Hi Critters! This was a quick one-shot i wrote on my phone a couple of weeks ago when i had 10minutes to spare at work. I originally posted on the Critical Role Fan Club page and as the response I got was so overwhelmingly positive I thought I'd resurrect my old account on here and post it.
I hope you enjoy xxx
Disclaimer: inspired by the wonderful cast of Critical Role. I own nothing
"We come for the Vestiges of Divergence."
He said it boldly to the Headmaster of the Air Ashari, the small group of adventurers had arrived only afew minutes before.
They had travelled far, passed through many dangers and sought the great Sphinx in the Frostweild in search of the great weapons that had saved their world 900 years before. Now a new threat demanded nothing less than these treasures and the Sphinx had told them where all could be found.
"We were told they lay here under the protection of the Air Ashari."
The Headmaster, a halfelven male with deep auburn hair stepped forward.
"You believe yourselves worthy to bear these Vestiges?"
He looked over the group and then over his shoulder towards one of the hovels across the square.
"Come, there is not much time and your arrival now says much."
He led them towards the stone building and through the simple door. The room was bare but for a bed that lay beneath a window, the afternoon sun lit the frail old woman laying beneath the sheets, long white hair cascaded across the pillow and a raven skull encased in silver with a red stone inside lay in the hollow of her throat. There were no other adornments but she radiated power despite her small skeletal frame.
The Headmaster bowed to the woman who turned her head painfully towards him her eyes sharp as she took in the gathered party.
A voice like the rustling of dry auntum leaves uttered a weak greeting.
"Welcome travellers. Therin, you may leave us now."
The Headmaster bowed again and stepped outside leaving the door ajar.
"You all look so young. But then i suppose we were too."
She coughed painfully "The world is in danger once more and i knew of your coming many years ago. Your path will be hard, but, if you work together you will succeed."
She seemed to grow weaker before their eyes, her body giving out and the life fading from her.
Suddenly the sunlight shifted and there around the bed were seven figures, glowing translucent and smiling.
The adventurers stepped back in shock, they could still see the bed through the apparitions, and the old Ashari woman laying frail beneath the sheets.
She opened her eyes and turned her head towards the closest apparition, a handsome halfelven male addorned in black. She laughed happily her wrinkled face suddenly radiant.
"Vax...i missed you."
Her eyes closed slowly happy tears spilling from under the ancient lashes, a sigh escaped her lips and no other breath was drawn.
A moment passed, the ghostly half elf reached out to the body his fingers alighting on the top of the hand. He seemed to pass through the flesh and then pulled back another ghostly hand grasped in his, fingers slender and feminine, translucent and glowing like his own.
The adventurers gasped as a beautiful young woman sat up slowly looking down in wonder at the body left beneath her on the bed. Her long red hair flowed down her back to her waist, a circlet crowned with autumn leaves and antlers rested regally on her head.
She blinked and laughed leaping up into the arms of the male halfelf. The other entities drifted in close, a halfelven woman grasping the hand of a white haired human male, a goliath with two knomes seated on his great shoulders and a red dragonborn who inclined his head to her with respect and a whispered "Princess."
They all faded slowly from sight until the room grew dim with their lost radiance.
The adventurers looked at the shell of the old Ashari woman smiling in her final moments.
"So ends the reign of Keyleth of the air Ashari, and Vox Machina."
They turned to see the Headmaster of the Air Ashari framed in the doorway. He smiled at the tears on their faces.
"Do not weep, for she is home at last." He inclined his head towards the body.
"and now, the Vestiges of Divergence. Prove to me that you are worthy."
With that he produced the Spire of Conflux and waved it forward, the world changed and they found themselves in the Elemental Plane of Fire facing an Earth elemental of incredible size.
In another world a voice uttered the immortal words: "Roll Initiative."