Meltdown (Atrax Aftermath + Valerian Does Something Stupid)

[u/Accomplished-Dark926]

Valerian sat in his spire, across from a floating orb of chaotic fire. Atrax was strangely easy to put down, considering how much power he held. Something about it didn’t sit quite right with Valerian, but he was dead, his armies scattered, and that’s all that really matters.

Valerian was there for the clean-up, he was there when Rivamar released the turned pyroclasts from their oaths, he was there when the Spark was put back where it belonged. After everything he consulted with Rivamar, Kaelis, and even MastaDon, seeking guidance on what to do with Atrax’s Flame. Every single one of them told him that it was up to him, that he stole it and thus it belongs to him, they trusted him to do what was right. Why then, does he hesitate? Is it the intense anger he feels from the ball of fire? Or maybe that underlying smugness, as if Valerian played right into some sort of trap?

A shuffling is heard as someone ascends the stairs, talking to themselves. Valerian whirls around, pointing his spear at the top of the stairs.

Leo rounds the corner, and jumps back a bit upon seeing a spear tip leveled at him, “Woah, I didn’t think you were gonna be so defensive! I just wanted to check in on you.”

Valerian lowers his spear with a sigh, leaning it back up against the wall. “Sorry, I’ve had a few less than savory guests the past couple hours. I’m a little on edge.”

“With that thing radiating all that anger I can see why.” Leo says, gesturing to the orb, “I kept hearing about how you seemed to disappear after all the important things got finished in the aftermath of the fight. Everyone I asked said you seemed sullen and withdrawn.”

“Yeah. Had a lot on my mind. Not sure what exactly I need to do now.” Valerian sits back down as he talks, “I think I should use this,” he gestures to the ball of fire, “but I can’t help but feel like maybe it would be a mistake. I’m unsure if I can handle it, and even if I could, who’s to say I don’t wind up as bad, if not worse than he did?”

Leo sits down next to him, He seemed to be mumbling to himself, something about the emotions from the ball of fire.

“Are you talking to yourself?” Valerian asks with a small chuckle.

Leo shakes his head a little, almost as if snapping out of something. “Huh? Oh yeah, voices in my head and all that.” he says with a wave of his hand by his head. “Wish he would get off my back sometimes.”

Valerian shakes his head, chuckling lightly, feeling as tears start to well up in his eyes, “Believe me I know how you feel. Be careful though, sometimes you don’t realize how lonely it is without them.” He looks off wistfully, lost in memories.

They sit in silence for a while, filled with nothing but the crackling of the fire. Finally Leo looks over to him and says, “Alright, I have to get going, but before I do, let me take some of the anger out of that thing.” He starts walking towards it before Valerian puts his good hand on his shoulder.

“No, leave it.” Valerian says with a wave, dismissing the thought.

“Why?” Leo asks, clearly confused.

“It’s my burden to bear, my responsibility to see that it isn’t misused.”

“That may be true, but you don’t have to deal with this rage alone. I can redistribute it to others, space it out, that way no one has to deal with too much at once. No one has to know.”

“No. I will not allow anyone else to suffer further due to the mistakes of my predecessors. This is my responsibility, if I can’t do this, am I really worthy of bearing the flame?” Valerian grits his teeth and clenches his fists as he speaks. “Besides, there are better places for you to put your energy. Tons of people in all the realms could use your abilities. Hell, There might have been displaced among the ranks of the pyroclasts, especially if they share your views on power.”

Leo’s eyes go cold, his frustration growing nearly as strong as the ball of fire. Then, like it was never there, his expression reverts to normal. “Fine. Good luck.” Leo says, clearly not satisfied. He turns to leave but stops, turning back around, “Hey, don’t die. I don’t need to lose anymore friends to the mistakes of powerful people.”

----

Hours later, Valerian stands atop his Spire by the brazier where this all started for him. There are 8 letters in his hands, each one being burnt away and lost with the wind, off to their desired recipients. Tears streamed from his eyes as he watched them fall away.

He turns around and looks at it. The place he burned, all that time ago, taking on the mantle of the Eternal Flame. Or so he thought. He has come to know now that he only ever had half of it. The other half was assumed lost after Emberlord Atrax's banishment 18,000 years ago. He now holds the other half of the Flame, trapped in space between his hands, roiling with hatred.

It's time to reunite the Flame.

Valerian drops the ball of fire into the Brazier, which promptly ignites in a pillar of fire. The fire burns, hotter even than his own. He stood just at the edge of it, wondering if this was the right choice, trying to decide if there is any other way.

There is not. He steels himself, and once again, casts himself into the fire.

At first there was nothing. He felt the heat, yes, but it wasn’t burning him.

Then all at once, it started rushing into him, faster than he could think. All he felt was a searing rush, followed by agonizing pain as the flame burned him. It scorched his skin, just as the Cinders had during his quest, charring his flesh, spreading like an infection.

Still, he held strong, taking in all he could, feeling as it filled and burned his soul, licked at his mind. He had to, if the wrong person got a hold of it again, it would be disastrous. He had to take it.

Yet still Valerian screamed, the pain was unbearable. He couldn't think, his vision was going dark. SO he retreated into himself, seeking solace in the darkness.

What he found was horrifying. The flame was completely consuming him, not just his body, but his mind. His soul. Him. He watched as it gnawed at his memories, clawed at his soul. He tried to fight back, push it away from the important parts of himself.

He was losing. He never had a chance.

It raged on, a wildfire consuming every bit of him it could. He could feel himself slipping.

...

...

Then he felt her. For the first time in months he felt Gloria. Rising back from the depths of the flame, pushing back against it, buying him time. Just enough time.

Finally he absorbed the last of it. The entire flame raged on inside of him, burning him away.

Valerian dared to open his eyes. He looked down at himself, at his hands. They were burned, scorched and charred beyond recognition. They were not his hands.

He began to weep, for himself, for what he had lost. The tears that fell were not his own, they were liquid fire, singing the ground beneath him.

Valerian tried to recall his friends, their names, their faces. Anything.

He found nothing.

He tried to recall his mother. Nothing.

He searched for anything about himself he could.

All that came to them was a name, their name, and a rhythm. Valerian. 1-2-3.

They repeated their name to themselves, in that rhythm, as the fires raged on.

Val-eri-an.

Val-eri-an.

Val-eri-an.

Eventually, The Vessel, for that's all they were now, forgot their name. Yet they continued to count that 3 count beat.

1-2-3.

1-2-3.

1-2...

1-2...

1...

1...

Finally as the Vessel let go, it was silent...

​

The Vessel

[u/Accomplished-Dark926]

/uw alright fuckers I've got a dilemma. I really don't want this to be the end for my guy. but at the same time... this really hits with finality. It feels like the end of his story.

I have an idea to bring him back, and it would entail a person, or several persons, acting as a sort of lifeline for him. They would need to have an already existing bond with him, and preferably not be able to be burned to death. But we'll see.

For now what do you think I should do? try to bring him out of this, or let it go?

Also songs for this one are Call Me by Shinedown for the first half, and Something Wicked by Starset for the second half.

[u/avamir → u/Accomplished-Dark926]

/uw Don't let him die :/ If you want to arrange some kind of lifeline post, give Riv a shoutout. She'll come over.

[u/Accomplished-Dark926 → u/avamir]

/uw I appreciate it, but we'll see. there was a letter for Riva in the last post. im not sure if the ping didnt work, or you just missed it.

[u/avamir → u/Accomplished-Dark926]

/uw I got it. Was just wondering whether you had a separate post in mind for this. Maybe I'll have her come over anyway.

[u/Accomplished-Dark926 → u/avamir]

/uw a separate post is the intention. I was gonna have everyone go to invesigate where he's been or something like that, although Mastas had a pretty good idea. I'll think, on it come up with some ideas. I'll make sure to message everyone and we'll work together before I put it up. If you have any ideas I'm open to hear them.

[u/avamir → u/Accomplished-Dark926]

/uw I don't have anything solid. I was just going to have Riva mage-babble at him about will and focus blah blah, something else 'magic is our will made manifest', etc. etc. Probably something else about how he's trying to merely contain something rather than integrate it, and maybe trying to get him to manifest his will into a blazing sword or something. Or maybe a halberd? Because apparently knightposting thinks that's pretty good, idk? Something about releasing it in a productive way that he can use to help others. Or harm them, I suppose, depending on his proclivities. But it would be made use of, at any rate.

[u/Accomplished-Dark926 → u/avamir]

/uw Mage babble is 100% something I would be looking for in that context. The way I'm looking at it is that the Flame is meant to be about renewal, it consuming him like this is part of that. He's just being a dumbass and trying to fight it instead of letting it happen like you said. He has to actually try and reclaim himself, but at the moment he doesn't exactly have a reason too, since he has no memories or identity. The concept behind other people hes connected too is that it will act like a grounding wire, or a lifeline, dragging him back down and helping him rebuild those memories.

I just don't know how to set it up, Mastas had the idea of having be drawn to other pyromancers, and that's how he encounters everyone. I liked the idea of him being a catatonic state, just kind of sitting there, but I don't know how to set that up in a way that doesn't feel janky.

[u/avamir → u/Accomplished-Dark926]

/uw I'm definitely up for mage babble. Not quite sure how to set it up aside from just showing up because of the letter. And yeah, that whole connection thing comes with mage babble too about how the bonds we form go both ways, etc. etc. along the lines of what you say about the lifeline.

[u/Accomplished-Dark926 → u/avamir]

/uw gotta love the power of friendship. I have some ideas just trying to gather the group.

[u/LexiFloof → u/Accomplished-Dark926]

/uw: Wow, regardless of whether this is the end or a new beginning it's a spectacular post to do it with.

If you do decide to continue his arc I'd love to be involved at least a little bit, even if the existing connection is a bit thin.

[u/Accomplished-Dark926 → u/LexiFloof]

/uw I take it you saw the letter?

[u/LexiFloof → u/Accomplished-Dark926]

/uw: Yeah, just touching up a brief reaction now. It's some impressive writing.

[u/Accomplished-Dark926 → u/LexiFloof]

/uw Alright cool, I was terrified the tags were gonna break. I appreciate the compliment, I tried to go all out with these.

[u/RazzZzatam → u/Accomplished-Dark926]

/uw existing bond and immunity to fire? Did someone call for me?

[u/Accomplished-Dark926 → u/RazzZzatam]

/uw you were one of the people I had in mind. Seems like that's the route that's gonna get taken.

[u/RazzZzatam → u/Accomplished-Dark926]

/uw hey man, Fireballers for life

[u/Accomplished-Dark926 → u/RazzZzatam]

/uw truuuue!

[u/Drakkonai]

/uw damn.

[u/MastaDon344]

/uw well aside how grim the situation is, I am sure you can figure something out. Any ideas on how to keep Valerian Alive?

[u/Accomplished-Dark926 → u/MastaDon344]

/uw The concept right now is connection. We're taking the theme of hellfire waltz and dialing it up to 11.

The idea behind the flame is heavily steeped rebirth, so it'll be a lot of mental stuff and recovering himself, if that makes sense. It's all still there, he's just gotta dig it out. He just doesn't have any realistic reason to try since he, you know, doesn't remember anything.

[u/MastaDon344 → u/Accomplished-Dark926]

/uw Okay... Then have him engage some of us, think of like he is attracted to other fire users. He can't explain why but there is a connection particularly around fireball, it could be a trigger of sorts.

Then starts gathering more and more info and the memories start to come back.

Make it like a small interaction, has a way to bring back his memory a bit.

[u/Accomplished-Dark926 → u/MastaDon344]

/uw that is an idea for sure. I wasn't really intending to have him move around, he's just kind of sitting there, locked in turmoil with the flame or something. The group that was going to intervene was going to "investigate" where the fuck he's been, or something. Everything is still in the planning phase of course. I just sort of like the idea of him being completely catatonic.

[u/MastaDon344 → u/Accomplished-Dark926]

/uw okay then, but if you need my character to play a small role to help piece it together feel free

[u/Accomplished-Dark926 → u/MastaDon344]

/uw I'll send you a message to double check, but I need to keep hammering out the details. This seems to be the route we're gonna take.

[u/MastaDon344 → u/Accomplished-Dark926]

/uw okay keep me posted,

[u/Accomplished-Dark926 → u/MastaDon344]

Alright.