Don't do as the Romans

We stopped at an all night cafe so Lexi could get some coffee. I helped myself to a croissant for a snack. Eating hasn't been much of a concern, but I try to make sure I get something now and again. Anyway, a passerby had slipped Lexi an old flip phone (I tried to spot the guy after, but no luck) and we were waiting for the call. No surprise, it was Ares.

We left the cafe with instructions to go to one of the old aqueduct systems and that Artemis had left a trail for us to follow. Specifically, it was mentioned that we had a "moon goddess" with us, so that would let us follow her trail. Kennedy had gone off to go scouting and I was beginning to fret. Not over her safety, but over what was coming.

Once outside the Vatican proper, we'd be in neutral enough territory that we'd have to be on the lookout for Dodekatheon agents following us, which is one part of why Kennedy was out scouting. Lexi ducked us into an alley way and popped out a new trick that let us cover the mile to the aqueducts in a split second.

Once we got there, we set up a bit of security, Andrew laid down a rune of some kind and Hal pulled the clouds down onto the city to mask our activities in fog. Now, we just had to find Artemis' trail. There's only one way she could have left a trail that I alone would be able to follow: Moon Letters. Without knowing where to look and what phase of the moon those letters were written under, I had to become the Full Moon.

I gave everyone instructions to be on the lookout for Kennedy because I knew this would not go well with her lycanthropy. It's exactly what I was starting to worry about ever since Germany as my connection to the Moon kept growing.

I had no sooner become the Full Moon than we were set upon by a couple of very large, very angry looking wolves. One was making a direct run on Andrew and Claire tried to stop it by commanding one to kill the other. In Greek. The order was ignored. They weren't the Dodekatheon agents that were following us. The horribly truth was:

They were Rufus and Kennedy.

When in Rome

Anubis' portal took us to Rome, more specifically, the Vatican. The Elohim and Pesedjet have a long-standing treaty, or something. Though, our arrival was a bit marred as Kennedy didn't appear with us on the other end. Of course, we all got in a fuss about finding her. Lexi did her music thing (though I can't believe she sang "Call me, Maybe") and found out she was okay, so we got calmed down.

We were greeted by Mot and Kothar (who, I admit, I know nothing about. I didn't even fully realize they were gods until Claire got snippy). Speaking of Claire getting snippy, well...

Mot had a few terms to deliver in return for the aid in letting us pass through their territory and letting us meet up with our allies. I held my breath because I know Claire doesn't respond well to demands made of her. She was terse in her response, which is much better than I expected, but Mot made his displeasure with her tone clear.

Claire covered her gaff and the two shook on an agreement that we wouldn't drag the Elohim into the conflict. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if they got pulled in anyway, without our presence. I also noticed an interesting peculiarity in the Elohim repeatedly referring to the Dodekatheon by their Roman names. I'm not sure what that's about, but I felt it would have been inappropriate to ask.

We moved on to pick up Kennedy, who'd been deposited in the Basilica Sanctae Mariae de Ara Coeli. That's also when I noticed I could actually feel the coolness of the night air. It was a giddy realization to know that that nightmare was officially over. I've even begun to feel my head clear, like I'm more focused than I've felt in... a long time.

Anyway, enough about me. We found Kennedy and you'll never guess what: Rufus was with her! Yeah, somehow he'd been restored and well... his pleasant demeanor is gone. He's... more shadow and fury, now. No petting allowed. Kennedy told us she'd been pulled from the group by Hera who wanted to know her intentions. If she really wanted to help restore the Dodekatheon or if she was just looking to stir up trouble.

I asked her about that because it was odd that Hera would scoop up Kennedy and not Claire, who's in charge of our little insurrection. Kennedy told me it had something to do with the complex history between her family and Hera. That's a story I plan to pull from her eventually.

All that's left is to meet up with Artemis and Ares, then we have to establish a base of opperations.

Renewal

Well. That was...

I ran back to my post and shouted for Kennedy to shoot the big snake. It had snared Hal in it's gaze, threatening to make us leave him behind in retaliation for the hurt Hal put on it. But Hal and Andrew told Kennedy to shoot HIM instead, to break the hold. Ballsy, but he nearly lost his leg for that move. At least it worked and he got back on the boat.

In the mess the canopic gods needed to hold on to more power to keep the spells going. Claire was away from her post at the wheel and Lexi scrambled for her sax. I wasn't expecting it and oh god did it hurt. I haven't felt pain like that since the Sun Temple. I held it together, though and we made it through the maze.

Some hard turn later and we were before the scales of Ma'at. Our little godling charges put their hearts, contained in canopic jars, on the scale. Each one passed and came back stronger. It felt good to see them progress and make this trip worthwhile. Then it came to be our turn. All we had to do was step on the scale and be weighed.

Andrew, as expected, didn't even wobble.

Hal's dipped slightly, but not much.

Lexi got her feet wet as the scale dipped down to the water below (and she walked away glowing like her mother).

Claire and Kennedy were dunked up to their chests, but were otherwise fine.

I ended up dropped fully into the water.

I can't describe to you the pain I felt. It was as if my whole being was being seared away to nothingness, crumbling away in that blackness. Then I heard a voice. A voice I can only assume was Ma'at's. She told me that I had a chance to be redeemed. I had to give up a part of myself and let someone else pay the soul tax and I'd be allowed to live. I felt that this was a test and I could give up a bit of myself, but I couldn't let someone die in my place so I could go on, and I refused.

The next thing I realized I was being lifted from the water, laying on the scale. I no longer hurt and I felt so much stronger than I did before, but I was still wracked from what I went through. Hal helped me to the boat and I heard Andrew's voice in my head, telling me he was proud of me.

I feel very different, now. I don't feel the call to battle as strongly as I did before. I no longer feel compelled to strike out at evil in honorable combat. Instead I feel an overwhelming desire to seek balance. Balance in myself and balance in the world around me. Its... oddly comforting. Something else feels different, that darkness that tainted me is no longer there.

Now that we'd all gathered back on the barque, a certain jackal-headed god appeared. He told us our journey through Duat was complete. We had the allegiance of the Pesedjet and that he was proud of our actions, fighting as a group on behalf of another we owed nothing to. The final leg of the journey was Imhotep's to make without us. He spirited us away to the final gate where the battle raged on.

I'll be glad to leave this place behind.

More Giant Snakes

We kept moving along and held our positions. I kept the moonlight going and made sure no one wandered too close to the railing. Though, I found myself wishing for warm beaches and cocktails. Underworlds are so gloomy and depressing. Wow, I think I channeled a bit of Lexi, there.

Anyway, we got attacked by a giant fucking snake. The thing slammed our barque into the high banks of the river and had us lodged there. It then came up out of the opposite bank and made a meal of one of the ghost crew.

And I, like an idiot, leaped to battle and attacked the thing. Oh, I'm sure I did some damage. I know I did, because I felt the impact before it disappeared into the blackness. Landing on the bank... I wasn't expecting the sand to suddenly started sucking the life out of me. Fuck underworlds.

Here's the part where I realized I was an idiot. I looked back to the barque and saw that the god I was supposed to be protecting was being attacked by his own shadow, as was everyone else. Lexi had forced Duamutef's shadow to back down by the time I landed back on the barque (and I actually stumbled getting going. I haven't stumbled doing anything since... before Alaska) and I tried to pull Lexi's shadow away from her, but I couldn't grab the thing.

Andrew had managed to wrench the barque free of the bank and get us going again and he started doing another of his spells. I think he was holding the big snake at bay, though that didn't help with the living shadows on the deck. Those things can do some serious harm to Lexi and Andrew and I feel powerless to help.

Then there's Hal. I heard him shout "Go." Damned fool means to battle the serpent all on his own.

Through the Gates

I really don't like this place. I'm noticing a theme across cultures that the underworld is not a place you want to go. The Aesir at least have a place for honored dead, but even then it's an endless existence of fighting and feasting. No other afterlife that I'm familiar with is a nice, cozy eternity. I just hope I never have to see the Greek underworld as a spirit. Being a guest wouldn't be a fun prospect, either.

Us ladies took our designated positions as guardians of the Gods of the Canopic Jars. Ken was ready with her rifle, Claire her pistol, Lexi's sax and me with my ax. Imhotep laid down on the slab on the boat and Andrew led the ceremony to guide his soul through the gates. We managed to press through them and when I say "press through" that's really how it felt. This place wears on you and I could see it really getting to Hal, how he slumped on the wheel.

Once we reached the fourth gate we were presented with a new problem. We had to make it through a maze, without taking any wrong turns or we'd be screwed. Mercifully we all have ways of seeing through it. Hal tapped the walls to read the layout of the stone, Andrew cast his magical thread to follow the Solar Barque, which had already passed through and Ken's sharp eyes can actually track the water where the barque traveled.

I think we can make it through this, I just worry about what will happen when we reach the scales of Ma'at. Will we all be judged on that scale? I hope not, otherwise we're really in trouble. There's also a lake of fire beyond that.

I hate underworlds.

A Sobering Experience

There's nothing more agonizing than watching your friends struggle against something and being powerless to help. I wanted, very badly, to dive into that river and rescue the others, but I couldn't.

Hal had tossed Andrew back on deck and he told me it was a bad idea. Claire also told me to take her place and provide light. She'd killed her sunlight as soon as the others had gone overboard. I took the light from the Solar Barque and reflected it around, much like the moon does to the sun.

I had to stand there and watch as Hal went after Rufus and Ken struggled to catch him with her shadow control. I thought we'd saved him when they got him on board, but somehow, we only had his soul. Hal dove back in, this time with a line on him and went after Rufus' body.

Ken and I pulled with all our might when Hal gave the signal. We freed the two of them from the water. I thought we'd be able to bring the soul and body together and all would be right. I was wrong. I don't know what Ken saw, but it was over so fast. The body of Rufus attacked Ken and just as Hal restrained it, Ken blew it's head off.

Hal had been pretty shook up in Alaska when the Einherjar had died, but those guys, their whole being is tied to fighting, dying, coming back to life, having a feast, then doing the whole thing again. Death is a mild inconvenience to them. Rufus is gone, his soul preserved by Andrew, sure, but I don't think we'll be getting him back.

I can't help but wonder, how many more loved ones will we lose before this war is over?

Going Overboard

Wandering through the tunnels is kind of blurry in my mind. I remember the tunnels cracking, water streaming in, avoiding snakes in the water. We got out of there into a large antechamber and Imhotep revealed that most of that experience was an illusion. A test. Fair enough, I suppose, but this sort of bait and switch loyalty testing is beginning to wear on me.

In the chamber was Ra and his guardian deities while they blessed the souls about to brave Duat. We stood by and watched the proceedings and as we were about to leave, another god showed up. This one named Khonsu who singled out Andrew. Seems he still had a grudge with Thoth and since he was being supplanted by Andrew, it fell to him to deal with it. Are the gods of every pantheon this petty? I mean, I know the Greeks wrote the book on petty vendettas, but damn.

Khonsu tried to goad Andrew into entering a bet to play some ancient Egyptian game for time. Without his "help" we'd be unable to keep up with the Solar Barque, or so he said. You know, thinking about it, I bet that if we loose track of the Barque, it'll be his fault anyway. Especially with his parting words being that one of the younger Scion souls with us can contact him at any time. He also unleashed some sort of mind-fuckery on Andrew for a perceived slight. Douche.

There was also an opportunity given to us to be anointed in Khebuet's waters and be made more capable of braving the tests of Duat. Well, Kenny and Hal took the plunge, but... I don't really need my divine makeup fucked with any more than it already is. Andrew also got wet out of respect.

We got back on our little barge and made way to follow the Solar Barque. Claire lit herself up, I guess to provide some light to ward off the beasties in the water. However, we got bumped by something big. I staggered into a wall (embarassing) while Hal, Andrew, and Rufus went overboard. First thing I did was fall back on what I was taught to do while sailing, lacking a flotation device I started tying a rope to myself and securing it to the ship. I don't really need it for myself, but I'm not jumping into that black water without some sort of lifeline.