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The Rockrose and the Thistle (Inkpot Gods), Act I, Chapter 1 | Dylawa

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Gale Dekarios imagines this might be what death feels like. He imagines this must be what death feels like, before your soul re-awakens moments or days later and makes its journey to its destined ever after. Or, perhaps, for those who are godless like him, this is how that journey ends, too. A stroll to the Fugue Plane to await redirection to one’s promised afterlife, only to be met with nothing, and to eventually fade like low, flickering candlelight, or be thrust into the Wall of Faithless. The thought is chilling. Were he a less practical man, perhaps this would have been the moment where he would have broken down hyperventilating and crying, contemplating what fate may await his soul at the end of his life. No, it wasn’t death itself that frightened him, he told himself. It was what awaited him after. Fortunately, he already had that little episode of panic a few months ago. There was no need to go through it again.

Gale Dekarios hadn't planned on being abducted by mind flayers when he departed from his Waterdeep tower for the first time in over a year. Clearly, the rest of this strange assembly of individuals from the Coast were in similar straits-- though that's to be expected. It's also clear to the wizard early on that something unnerving is afoot, a larger plan expanding far beyond the reach of what could be considered "normal" for illithid activity and intent. One thing that isn't clear to Gale, however, is the strange woman who has taken the role of leader and spokeswoman for the group. Syolkiir Evaliir Vaedaanaes, astral elf, swords bard, crystal-draconic sorcerer, is strict, callous, prideful, conceited, judgemental, cold-- everything in opposition to what her supposed heritage and abilities imply she should be. Her leadership is efficient, and much needed in a time of uncertainty, but her sense of superiority is nothing short of degrading. Worst of all, she seems to have made Gale her number one target of study-- and competition. It seems this may be a rather difficult journey.

Being engaged to All Might, of all people in the world, is nothing short of an improbable miracle. The love you and Toshinori Yagi have shared for the past half of a decade has carried you through numerous times of peace and trouble, joy and heartache, and life and death. Having saved the world a mere year and a half ago, you're nothing short of a miracle to the people of Japan and beyond, and as your wedding with the man you love fast approaches, it feels as if almost nothing can ruin your brilliant momentum. That doesn't mean threats do not still loom; the knowledge that Toshinori's life is likely on an inevitable timer always presses down on your heart, and even beyond the shadow of All for One, there are still dangerous villains waiting for the perfect moment to strike the public at large for their own gains. When a mysterious entity appears whose seemingly only purpose is to sow chaos and fear, how can you combat against them when they can use the weight of past, present, and future to crush you and All Might so heavily? And how can you manage the return of a demon from your own past at the same time? If you cannot overcome the fear within yourself, you may fall to it-- as will the Symbol of Peace.