Lore/Story Lost Soul

Part II of Death's Office. I tried to make it as consistent as possible with the previous story - keep in mind that Death, while allowed a chunk of them to pass on, could not actually have them pass onto the afterlife.

(as a preface, I should probably make a master thread to avoid spamming this subforum - what do you think?)

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NOW THAT THE PROCESSION OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHO DIED DURING THE GREAT OLUX EPIDEMIC HAS BEEN FINISHED, I CAN FINALLY GET SOME REST FOR MY OLD BONES. THEN AGAIN, I EXPECT THE SAME THING TO HAPPEN IN ANOTHER 100 OR SO YEARS, SINCE THE LAST GREAT PLAGUE WAS BACK WHEN WYNN WAS UNKNOWN FOR THE VILLAGER KIND.

...RIGHT, ABOUT THOSE LOST SOULS.

SOMETHING IS PREVENTING THEM FROM PASSING INTO THE AFTERLIFE, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS. AND IT'S NOT LIKE I CAN GET OUT THERE AND RESOLVE THESE ISSUES MYSELF - I AM FORBIDDEN BY BOVINE TO LEAVE MY OFFICE UNLESS SOMEONE IS IN DIRE NEED OF SOUL REAPING, SO THAT THEY CAN PASS ON AFTER A SHORT DISCUSSION, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF DEATH, AND FINAL RITES. SO FAR, I WAS ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE REASON WHY SOME OF THESE SOULS ARE UNABLE TO PASS ON. HOPEFULLY THESE SHOULD MAKE SENSE FOR WHEN I DO GET THE HELP I NEED, WHICH SEEMS UNLIKELY, BUT WHAT CAN YOU DO?

AND YES, I HAVE SOMEHOW ACQUIRED PERMISSION FROM THE GREAT BOVINE TO GIVE OUT THEIR NAMES. DON'T ASK ME HOW IT HAPPENED.

Spoiler: Interviewee 1

INTERVIEWEE: ARDULF
TIME OF DEATH: 1000 AP
CAUSE OF DEATH: SABOTAGE TWO WAYS
REASON WHY THEY CAN'T PASS ON: LINGERING RESENTMENT

AS I SAID, I'M GOING TO HAVE A FEW WORDS WITH BOVINE ABOUT HIS BEHAVIOR. GAVEL SHOULD KNOW THAT THERE ARE INDEED HUMAN SETTLERS IN THEIR LANDS, BUT I DOUBT THEY WILL RESPOND IN A DRACONIAN MANNER. I COULD TELL MY FUTURE HELPER THAT THEY SHOULD NOT INCITE A WAR BETWEEN THE VILLAGERS AND THE HUMANS. THAT WOULD BE MORE POINTLESS PAPERWORK AND MORE TIME SPENT FOR ME TO DEAL WITH AN INFLUX OF NEW SOULS - NOT TO MENTION THAT I WILL LOSE MORE AND MORE OF MY SENSE OF GRIM HUMOR, NOT THAT I HAD MUCH TO BEGIN WITH.

Spoiler: Interviewee 2

INTERVIEWEE: GURIX (A.K.A. SIEGFRIED CLXVII)
TIME OF DEATH: 1001 AP
CAUSE OF DEATH: MURDER
REASON WHY THEY CAN'T PASS ON: WHAT WAS SIEGFRIED'S STORY LIKE AGAIN?

THE REAL SIEGFRIED IS LONG DEAD. I DON'T KNOW IF I'VE EVER SEEN BOB EITHER, BUT PEOPLE TREAT HIM AS IF HE DIED, SO I WILL NOT BOTHER CHECKING. IT'S PROBABLY BETTER THIS WAY. ONTO GURIX - HE WAS BUT ONE OF THE COGS IN THE GAVELIAN GOVERNMENT'S FABRICATION ABOUT SIEGFRIED'S LEGACY. I CAN UNDERSTAND STORIED PASTS, BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAM IT UP, AT LEAST STICK TO A REASONABLE DEGREE OF REALISM. OR JUST HIRE ACTORS WHO CAN ACTUALLY DEFEND THEMSELVES. PROBABLY THE REAL SIEGFRIED COULD HELP WITH THAT ONE. IN THE AFTERLIFE, THAT IS. TO WHICH GURIX CANNOT PASS ONTO UNLESS WHATEVER AILS THEM IS GONE.

Spoiler: Interviewee 3

INTERVIEWEE: COULD NOT REMEMBER HER NAME
TIME OF DEATH: 1000 AP
CAUSE OF DEATH: GOLEMICIDE, MERCY KILLED
REASON WHY THEY CANNOT PASS ON: SEE TEXT

NOW THAT THE SERIAL GOLEMIZER/MURDERER WITH A MORALLY CORRUPT DOCTORATE IS HERE, I WILL TORMENT HIM TO THE POINT THAT HE WILL BEG FOR THE RELEASE THAT WILL NEVER COME FOR HIM. HE WILL KEEL OVER AND BEG FOR HIS ABSOLUTION, BUT IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN TO HIM. HE WILL BE SENT TO LIMBO.

I WILL SUFFER YOU SPECIAL, URELIX. MARK MY WORDS.

AS FOR THE GIRL, AS I SAID, I STILL HAVE NO IDEA. I'LL PROBABLY ASK IF THE CITIZENS OF OLUX HAVE REACHED ANY CLOSURE.

WHILE STILL ON THE TOPIC OF GOLEMS, SOMEONE SENT ME A LETTER WHILE I WAS REVIEWING HER CASE. YOU'D BE SURPRISED WITH THE AMOUNT OF LETTERS I GET THESE DAYS, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE NO RETURN ADDRESS. "ARE THESE PEOPLE REALLY REVERING ME AS A DEITY OR SOMETHING?" WAS WHAT I THOUGHT, UNTIL I SAW WHO ACTUALLY SENT THE LETTER. SEE FOR YOURSELF:

Spoiler: LETTER

Death,

It shouldn't slip from your attention that the girl wasn't the only one. Many golems are starting to recover their personality (and with it, their sanity), but one in particular has expressed quite the gratitude to finally come to terms with the loss of their sister. I'm not going to name him out of concern for their well being. I'll just say that he has been relocated to a new Guild that is currently experiencing a resurgence period as a Library Custodian. Who knew golems could read?

Signed,
???, "Your old friend"
P.S.: If you have decided on a punishment for Dullahan, let me know about it. It would be nice for a change to have guests in the Abyss.

YOUR OLD FRIEND? DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH. WE ALL KNOW THAT EVER SINCE A CERTAIN LIGHT ELF, AS YOU TOLD ME, MADE THE GARGANTUAN MISTAKE OF RESURRECTING SOMEONE AFFLICTED BY THE DARK IN THE PITS, WE'VE HAD TONS OF TENSION BETWEEN THE TWO OF US. MOSTLY BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T TELL ME THAT HE DIED IN THE FIRST PLACE. I CANNOT SENSE AN ELF'S DEATH, DUE TO THE INHERENT MAGIC RUNNING IN THEIR BLOOD SOMEHOW OBSCURING THEIR SOUL FROM MY GAZE. IF I HAD SEEN IT HAPPEN, I WOULD'VE REAPED THEIR SOUL BEFORE SHE AND THE PITS GAVE BIRTH TO THE "SCOURGE OF GELIBORD".

NO, I WON'T SEND DULLAHAN'S SOUL TO THE ABYSS. FIND YOUR OWN FRIENDS.

...ACTUALLY, THAT LETTER GIVES ME JUST THE IDEA. IT'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL SHE'S ABLE TO PASS ON, THOUGH.

Spoiler: Interviewee 4

INTERVIEWEE: AXELUS
TIME OF DEATH: 1000 AP
CAUSE OF DEATH: SENSELESS MURDER
REASON WHY THEY CAN'T PASS ON: RESENTMENT TOWARDS ROYALTY

IF YOU'RE READING THIS HERO OF WYNN, THIS ONE'S ALL YOURS. I'M NOT GOING TO INTERFERE WITH THE "NO LONGER A CONCERN" AFFAIRS BETWEEN THE DWARVES AND THE DOGUNS. YOU CAN PROBABLY HELP THE DOGUN CHIEFTAIN FEEL LESS BAD ABOUT SENSELESSLY KILLING SOMEONE, OR JUST FLAT OUT ELECT A NEW CHIEFTAIN AND DEPOSE THE OLD ONE. I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T DO DOGUN POLITICS, IF THEY HAVE SUCH A THING.

Spoiler: Interviewee 5&6

INTERVIEWEE: ELPHABA
TIME OF DEATH: 1001 AP
CAUSE OF DEATH: DEVOURED BY IRTITACKS
REASON WHY THEY CAN'T PASS ON: SAME REASON WHY ANYONE DIES IN THE SILENT EXPANSE CAN'T PASS ON PROPER

ONE OF THE TWO SOULS THAT GOT STUCK IN LIMBO. HOORAY. I KIND OF DISLIKE THE FACT THAT SHE DID NOT HAVE TO GO DOWN LIKE THAT - MESSILY DEVOURED BY A SCHOOL OF IRTITACKS - BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS. THE PROBLEM WAS, I COULD NOT REAP THEIR SOUL, BECAUSE SOMETHING KEPT STARING AT ME INTENTLY AS IF THEY DID NOT WANT ME TO CLAIM THEM...

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INTERVIEWEE: LUCIO
TIME OF DEATH: 1001 AP
CAUSE OF DEATH: CURSED
REASON WHY THEY CAN'T PASS ON: SAME REASON WHY ANYONE DIES IN THE SILENT EXPANSE CAN'T PASS ON PROPER

SAME THING WITH THIS CASE. HE CAN'T PASS ON BECAUSE THE PIERCING GAZE OF WHATEVER'S IN THIS PLACE IS STOPPING ME, DEATH, THE REAPER OF SOULS, FROM ACTUALLY CLAIMING THEIR SOUL SO I CAN BEGIN THEIR FINAL PROCESSIONS. THE ONLY REASON I WAS ABLE TO GET THESE INTERVIEWS BECAUSE A FRAGMENT OF THEIR SOUL - WHAT HELD THEIR ACTUAL CONSCIOUSNESS - MADE IT TO THIS PLACE. THEIR WHOLE SOUL IS STILL MIA, AND WITHOUT IT, THEY CANNOT PASS ONTO THEIR AFTERLIVES.

WELL, AT LEAST THEY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO ALEDAR.

Spoiler: Interviewee 7, 8 & 9

INTERVIEWEE(S): ARGUS, MARTIM & KARKUN
TIME OF DEATH: 1000 AP
CAUSE OF DEATH: WHO LIVES IN A SUNKEN COVE UNDER THE SEA? (CAPTAIN REDBEARD)
REASON WHY THEY CAN'T PASS ON: RISEN AS UNDEAD SERVANTS OF REDBEARD

BECAUSE WHAT DID THEY EXPECT GOING IN BLIND INTO THE COVE OF A DECEASED PIRATE OVERLORD. THEY ALREADY GET THE PASS, THE MATTER OF CONCERN IS THAT IF THEY ARE ABLE TO CONTEND WITH THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO RICHES FOR THEM IN IT - ONLY PAIN, SUFFERING, AND GRISLY FATES. SINCE THE HERO OF WYNN IS MORE THAN CAPABLE OF DEALING WITH THIS KIND OF STUFF - HACKING, SLASHING AND MAYBE POLYCIDING THEIR WAY TO UNDO TERRIBLE FATES - I'LL ASSIGN THEM TO THIS.

I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY HAVE A STRANGE BRAND ON THEIR BACKS, THOUGH.

I'LL ATTACH A NOTE OUTSIDE THE HOURGLASS SO SOMEONE CAN ACTUALLY COME AND LOOK AT IT THEMSELVES. I'VE ALREADY EXPLAINED THE TEMPLE GUARDS THAT TOUCHING THE HOURGLASS MERELY TRANSPORTS YOU TO MY OFFICE - YOU DON'T DIE PER SE, YOU JUST HAVE YOUR SOUL GET TRANSFERRED OVER TO ME SO WE CAN TALK.

AND IF YOU'RE READING THIS, HERO OF WYNN, DO NOT WORRY - IT WILL BE AS IF AN AIRSHIP CRASHES WITH YOU IN IT - INSTANT, PAINLESS "DEATH". JUST HOW ARDULF LIKES IT.