FINAL INVESTIGATION

[strangerpeople]

FINAL INVESTIGATION

[It is time.

The chill which had come from the now-open, unnumbered room has now begun to seep into the rest of the Depths. It seems to call to the Titled, beckoning them to come forward and to face whatever is now beyond that door.

Fie and Rubedo were right - that room was, indeed, the exit to the Depths. And at the end of the staircase is a door, which the Skeleton Key can very easily open. A few seconds later, the door at the top of the stairs opens.

And the city within the cave below is revealed to them, as they stand on a platform high above the ground.



The ruin still looks as new as it did the day it was built. The air here is cold mountain air, though the only light seems to come from one massive building carved into the very rock of the cave. There is nothing coming from the mouth of the cave save for snow.

On the door they just came through is a single parchment of paper which reads "LEINALZIND OUTER DISTRICT." Each building, they will find, is labelled similarly. Which means there is only one conclusion.

Welcome to the city of Leinalzind, Titled. And good luck, teams.

You will need it.]

Comments

[strangerpeople]

No, iT...chAngEs what iT WiLl, you caNNot conTroL the knOwLedGE withIN...bUt...iT beIng heRE...thERe is aLWayS a ReaSOn an ElDer sCRolL aPpeArs. iT aPpeARs whEn it mUst...

[thiscomicsucks]

...So...this scroll...appeared because it was supposed to?

[To Fie.]

I don't remember seeing anything like that with our group. Where did you find this one?

[zephyranthe]

Did you have a room with a tree and chickens and stuff? 'Cause I found it in a hole in the roof.

[thiscomicsucks]

Yeah, we did. And we had a hole in the roof, too, but it had nothing in it. It was a hole I absolutely do not and cannot fit in.

...Don't ask how I know that. It's dumb.

[zephyranthe]

You got stuck?

[was there literally no one else to check]

[thiscomicsucks]

I said don't ask!!

[carnageandclass]

Well, I did throw him up there. A bit too hard.

[Hey guys, how's it hangin?]

[thiscomicsucks]

...

When did you get here!?

[carnageandclass]

A few minutes ago. Is that another dragon?

[zephyranthe]

It's some guy from Nord.

[Helpful??]

[thiscomicsucks]

Pretty sure its the dragon you said died!

[zephyranthe]

Try asking him if he's a dragon, then. You might hurt his feelings, though.

[thiscomicsucks]

...Fine.

Mr...Dragon.

Are you a dragon?

[zephyranthe]

[So they can't use it like that... damn. Still, it sounds like there are other instances of Weird Things Happening before, maybe?]

Like what kind of reason?

[strangerpeople]

a tIme of GrEat chANge.

[zephyranthe]

[So like a time of great turbulence, then... It's a little familiar to her.]

Are we talking the good kind of change or the bad kind of change?

[strangerpeople]

iT dOEs noT mAttER. SiMply that TheRe is ChANge.

...

mAy I aSk yoU SomeTHing, cHilD?

[zephyranthe]

[?]

Sure. Go for it.

[strangerpeople]

dOes the emPerOr liVe?

[zephyranthe]

[Huh.]

What's the emperor's name?

[strangerpeople]

ThEy uSe ALeXis.

aRe thEy alIVe?

[zephyranthe]

[Welp, that's that.]

Yup. They're stuck here with us now, too. I haven't seen them in awhile though.

[strangerpeople]

...thEn...PaArthurNaX's sOUl...I uNDerstAnD nOw.

...

DelPhinE uNdeRStanDS nOw. gOOd.

aH...mAy yOU gRanT uS oNe lASt reQuEsT?

[zephyranthe]

[???]

I don't get what you just said.

[But okay whatever, surely it'll never come up again, right??]

It depends on what it is.

[strangerpeople]

PaaRtHURnaX...hIS SouL anD mINd arE dEaD. HiS boDy beInG usED lIke tHiS...aN iNSult. AnD wE lIvE in a sTaTe bEtWeen liFe aNd deAth, lIkE tHis. It iS hEll and... sOrrOW. We hAvE no cOntroL. No mOveMenT. No SleEp.

We AsK FoR reLeAse.