“The Kampawal Noctiarane, or Glowing Worm Spider, is a naturally dwelling predator within the moist gullies and vast cave systems of Cyndralia where they slowly slink across cavern walls. While the name is a misnomer considering it possesses no spider like features whatsoever, they do congregate around areas where arachnids are common as well. Their unique bioluminescent bulb lures attract unwitting insects and other small prey into their maws, deploying a paralytic poison to stun their victims before consumption. Of course, for humanoids, or indeed, anything larger than a rat, their poisons are harmless, if irritating on the skin. Be warned however, the presence of glow worms are a good indication that an arachnid nest is likely nearby.”
- Pathfinder Darrick Greyhammer, Biologist, Exploration Guild, “A Study of the Flora and Fauna of the Deeps”
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It was like a pot of boiling water bubbling over the edges, Sophie could barely contain the sensation as it seared her very soul with an unbearable amount of heat. Her body contorted and shook as she drew in the darkness, the tainted mana twisting and clawing at her sanity. Her suffering multiplied by a thousand fold, pain flared from unknown nerves as her battered form reconstructed itself on the fly. What had once taken days or weeks to heal, already an incredibly fast recovery, had now done so in seconds. Her wounds forced themselves to close, her organs overclocked themselves to function once more, her bones and arms bent at unnatural angles to repair itself. Sophie would’ve cried out if she could, but the overwhelming combination of power and pain kept her chained in an eternal agony that held her in stasis. She could only mutely watch on in horror and delight when the blighted wound on her shoulder stitched itself together in front of her very eyes.
Rage, joy, ecstasy, horror, pain, anguish and all manner of emotions flowed through her as the darkness embedded itself within her veins. The evil or whatever had caused it now turned into nothing more than fuel for her shattered form. As the blood within her boiled, froze, and stabilised. Her soul too shattered and reformed, incorporating thousands of mana motes that drowned out the dark in a brilliant white light. Then, there was nothing.
A strange eerie calm as the ear shattering cacophony of delight and death came to a screeching halt. Silence. A void of nothingness except for the stars that twinkled on their merry way in the ever unreachable distance. Cold, frigid nothingness settled where the ground and air were nothing but blackness. Sophie sat on her knees, her entire being still wracked with an unknowable truth now made manifest. The realisation that the words of the Entity had held sway once again. When she managed to inch her head upwards to look around her, she could almost feel, visualize even, the planet sized monstrosity rising ahead of her in the emptiness. The untold millions of eye stalks and tentacles as they writhed all around, and the singular continent sized eye that looked back at her.
In the nothingness, salvation
“In the nothingness, salvation.” She repeated absently.
The universe trembled as the Entity roared, its millions of eyes all opening at once. A surge of something ancient flowed through Sophie’s veins as something within her fragile form came to life. In but an instant, distant stars shuddered with fearful wails as the souls of the lost and the damned winked out of existence.
Embrace, the empty void, the nothingness that shall grant you salvation
The ever ethereal voice trilled.
Embrace it, and return the stolen dawn.
Wordlessly, Sophie obeyed, for once lowering her head in a kneeling bow without fear or doubt within her heart. Her eyes closed as another radiant flash of light illuminated her entire world in a flash of pure whiteness.
She was violently thrown back into her body. Her eyes flashed between seeing stars and the irritating pain of being temporarily blinded. Her head ached as did her muscles and bone. Where wounds once were, new muscle and sinew had taken their place, her new nerves exploding with a bevy of sensations that she wasn’t ready for. Something in her back snapped and her eyes opened the moment she gasped in pain.
Overjoyed and relieved for her suffering to finally pause, she found that whatever shadowy figure had loomed over her earlier had vanished. Before she could celebrate however, the aftershocks of her new powers came to fruition as she dropped to the ground and began vomiting profusely. Expelling a mixture of blood, bile, and blackened darkness that seemed to flow for an eternity.
Her suffering was only halted when a loud thud echoed from the doorway. Passing out for an inordinate amount of time it seemed, had not helped in losing her pursuers. But as she gently flexed her body to reestablish control, she could feel the tingling sensation of power that now bubbled underneath her skin. Her veins burned hot and her senses seemed magnified. The downside was that there was an incessant lightheadedness that she couldn’t seem to shake, the result of being exposed to an overwhelming amount of tainted mana. Sweat clung to her entire body, mixing with the dried and fresh blood on her skin.
Hearing the door tremble against the monsters battering against it, she let out a small animalistic growl of her own. A more primal and instinctive part of her mind seized control as the rest of her tried to recover. Bouts of rationality snuck in to divert her addled mind towards the back of the building, her eyes drawn to the partially collapsed wall. She wrinkled her brow as another headache set in, the pounding in her mind driving her mad. It felt like she was being torn to pieces from the inside out.
She staggered forward slowly, one agonisingly slow step at a time towards the wall whilst her body yearned to test itself in a fight.
Come now, getting hurt will just slow us down. You can heal through the injuries, but that pain will still sting if not worse.
A familiar voice tittered from behind her. Sophie’s entire being shifted at once, her wary but surprised eyes landing on the all too recognisable figure of herself, sitting nonchalantly atop a pile of rubble.
Miss me?
Her other self smirked before winking at her, hopping off the rubble with a triumphant bow.
How? Sophie asked, don’t you only appear when, you know… when I’m running out of void energy? Or having a mental breakdown.
And aren’t you having one right now?
Sophie frowned, half suppressing the tug of war that was inside of her mind. Her eyes narrowed at the other, so why are you here?
To save us, of course! After all, if you perish, I suffer just as much, considering we're one and the same!
It clapped its hands together with delight, performing a small exaggerated pirouette that had Sophie a little envious.
But enough of that, come now, we need to get away from here. Unless you really desire to feel the pain of being eviscerated.
I’ve gained new power! Sophie protested, I can handle them!
Perhaps, but your arrival has stirred something fierce here. We ought to take care of it now, lest it decides to come after us first.
The other stated, before leaning in front of Sophie and scrunching her face together to put on the most pleading puppy eyes that Sophie had seen of herself. No fair, she growled, why don’t I ever feel that cute?
Because you don’t ever try hard enough to feel cute, it teased, flicking her nose that created a very strange sensation within Sophie. But enough talk, your body and mind are in disharmony, take my hand and let me stablize you. It smiled before impatiently holding out an outstretched hand. Your… our minds are split, as you were when you lacked essence, for now, only by holding on can… we feel calm. It urged her forward when the other noticed her hesitating.
Worried but sensing no malice in its words, Sophie gingerly reached out and almost gasped in surprise as they made contact. Her hand touched not just traces of mana or air as with her previous hallucinations. Here she felt flesh and blood, for what she touched felt like a genuine hand. In but a second, the vortex that raged within her mind stilled and a new sense of clarity washed over her. Her body too, seemed to relax a little as the desire to fight and run now subsided to become subservient to her will once again. Stunned, she looked on with disbelief even as the apparition tugged at her hand, beckoning her to follow.
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The two clambered out using the ruined wall, ignoring the assailants trying to break in. Though oddly, Sophie found that the apparition refused to let go of her hand, making the climb that much more awkward for the both of them. Yet, there was a sense of ease that she appreciated, being led by what was for all intent and purposes a far more confident version of herself.
Standing atop the ruined wall, they both took a brief moment to survey the town around them, catching a glimpse of the utterly abandoned nature of the town. It was also here, exposed to the open that Sophie felt it the most. The dark heartbeat, raging, beating, challenging them and offering an invitation for them. Sophie growled, her feistiness still lurking at the back of her mind and coming to the surface at the thought of a challenge. The other squeezed her hand and Sophie settled for a simple scowl.
We travel over the rooftops, her counterpart pointed vaguely towards the center of town, thank goodness everything’s shaped like a square. It chuckled and turned towards Sophie, its somewhat more cheerful expression dropping into a frown when she caught Sophie’s own. What seems to be the matter? Besides life and death, that is.
“It’s challenging us.” Sophie snarled out loud, unable to contain herself to thoughts alone.
The counterpart had a pensive look on her face before she clicked her tongue, “I… wow… talking like this… feels so bizarre.” It barely croaked out.
Temporarily more surprised than anything, the rage faded from Sophie to become an incredulous sense of wonder.
“I… you… can talk? Do I… errr… do I really sound like that?” She whispered with awe.
The counterpart pursed her lips and settled for a cheeky grin, “I would, ackk, assume so. Sorry, this is weird for me too.”
The two regarded each other cautiously as they both tried to figure out what had changed. Sophie was curious enough that she let go of the counterpart’s hand, only to immediately wince as the pounding headache returned with a vengeance. Seeing this, her new ally rested a small hand on her shoulder and her pain dissipated. Alarmed at the thought of being dependent on what should’ve been her own hallucination, Sophie stared back with worry until the counterpart gave her shoulder a slight squeeze.
“Come now, I’m sure we both have many questions. But until that… thing is gone.” The counterpart sighed, “I suspect we’ll both have trouble focusing.”
Sophie was still wary but grunted her assent. Still need to take care of whatever it is.
“True.” The counterpart nodded.
Sophie furrowed her brows. Shit, I forgot it can read my mind.
“It?! How rude.” Her counterpart tutted, “At least call me a she, considering, I’m you. We’re us.”
Sophie’s look of exasperation seemed to bring great joy to the counterpart and her doppelgänger let out a wide smile. Seeing this made Sophie relent and she just let out a tired sigh of her own. “Then what do I call you? Sophie?” She asked sarcastically.
The doppel seemed to freeze and a more serious expression took hold. Sophie however, was fast running out of patience and gave her counterpart a small poke. “How about Sophia for now? It’s close enough, isn’t it? Just so we can hurry along before the next pulse.” She spoke as she glared with distaste towards the town.
The doppel seemed to question her for a moment, before a satisfied smirk appeared on her face. “Sophia it is.” It smiled happily, “Come then, namer of names. Grab my hand and let's move on.”
Hearing the heavy thud of the stone door below as the creatures finally broke through. Sophie reluctantly accepted the gesture once again, giving her counterpart a small nod to proceed.
“Run when I run, jump when I jump. Stick close, well, hold on, at least.” Sophia chuckled.
Sophie rolled her eyes only to yelp in surprise as Sophia immediately broke out into a sprint, dragging her along. Without warning, Sophia tensed for all of a moment before she got ready to jump. Sophie could only half heartedly commit as the two leapt towards the next building, Sophie smacking hard against the side of the building due to her unpreparedness. Sophia hurriedly pulled her up, and before Sophie’s growing rage could spill over, offered a quiet, “I’m sorry.” That managed to calm Sophie down for now.
When the cries of more undead monsters echoed in the streets however, the two were certain that their little commotion had not gone unnoticed. With a click of her tongue that indicated there was still some doubt in her mind, Sophie steeled herself and shelved those thoughts for later. For now, they had the darkness to contend with and the mystery of each other to resolve. Much less the need to return back to Aryana’s side.
Perhaps having seen her resolve, Sophia flashed a knowing grin and gave Sophie another squeeze of the hand. “Remember, Sophie. You can heal from most wounds but you’re not immune to pain.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Right then, ready?”
“I guess.”
“Tah, such a lack of enthusiasm." Sophia clicked her tongue, "Well then, shall we?” Sophia dropped into a mock bow.
Sophie rolled her eyes and nodded. Though she was still perturbed by the idea of her mental illusions taking physical shape, she allowed herself a small smile nonetheless. Left so confused and alone, it felt nice having an ally beside her.
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The two climbed over more rooftops to make swift progress towards the center of town. For a moment Sophie wondered how the dwarves would fend off assassins given how easily accessible every building seemed to be. In her moment of shame, her conclusions lay with their short stock form and she chided herself for such an odious thought. Her doppelgänger Sophia meanwhile, seemed to hold no such thoughts and merely enjoyed the opportunities offered by a physical form. She led Sophie on ever more risky leaps and jumps that had the half elf sweating for fear of falling once again. She knew she would not perish completely anymore, but the fear of the pain and suddenness of such actions still scarred the recesses of her mind.
It frightened her all the more that she was being led by what was supposed to be a figment of her decaying sanity. Only for the very real flesh and blood form leading her along. For Sophie, it was very disorientating to see what was essentially a clone of herself in action. To add to her ever increasing confusion about the current situation, her body double still retained the ability to read her thoughts, an unnerving realisation that even her mind was no longer fortified.
Sophia clasped her hands around Sophie’s wrist and hauled her up, the two steadying themselves atop one of the taller buildings within the inner edges of town. They had spent a good twenty odd minutes scaling and climbing their way across the rooftops, avoiding the dark miasma that haunted the town and the throngs of roaming undead below. Hundreds of malformed dwarves and shadowy figures shuffled aimlessly in the streets, their growls and groans carrying through the air like a despondent melody of death. Judging by their languid shuffling however, the two came to the conclusion that though far more lay waiting within dark crevices beyond prying eyes, these were the ones that awakened when the hatred pulsed out from the center of town.
There. Sophia pointed towards a cluster of oddly shaped buildings that jutted out from the others. When Sophie looked at them, she had to squint to see them past the thick dark fog that was draped over them, barely even catching a glimpse of the outlines within the darkness. We need to go there, Sophia continued.
But what is that? Sophie asked.
Sophia just shot her a look of exasperation before dryly speaking, I know as much as you do.
Sophie grunted but protested no further than that. Having passed through the first quadrant of the city, they understood that whatever noise that made would have to be calculated lest the dead swarmed their position.
You can feel it though, right? That beat, almost like a heartbeat. Sophia mimed.
Sophie nodded. Whatever controlled the darkness was a living entity, of that they were both sure of. So what’s the plan? She asked.
Her counterpart quirked a brow in amusement, suppressing a quiet chuckle before she mimed a few punches. Beat them up, probably. Unless you’re talking about a concrete solution, in which case, no idea. Sophia shrugged. Besides, me being you, you being me, shouldn’t you have ideas as well?
Sophie breathed heavily and grinned, I mean, that’s generally what I do. Go in and beat stuff up. Although… her eyes trailed down sadly to where her sword once was.
About that. Sophia wiggled her nose and sighed.
Yeah?
I might have an idea, though you’ll have to really trust me. Sophia pleaded.
Sophie arched an eyebrow but gestured for her counterpart to go on.
You know how I look like you, right? Or rather, I am you, but now in physical form?
Sophie nodded. And?
Well, I’m thinking that I came about as a result of both your mind fracturing, and the excessive amount of mana that was absorbed almost instantaneously. Sophia pursed her lips, which means in theory, I am a physical embodiment of your fractured mind, built by mana.
Which means? Sophie prodded.
Which means that I might be able to reshape myself into… something more useful. Say, like a pure mana sword. Sophia grinned before wagging a small finger at Sophie, although, I do quite like having opposable thumbs and actually touching things rather than just, I don’t know, being a part of your mind.
Sophie rolled her eyes but smiled softly, fair enough. But, we’ll deal with that problem when we get there. For now we need to reach the damned place.
Sophia smiled back understanding the message, right, a problem for later, ain’t that right?
Aye, a problem for later. Sophie nodded, like a sage who had dispensed ancient wisdom. As the two shared a silent chuckle, Sophia angled herself towards the next roof and Sophie followed suit. They would find and end this darkness, perhaps even gaining a way to head back up, she reassured herself. At least, she hoped that would be the case.