A Dream of a New Beginning

In the aftermath of the ritual the cracks in the sky above Rastaban were sealed. The incursions plaguing the city have stopped - at least for now. Above the Imperial Palace a new rift appeared, however - a circular ragged wound in reality from which ichor seems to drip down in a dark and never-ending rain. Rumour spreads that the mutations this new Ichor inflicts seems less random than before and seem as though they were guided by an unseen hand towards a greater purpose. Stories speak of people walking into the rain and emerging reborn. Others merely speak of the horrific consequences of doing so. The Imperial Bureaucracy have vacated the area wholesale…but where to? The skies - now no longer migraine-inducing to look at - are regularly striated with vibrant fiery light which seems to rush across its surface - but why?

In time, other rumours begin to spread. Some talk of how those on the verge of death with unfinished business are offered a choice, a bargain, to return with the power to fulfil their failed ambition. As these returned walk the world, starlight upon their brow, they leave a warped reality in their wake - as though something from the monstrous beyond is smuggled in their shadow. Others talk of a strange landscape deep within the plane of Erosion made of butterflies and wax.

Many mysteries. One thing is for certain - the City breathes a sigh of relief as the Bell of Endings finally rings again and its citizens can emerge back into the world. Whether the world is - or ever will be - as they left it, remains to be seen.

Things to know about the state of the world.

• The barrier has been repaired. The escalating outsider incursions the city was experiencing have stopped - for now.
• In place of the cracked sky above the Imperial Palace there is now a gaping wound from which Ichor seems to rain down. The effects this Ichor are less random than before. If not directed by an Ichorwerker, mutations gained will skew slightly towards the theme of rebirth new beginnings. At the present time, nothing save for this new Ichor has travelled through this tear in either direction.
• There seems to be a weakness in the barrier where anyone dying with a purpose unfilled can potentially make a deal with an outsider letting at least a portion of them into reality in return for the power to achieve their purpose. Quite why this loophole exists in unclear.
• The Forest has got significantly less hostile towards humans and is now merely a giant untamed forest full of monsters rather than an all encompassing malicious entity attempting to destroy people. Forest Touched who have communed with the Forest in recent days claim it now speaks with two voices rather than one, although Rastaban has yet to catch up with the possible implications of this change.
• Small portions of the plane of Erosion seem to have re-aspecting slightly into rebirth from the ashes and have a wax, flame and butterfly aesthetic. Quite what effect this will have on those connected to the plane is unclear at this time.

Upon returning to Rastaban the lie that the teleport homer was accidentally destroyed is not questioned too closely given the apparent success of the mission. Nonnus Ingerinus the chairperson of the council of seven at least seems grateful and smooths over any remaining issues.

Whilst what happened is not common knowledge yet in a rather startling change of tack no effort seems to be being made to repress the information about the barrier and outsiders at this time.

• 10 favour from the council for resolving the issue
• Guardian of Mists epic tree
• Whispers in the dark Once per adventure you may attempt to convey a message or concept through black Ichor. This message will reach anyone affiliated with Ichor or who is in the presence of non trivial quantities of it.

• 10 favour from the council for resolving the issue
• Guardian of Mists epic tree
• No longer a forest touched

• Is no longer affiliated with the painter in any way.
• 10 favour from the council for resolving the issue
• Guardian of Mists epic tree

• 10 favour from the council for resolving the issue
• Guardian of Mists epic tree
• May once ever freely change class as the result of a gift from Dream of a new Beginning
• Currently in possession of Tenebris's awakened dagger and other gear although it will likely find it's way back to Tenebris in time.

• 10 favour from the council for resolving the issue
• Guardian of Mists epic tree

• Once per adventure when using an ability you may modify it's purview to include change and new beginnings, the act which brings about the change still has to thematically align with the original ability however. For example if using a rod embrace you could hit something so hard it shattered and then reformed into something new rather than just shattering.
• When you return from death the gaping wound in your chest remains constantly dripping blood although this does not impede you in any way. You are aware this is linked to the wound in the sky above the imperial palace. Once per adventure you may if you wish allow passage through the barrier and back again in either direction. You are also aware that a mantle remains to be claimed in the rift if you wished to take it up (ooc you have if you wish an additional retirement option to retire into being the wound in the barrier.)
• You are no longer blessed, the mark has instead been replaced with a stylised phoenix, when you die you will emerge plummeting from the sky in a rain of Ichor and are unlikely to return unchanged.
• When you sleep you dream of blood and siren voices asking you to unbar the gate.

• Once per adventure when using an ability you may modify it's purview to include change and new beginnings, the act which brings about the change still has to thematically align with the original ability however. For example if using a rod embrace you could hit something so hard it shattered and then reformed into something new rather than just shattering.
• You are no longer human and in some ways never were, you are instead a being of Erosion but find yourself at particularly at home in the changed parts of Erosion to do with rebirth, when in Erosion you may always find your way here if desired.
• As a retirement option you may retire into becoming a greater planar denizen, the exact nature of this is up to you but should in some way be erosion aspected. In this case change/new beginnings would also be appropriate.

• You are no longer human and are instead a Scion of the Magus, despite this abilities which affect outsiders will have no effect on you. You are aware you are now part of a greater whole.
• Once per adventure, when using Mutate Reality, you may push your powers further. Pick up to three attributes that you want an area to have. These do not have to derive from a subject you have studied, but are subject to GM approval.
• You may if you wish retire into becoming a greater aspect of the Magus.

• Retired into becoming the defender an aspect of the barrier.
• A small fragment of never was shattered off to complete tasks left undone, you may gen a new lv1 character with Never's memories and the following quirk. Purpose Unfulfilled You seem particularly prone to outsider incursions and once per adventure the GM may if they wish replace a filler encounter with a random outsider incursion instead.

You gain a sense for Dream. You will be able to tell when you are in Dream and whether entities are made of, or affiliated with, Dream. You will also be able to sense the presence of nearby Outsiders and their spawn whilst in Dream.

You may, at GM discretion, also be able to tell more Dream-based things. In particular, you will realise that the Forest exists in both Dream and the Mundane simultaneously with physical laws often breaking down entirely in the Deep Forest.

When in Dream your hits are equal to your physical hits or psyche hits whichever is higher.

Once per encounter, you may call MASS FEAR OUTSIDERS. Once per encounter, you may call VOID for the next 10s whilst defending or healing a completely helpless or incapacitated individual.

Once per adventure you may plunge the encounter into Dream. A mist begins to rise up from the floor and suffuses the area, which catches alight and burns with otherworldly flame. You sense the power of the Great Ritual, the combined wills of the dreaming, buoying you up and suffusing you with power.

• You & your party HEAL FULL. (Monsters will usually stay the same, at GM discretion.)
• Entities possessed or tainted by the Outsiders assume their true form.
• Gain 4 STAGGER and 4 STASIS at range. This represents you controlling the mists around you.

Additionally, if you are fighting against Outsiders or their spawn:

• Gain 4 MASS FEAR OUTSIDERS.
• Whenever you drop to 0 hits, you may reduce your maximum HP by 2 hits for the rest of the encounter to take a FIGHT ON. Your HP cannot become negative through use of this ability.

In addition you may if you wish push this ability further retiring but bringing the full power of the ritual to bear on banishing something into the beyond.