Fiction Date	2015-01-25
Last Updated	2020-10-03 11:48:15 - Update

Episode #22: The Test

The Ministry of the Blade Campaign

NPCs mentioned in this Episode:

1. Sephiroth, Dalia and Spartan are all commissioned to go to town
   “X” to interview and interrogate a rumoured endowed child in
   the magical arts.


2. Karoolk meets with Sephiroth before he leaves to tell him that he will
   be watching him very closely, as this is his first excursion from
   Rauxes.


3. The three went and spoke with the child of aristocratic descent (House
   of xxxxx) and learned that the rumours were greatly exaggerated.


4. During their stay, Dalia is tormented by nightmares about her choice in
   life <giving up her family for Sephiroth> and confesses what she did,
   but justifies it to him, pleading that he understand her decision.


5. The following day, the three are separated in the midday crowd, and
   when Dalia and Spartan do not return that evening, Sephiroth becomes
   suspicious.


6. He is notified in a mysterious manner where he can find them, and goes
   to the warehouse on the edge of town to confront the kidnappers in the
   evening.


7. During the confrontation, the kidnappers kill Spartan, and warn that
   Dalia is next if Sephiroth does not agree to their terms. <money,
   information, and service>


8. Dalia has been terribly tortured; she is weak, beaten and violated in
   the most vile of ways.  This sickens Sephiroth and sets him into
   action.  He commands the shadows to stay back where they have been
   lurking, and in a brilliant flash, spins and slices Dalia’s head
   clean from her shoulders, leaving her captor stunned, but unhurt.


9. Sephiroth had remembered what Karoolk told him and decided to show
   these men of will what a will really was.  They are all stunned at
   what they’ve seen, and while staring at her body, Sephiroth tells
   them he would rather see her dead than live another day after this betrayal
   of his soul.


10. He wills the Shadows to attack the men, draining their strength from
    them.


11. Just as they are about to die, he uses Vampiric Touch on them to finish
    them off, and uses Death Recall to mourn his beloved Dalia.  To fully
    understand what she saw when he killed her.  Once finished, he dispels
    the shadows and casts a Fire
    Aura on himself.  Sephiroth immolates the entire place,
    detonating fireball after fireball in the warehouse until it is reduced to
    ash, destroying his beloved Dalia with it.


12. Sephiroth walks calmy out of the inferno, a passive and careless
    look on his face as the entire quarter catches fire.  Screams arise
    from buildings all around him, but he pays it no mention as he purposefully
    walks in and out of the fires, protected and simply enjoying the havoc he
    alone has wrought.  A man who has nothing is a man who loves
    nothing.


13. Upon returning to Rauxes, Sephiroth tells Karoolk all that transpired
    and Karoolk tells Sephiroth that he was not watching, and cared little for
    what happened to Dalia and Spartan.


14. Sephiroth is stung by this callousness, but comes to the realization
    that his loss is the affirmation of his eternal damnation; mind, body and
    soul.

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