[Overture] Death of a Craftsman, Revisited

[7:13 PM] SwaDM: Kiran had theorized quite long ago that he had died. That he had somehow died - yet he magically returned to life, without any tinge applied to him, without any direct encounter to the Void. Something almost peaceful. He will soon find out just how horribly, awfully wrong he was.
[7:14 PM] SwaDM: Though it is likely he has read a bit about the subject if only due to the necessity of medical and ressurection proccedures, to die is not something that could really be described in books when it comes to the feeling. The oddest part, perhaps, is that there was no pain whatsoever. There was nothing. He was alive - heavily wounded, yes. And then after a fraction of a second, everything went black. He simply never knew he died in the first place - until it happened.
[7:16 PM] SwaDM: There will be a fleeting sensation of thick liquid - almost as if it was a remarkably heavy water brushing against his limbs - numbing his body repeatedly, though being aware of it would have been a difficulty on it's own right. Yet rather abruptly, he will be feeling a tug that outright forces him out of that stream. Onto the material plane? It is hard to say. Kiran's senses will return to him in a frankly violent manner, as he finds himself adrift amidst white fog and innumerable ruins of varied forms of architechture.
[7:16 PM] SwaDM: GIven his long stay in the place by now, he would be able to tell that this very much appears to be Limbo.
[7:18 PM] Kiran: "How-"
[7:18 PM] Kiran: "... Lous?"
[7:19 PM] SwaDM: There is no Lous. Kiran will find that he is currently bereft of any sort of equipment or even clothes - though his body doesn't really appear to be physical. Rather it is a faintly shimmering, smooth and featureless thing - in admittedly remarkably dulled hues of shifting color.
[7:19 PM] SwaDM: The horizon that stretches out against him appears to be quite distant to where he was. He *can *spot he Tower of Remembrance...as the tiniest pinprick.
[7:20 PM] Kiran: A familiar array of colours?
[7:20 PM] SwaDM: Slightly.
[7:20 PM] SwaDM: Everything is, as stated, much too dulled.
[7:20 PM] Kiran: "... oh. Fuck."
[7:21 PM] Kiran: thinks over what he's heard from those who have passed, and immediately attempts to shift into cover along the route back toward the Tower.
[7:21 PM] SwaDM: What's particularly strange is that he can't even feel his body - not exactly. Muscle -bone, organs, none of that actually exists. Though Kiran's memory certainly serves him well. He might know what's coming. Moving in this form is - it's almost like swimming, but through thick sludge. It's slow. Frustrating.
[7:22 PM] SwaDM: Roll me a flat Dexterity check.
[7:23 PM] Kiran: Had to double-check what the modifier is without gear, apologies.
[7:24 PM] SwaDM: Kiran can, however, at least stabilize himself to a certain degree - preventing a rather horrible sensation. In his drift, he finds himself approaching a piece of rubble that actually appears to be from Niente, from all places. Yet as he approaches, a deafening coldness can be felt along the edges of his limbs. He is at least able to act quick enough to retract one of his hands, as it simply would've passed through the dome-like chunk of carved stune - and given the sensation, it...seemed like it would have hurt. Immensely.
[7:24 PM] SwaDM: Though he is certainly able to place himself behind said floating dome, Kiran will see a sickly purple light starting to emanate around the edges of the ruin he is taking cover in.
[7:25 PM] Kiran: will do his best to will himself to keep moving, away from the light.
[7:26 PM] SwaDM: Yet it will be unsucessful. Kiran is being watched, and breaking visual contact simply does not matter in this regard. Though as he tries to float along the cover, he will feel an almost...tickling sensation at the edges of his "body". This simple piece of stone - it is almost as if he can hear it. As if he can feel what it felt - which may very well have been the source of the strange pain that he almost found himself truly experiencing.
[7:27 PM] SwaDM: As these thoughts - and no doubt many others swim within his mind, however, he will be seeing what he simply would not want to, the inevitability of the situation only amplyfing a settling feeling of dread that Kiran - likely not even Lous could shake. Several tendrils of purple begin surrounding the ruin - though not only that, they appear...different. They're not exactly incorporeal.
[7:28 PM] SwaDM: Rather, past a small purple aura , they appear to be made of chunked up and unified inanimate material - rocks, mostly, though there are hints of wood, ice and other such things upon it.
[7:29 PM] Kiran: will process that he's a soul - and... will attempt one more thing while he's struggling to maintain the distance from it.
[7:29 PM] Kiran: DM, there is one thing that we have seen evidence that souls are still capable of.
[7:29 PM] SwaDM: Go ahead
[7:29 PM] Kiran: Kiran is going to attempt to perform the song Spera shared with him.
[7:29 PM] SwaDM: Interesting.
[7:30 PM] SwaDM: I'll ask for two thigns
[7:30 PM] SwaDM: One, you WILL have to give me a performance check
[7:30 PM] SwaDM: Secondly, I'll ask for a perception one.
[7:30 PM] Kiran: Absolutely.
[7:31 PM] SwaDM: Right.
[7:32 PM] SwaDM: It is, admittedly, more of a reflexive thing than anything. The facts are that Kiran is no singer. He has not practiced in any way whatsoever. He has only an admittedly foggy memory of the tune due to his nature as a disembodied soul at the moment. Yet it will not feel entirely pointless. Kiran will be able to keep his composure - attempting to emulate what he has heard of Spera to the best of his abilities, as the voidal tendrils close in.
[7:33 PM] SwaDM: And as he keeps a close eye on them, he will also be able to notice something else. It's subtle. But a sharp eye can pick up on it. They actually outright stop for a few moments. A few seconds, yes.  But it almost, almost feels like hesitation.
[7:34 PM] SwaDM: This, however, will not last. Due to his lack of practice, Kiran's tune will break in cadence as several of the tendrils seem to outright open at multiple points, unveiling a rather horrid sight.  Within the shell of inanimate material appears to lie...flesh. Pulsing, blackened red-purple flesh. And the moment Kiran's lack of practice causes this break - they plunge.
[7:34 PM] SwaDM: Rolling for Tinge, at a -1 modifier.
[7:34 PM] Kiran: What do I roll for that? 1d6?
[7:35 PM] SwaDM: Nah, I do it.
[7:35 PM] Kiran: Oh, misread that as "roll"
[7:35 PM] SwaDM: Yet they will cause far less of a wound then Kiran might even expect. He will only feel one digging into his shoulder - as if a wild animal had suddenly leapt upon him - sinking a myriad razor fangs within it...but tearing surprisingly little of it.
[7:35 PM] SwaDM: At which point, he will feel a deep pull within his gut..
[7:35 PM] SwaDM: Kiran comes back, only with 2 Tinge.
[7:36 PM] SwaDM: He is alive again, within the tent. There is a sharp, stinging pain in his shoulder, but it simply does not feel as bad as he heard from, say, Sandra. (edited)
[7:36 PM] Kiran: scrambles into a defensive position instinctively as he comes to consciousness
[7:37 PM] SwaDM: Kiran tries to. But his limbs are still limp - deadened. He manages but a shuffle, afore a pair of hands places itself upon the top of his chest - to prevent him from hurting himself - not Lous. Ious.
[7:37 PM] Kiran: "Wh-"
[7:37 PM] SwaDM: "Hey - hey. Calm yourself."
[7:37 PM] Kiran: "What- happ-"
[7:38 PM] Kiran: takes a few steadying breaths as he realises he's in a safe place.
[7:38 PM] SwaDM: "...Well. You...died, Kiran. Your friends are fine, though."
[7:38 PM] SwaDM: "Do you need some water? Do you want me to call them?"
[7:39 PM] Kiran: "Can I... I feel weak. And you probably won't let me go to them."
[7:39 PM] Kiran: slumps back.
[7:39 PM] Kiran: "Thank you, Lovis." (edited)
[7:39 PM] SwaDM: "Not just yet. There is an inherent fatigue in ressurections, Kiran."
[7:39 PM] SwaDM: "Right. Stay here, okay? We'll administer a recovery spell in just a moment."

---Later, during the main session---

[10:23 PM] Swad: It shall thankfulyl be a short walk, as Spera - or one of many Speras-  would be just outside, close to the Speramyd by the camp.
[10:23 PM] Jack: canes his way over to her.
[10:24 PM] Jack: "Hi Spera."
[10:24 PM] Swad: "Oh - Kiran! It's good to see you up!"
[10:24 PM] Jack: "Thanks. Lovis did great work, and everyone's been helpful."
[10:25 PM] Swad: She nods towards Kiran - there is a light- if somewhat worried "smile" upon her expression.
[10:25 PM] Swad: "You will recover quickly, I am sure of it. Just please be more careful next time."
[10:25 PM] Jack: "Yeah. We already talked about what I got wrong. I'll try harder."
[10:25 PM] Swad: "Of course. I did not mean to lecture. I just worry."
[10:26 PM] Jack: "It's okay. I have... good news? I think?"
[10:26 PM] Jack: "During the vision... thing. When the Void eats away a little at you while you're dead, I figured something out."
[10:27 PM] Swad: Spera...admittedly cringes somewhat.
[10:27 PM] Jack: "No, it's okay. It sucked, but I remembered what we talked about recently - souls can still sing."
[10:28 PM] Jack: "I... didn't remember it perfectly, because I was just a soul. And I'm not a naturally amazing singer. But it did something."
[10:28 PM] Swad: "When you say sing, do you mean...?"
[10:28 PM] Jack: "The lullaby you sang!"
[10:28 PM] Swad: "...Huh. Are you..quite sure, Kiran?"
[10:28 PM] Swad: "I mean no offense, I really don't, but..."
[10:28 PM] Swad: "Not only are you not a practiced singer, you don't...exactly know anything related to truespeech."
[10:29 PM] Swad: "I don't mean out of doubt, but more earnest surprise."
[10:30 PM] Jack: "I don't know how any of it works. I just tried to do it, and the Voidspawn that was pursuing me paused. Hesitated. And when it caught me, it felt like the... I don't know. Drain? Harm? It was less than I expected."
[10:30 PM] Jack: "So I don't get it. And I don't really want to encourage anyone to test it. But I think it helped."
[10:30 PM] Swad: "I...see."
[10:30 PM] Swad: "...Hm. This only happens to Beacons. Maybe a reaction to Glimmer...?"
[10:31 PM] Brolaire: "Could it not potentially be it reacting to the melody? More akin to humming a tune rather than singing a song word-for-word?"
[10:31 PM] Swad: "It could be, Lous."
[10:32 PM] Swad: "I don't...think anybody has thought of that. Mostly because I often only sang to Leon, and he never actually...died."
[10:34 PM] Jack: "Yeah. I don't... even think I could recite the words now. But you said it was instinctive when you did it, and it..."
[10:34 PM] Jack: "Well. It felt kind of like that with me, then."
[10:34 PM] Swad: "...Hm. This...might be quite...significant."
[10:34 PM] Swad: "I...might have to teach the song to  our beacons."
[10:34 PM] Jack: "That's what I wanted to suggest."
[10:34 PM] Swad: "If we can get further confirmation on this, it could be revolutionary, if you said it caused you less...pain."
[10:35 PM] Swad: "Viktoria certainly would appreciate it... I think."
[10:35 PM] Jack: "I don't know how much of a connection there is to the body during that time. Sandra said she summoned a sword in reality while fighting in the vision..."
[10:36 PM] Jack: "So maybe if I finish off the music box, we can try playing them next to the bodies of people before they're resurrected?"
[10:36 PM] Swad: "Maybe. We'll research this overtime, Kiran .Thank you for bringing this to me."
[10:36 PM] Jack: "No problem. If you need any help with it... just let me know."
[10:37 PM] Jack: "Think I'm going to go sit down, if that's okay."
[10:37 PM] Swad: "Of course. You all get as much rest as you need."
[10:37 PM] Jack: "Thanks Spera."
[10:38 PM] Jack: will hobble off after that.