Marcello's Last Moments

Marcello has passed on in Rise of the Runelords, here's his last few moments.

"All I see is Dash..." Marcello said with a look of confusion on his face.

"Wait, there's a door just there. Someone's hidden it with an illusion." Turie said after stepping into the room.

Marcello and Alice both turned to where Turie was pointing, with a little concentration they could see the door. Marcello waited while Alice checked it and opened it.

"More fog. I'll go." Alice said and stepped through the threshold.

As the rest of the band started shuffling into the small room Marcello pulled his staff and slammed it into the door jam, once again pushing the fog away. A long narrow corridor was revealed, but Alice was no where in site. Marcello stepped through as the fog re-coalesced around him.

Marcello! Your in danger!

Manus? Marcello thought to the sudden voice of his dead brother in his mind.

Your new friends have been tainted by the magics of Lhamastu in the crypt. They're about to try and sacrifice you!

But... Marcello returned, how...

Quickly, defend yourself brother! the voice replied.

Marcello accepted it, despite no evidence, and ran blindly down the hall. He didn't know how it happened, but he had to get back out of this place, and hopefully find a way to quickly remove the taint and restore their minds. He flicked his hand behind him, and brought up a wall of acid, expecting it to give him time to think.

Time however, wasn't on his side, Koreth was already coming at him as the wall went up, he had rope with him, but the acid burned the rope away. Koreth grabbed Marcello by the waist before he could get out of reach.

It's too late. His mind worked quickly, he brought the lightning bolt he'd prepared to disrupt other casters forward. Koreth had left his hands free. "I'm sorry." He wove the spell and discharged it directly through Koreth's chest. The bolt surged through him and down the hallway. Marcello heard many of his friends cry out in pain. <It's necessary I have to subdue them so I can find a way out and clense them.>

Koreth response was to slam Marcello against the wall and grab his hands. "Not as sorry as you're goin' ta be!" He shouted in Marcello's face.

He's crazed. Like that damned scribbler who's been in here for so long.> Unable to move, Marcello's mind was the only thing working. He had to find a way to get loose. The scorch mark on Koreth looked pretty bad. Maybe it'll be just enough to knock him out. Marcello moved the wall over the both of him with his mind. His hopes were drowned though, as he saw the acid move he also saw the glow of Turie's healing power flow over Koreth. She warped it around so I wasn't healed as well, this madness has her too.

The acid hurt, it was hard to concentrate. But then Koreth moved, releasing his arms and pulling them both out of the magical wall. "What ar' ya doin'?" the dwarf yelled, and squeezed.

Marcello felt a ribs crack and coughed up blood. His mind was in overdrive, he couldn't get loose. They had him, but he couldn't let that monstrous bitch win. "I will not be sacrificed to Lhamastu!" he gurgled, and used the last of his concentration to summon a fireball. He detonated where his and Koreth's chests met. The heat and burning was maddening, he felt his flesh boil where Koreth's now cherry red armor touched him.

Then it was over, Koreth let go, and stepped back. He rose his hands. "We're not your enemy." Koreth looked like hell.

Lies, all lies. He wants your guard down. The voice said again. Marcello watched Koreth start backing away. He mentally moved the wall between them again. He started to feel the mental itch warning him that the spell he'd cast to increase everyone's endurance was fading. He dug in his pack blindly and pulled the first potion he felt, and downed it. "Stay back!" he called as he felt the magical healing course through him. Now to get out of here. He started the process of mentally moving the wall and walking back the way he came.

Just then, a door opened through yet another illusion. Marcello saw The Scribbler look at him with a smile, the sword slash across his body, and then darkness.

Suddenly, he was light, and no longer felt pain, he tried to look forward and saw that he was standing in a long line of people leading to a throne. It was night. He'd been here before, when the redcap cut him in two a few weeks back before Turie pulled him back. He was dead. He was in line to be judged.

"Hey! Marcello!" He heard behind him in line. He turned and saw Manus, his twin who died in the same days that caused Marcello's exile from Westcrown.

“Why are you still here, is Pharisma's judgment that harsh?” Marcello asked with fear.

Manus' wispy form shrugged“Don't know yet. I refused to be judged until either you succeeded or we could be could be judged together.”

“She agreed?”

“Yeah, she seemed indifferent. Did you go back?”

“No.”

“How'd you go?”

“With a bang.”

“Good enough for me. Let's see what the Lady of Graves thinks.” Manus joined him in line and they waited their turn.

***

“Marcello and Manus Crispin, who I sent to the world together, now face me. I will judge you together.” she paused and looked at the two souls. “You fought against the plots of devils in your homeland, and were expelled for it. Manus's life the day Marcello fled your lands, but he continued your mutual goals of suppressing evil's influence on the world. You, Marcello, joined a group of fighters, was captured by evil, and yet continued to fight. You showed moderation on occasion, charity despite the situation, and shared whenever you could. You vanquished enemies of piece, resisted outright slaughter for slaughters sake, and left power with your allies even after your passing.”

Pharisma stared at Marcello for a bit, and begun again. “Your soul is still heavy. You were quick to anger in situations you should not have, and that anger is strongest with you now. It was your last feeling as a mortal, but was not entirely of your own mind. I judge you worthy of celestial peace, but can not send you there in this state.”

“Can something be done?” The brothers asked.

“I will send you back, briefly. Expel it quickly and completely. If you fail you'll join the tortured who can not move on.” She waved her hand in an almost bored gesture.

***

With that, Marcello was suddenly in a room. He saw The Scribbler's back, he was attacking Alice. Marcello's wrath was in control, he couldn't move his body he tried to speak and summon any spell. “You'll regret having killed me!” He didn't sound entirely like himself, it didn't matter. He poured his anger into the energies around him, and his most powerful lightning bolt arched from his body into The Scribbler. He saw it hit Alice as well, and was pained again. This won't work, they'll all die, and it'll still be my fault. This madman, that fucking damned madman! He simply has to go.

He reached into that anger again, hoping to pull fire to him. It seemed to take longer, he still couldn't move. Then he head it.

“Can you guys take that again?” A voice cried that voice, it was familiar, and angry. The anger seemed to make it feel familiar.

“Go for it.”

”GOOD!” and Marcello heard the words for that same spell he'd just cast yelled in hot rage. The spell went tearing through the air, and despite a lack of feeling, Marcello could tell it was powerful. The familiarity sunk in with the anger behind the casting.

Quiray, what's he doing here? Marcello felt the fireball he was reaching for ready, but decided to hold it.

Marcello watched, he felt the anger subside as he heard The Scribbler crack a joke. Then watched Koreth and another charge past The Scribbler into the room and look right at Marcello. Koreth was angry, even for Koreth. Marcello noticed he was healed, and saw regret in his eyes before he turned and screamed insults at the opponent he couldn't see. As Marcello's emotions subsided and logic started to return he saw that everyone else was fighting with anger, instead of reason. Calm, you can't fight this bastard angry. Calm down!

The Scribbler revealed himself to Koreth with an attack. Then the elf Marcello knew was Quiray stepped into vision, cast a spell and twisted his face as he saw the spell dissipate before hitting its target.

They're not going to make it. Marcello was calm, he sensed the strength of the fireball he had ready. It was on the weaker side, and Quiray was always known for providing protections to his allies. If he kept true to that, then Koreth and the other should be guarded against it. He brought it up, it would make spellcasting hard, but if he could just hurt the Scribbler a little more, maybe Turie could get them all out alive.

Before he let the fireball go Koreth hit hard again, and Quiray wove a spell with flicks and dodges despite his proximity to The Scribbler. Marcello felt the waves of magic purging energy bounce off of The Scribbler, then saw two waves envelop The Scribbler, who fell.

They made it! Marcello shoved the energies back into the universe, and felt his anger go with it. The next thing Marcello saw was his brother beckoning him to sit at a huge table filled with food and wine. He sat and began chatting with his long missed mother.