the silver path remains visible through the clouds, a clear road between Fódlan and the newly awakened empire.
“Raphael turns to look up at the city, as he and the others near the end of the road. He tilts his head and smiles at Veyra. "You gonna visit Fódlan with us? I promise you won't regret it! If you come with us, I'll convince my grampa and little sis to let you stay at the inn for free, and I'll treat you to my cooking!" His mouth waters, already looking forward to the prospect, but who knows if Veyra would accept or not.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +2)
The living-root path carries them toward the gateway’s final arch. Raphael turns to the cloudbound city behind them, its towers glowing softly through the thinning rain.
Raphael Kirsten
You gonna visit Fódlan with us? I promise you won't regret it! Come with us, and I'll convince my grampa and little sis to let you stay at the inn for free. I'll treat you to my cooking!
Raphael tilts his head toward Veyra with a broad smile. His mouth waters at the thought of cooking for her, while the familiar gateway opens wide below.
Veyra
Yes. I will visit Fódlan with you, Raphael, and accept your family’s hospitality. Falcon’s Rest has waited long enough for me to see a living world again.
Veyra steps fully onto the silver path beside the group. Behind her, Kholyra’s towers remain quiet, while ahead, green valleys and rain-dark earth rise into view.
Elma
Then Fódlan will gain a warden, and your family will gain a guest with an extraordinary history. I hope your cooking is ready for her.
Nikol
The gateway can support Veyra’s passage without destabilizing. We can all cross together, and the living root will preserve the route behind us.
“Will the gateway remain open after crossing?”
YES (VeryLikely, rolled 59)
The gateway remains open as Elma, Chrom, Nikol, and Veyra cross into Fódlan. Silver roots continue glowing between worlds, holding the passage steady instead of sealing behind them.
Nikol
Confirmed. The connection is persistent. The route is not closing, and its flow remains stable on both sides of the threshold.
Beyond the arch, rain-dark earth and green valleys spread beneath the open sky. Behind them, Kholyra remains visible through the living silver passage, unchanged and reachable.
Elma
Then returning will remain possible. We have not lost Kholyra by crossing, and Raphael will not be separated from either world.
A rising stone passage still seals Raphael within the gateway chamber, leaving him behind the threshold while the others stand safely in Fódlan. The open route shines clearly between them.
Veyra
The road remains open, but Raphael is still enclosed. I will not leave him sealed away after he gave me a living world to see.
Chrom
Then we know the way home is secure. We return through the gateway and free Raphael before anyone settles into celebration.
“"Don't worry, I got this!" Raphael has no idea where this stone wall came from or how he got stuck behind it, but he isn't about to let it stop him. "HRAAAAGH!" He lets out a mighty yell, charging at the wall with his shoulder forward, trying to smash it apart!”
SUCCESS (Superb Strength, rolled +0)
Raphael Kirsten
Don't worry, I got this! HRAAAAGH!
Raphael charges with his shoulder forward and slams into the rising stone passage. The wall bursts apart in a thunderous shower of dust and fractured stone, opening the chamber to the others.
The impact drives Raphael to one knee. His shoulder throbs sharply, and the remaining stone grinds down around him before settling into a broken arch.
Elma
Raphael! You are free, but that was a costly way through. Let me see your shoulder.
Chrom
You broke the passage without weakening the gateway. Impressive, though I would prefer you not make a habit of meeting walls head-on.
Elma crosses the threshold and reaches toward Raphael’s bruised shoulder while Chrom and Nikol step through the rubble. Behind them, the open silver roots continue shining between Fódlan and Kholyra.
Veyra
The stone held you only because the gateway was shifting. Now it recognizes the passage as open. Come, Raphael. We will leave this chamber together.
✓ Quest Accepted
Stabilize Raphael's injured shoulder
“Is Raphael's shoulder seriously injured?”
YES (Unlikely, rolled 25)
Elma examines Raphael’s shoulder beneath the dust and torn cloth. The bruising is deep, and the joint reacts sharply when she tests its stability, making clear the injury is more than a passing ache.
Elma
It is seriously injured, Raphael. Nothing appears broken, but the impact has badly strained the shoulder. You must not force it again.
Elma supports his arm carefully and guides him away from the fractured arch. Even that small movement sends a sharp pulse through the bruised shoulder, while the gateway’s silver roots continue glowing behind them.
Chrom
Then we treat it before we travel farther. The gateway is stable, and no threat is pressing us. There is no honor in worsening an injury through impatience.
Veyra
The chamber beyond the threshold has sheltered travelers before. We can settle Raphael there while Elma tends him, and I will watch the passage.
Nikol
The route remains open and structurally sound. Raphael’s condition is the immediate concern, not the gateway.
Elma
Stay still for now. With rest and treatment, the shoulder should recover, but you will need to let us help instead of carrying this alone.
− Scene Quest Removed
Cross the opened passage to Fódlan together
“"Alright... Sorry, guys." Raphael sits down, looking embarrassed and dejected. "I didn't wanna keep you waiting while I was stuck behind that wall, but getting my shoulder hurt ended up slowing us down anyways." He looks at Elma. "I'm guessing you don't have any ice on you, but is there any other way you can stop the swelling?" He asks.”
SUCCESS (Superb Health, rolled +0)
Raphael lowers himself onto a cushion, cradling his injured shoulder as he settles. The movement sends a sharp pulse through the bruising, but he keeps still afterward.
Raphael Kirsten
Alright... sorry, guys. I didn't wanna keep you waiting while I was stuck behind that wall, but hurting my shoulder slowed us down anyway.
Raphael Kirsten
I'm guessing you don't have ice, Elma, but is there another way to stop the swelling?
Elma
Do not apologize for needing help. We have cool water, clean cloth, and herbs in the chamber. That will ease the swelling if you rest.
Elma fetches a water vessel and folds a cloth around it, then adds crushed leaves from Veyra’s travel stores. She presses the cool herbal bundle gently against Raphael’s shoulder.
Elma
There. Keep the shoulder relaxed and let the treatment work. The swelling will lessen, and you should avoid lifting with that arm until it recovers.
The coolness spreads through the bruised joint, dulling its sharp ache. Chrom gives Raphael an encouraging nod while Nikol quietly arranges a cushion to support his arm.
Quest Complete
Stabilize Raphael's injured shoulder
“Will it take long for Raphael's shoulder to recover?”
YES (Likely, rolled 35)
Elma keeps the cool herbal bundle against Raphael’s shoulder and watches the swelling carefully. The pain eases, but the joint remains stiff and tender beneath her touch.
Elma
This will not heal in a day or two. The strain is deep, and you will need several weeks of rest and treatment before that shoulder is reliable again.
Raphael Kirsten
Several weeks, huh? Guess I really did hit that wall harder than I thought.
Elma
Yes. You may walk and help in ordinary ways, but lifting, striking, or forcing that arm could reopen the injury and lengthen the recovery.
Nikol adjusts the cushion beneath Raphael’s arm, keeping the shoulder supported. Chrom’s expression turns solemn, while Veyra glances toward the open gateway and the road beyond.
Chrom
Then our pace must account for it. We have a safe gateway and no immediate pursuit. Protecting Raphael now means refusing to spend his strength carelessly.
Veyra
Falcon’s Rest can provide shelter while he heals. The empire has waited centuries already. It can wait a little longer for its newest guest.
“"Come on, my shoulder may be messed up, but that doesn't mean we can't keep walking to Fódlan." Raphael smiles, trying to reassure the others. "If there's nothing dangerous along the path, then I can keep walking without worrying about straining my shoulder." He looks towards Chrom pleadingly, hoping he can help convince the others that they can make it to Fódlan instead of being stuck here for weeks.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Reasoning, rolled -2)
Raphael Kirsten
Come on, my shoulder may be messed up, but that doesn't mean we can't keep walking to Fódlan. If the path is safe, I can manage without straining it.
Raphael smiles toward Chrom, keeping his injured arm supported against the cushion. His practical explanation turns the question from healing speed to whether the gateway path is genuinely safe.
Chrom
You are right about the path. Nothing dangerous is pressing us, and walking carefully will not worsen the shoulder. We will continue to Fódlan.
Elma
I agree, provided you keep that arm supported and stop if the pain sharpens. I will walk beside you and watch your pace.
Nikol
The route remains stable, but I need to recheck the gateway’s markings before we leave. That will take some time, and I cannot yet confirm how long the return crossing will remain open.
Nikol studies the silver roots and compares their fading channels while Veyra watches the passage. After the careful check, the group gathers their provisions and begins walking toward Fódlan at a measured pace.
✓ Quest Accepted
Cross to Fódlan together
“Is the group almost to Fódlan?”
YES (Likely, rolled 16)
The silver path descends through thinning cloud, and the gateway’s weathered stones grow large ahead. Beyond its arch, green hills and rain-dark earth are clearly visible.
Nikol
We are almost there. The gateway is less than a quarter-hour ahead at this pace, and its connection remains stable.
Fresh wind reaches them from Fódlan, carrying wet soil, river water, and distant birdsong. Behind them, Kholyra’s towers fade into the high mist.
Elma
You can see home now, Raphael. Keep your arm supported, and we will reach solid ground without asking that shoulder for more than it can give.
Chrom
The crossing is nearly complete. Once we arrive, we can find proper shelter, food, and a place for Raphael to recover.
The path carries them beneath the gateway’s silver arch. Fódlan’s familiar sky opens beyond it, while the living road remains bright behind them, still linking both worlds.
Veyra
I have waited centuries to see a living horizon again. Fódlan is close enough now that even Falcon’s Rest feels very far away.
“"Ah, home, sweet home!" Raphael smiles widely as the group enters Fódlan, and he steps off the path. "See any buildings or anything nearby, Nikol? We can try to find my grandpa and little sis's inn," he suggests.”
SUCCESS (Good Perception, rolled +0)
Raphael Kirsten
Ah, home, sweet home! See any buildings or anything nearby, Nikol? We can try to find my grandpa and little sis's inn.
Raphael smiles broadly as he steps off the living path onto rain-dark earth, keeping his injured shoulder supported while Fódlan’s wind moves through the grass.
Nikol
Yes. I can see a village beyond those trees, and there is a familiar red awning near its center. That should be your family’s inn.
Nikol points toward clustered rooftops and a red awning visible between wet branches. The route from the gateway is clear, though the rain hides the inn’s sign.
Elma
Then we have found the right direction. We should stay together and let Raphael lead us to the place he knows.
Nikol
I am confident about the village and the awning, but I cannot read the name from here. We will need to confirm it at closer range.
Veyra steps onto Fódlan’s earth behind them, pausing beneath the open gateway as the silver road continues shining toward Kholyra. The group turns toward the village.
✓ Quest Accepted
Reach Raphael’s family inn
Quest Complete
Cross to Fódlan together
“Is the rain heavy enough to hinder the group?”
NO, AND WORSE (Unlikely, rolled 91)
The rain remains a steady, manageable drizzle, barely darkening the road. Then a deep rumble rolls from the trees, and the earth beneath the village path gives way.
Nikol
The rain is not hindering us. The road is. A section ahead has collapsed into a widening washout, and the village side is beginning to slide.
Mud pours across the lower track, carrying branches and loose stones toward the clustered homes. The red awning remains visible, but the direct route is now cut by a fast-growing gully.
Elma
That is worse than a difficult crossing. If the ground keeps moving, the houses nearest the slope may be threatened. We need another way around.
Chrom
Then we will not charge into unstable ground. Nikol, find a safer approach. Veyra, watch the gateway and the retreat.
Veyra
The gateway is holding, but the earth beneath it is trembling. This is no ordinary washout. Something below the village may be disturbing the soil.
Another section of road sinks with a wet crack, leaving the group stranded between the gateway and the village. The red awning vanishes behind a curtain of mud and rain.
“"Oh no... The people could be in danger!" Raphael's expression turns full of worry and panic. "This is a long shot, but Veyra, do you have any magic or anything that could stop the mudslide from reaching the village?"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Reasoning, rolled +1)
Raphael Kirsten
Oh no... The people could be in danger! This is a long shot, but Veyra, do you have any magic or anything that could stop the mudslide from reaching the village?
Veyra turns toward the collapsing slope, her expression sharpening. She kneels and presses both palms into the rain-dark earth as silver warding lines spread beneath the road.
Veyra
Yes. Falcon’s Rest taught me a binding ward for unstable foundations. It will divert the mud into the old drainage ravine and keep it from the village.
Veyra draws a crown-split mark through the soil. Silver light races uphill, then descends beneath the washout, forming a broad channel that turns the rushing mud away from the homes.
Veyra
The ward is holding. The village is safe from this slide, though the lower road will remain buried until the rain stops.
The gully’s flow bends with a deep roar, pouring into the empty ravine instead of the clustered houses. The red awning reappears beyond the thinning curtain of mud.
Elma
Raphael, you saw the danger before any of us reached the village. Veyra’s ward has answered it, and the people are safe.
“Will Veyra's ward hold long enough to keep the mudslide at bay until the rain stops?”
NO (Likely, rolled 73)
The silver channel beneath the washout flickers. Mud surges over its banks, spilling back toward the lower road as rainwater thickens the flow.
Veyra
The ward will not hold until the rain stops. The ravine is filling, and the next break may send the slide toward the village again.
A fresh crack splits the slope above the drainage ravine. The diverted mud slows for one breath, then pushes around the glowing crown-split mark.
Chrom
Then we have bought time, not safety. We must warn the villagers and find what is disturbing the ground before the ward fails completely.
Nikol
The subsidence is spreading beneath the road. I can identify the weakest section, but the rain is obscuring the old drainage channels.
Elma
Veyra’s ward has kept the first surge away from the homes. Now we need to move quickly, before the earth chooses a new path.
“Raphael looks at his wounded shoulder and then at a large boulder at the base of the hill. "...I know you said you didn't want me pushing myself, but I can't just do nothing when my hometown's in danger!" He slides down the muddy slope and extends both arms towards the large boulder, trying to push it into a position to block the mudslide and divert it away from the nearby buildings!”
FAILURE (Superb Strength, rolled +0)
Raphael Kirsten
I know you said you didn't want me pushing myself, but I can't just do nothing when my hometown's in danger!
Raphael slides down the muddy slope and plants both hands against the boulder. His injured shoulder flares sharply as he strains, but the stone only grinds partway before sinking into the saturated earth.
The boulder fails to block the mudslide. Instead, its movement tears open a narrow channel beneath the hillside, exposing old stonework and a buried drainage mouth angled away from the village.
Veyra
You could not move it far enough, but you revealed an older course. If we clear that mouth, the water and mud may drain safely into the ravine.
Elma
Raphael, stop using that shoulder. You found the opening we need, but let us handle the clearing before the slope shifts again.
Nikol
I can confirm the channel reaches beneath the road and joins the ravine farther downstream. The boulder has become a brace, but the buried mouth is clogged.
Chrom
Then we have a workable path. Raphael, hold back while we clear it, and Veyra can reinforce the channel before the next surge.
✓ Quest Accepted
Clear the buried drainage mouth and keep the village safe
− Scene Quest Removed
Reach Raphael’s family inn
✓ Quest Accepted
Reach Raphael’s family inn
“Can the others clear the drainage path before the mudslide reaches us?”
YES, AND MORE (Likely, rolled 4)
Elma
Raphael, stay back. We have the opening, and we can clear it without asking your shoulder for more.
Elma and Chrom brace the loosened stones while Nikol wedges a sturdy length of fallen timber beneath the clogged mouth. Veyra strengthens the old channel with silver warding lines.
Nikol
The blockage is giving way. The drainage course is broader than expected, and it will carry the surge beneath the road instead of toward the village.
The buried stones shift open. Water and mud rush into the ancient mouth, then thunder through the channel toward the distant ravine. The hillside steadies around the boulder.
Veyra
More than a drain. This course joins an old service road beneath the village, and its crown-split marks show a clear route to the homes.
The next surge pours harmlessly underground. Beyond the washout, a strip of raised stone emerges from the mud, forming a passable approach toward the red awning.
Chrom
The village is safe for now, and we have a way across. Raphael, you found the answer, but let us be the ones to finish carrying it.
− Scene Quest Removed
Clear the buried drainage mouth and keep the village safe
“"Okay... Thanks, guys." Raphael nods, letting out a sigh of relief as the mudslide flows away from the village. He starts to walk towards the village. "Ngh..." He grits his teeth and winces as sharp pain shoots through his shoulder. "Hey, Elma... You got anything that can dull the pain of my shoulder?"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Reasoning, rolled +4)
Raphael Kirsten
Okay... Thanks, guys. Hey, Elma... You got anything that can dull the pain in my shoulder?
Raphael starts toward the raised stone approach, but a sharp pulse shoots through his bruised shoulder. He grits his teeth and slows, keeping the arm supported.
Elma
I do. The same cooling herbs helped earlier. Hold still, and I will prepare a stronger draught for the pain.
Elma mixes crushed leaves with clean water from their stores and offers Raphael the bitter, cool draught. Within moments, the sharp pain dulls to a manageable ache.
Elma
There. It will not heal the shoulder, but it will make the walk bearable. Keep your arm close, and do not lift with it.
The medicine also steadies Raphael’s balance, making the raised stone route easier to cross. Veyra reinforces its edges with silver marks while the group proceeds toward the village.
Chrom
Good. We can reach the villagers safely now, and Raphael can do so without worsening his injury.
“Can we see any people in the village?”
NO (Likely, rolled 91)
The raised stone approach reaches the village edge without resistance. Rain beads on shuttered windows, and the red awning hangs over an empty doorway.
No villagers appear in the lanes, beneath the awnings, or behind the nearest windows. The homes stand intact, but every door is closed and every hearth is dark.
Nikol
Confirmed. I can see no people anywhere in the village, and I detect no movement behind the visible windows.
Elma
Then they either left before the ground began to shift, or they are sheltered somewhere beyond our view. We should not assume which.
Veyra’s silver marks continue holding the drainage route behind them. Ahead, the empty road divides between the red-awning inn and a narrow lane descending toward the village’s lower homes.
Chrom
The village is quiet, but not abandoned beyond doubt. We will search carefully, check for signs of the people, and keep the safe route open.
Veyra
No voices, no lamps, and no answering wards. Whatever happened here, the villagers did not remain in the open when the earth began to fail.
“Raphael looks around and approaches the nearest building. He tries to peek through the window blinds and then looks to Chrom. "May as well knock and see if anyone's home, right?"”
SUCCESS (Good Perception, rolled +0)
Raphael approaches the nearest shuttered house and leans toward its window. Through the slats, he sees a dark sitting room, overturned chairs, and a child’s wooden toy left beneath the sill.
The view reveals no person, but dust around the inner doorway has been disturbed recently. Raphael cannot tell whether the marks belong to someone leaving or someone hiding.
Raphael Kirsten
May as well knock and see if anyone's home, right?
Chrom
Right. A knock is better than assuming the village is empty. We should listen carefully before entering any home.
Chrom steps nearer while Elma watches the lane and Veyra maintains the silver marks behind them. Nikol studies the disturbed dust through the window’s narrow gap.
Nikol
The marks are too faint to date precisely, but they continue toward the rear of the house. Someone may have left through another exit, or may still be inside.
“Is the door able to be opened?”
YES (Likely, rolled 38)
The knock echoes through the shuttered house. After a long pause, a concealed latch clicks, and the front door opens inward by itself.
A gaunt elderly woman stands behind it, wrapped in a faded green shawl over a gray dress. Her silver hair is braided tightly, and dust marks one cheek.
The Elderly Woman
You came from the road. Please, come inside quickly, before the ground shifts again.
Chrom raises one hand, keeping the group at the threshold while Elma studies the dark room beyond. The overturned chairs and scattered toys show a hurried departure.
The Elderly Woman
My family went below when the first houses began to slide. I stayed behind to listen for anyone trapped outside.
Nikol
The disturbed dust continues toward the rear passage. If the lower route remains open, your family may still be reachable.
“"We managed to stop the mudslide, so we shouldn't have to worry about any routes being covered up or anything, either," Raphael tries to assure the elderly woman as he steps inside the house. "Nikol, you got anything that could help light this place up?"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +0)
Raphael Kirsten
We managed to stop the mudslide, so we shouldn't have to worry about any routes being covered up or anything, either. Nikol, you got anything that could help light this place up?
Raphael steps inside, keeping his injured shoulder supported as he crosses the threshold. The elderly woman closes the door behind him, and the house settles around their footsteps.
The Elderly Woman
Then perhaps my family still has a chance. The rear passage leads to the cellar, but the darkness below made them afraid to return.
Nikol
I do. This hand-lantern uses stored glowstone, and it should provide enough light for the house and the cellar stairs.
Nikol opens his Variable Backpack and produces a bronze lantern. With a twist of its crystal shutter, warm blue light spreads across the room, revealing muddy footprints leading toward the rear passage.
The Elderly Woman
Those are theirs. They went below when the floor began to tremble. Please, follow them before the lower way shifts again.
The lantern’s glow reaches the rear hall, where a narrow cellar door stands ajar beneath a faded household charm. From below comes a faint, muffled call for help.
✓ Quest Accepted
Rescue the elderly woman’s family
“Is the ground shifting again even though we stopped the mudslide?”
YES (Likely, rolled 49)
The faint call from below cuts off as the house gives a slow, sideways lurch. Dust sifts from the ceiling, and the cellar door swings wider on its hinges.
The Elderly Woman
That is not the mudslide. The ground beneath the cellar is moving again, and my family is still down there.
Nikol lowers the blue lantern toward the cellar steps. The footprints continue downward, but fresh cracks now cross the stone beside them, pulsing with a dim amber glow.
Nikol
The surface drainage is stable. This movement originates below the house, likely along the old service route. Something has disturbed its foundation.
Elma
Then stopping the slide protected the village, but it did not remove the danger beneath it. We need to reach those people before the lower passage shifts again.
A muffled impact rolls up from the cellar, followed by a child’s frightened cry. The amber cracks brighten, and one stair settles several inches into the darkness.
Chrom
We go carefully, but we go now. Nikol, keep the lantern on the safe stones. Elma, stay beside the woman in case the house moves again.
“Raphael looks at Veyra. "Can your magic stabilize the house while we go down to find those people?" He asks, looking worried but hopeful.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +0)
Raphael Kirsten
Can your magic stabilize the house while we go down to find those people?
Veyra
Yes. I can brace its foundation and hold the cellar passage steady. Go, and I will keep the house standing.
Veyra kneels beside the rear hall and presses both palms to the floor. Silver lines spread through the walls, locking the house against the sideways strain.
The Elderly Woman
Thank you. Please bring them back. My grandchildren are below, and I heard them calling.
Veyra
The house is stable now, but the ward needs my full attention. Elma, stay with me and keep her safe.
Chrom leads down the cellar steps with Nikol’s blue lantern following each safe stone. Raphael descends behind him, while amber cracks pulse beneath the settling stairs.
Nikol
The lower route is holding. I detect a chamber ahead, and the voices are coming from it.
“Is anything blocking the chamber where the voices are?”
NO, AND WORSE (Unlikely, rolled 96)
The lower passage opens directly into a broad chamber. No door, rubble, or ward blocks the way, and the frightened voices echo clearly beyond the final bend.
Nikol
The chamber is accessible. However, the amber cracks converge beneath it, and their pressure is increasing.
A deep pulse rolls through the floor. The chamber’s stone basin splits along its center, and warm amber light pours upward around the distant figures.
The Elderly Woman
That is my family! They are trapped on the far side. The floor was whole when I last heard them.
Three small figures, two young human girls and a young human boy in mud-streaked brown, blue, and green clothes, huddled with frightened faces huddle beside an overturned storage cart while an older child waves from the chamber’s far ledge. The widening fissure separates them from the passage.
Chrom
The way is open, but the ground is breaking between us. Nikol, find a stable crossing. Raphael, stay ready, but do not rush into the fracture.
Elma
Veyra is holding the house above, so we have little time. We can reach them, but the chamber will not remain whole for long.
“"We don't have time to wait! I'll get those kids!" Raphael gets a running start before pushing off the ground. He's trying to jump over the fissure and reach the side where the children are trapped!”
FAILURE (Fair Agility, rolled -1)
Raphael Kirsten
We don't have time to wait! I'll get those kids!
Raphael takes a running start and launches over the widening fissure. His injured shoulder jolts as he reaches forward, and his boots fall short of the far ledge.
He catches the near edge with both hands, slamming against the stone. The impact sends sharp pain through his shoulder, but he holds fast as amber light surges below.
The Elderly Woman
Raphael! Do not pull yourself across! The ledge beneath the children is breaking too!
The fissure widens between them. Raphael’s weight tears loose a section of the near rim, leaving him hanging beside a narrow shelf that reaches only partway toward the trapped family.
Chrom
Hold on! Nikol, find a way to support that shelf. Raphael, do not try that jump again.
Nikol
The shelf is a natural bridge fragment. If we brace its near end, it may extend far enough for the children to cross, but Raphael must release the rim first.
“Is releasing the rim going to make Raphael fall into the fissure?”
NO (Likely, rolled 78)
The narrow shelf shifts beneath the fissure, but its weight settles against a buried stone brace. Raphael’s grip remains secure, and releasing the rim would not send him into the amber-lit gap.
Nikol
Confirmed. The shelf’s lower edge catches on the foundation. Raphael will drop only onto the shelf, not into the fissure, if he lets go.
Chrom
Then release the rim when you are ready. The shelf will bear you, and we can brace it before the children cross.
Nikol thrusts a collapsible support from his Variable Backpack beneath the shelf’s near end. The brace locks into a crack, stopping the fragment’s dangerous tilt as amber light pulses below.
The Elderly Woman
The children can reach that shelf now. Please, keep it steady long enough for them to cross.
Elma
Raphael is not falling. We have established that much. Nikol’s brace gives us a stable path, but the children must move carefully.
Older Child
We can do it. Stay there, please. We are coming across.
“With a grunt, Raphael pulls himself up onto the ledge. As the children begin to cross, he looks at Elma. "Elma, I'm... not sure how much longer I can keep going..." he says with a somber expression. He's hurt badly, and his shoulder injury is grave. "Make sure these kids are safe... please."”
SUCCESS (Superb Athletics, rolled +0)
With a strained grunt, Raphael hauls himself over the rim and onto the supported shelf. His injured shoulder gives a sharp, sickening throb, and his grip slips before he catches himself against the stone.
The children begin crossing one at a time, clutching the shelf’s rough edge as amber light pulses through the fissure below. Nikol keeps the collapsible brace locked beneath them.
Raphael Kirsten
Elma, I'm... not sure how much longer I can keep going. I'm hurt badly. Make sure these kids are safe... please.
Elma
I will. The children will reach us safely, and then I will treat your shoulder. Stay still and do not spend more strength than you must.
Older Child
We are crossing carefully. Please hold on, sir. We will get to the other side.
The older child reaches the near side, followed by the two younger girls and the young boy. Elma guides them toward Chrom while Raphael remains on the shelf, shoulder held close.
Quest Complete
Rescue the elderly woman’s family
Attribute Upgrade: Agility Fair→Good
✓ Quest Accepted
Bring Raphael safely across the fissure
“Is Raphael going to die?”
NO (VeryUnlikely, rolled 61)
The last child reaches Chrom’s side. Behind them, the supported shelf settles against its brace, and the amber fissure’s pulse weakens without taking Raphael with it.
Chrom
All four children are safe. Raphael, stay where you are. We will bring you across without asking that shoulder for another strain.
Elma
You are badly hurt, but you are not dying. Your breathing is steady, and I can treat the shoulder once we have you off this shelf.
Elma settles the children behind Chrom, then kneels at the shelf’s edge. Nikol keeps both hands locked around the collapsible brace as fresh cracks creep through the chamber floor.
Nikol
The support can hold briefly. I can extend it toward Raphael, but everyone must remain still while I secure the next section.
Older Child
He saved us. We can wait quietly. Please help him first.
Another amber pulse rolls beneath the stones, but the shelf remains supported. Elma reaches across the gap with a prepared cloth and herbs, keeping her voice calm as Raphael’s survival becomes certain.
− Scene Quest Removed
Reach Raphael’s family inn
“"Thanks..." Raphael nods and starts slowly walking towards Elma. He looks at Chrom. "Can you use your Arcetonium powers to move the rock I'm on and make it move to where you guys are?"”
SUCCESS (Good Agility, rolled +0)
Raphael Kirsten
Thanks... Can you use your Arcetonium powers to move the rock I'm on and bring it over to you guys?
Raphael nods and walks slowly toward Elma, keeping his injured shoulder close. The shelf shifts beneath his boots as he reaches toward the waiting group.
Chrom
I can. Hold steady, Raphael. I will move the stone beneath you, not pull you across the gap.
Chrom raises Arcetonium Falchion. Golden power gathers beneath the shelf and lifts the stone in a grinding surge, carrying Raphael and the rock safely across to the group.
The movement jolts Raphael hard enough to scrape one knee against the rough stone. His shoulder flares with sharp pain, but the rock settles beside Elma without breaking.
Elma
You made it across. Stay still now, Raphael. That shoulder has endured enough, and I can treat the pain properly once this ground settles.
Older Child
Thank you, sir. You came back to us, even when the stone was breaking.
Quest Complete
Bring Raphael safely across the fissure