[C2S3] Past-Kai stops existing. I mean not-existing. I mean-

[19:06] <Strategist14> You arrived at your house. Some of the lights that you had seen the first time you went through the loop were already faded by the time you arrived, presumably replaced by their new guardians. LOSAF was getting darker.
[19:09]  * Kai_River breathes into the lung to sleep until the day before his house appears.
[19:09] <Strategist14> You blink and wake back up.  The world is noticeably... darker... than it used to be.
[19:09]  * Kai_River looks around for a flower.
[19:10] <Strategist14> It's right there, in the middle of a suspiciously open space.
[19:10]  * Kai_River picks it up.
[19:11] <Strategist14> You pick up a bright cyan flower with six leaves.  Gain one (1) EVERBLOOMING AMARYLLIS.
[19:11] <Strategist14> Stats to come in Reddit for ease of linking to
[19:13] <Kai_River> Well... Kai isn't sure what to do now.
[19:14]  * Kai_River feels like he should be done the temple, but...
[19:14] <Kai_River> Is there any satisfaction as there were for the other temples?
[19:14] <Strategist14> There is not.
[19:15]  * Kai_River flies back to Slick.
[19:15] <Kai_River> "Slick?"
[19:16] <Strategist14> SS: I fulfilled my end of the agreement, Mr. River.
[19:16] <Kai_River> "I won't say you didn't."
[19:16] <Kai_River> "But, is there anything left for me to do?"
[19:17] <Strategist14> SS: Gouge the Murk.  Kill me.
[19:17]  * Kai_River nodded. "Right, that."
[19:21] <Kai_River> "And... How do you expect me to do that if you don't have a body?"
[19:21] <Strategist14> SS: The same way Usurious Haggler killed the angels we replaced.
[19:22] <Kai_River> "..."
[19:22] <Kai_River> "I'm sorry, what?"
[19:22] <Strategist14> SS: Patience died because of the actions of the Prince.
[19:22] <Strategist14> SS: I believe I said this.
[19:23] <Kai_River> "What prince?"
[19:23] <Strategist14> SS: The Prince of Mind.  Usurious Haggler.
[19:23] <Kai_River> "..."
[19:27] <Strategist14> SS: Mr. River, I will be sorely disappointed if you have forgotten.  This was considerably more recent from your perspective than from mine.
[19:29] <Kai_River> "In my defence, this is a lot to process."
[19:30] <Strategist14> SS: Take your time.  You have nothing but.
[19:31] <Kai_River> "So... The guardian has a class and aspect?"
[19:31] <Kai_River> "Is he a player?"
[19:31] <Strategist14> SS: He was, for a time.
[19:32] <Kai_River> "What happened?"
[19:32] <Strategist14> SS: In all likelihood, Mr. River, you did.
[19:32] <Kai_River> "I'm sorry?"
[19:33] <Strategist14> SS: You likely donated your power as the Prince of Mind, permitting him to put it to use himself and slay the six angels.
[19:33] <Kai_River> "Why would I do that?"
[19:35] <Strategist14> SS: Mr. River, my newfound power is primarily centered on the manipulation of time.  I assure you, something seeming unlikely only does so because the rest of the temporal loop enclosing it has not yet taken place.
[19:36] <Kai_River> "What, are you a player too?"
[19:37] <Strategist14> SS: No.
[19:38] <Kai_River> "Then how do you know so much about time?"
[19:38] <Strategist14> SS: I have had a long, long time to learn.
[19:39]  * Kai_River sighs.
[19:39] <Kai_River> "That's fair."
[19:39] <Strategist14> SS: Usurious Haggler explained it, once.  I assume he still knows, since it was him in the first place.
[19:40] <Kai_River> "So, what are you saying? That there's an alternate timeline where I gave him my powers, and that timeline somehow affected this one?
[19:40] <Strategist14> SS: Not an alternate timeline.  The future.
[19:40] <Kai_River> "How is the future affecting the past?"
[19:40] <Strategist14> SS: The future even from the perspective of the present, unmarred by this temple's influence.
[19:40] <Kai_River> "That makes no sense!"
[19:42] <Strategist14> SS: Time travel.
[19:42] <Kai_River> "But... Ugh!"
[19:43] <Kai_River> Frustrated, Kai tries to fly back to where UH was.
[19:44] <Strategist14> You arrive at the temple of Charity.  A ring of stones and one teal slab greet you.
[19:44] <Kai_River> "UH, did you take my Choice trial?"
[19:45] <Strategist14> UH does not respond.
[19:45] <Kai_River> Is there any other guardian present?
[19:45] <Strategist14> SS: Step forward four more days, five hours, and sixteen minutes.
[19:45] <Strategist14> Apparently Slick is still hanging around, even though you can't see him any more than any other guardian.
[19:46] <Kai_River> "Wait, you can still talk to me?"
[19:46] <Strategist14> SS: Catch up to the present, Mr. River.  Then you will be able to communicate once more.
[19:46]  * Kai_River sighs, and follows Slick's instructions.
[19:47] <Strategist14> SS: While you are under my temple's influence, you are connected to me but no one else.  This is why you were unable to interrupt Dark Lord and my arrival.
[19:48] <Strategist14> SS: When you reach the present, I will fall silent and you will be free of the temple, permitted to interact with others and affect the world once again.
[19:48]  * Kai_River nods.
[19:48] <Kai_River> "I promise, I will be back to free you."
[19:49] <Strategist14> SS: I will be waiting.
[19:49]  * Kai_River breathes into the lung to awaken in exactly four days, five hours, and sixteen minutes.
[19:50] <Strategist14> You blink.
[19:50] <Strategist14> UH: Riv!  Hey, you're just in time.
[19:50]  * Kai_River shakes his head.
[19:50] <Kai_River> "What did you do?"
[19:51] <Strategist14> UH: Exactly what I said I would!  You've caught up, it's time for what you're owed.
[19:52] <Kai_River> "You mean... I get to see Mom now?"
[19:52] <Strategist14> UH: Right on the first try!
[19:53] <Kai_River> "Wait, no, I'm getting distracted."
[19:53] <Kai_River> "Did you take my prince class?"
[19:54] <Strategist14> UH: I don't take things, Riv.  Charity isn't worth a thing if it's not freely given!
[19:55] <Kai_River> "Then... Why did I give it to you?"
[19:55] <Kai_River> "Wait, no, I haven't."
[19:55] <Kai_River> "Why... Will I?"
[19:55] <Strategist14> UH: Beats me!  Maybe you started feeling charitable?
[19:55] <Strategist14> UH: Hey, maybe you didn't even give it to me!
[19:56] <Kai_River> "What?"
[19:56] <Kai_River> "Don't you know?"
[19:56] <Strategist14> UH: Look, Riv.  Let's play "fill in the blanks", okay?
[19:56] <Kai_River> "... Fine."

[20:00] <Strategist14> UH: I know I got handed Prince and Bard of Mind, one use each, I know those are abilities you happen to have right now, and I know that giving things away to the past happens to be something only I am capable of.
[20:00] <Strategist14> UH: But!  But but but, Rivvy, I also know that that ability isn't mine, it belongs to the position I just so happen to hold.  And I know for a fact, Riv, that at some point you have to kill me, and someone else will get my beautiful, lovely Charity magic.
[20:00] <Strategist14> UH: So maybe you're right!  Maybe I did take them and give them to myself in the past so that I could take this job and get the ability to give them to myself in the past.  But who knows?
[20:00] <Strategist14> UH: That's what I love about this game.  Everything's an adventure!
[20:01] <Kai_River> "Why do all of you want to die?"
[20:01] <Strategist14> UH: Did I say that?  Of course I wanna live, Riv!
[20:01] <Strategist14> UH: But I still gotta die!
[20:02] <Kai_River> "Fine then, let me rephrase that."
[20:02] <Kai_River> "Why do all of you NEED to die?"
[20:03] <Strategist14> UH: Cuz, Riv, we're a plague.  A poisonous, pustulant, profane plague.  Everything wrong on this planet is because of us!
[20:04] <Kai_River> "So, the solution is to kill you instead of trying to help the land?"
[20:05] <Strategist14> UH: Sburb sure thinks so.  "Gouge the Murk", eh Riv?
[20:06] <Kai_River> "Well, maybe I don't want to."
[20:06] <Kai_River> "What then?"
[20:06] <Strategist14> UH laughs.
[20:07] <Strategist14> UH: Then all the filling in the blanks in the world won't be able to work out what's happening.
[20:08] <Kai_River> "What do you mean?"
[20:08] <Strategist14> UH: Let's say I don't die.  Just for fun.
[20:09] <Strategist14> UH: I live.  You go off the rails completely, give away the ties that bind you, and the game is left positively reeling!  What comes next?
[20:10] <Kai_River> "I... I don't know."
[20:10] <Strategist14> UH: Me neither!
[20:11] <Strategist14> UH: Wanna find out together?
[20:12] <Kai_River> "I... No, not particularly."
[20:12] <Kai_River> "But, I'm not going to kill you."
[20:12] <Strategist14> UH: Can't do neither!  Kill us all or don't kill us all.
[20:13] <Strategist14> UH: What'll it be, Rivvy?
[20:13] <Kai_River> "I'm not going to kill you, or any of the other guardians."
[20:13] <Kai_River> "That's final."
[20:13] <Strategist14> UH: Off the rails it is!
[20:13] <Strategist14> UH: Good man.  That's always been my favourite answer too.
[20:14] <Kai_River> "Then... What happens now?"
[20:15] <Strategist14> UH: Right this second?
[20:15] <Kai_River> "That, and later."
[20:16] <Strategist14> UH: Right this second, you say hi to your mum for me.  Later on...
[20:16] <Strategist14> He laughs again.
[20:16] <Strategist14> UH: Who knows!?
[20:16] <Strategist14> UH: Only one way to find out!
[20:18] <Kai_River> "So... I get to see Mom now?"
[20:18] <Strategist14> UH: Sure do.
[20:18] <Strategist14> UH: Be quick.  You only have a few hours.
[20:18] <Kai_River> "Wait, why?"
[20:20] <Strategist14> UH: Taking out a loan like this works on a time basis, Riv.  Unless you want to give away more in payment, your time is limited.
[20:22]  * Kai_River frowns.
[20:22] <Kai_River> "Fine."
[20:23] <Strategist14> UH: That can be arranged, if you like.
[20:23]  * Kai_River shakes his head.
[20:23] <Strategist14> UH: Alrighty then.  In that case, Riv, just say the word.
[20:24] <Kai_River> "Take me to mom."
[20:24] <Strategist14> And then you're in open space, wearing your dream pajamas, and floating roughly a mile away from Derse. The purple buildings lining the streets are surrounded in sickly yellow gas, and the palace seems to be particularly inundated with it.
[20:24] <Strategist14> While across most of Derse, the gas is content to flow through the streets in between the buildings without reaching up to engulf them entirely, the palace is not so lucky.
[20:24] <Strategist14> Whatever this chemical weapon is, it got dropped right on top of the palace and allowed to flow away to the surrounding city.