Corvayne was in a theater. He had not gone to a movie in a theater, but somehow he knew he was in one.

He took a seat near the middle, where he had been told was the best place to see a movie, a place where the screen was in the center of his vision.

He felt lonely, for a moment, there was no one to share it with, but he also knew this was his movie.

The screen flickered, and he saw the cruft of a film reel and projector appear on the blank screen before a little countdown came on. Corvayne had popcorn, but placed it next to himself, somehow feeling like the movie he was about to see was important.

3, 2, 1, blip. The whir of the film was cut by a view of a snowy field. People dressed for the cold were camped out by frozen spires of stone jutting up from the arctic plains. It was gray, cloudy, with swirling snow parting for a moment to reveal just outside the camp a huge ship.

Closer, he saw his own tent, lit with a little portable light. He was... must have been 18? It was hard to see himself so scrawny. There was a bit of grease on him, and the other bunk in the tent had tools and bits of projects strewn on it. Watching from third person, Corvayne saw what looked like wood scraps on the much abused carpet in the tent. He pulled his hands away from a little warmer on a table, shut it off, and put his gloves on, then head outside.

A bit of text on the screen helped him: 18 years after arrival, invader ruins, Jocoal 6. He remembered it now. Cold mornings. The smell of engines and welds mingling with an odd smell the ships had as you warmed their insides.

A series of co-ordinates came up on the movie screen, and Corvayne couldn't help but laugh at it being the same as his old library card: 23.3 64.22

The camp had rows of tents peppered with prefab buildings, some in skeletal forms that looked like they were being built or torn down. More attention was on the ship, which from this low angle the screen displayed he could see welding pop up like little fireflies.

The perspective snapped back to him: A girl with a thick jacket was running his way, spear and a greatsword on her back balanced with twin shortswords, a couple daggers, and a gun all jostling over her coat as she moved.

Elfin ears and golden skin appeared as she pulled her hood back.

"Come on Corvayne!"

In the theater, he felt like a lightning bolt had surged through him.

"I know that girl." He said to the empty theater. Which wasn't empty anymore. Gylwin sat next to him, taking some of the popcorn. Her face looked more elf save for six little red eyes on her forehead.

"Who is she?"

"She was one of my childhood friends. Her... and Spears of course. I had friends?"

They watched as a third figure came up, coat glowing with sewn in heating elements keeping it's occupant from turning into a popsicle. Spears huffed. "Do you think they started? I had to sneak out after practice."

They rushed down a packed lane of snow.

The golden girl turned, not as winded as Corvayne already was. "No. Mom just left a minute ago. I think we have a plan now, to strike back at the Magus and rescue dad!"

Corvayne nodded. "I told you, my dad would never give up. We're going to beat him and find a way back."

Unease started to fill Corvayne's heart. Something happened that day.

They came to the work part of the camp, snow melted down to rock in places as heavy machines were being built to help restore the ship. The camera moves from showing Corvayne and Spears and the golden girl to viewing the ship, and a vast void with other ships poking out.

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Corvayne remembered it. They thought from the start the ships they were seeing were outsider ships. The pilgrims couldn't use them, as spending too long in them they got sick. As such, when they were found they were marked to be avoided.

"The Watchers were fine... so we were working both to restore them and to figure out why our allies got sick. At this point... we had picked up several tribes of what remained of the pilgrims."

Corvayne hadn't seen Glywin eat popcorn, nor heard her fetch a soda, but instead saw her staring at the screen.

"Can the movie give me some exposition? I want to make sure I understand it."

It cut to the trio moving to sit near a well lit tent. One of the guards saw them, but winked. Was that Knocks-Off-Shelves? She tipped a cowboy hat at Corvayne. He must have been around her a lot, the hat looked familiar.

Inside the tent, he saw his father. Not the broken bitter man he had in his minds eye. A younger looking version, even though Corvayne was pretty sure the only reason he looked older in his own memories was... wasn't the Watcher population immortal?

His father looked unshaven and serious, but greeted the people coming into the tent with warmth. An older woman with gold skin.

The girl outside nudged Corvayne and whispered. "Mom's here too, and look she completed her Artifact!"

It looked like a stained glass blade strapped to the woman's back. She pulled a fold out chair away from the table and sat. Other Pilgrims came in, a man with a brown beard with a ferret wrapped around his neck, a pilgrim in riding leathers with a wand in a holster, a young looking girl with silver hair and eyes, after them a slew of familiar faces. Mugs-Already-Empty the bearded axe trainer took two seats, and Corvayne was confident at this point he was a tall dwarf given the mug of beer he held up to no complains. Waves-Within followed him, and while Corvayne knew it was his spear master it was both odd and completely correct that it was a six foot tall mantis with hardened thin limbs that folded himself into a cube at the other end of the table. One-Last-Note was less shocking, something that Wick and Gary had called 'Star Trek aliens' given it was only small bumps and a weird bullseye on his forehead that marked him as non human. Keeper-of-Silence seemed human enough, but his own memory of a brooding dark man that towered over the library desk did not change when put to film.

Spaces-Torn-Asunder, Corvayne's engineering mentor, came in and was also unchanged. Perhaps a hint of sharpness at his ear. "I may duck out early, I have a few people looking at the engines who may not wait."

Corvayne's father nodded. "Let's begin. As you know, the Magus is currently dismantling what's left of the Pilgrims great road. It's almost certain that if he doesn't target Heartworld, their capital and last stand, it's not far down the list."

One of the Pilgrims stood up. "The main city has refused our help, as they say Diolypius is there. They are confident the Magus won't attack his own summoner..."

Keeper snorted. "Or they know they can kill him and thus end the summon."

The golden woman stood up, chair clattering. "I'll wipe that amusement off your face..."

Corvayne's father held a hand up. "Peace Europa. They would have already done that if he was really in their custody."

Europa paled, skin going from gold to silvery as someone elses might drain of blood. "Then, where-"

"It's almost certain that since the Magus is still here, as we are still here. It follows your husband is alive, and probably a captive of the Magus himself."

"Our plan is straight-forward. We have a strike force that are all specialized at taking high-level threats down. Europa and I will lead the attack. If we cannot take him out in the first strike... we can hopefully buy the city a little time before he drops a rock on them."

Mugs-Already-Empty grumbled. "Keep in mind we haven't heard from the rest of the Hero's party. We should be ready if a few of them turned on the Pilgrims."

The scene fades to black, and white subtitles appear: Two weeks later, the alliance met the Magus outside of the capital. It was a crushing defeat. It was the end of the Pilgrims as a whole people.

Corvayne is sitting on a bunk, with the golden girl crying next to him. His father is sitting opposite them, hands folded. His head is down. Looking at it from a third parties perspective, he sees his own father was injured too.

"I'm sorry girl. Whatever the Magus did... we have to accept both your parents are gone."

She looked up. "No! As long as they are alive..." She put a hand on the sword sitting next to her.

"You can't call that alive. They wanted me to keep you safe, just like I asked Europa to take care of Corvayne if I fell there. You saw what happened to our best warriors... I'm sorry. There's nobody that can stop him. We are going to retreat, regroup, and come up with a new plan."

She stood up. "If you won't fight, I..." She sniffled as her resolve wavered, and then stood up and ran out of the tent. Corvayne's father sighed as the flap fluttered.

"Son, can you keep her from charging to the nearest gate road? I know if she wanted to she'd flatten you... but she'll listen to you."

Younger Corvayne nodded. He stood up and ran into the lightly falling snow, following tracks to a place near the edge of the ravine where she sat, wrapped in a cloak, looking back her eyes reflected the falling snow and they caught in her hair. Like stars.

She wrapped her arms around him and cried.

He whispered something to the girl he was holding.

He leaned forward and felt himself point at the screen "The starry eyed girl!" Something snapped into place in his head. It was a sense of clarity. About himself. He had been a quiet boy, he liked to work with his hands. He hadn't... he wasn't very good at fighting, because he didn't like it. He didn't need to, other people would protect him.

The lights started to turn on as the screen turned off. Gylwin was looking at him. "Do you remember? What did they do against the Magus that failed? How did they beat him?"

He stood up. "I don't remember that." He wanted to wave her thought form away. It was there.

"Wasn't that woman wearing the same hat as that Rio Sect-leader girl was?"

"Yes." In any other situation he knew he'd be jumping out of his seat. "Give me a moment."

The name kept coming up. It meant something.

"She keeps appearing in my memories. In my dreams. The city changed it's name in loops... She was someone who challenged the tower." Next loop, he had digging to do. Or he might go back now.

Gylwin sighed. "Fine. We will find her. What's the girls name?"

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He opened his eyes, letting the spent memory orb fall back into the chest. He stared out into the cosmos.

"Her name is... Cascadia."