Chapter 261, 1/2

The sky of the Celestial Observatory was a blue blackness, full of stars. The world itself was divided between mountain tops and valleys, with layers of illuminated clouds separating mountains fabricated from crystal spires, and valleys full of greenery and glowing blue water. The air was cool, however not chilly, although Erick didn’t actually get chilly anymore.

Not as a human-shaped protean particular person, and particularly not as a large black dragon.

With wings unfold vast, Erick surveyed the land. This was not the place Yggdrasil had dropped him the primary time; that kilometers-wide bridge between the 2 crystal-spire mountains was nowhere to be seen. In fact there have been different large bridges between the mountain lands on the market. The crystal spire cities above the clouds had been all linked by bridges, like they had been all islands in an illuminated sea of clouds.

Erick flew above these clouds, feeling kinda nice, as he checked his Lightning Path.

There was heaps to do right here.

Versus Erick’s time at Da’luwe, the place all his Path usually pointed on the numerous issues of Da’luwe, for the reason that world outdoors the town was fairly hostile to life and thus there wasn’t a lot he may do out within the Limitless, there was life all over the place right here, on this land of peaks and valleys. Down there, within the inexperienced lands, individuals toiled in fields and lived easy, rural lives. The locations Erick flew over gave the impression to be firmly caught within the 1400’s, if he had been going by Earth-standards, although some locations appeared much more primitive than that. Cows helped women and men plow fields whereas youngsters performed with hoops and sticks as grandmothers and fathers knitted scarves or whittled wooden into cooking utensils. The buildings appeared made out of wooden and plaster and thatch whereas the roads had been filth in most locations, and gravel by the nicer homes.

It was so bizarre to see, and but not that bizarre in any respect. The extra Erick noticed of Margleknot the extra he knew how stratified the entire place was. There was the Dragon District, the place individuals invented actuality entire fabric, after which locations like this and like Da’luwe, the place some individuals lived thus far beneath others that they had been virtually caricatures of historic pasts.

The people who lived above the clouds had been someplace between these extremes.

Erick soared via the everlasting night time sky and forged his gaze far and deep.

In these crystal spire mountaintops Erick noticed what seemed to be locations like Ar’Kendrithyst, with spires and sky bridges and other people residing brazenly, utilizing little ‘smartphones’, or no matter they known as them. Some eating places used machines to flip vegetable-and-egg desserts on griddles and serve them to clients. Women and men spoke at board conferences to buyers. Nannies and grandfathers and uncles and aunts and fathers and moms and all types of individuals walked from this place to that place with two youngsters in tow and a child in a basket on their again, or with their girlfriend, or boyfriend, or simply buddies.

Watchtowers right here and there noticed Erick, and so did a complete bunch of fully regular locations.

Most individuals merely freaked out for a second on the large black dragon flying distant, after which they continued about their day. One man at a tower that caught out fairly removed from the opposite towers pissed himself, however that, and a few ribbing from the opposite guys on responsibility, had been all that occurred there. That man would most likely recuperate from the lack of delight ultimately.

Erick smirked just a little as buddies laughed at buddies, as he stored flying, respiration within the cool air and feeling fairly nice.

The Celestial Observatory was a land divided, although, and the ‘why’ of that was a fairly large rationalization. He already knew just a little little bit of that reasoning, in response to one of many conversations he had had with Eldawae, again in Da’luwe.

– –

Metropolis Eldawae, who was named as such for Causes, had scowled when requested concerning the Good lands of Margleknot, saying, “All of the actually Good locations are gone and have been for some time. Paradise Rises was the truest bastion of Good within the universe over 6,400 years in the past. Morbion noticed to the destruction of that place personally, and it solely took him a millennium to do it! In fact they need to have seen it coming, although, so it was form of their very own fault. Morbion acted as a kind of ally of Good again then, killing off probably the most Evil lands on the market. That’s how he began getting Contracts in on the Celestial Observatory and different locations; they noticed him as an ally of comfort at times, and so that’s what he turned.”

Different Eldawae, named himself that approach as a result of they each had been nonetheless attempting to determine new names, continued, “When Morbion ultimately turned on Paradise Rises he turned with the complete power of Steadiness at his again. Paradise Rises by no means stood an opportunity. From there they went after The Good Lands, Heartshearth, and lots of others. All of the whereas the Celestial Observatory was getting labored on by Wraithborne’s legal professionals because of the survivors of these different Good lands flooding that place. That’s what actually did the Celestial Observatory in. Wraithborne conquered that place via an infection of Contracts. A few of these Contracts may even be handed right down to youngsters!”

Metropolis Eldawae mentioned, “Now when the Prismatic Wilderness fell to Wraithborne… that’s when the Steadiness began to shift again in opposition to Wraithborne.”

“Fairly proper.” Different Eldawae mentioned, “The autumn of the Wilderness is when Wraithborne started its Reformation, adjusting from a land of full battle and domination and Evil, to one thing much less overt. The legal professionals got here out in power with Contracts that pressured extra Contracts.”

“Morbion pressured the Celestial Observatory into what it’s right now,” Metropolis Eldawae cursed, “A land of middling Good full of systemic issues which might require battle to repair, however nobody needs to go to battle as a result of that will lower provide traces and finish the straightforward life for a fantastic many individuals.” Eldawae waved a wing. “And sunder a bunch of souls, too, as generationally-tied Contracts activated all throughout that a part of Margleknot.”

– –

Each Eldawaes weren’t buddies, precisely, they usually each had slightly dim views of the Good lands on the market they usually weren’t afraid to be acerbic about it, however they had been each individuals who had stopped mendacity to Erick some time in the past, within the month that Erick had spent at Layer 1 in and round Da’luwe. That solidly spoken nature and spending a while among the many actual individuals of Margleknot had helped Erick to study a complete bunch of little issues that he hadn’t identified earlier than that break.

Erick noticed a kind of info now, as he soared via the starry sky, and seen the horizon of Margleknot.

Margleknot was what Veird and FENRIR would possibly someday be, within the very, very distant future; a large dyson sphere surrounding a solar, however a complete lot extra difficult than that.

Trying down on the Celestial Observatory, Erick imagined Margleknot’s unique solar contained in the sphere beneath, far, far inside, together with a bunch of different suns gathered and created by the assorted Fathers and Moms of Margleknot, and all the opposite robust powers of this Fractal Universe. Your complete inside area of that dyson sphere was many, many astronomical models throughout. Nobody however Margleknot actually knew the complete distance between one place and the following. Your complete inside area was below Margleknot’s full management, and issues corresponding to ‘distance’ solely actually mattered when Margleknot made them matter. One may merely search for on the sky and see different lands, which ought to be not possible in any regular kind of area.

Contained in the sphere, if Erick would have stored touring throughout the Limitless desert to achieve the following gray pillar rising up from the following Wraithborne city, he would have stumbled right into a land of forest and bushes and easily left the Limitless behind, with out realizing he had left it behind. That’s the way it was touring in there. To get again to the Limitless, he would have needed to fly for a lot of days again in that course, and when he lastly, out of the blue discovered the Limitless, he would have discovered himself per week away from the forested locations.

Touring out right here, although, outdoors of the sphere, was quite a bit easier and easy. The land beneath had such an imperceptible curve that it appeared like all of the crystal mountaintops merely stretched on without end. The Celestial Observatory was technically a land of 350,000,000,000,000,000 sq. kilometers, and greater than ten occasions that when it got here to precise residing area, which was all up and down these mountains.

The Celestial Observatory was your entire outer floor of Margleknot, which was why it had been really easy for Wraithborne to contaminate with Evil. There have been just too many entry factors into this land.

Besides that wasn’t the entire story, both.

Numerous the outer floor of Margleknot was used for lots of various peoples; in a approach much like how the within was all spatially managed, the surface was additionally lower up into items. The Observatory didn’t really comprise 350,000,000,000,000,000 sq. kilometers. It was extra like solely .5% of that large quantity.

Nonetheless a fairly large freaking quantity.

Trillions of individuals lived inside quadrillions of sq. kilometers, so it wasn’t that populated. Technically. This was nonetheless one of many extra populated, low-power locations, although. The lands the place the large powers existed was far, distant from right here. And but, if one moved proper, the highly effective locations had been only a skip over the following horizon.

The ‘subsequent horizon’ being each multi-planetary and spatially-managed in distance, after all.

Erick may flip to lightning and fly the place he wanted to go, however he was fairly certain that it will take a long time, as a result of Eldawae’s estimates of the land’s dimension had been slightly guesstimates. Margleknot grew and shifted on a regular basis, in any case.

Realizing all of that, it was fairly straightforward to grasp why Yggdrasil was glad to have Veird develop onto a dyson sphere.

Realizing that, it was straightforward to see why no matter legality and rights of possession surrounding Veird was a Large Fucking Deal that Erick wasn’t actually ready for. Probably not.

And so, he wanted allies, and the Celestial Observatory wanted to be free of Wraithborne’s grip.

And that wasn’t even the entire story of the Celestial Observatory. The primary story of this spatially-managed and divided land was even deeper than that, with secrets and techniques and powers that Erick had barely examine in Yggdrasil’s Guidebook, however which he kinda wished to check out.

The Celestial Observatory was not only a land that seen the sky, it was additionally a land that seen the opposite lands. The true ‘Observatory’ had been the crystal mountains above the illuminated clouds. The land beneath was not the Observatory in any respect. Probably not.

There have been two, possibly 2.5 methods to journey via this place.

The primary method to journey was kinda tough. Eldawae had defined how one can navigate and transfer via this land, however Erick wasn’t fairly seeing it but, and he didn’t wish to merely ask Yggdrasil for the short navigation answer.Witness the debut of this chapter, unveiled via Ñôv€l–B1n.

Apparently, if he flew for some time, aiming towards a particular particular person, the land would change round him and he would find yourself at that particular person, or close to them. That was the easy, overworld-sort-of-travel. It was kind of like how the Black Crystal District that surrounded the Dragon District labored.

After which there was a harder approach which concerned dipping beneath the clouds, for the lands down there weren’t linked on to the mountaintops throughout. They had been different worlds. Different locations that would use some assist. Different lands in different galaxies round different stars and different layers that wanted assist from these on the Good Mountaintops of the Celestial Observatory. That was, genuinely, the principle approach during which the Celestial Observatory labored.

One may look down from the mountaintops and all the time see a land of Good individuals in want of help.

This was a slightly supreme land of Good, and when individuals weren’t watching the lands beneath, these lands become different lands that wanted assist.

Erick may actually spend a complete immortal life flitting down via the clouds and up once more, serving to individuals who may use it, or who deserved it. They had been ‘random’ lands down there, although by some metric they weren’t that random in any respect. These lands belonged to individuals who had some distant connection to Margleknot, and who prayed to any kind of iteration of Margleknot, or to the Good gods who held courtroom right here.

Each single valley was an open invitation for individuals to come back and assist.

Most valleys had watchers, although, and that was the rub.

These watchers maintained vigilant views on the lands beneath, and so these lands beneath remained beneath, seen and open for any to come back and go to, so long as some Good particular person existed down there, wanting assist of any type in any respect. If the watchers stopped watching, or if the valleys emptied of excellent individuals, then the lands would change and a brand new supply of want would open up.

And so, individuals above the valleys watched the valleys and stored them from switching to new locations that wanted assist, thus they ‘fulfilled their responsibility’ of retaining the lands round them protected and Good.

It was kinda insidious, and Wraithborne was in charge for lots of this present tradition of the Observatory.

And but, to discover a valley that really wanted assist, all Erick needed to do was fuzz his imaginative and prescient and his senses, and fly for some time, looking for to proper a fantastic flawed. After which he’d be above a valley that wanted assist. In accordance with what he had heard, he would then discover himself above a plagued land, or a land at battle, and even one thing so simple as a girl needing assist giving beginning who had nobody to assist her.

It was a siren’s name to assist.

A lure.

A requirement on each a part of Erick’s all the pieces, now that he knew what this place actually was, because of Eldawae.

Erick wished to provide in to that siren’s name. To drop down into different worlds and reward them energy and prosperity and peace. However that will be stepping out of Margleknot. The way in which again would stay, after all, however time would shift within the switch between worlds, and there was no telling how a lot time would go on Veird between now and after Erick solved no matter downside there was to resolve in no matter valley he managed to enter.

And so, like lots of the crystal mountains throughout, Erick inured himself to the small issues and good lives he noticed that might be made higher.

Erick sighed out, releasing his gaze upon the world, shutting his senses after which closing his eyes. He was aiming to seek out some particular individuals. Not simply anybody who wanted assist, however those that may assist him.

He felt the wind flicker and a chill go, after which he opened his eyes… And he wasn’t a lot farther from the place he began. Hmm. So. Perhaps he wanted to journey for longer? Eldawae had mentioned that typically it took a substantial amount of blind flying earlier than the world shifted, if you happen to had a substantial amount of distance to go to get the place you wished to be. Erick was slightly sure that ‘the place he wished to be’ was ‘wherever Moonarcher and Darkcaller and Crystalmaster had been’.

– – – –

Erick sat down with Lionshard on the balcony of Erick’s home, overlooking the lake. There have been extra fish in there than earlier than. Much more biodiversity.

Lionshard ate one other tri-berry tart, grinning as he did so, saying, “These little issues are scrumptious.”

“I’m glad I acquired some seeds from Da’luwe.” Erick mentioned, “I like them, too.”

“To me, the lazulibob and perinom flavors are well-trod paths, however this cupberry is one thing that really brings them each collectively, and which I had forgotten about.”

“I style strawberry, purpleberry, and blackberry,” Erick mentioned.

“They’re mildly addictive, you realize, inflicting you to be extra simply influenced. That’s how these types of memory-foods work.”

Erick chuckled. “I had not identified that, but it surely is sensible why Eldawae solely supplied them that one time, after which once I proved my energy they stopped being on provide.” He added, “Sorry about that. I didn’t know.”

Lionshard smiled. “No worries. Whenever you get as robust as we’re then you may benefit from the harmful issues in life. And talking of harmful issues… Are you actually going to deal with Wraithborne?”

“… Nicely. Indirectly.” Erick mentioned, “I don’t wish to get into that battle. After I made Benevolence I spoke of the ‘good of all and each particular person’, however I definitely didn’t imply ‘good’ as in ‘Good’. The entire idea of Good and Evil as bodily issues which you could measure and account for is… Disheartening, to say the least. I don’t prefer it, and I’d slightly provide a unique strategy to energy. My hope is that I can construct an extension of my group on Veird up right here; a Home Benevolence. A corporation that may extra simply convey Benevolence to the lots.” Erick gestured to the celebrities nonetheless gathered across the entrance gate of his property. “I went via a thousand of these earlier than I discovered your pleasant letter, and invited you over. All of them need much more assist than what I can provide them, and there are lots of people on the market who need me to convey fireplace and lightning in opposition to all Evil in Margleknot. And I can’t do this.”

“Why not?” Lionshard requested, prompting the query that Erick had been interested by quite a bit. “The hearth and lightning, that’s.”

“As a result of even when I killed Morbion and his Primes and all of that then Wraithborne would merely fall inward, collapsing exhausting, which might result in the deaths of trillions.”

“Ah,” Lionshard mentioned, “However we now have the Ready Room, and it’s uncertain you would kill Morbion in a passable approach. Even reincarnating him into a greater type would merely permit that Evil to be free in Margleknot, and I extremely doubt he doesn’t have particular protections in opposition to you by now.”

“I believe I may nonetheless kill him if I wanted to… Perhaps.” Erick mentioned, “However I don’t wish to. I need him to come back to the choice that being Not-Evil is healthier than being Evil… however then we come to the issue of Evil, and that’s the sticking level. Can Elemental Evil ever be not-Evil?” Erick appeared to him. “I’d prefer to have that dialog now, if you happen to’re prepared.”

Lionshard nodded, after which he started, “Good and Evil are massive matters, with many wide-ranging issues. However to summarize the problem of getting literal good and evil within the universe, we start on the base.

“The place does Evil begin? It begins with pondering of everybody as one other factor for use.

“The place does Good begin? It begins with pondering of everybody as somebody.

“Evil excels at utilizing individuals to 1’s personal optimistic ends. It’s theft and homicide and all acts of taking.

“Good excels at utilizing your self to the optimistic ends of others. It’s items and creation and all acts of giving that empower others.

“Neither Good nor Evil are able to current on their very own. Evil finally ends up with the world empty and the consumer upon a throne of mud and nothing. Good leads to a world the place everyone seems to be mediocre with none actual objectives of their very own besides to make others glad.

“That is what is supposed by the Steadiness. This is the reason Good and Evil gasoline one another, for there’s not a single thriving civilization on the market that’s not Balanced not directly. The one purpose Wraithborne is so profitable is as a result of it’s a lesser Nice Evil.

“Margleknot shouldn’t be presently Balanced.

“This is the reason the Celestial Observatory is how it’s. It’s a land of Good that’s now not in a position to be Good the way it was meant to be, and but, it’s higher than the way it was earlier than. You noticed the place. You noticed how there are mountaintops with individuals residing respectable lives and valleys the place individuals reside within the mud and stone. The Celestial Observatory has not all the time been like that; a land of lots and a land of nothing. Many would say it’s higher how it’s right now.” Lionshard requested, “Did you go down beneath the clouds?”

“… I actually, actually wished to. If I’d have seen one thing horrendous I may need.”

Lionshard nodded. “The chances of you seeing one thing horrendous are very massive in that land, however it’s a good factor you didn’t go beneath the clouds. You may need come again above the clouds and per week or a yr may have handed.”

“I believe I may have dealt with per week.” Erick mentioned, “However the individuals within the mountains ship individuals down into these lands beneath on a regular basis, don’t they? These lands beneath definitely didn’t seem like they had been that distant, time-wise. How does that work?”

“Distance is time, and the Observatory does a number of Destiny Magic to determine which locations they’re taking a look at which wants assist probably the most, and the timetables required to assist these locations, however the assist they offer is now not completely wanted, prefer it was once.” Lionshard mentioned, “It’s all very difficult, and it’s quite a bit much less fervent right now than it was once. Was you had ascetic monks within the mountains, divining fact and time in what they noticed beneath, after which intervening proper on the proper occasions to avert nice Evils, or set up nice Items. Now you’ve gotten quite a bit bigger of a civilization, wanting over a complete lot extra lands.

“This improve in inhabitants is the direct results of Wraithborne’s affect. It’s extra Balanced nowadays, with quite a bit much less Good, and so the individuals within the mountains don’t want to provide as a lot, and they also have extra.

“However for the reason that Observatory is Balanced, there isn’t a nice counter to Wraithborne’s expansive, grand Evils.

“For Wraithborne is Evil at its core. However it’s a softer Evil. One which spreads and infects and attracts again to the supply and tries to restrict its personal development and depravity. It has accepted some primary Items into its existence, like the concept that if different individuals are allowed to be egocentric, then they’ll develop highly effective, and different, equally highly effective Evils make respectable allies-of-convenience in opposition to the lots and people.” Lionshard stopped explaining as he requested, “Now inform me: The place do you suppose Benevolence suits into such a technique of Good versus Evil?”

Erick didn’t need to suppose for very lengthy. “Benevolence is about having the facility to assist different individuals.” He added, “It’s longer than that, however you’ve already learn the precise phrases in my file. I as soon as heard a god name it ‘Elemental Altruism, however extra self-empowering in an effort to give any extra energy to others, as a substitute of self-effacing’.” Erick requested, “I’d have thought Elemental Good wasn’t a lot like Elemental Altruism, although. Absolutely it’s not ‘Good’ to provide away each a part of oneself to others?”

Lionshard nodded, then mentioned, “Altruism is slightly extra of a ‘pure’ kind of Good.” Lionshard requested, “However inform me this, now: You’re the strongest particular person in your world. Would you be okay with another person being simply as robust? Or stronger?”

Erick chuckled. “Certain. I’m tremendous with that? How is {that a} query?”

“Simply feeling you out. As a result of sure, I’ve learn your full file, Erick, and you’ve got usually mentioned that nobody ought to have the kind of energy you wield. So my query is a sound one. You don’t imagine individuals ought to be stronger than you, since you imagine that you’ve the best to decide on what occurs to others, and that’s the place Benevolence leads you.” Lionshard mentioned, “That’s the place you’ve gotten led your self.”

Erick frowned just a little. “… I can see that time, however on the identical time I do make good selections for the prosperity of all and each particular person, so it is a energy I’m tremendous with wielding, and I’m tremendous with different Benevolent powers on the market.”

Lionshard smiled just a little. “Good. I doubted that you’d be damaged by just a little little bit of logical fallacy discuss, however these items are vital to debate when going up in opposition to the large issues of the universe which have clear parallels with your personal existence. You might be clearly Good, however in some methods you’re egocentric, and so long as you acknowledge that, then you may keep out of the Good and Evil battle.” Lionshard mentioned, “Similar to how Nothanganathor stayed out of that battle with Malevolence, for Malevolence could be very ‘good’ at killing corruption, and due to this fact Malevolence is in nice use throughout a lot of Margleknot. In case you thread that very same needle then you may keep out of that battle with Benevolence, too, and certain proper a number of the Steadiness again to Good via oblique means.”

Erick checked out Lionshard. “I believed Malevolence was on the aspect of Evil?”

“Indirectly. It’s much like how Benevolence shouldn’t be immediately on the aspect of Good.”

Erick needed to cease and take into consideration that for a second. “… Huh.” He requested, “Do you suppose my thought of Wraithborne turning not-Evil has benefit? That they may really do such a factor?”

“There are as many paths to energy as there are drops of infinity on this fractal universe.” Lionshard mentioned, “Evil would possibly flip less-Evil if given sufficient incentive. Simply because the Enclave has requested you to show your energy to show your value to them, in an effort to convey Steadiness, there are Evil lands on the market which wish to escape the Steadiness via you and yours, which is one other method to make the Enclave glad. Not each Evil needs to stay Evil, particularly if the choice is an enormous quantity of energy and a life that’s simpler to reside, with out paladins and in any other case crashing down doorways every now and then.” Lionshard mentioned, “I believe that’s the place you can be making probably the most headway together with your objectives; provide energy and redemption in the identical reward, and see your affect multiply.”

Erick actually wanted to reestablish Home Benevolence up right here in Margleknot—

“Ask the query I do know you’ve gotten wished to ask me for a very long time.” Lionshard mentioned, “Now could be the time for it, Erick.”

Erick felt a weight of a big second upon his shoulders, for sure, now was a great time to convey up a query that Erick had held in his again pocket for some time. Erick requested, “Would you prefer to turn out to be a member of Home Benevolence?”

“Nope! However I can be an ally you may rely upon.” Lionshard quickly added, “That you would be able to rely upon. No others. I’m not assembly anybody else however you.”

Erick paused. After which he laughed. “I’ll take it!”

“Now allow us to talk about how one can entry the Ready Room so you could find some true members of your Home growth.”

Erick smiled. “I would love that. Thanks.”

Lionshard smiled, then started, “To entry the Ready Room…”

Accessing the Ready Room to seek out souls to convey again to life was each straightforward, and difficult.

There have been two major methods to do it, after which yet one more third approach which was extra harmful.

Probably the most harmful approach concerned killing your self after which discovering the Ready Room whereas nonetheless having sufficient private energy in your Margleknot Checking account to resurrect your self and others. This was probably the most harmful approach as a result of it concerned one’s personal dying, after which ‘bodily’ inhabiting absolutely the madhouse of the Ready Room.

The extra regular method to entry the Ready Room concerned both:

A) Projecting one’s residing soul into the Ready Room and attempting to see via the cacophony of souls to seek out those you had been on the lookout for, after which spending both the resons to convey them again, or utilizing your personal spellwork to do the identical. A variation on this technique is what Wraithborne did. They used a trio of individuals to look the Ready Room for souls; a diver, an anchor up above holding the diver safe, and a contractor who would facilitate the resurrection of the discovered soul. Wraithborne’s technique nearly 100% assured that the particular person projecting into the Ready Room wouldn’t die themselves. Attempting this technique on one’s personal often ended up in a suicide.

Or B) Asking a god to do all of the components of diver, anchor, and vendor for you, with you within the driver’s seat.

After thanking Lionshard and sending him away, Erick introduced out the little black e-book he had ‘acquired’ from the paladin within the Celestial Observatory.

First, it was a primer on how one can attain the Ready Room after which got here a complete bunch of stuff about how one can discover the souls you wished to seek out. After that primer got here the names and small dossiers of the 87 individuals who had been Erick’s targets for reincarnation. Or they had been the targets the e-book wished him to convey again.

The black e-book was slightly suspect, however from what Erick was seeing, it was a great checklist, and the small directions within the e-book for how one can convey all of them again matched the directions that Lionshard had given him in a common kind of approach. And so, Erick put the e-book away in his home, and made plans for what got here subsequent.

Erick selected to go for possibility B, to enlist the assistance of a god to entry the Ready Room, as a result of he wanted to take a look at some gods anyway.

This resulted in a visit to the Mortal Lands of Margleknot and a change of apparel from the actually nice-looking glowthread, to one thing extra subdued and fabricated from cotton. Erick missed his glowthread already.