We landed near site A2. I am unsure if the assembly has begun to search this area yet but the entrance was hidden behind an illusion. I had everyone get off my back while I navigated the illusion. With my detect magic, I could see places that looked like snow but were deep chasms that would lead to my death. I found the chasm with terribly damaged stairs that lead down below. This should be the entrance. I went back and led the group through the illusion. We didn’t descend as the platforms are old as shit and are only big enough for one person. We would have to walk a single file down the entire way and we risk falling hundreds of feet.

“I feel the need to rest for the night. We should be safe here,” I said.

“I could use a fire. I am fucking cold,” Folin said.

“Flying on your back was surprisingly tiring. We will rest here tonight,” Devin said.

………

“Boss good to see you. Those fire elementals are making a mess,” Rubert said in a hurry.

“What? Shit. Okay, come on let's go,” I said.

We walked to the elementals. They were near the warehouse. A tornado of fire was spinning through the plains destroying everything in its path. The residents ran from the fire as it chased them. I wanted to put out the fire but I had only the most basic understanding of physics. I knew fire needed to burn something, which was oxygen but did this plane have that? I have always felt the Soul Dream is a world of thought instead of something physical. So I do not think removing all the oxygen around them will have an effect. What I could do was overpower them. I ruled this place and the elements here were at my command.

I sucked in all the wildfires and the tornado into my hand. The storm ended and the tornado sputtered and disappeared. The fire formed into a small glowing sun in my palm and I sent it into the sky. We didn’t have a sun yet as this world was as bright as we needed it. Day and night happened when the Committee decided. Gatsby had been working on creating a night sky so he hadn’t worried about the sun yet.

What remained of the storm was three light embers that floated in the air. I turned on my Truesight and looked at the souls within them and they were unlike any other I had acquired. They looked more like swirling pools of fire similar to pictures of the sun I had seen. I reached for one of them and they all moved to my hand. I yanked my hand back and tried to defend myself but they were sucked into my chest.

“Boss you okay?” Rubert asked.

“Yea I am fine I think,” I said. I felt warm. The lore had changed over the years for 5e so it was hard to say if an elemental had a soul. I knew Genies did, so I was still considering looking for one.

The warm feeling dimmed. I was still there but now it has shifted a bit. It felt almost like the cold well I drew from when using Temprus's abilities. I wouldn't be able to try and use them here. I had trouble practicing in the Soul Dream as the world often just did what I wanted. So I never knew if I was actually doing what I wanted to do.

"I think it worked, Rubert. I will need to speak with Yussa about what happens when an elemental dies but I think I absorbed them," I said.

"Well, following the logic of your world, it might be something similar to the reincarnation thing Genies do. Instead of returning to the elemental plane and merging with the plane they merged with you," Rubert said.

"Maybe. I guess this means I need to collect the four elements and become the avatar," I said.

"I only understand that reference because I have seen the first season boss. Everyone else keeps looking at you like you're crazy," Rubert said.

We joked for a bit and then went to work. I needed to study the battle with the baby abomination to prepare for the fight. Beau was a cobalt soul monk. One of their techniques was learning all of a creature's strengths and weaknesses by infusing Ki into their body. She used this ability often so I knew a bit about all the creatures they would fight in Campaign 2. The abomination was immune to all acids and could resist the common arcane damages of fire, cold, lightning, and nonmagical physical damage. The Formation had magic weapons and I had the Arsenal. The creature also had a giant angler fish bulb that would mesmerize anyone who saw it and couldn't resist it. It would then try to grab and shallow you.

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There was another creature I knew of deep in those ruins. An Iron Golem-like creature with a big ass harpoon. It was in the room with the Threshold Crest. If the others want to kill the golem and claim the crest I will help them. The Nein won’t need it and it being gone will slow down the Tomb Takers. I hope that the Nein won’t even need to come to Eiselcross as I plan on dealing with Cognouza and the Somnoven myself.

I left Rubert to watch the rest of The Last Airbender while I walked around. I spoke with the other animal residents. I still hadn't met the Humanoids. I was avoiding them for now but I was getting reports on them. They had taken to life her relatively well. Tiny was working with them on building their own homes. Hardok was helping them interact with the other non-humanoid creatures. Clarion was easing them into my memories. Only things involving food or entertainment. Everything he gave them was edited to remove personal information or things relating to my old world. So a memory of a TV show was just the show, not the room I watched it in. We provided them with as much we could and it was having a positive effect. They were living here like it was an extended vacation. Of course, some people still had issues. They missed their families and past lives. I couldn’t give those back.

……..

Da’leysen 1st of Fessuran

Entering the chasm we walked the path carefully downward. The floor beneath us creaked loudly. The first time that happened we got rope and tied ourselves together. I asked Folin, “How does your luck work? If I fall will you catch me? Or will I just not fall at all?”

“It only works when I am actively concentrating. I have to want something to happen and only against things that are bad luck for me or really bad luck for my future. You could fall all the way down but survive. You might break a bunch of bones but that isn’t as bad as it could be. Now if you fell and died that is really bad luck and I can prevent that. It also doesn’t work that well when people can help themselves. You can fly so falling isn’t really an issue,” Folin said.

“So I need to worry about myself and just let the luck happen,” I said.

“Yup. It’s random. You are better off trying not to make it happen,” Folin said.

We climbed down the chasm until there were no more platforms. There was simply open air below. Abaxis cast a flight spell on himself and acted as an anchor point for us. I slipped out of the rope and turned into a raven. I flew over and sat on Abaxis. The others were strong enough to climb down the empty air. Eventually, they reached an icy slope that went further down. We slowly made our way down until we reached a chamber. There was a fraction of light from the hole above us as the sun was rising. Devin lights a torch and Abaxis creates lights for us. There were three pathways that led further into the ruins.

“Which way?” Carmilla asked.

“Any of them might have things we need. We will be encountering long-forgotten defenses. Either magical creations or magical constructs,” I said. I wasn’t technically lying. I knew where some things might be but I can’t just lead us straight there. I wanted to tell them more of the truth but if anyone actually knows the things I do the future will change. I will make waves but I needed them to be subtle.

“Folin, you decide,” Devin said.

“Alright. Eeny meeny miny moo,” Folin said and pointed to the western chamber.

This was the one that led to the giant baby. There was a destroyed door that was once magically sealed. We followed the hall for a while before we came to some parts of a crumbled ruin. The way forward is slightly collapsed. I guess the assembly fixes this some time the next few years.

“Any way forward Lupine?” Abaxis asked.

“Let me look,” Lupine says and looks around the rubble. She climbs over some fallen beams and around rocks. “Yeah, you guys can make it through here. Come on in,” She says.

The others begin to squeeze through the debris. I just transform into a cat and walk through easily. The corridor soon becomes filled with cables and tubes. This area matches the description from the show. We reached a door we had to we had to push open and enter into a new chamber. There were scattered tools, broken furniture, and other broken glass things. This is definitely a laboratory.

“Man, this place is creepy. What did they do here?” Zenix asked.

“I think this is a laboratory. The glasses and tubes must have been used to hold and carry fluids around the facility,” Abaxis said.

“What for though?” Carmilla asked.

“No idea yet,” Abaxis said.

“Hey, I found some writing,” Devin said.

Devin was looking at a wooden sign that was hanging off a wall. It was probably in draconic or elvish. I spoke a little draconic thanks to lessons from Temprus.

“One of them says Biological Weapons research. I think that means we are in the right place,” I said.

“What does that mean?” Zenix asked.

“It means the creation of living creatures that would be used in war. Probably the hunters I am looking for,” I said.

“I feel unlucky,” Folin said.

We all looked at him and immediately grouped up. When he said that it meant that something bad was about to happen. A deep cry came from a chamber connecting to this one. I saw a swinging light move into the room. Weird gray hands grabbed the edges of the wall in unnatural ways. Next came the head. A giant baby-like head with a mouth that was split open down the chin. The hands were connected next to the mouth and a low cry escaped the mouth. The whole thing was huge. It was nearly as tall as the room and as wide as a wagon. Its pale grey skin had botched marks and cuts that oozed black liquid.

“What the fuck,” Lupine and Zenix both said at the same time.

We didn’t have time to chat as the light began to glow brightly. I yelled don’t look at it and shifted into wolf-man form. I was able to create all the extra skin, scales, and fur I wanted. I added muscles from my Roc form and all manner of bones and organs I could use to reduce damage and fight venoms and poisons. I had practiced a lot lately and I finally felt like I was strong enough to hold my own. I only lacked skills but my strength made up for it. The others took a defensive formation with Devin and Zenix standing in front of the others with Abaxis holding the rear.

The angler baby looked at us and screamed. The battle began.