#c: kasha blackblood

[ascalonianlightbringer]

Last time in the core GW2 story/headcanon liveblog, Tybalt and Gwen decided to try a dungeon pitch in and help Rytlock contain the ghostly upheaval caused by Eir's venture into the Ascalonian catacombs. Tybalt advised Gwen that Rytlock would remember she's Logan's friend, and find it suspicious if she was her usual pleasant self, so Gwen should be a bit prickly.

Gwen embraced the role of Prickly Ascalonian with enthusiasm as they ventured through the catacombs with two more Charr and a grumpy Asura from the Priory. After skirting various dangers, the group had just found Eir.

At this point, Eir bursts out, "Rytlock, what are you doing here?"

Rytlock, reasonably enough, snaps back, "I came to stop you from inciting a full-scale ghost rampage. What are you doing here?"

Eir explains that she's looking for Magdaer, the magic sword of King Adelbern. Rytlock says he destroyed it to create the Foefire. Eir thinks it survived and can be found.

Rytlock shifts his weight. Now even more clearly on edge, he says, "You are following a foolish human legend."

Gwen doesn't know this one, but she lifts her chin defiantly anyway. The walls feel a bit like they might crumble down on them all at any moment, and she keeps an eye out for any stray ghosts—her tormented people, she remembers. Adelbern had been driven mad by the brutality and atrocities of the Charr invasion, but he'd still unilaterally decided the fate of all his people without consulting them in any way. She's not exactly on his side, either.

Royals, she thinks, but here, it's an echo of her usual disdain.

Eir glances between Rytlock and Gwen, and says, "You of all people should know the power of legends. You bear Magdaer's twin, Sohothin. It was Rurik's sword."

To Gwen, Rytlock seems plainly defensive. "What if I do? Adelbern's sword is no more, just like his nation."

"Oh, have you managed to take Ebonhawke yet?" Gwen says sweetly. "I hadn't heard."

Both Eir and Rytlock look at her with some impatience. Eir seems a little amused; Rytlock points Sohothin right at her. Gwen looks back, unimpressed; she doesn't think he'd be stupid enough to kill an Ascalonian hero of Kryta in the catacombs, without any cause but words.

"Maybe I should gut you instead of Logan," he growls.

Gwen just looks at him, her head tilted a little. Tybalt coughs.

"I, uh, don't think that'd be a good idea, tribune. She's an advocate of the crown of Kryta, so it'd be bad for the peace talks and all, and I'd lose my deals with the fruit sellers in Queensdale—"

Rytlock scoffs, but when Eir clears her throat, he lowers Sohothin and turns back to her.

"Then let us go to the top of the stairs and see for ourselves," she says calmly.

Or at least, it seems calmly. Eir has a quiet charisma and assurance that Gwen likes. But after they fight off a bunch of ghosts, Eir moves forward to lead with Gwen and looks down at her.

"You're Logan's friend, aren't you?"

Gwen sighs. "Yes." After a moment, she adds, "He hasn't said anything against you."

Eir lowers her voice. "Perhaps I was unwise to come here."

Gwen is essentially thinking "no shit" but she gives the canon response, "Only time well tell."

Sure enough, at the top of the stairs, they find the broken remains of a sword, complete with ghostly trails. It doesn't look completely irreparable, at least if it were an ordinary sword; Gwen has a good eye for that kind of weaponry (i.e. she took weaponsmithing). Before they can go far, though, a ghostly lieutenant appears to defend Adelbern and the sword.

Gwen nearly takes a step back as the lieutenant orders them to leave and stop disturbing Adelbern. He follows it up with "You leave me no choice. Attack! Protect the king!"

This is a harder fight than most, but Eir's help makes it easier, and the Priory Asura is able to heal himself from a nasty-looking injury.

"Better get that looked at when we're done," says Gwen.

Eir is focused on the sword, and turns excitedly to Rytlock. "The broken sword! It's the twin to your own!"

Rytlock points at a tall ghost coalescing across the chamber. "Worry more about the sword's master. Look there!"

"I sense Sohothin's presence," the new ghost says, solidifying into the figure of an older man—already old, presumably, when he died. His crown proclaims his identity. "Rurik, my son! You've returned!"

Rytlock steps forwards. "Your son is dead," he says flatly. "So is your kingdom. Leave us!"

The Asura pipes up, "There is some debate about the continuity of—"

Even Gwen, who is annoyed that the Charr conveniently overlook Ebonhawke in their pretenses to total victory after spending over 200 years trying to destroy it, is like ... shhh.

The joy in the ghost's face vanishes, and his features twist in rage.

"Foul creature! Your entire race will pay! Even now, my champions prepare to invade the surface. You will fall before the might of Master Ranger Nente, deadly Kasha Blackblood, and the lovers, Ralena and Vassar. We'll destroy you as you destroyed us!"

"We're not destroyed," Gwen says quietly, but Adelbern is too focused on Rytlock to listen, if he's even capable of it.

"You frighten no one with your meaningless threats," Rytlock growls to the king. "We've killed you before; we'll do it again!"

Gwen, despite having no love for kings, glowers at him. Adelbern just bursts into a mad cackle before disappearing.

"Now you've angered them," Eir says.

"They were already angry," says Rytlock, with a brief glance at Gwen. "Now we must find his champions and silence them."

He does explain (for a Rytlock value of "explain") that killing "the Sorcerer King's" champions will bring Adelbern out into the open for good.

"Who was Kasha Blackblood?" asks one of the stranger Charr. "Sounds creepy."

"This whole place is creepy," says the Asura.

Even Gwen can't disagree there.

"Necromancy is disgusting. Kasha Blackblood was one of Adelbern's grotesque practitioners of the art," announces Rytlock.

Gwen rolls her eyes. To her surprise, though, it's Tybalt who breaks in this time.

"Can't say I know much about Kasha," he says, undoubtedly lying, "but that's a bit—um—well, I've got a friend who dabbles in necromancy, more than dabbles, really. A good friend, actually, a sylvari—"

"Sylvari are different," says the other unknown Charr.

Gwen is just wondering if Tybalt's "friend" is another Order member, and is surprised he'd mention them, if so. But he's engaging enough to have friends outside it as well, she supposes.

"You have to stay focused on her, not her minions," Rytlock carries on, "or she'll siphon your life away."

Gwen would be all for it if it didn't mean her life. And Tybalt's. Maybe the Asura's.

He goes on to explain that "the lovers" are Vassar and Ralena Stormbringer, a mesmer and an elementalist who were strong together, and thus should be divided for victory. Gwen actually has heard some stories of them, mostly because she was always interested in tales of great mesmers of the past, but she hasn't heard much. Rytlock concludes with a dismissive description of Master Ranger Nente.

"Nente was a ranger, a specialist in cowardice. He hid behind his pets and slaughtered my ancestors with arrows."

"It's so hard when people defend themselves from your massacres," says Gwen.

"Gwen," mutters Tybalt. She's not sure if he means to pull back or if it's just for show.

Rytlock also explains a little about Magdaer and how it was forged in Orr and Adelbern broke it to create the Foefire. One of the Charr asks what that has to do with the sword Rytlock carries.

"Sohothin is twin to Adelbern's sword," says Rytlock. "His son Rurik wielded it once. It's mine now."

"How did you end up with Sohothin?" asks the Asura.

"That's none of your concern," Rytlock says shortly.

They all examine the remnants of Magdaer before deciding to take the westwards route. They have to fight numerous ghosts on the way there, then arrive to find Master Range Nente on a pillar in a good-sized room. He immediately addresses Rytlock.

"Your desire to destroy still unsatisfied, beast?" he shouts. "Burning Ascalon not enough for you?"

Rytlock doesn't really give an answer to that, but says, "As long as you stalk us, we'll fight you tooth and claw."

You're the ones who've stalked us, thinks Gwen.

"By Melandru's will, I will rend you from this world, Charr!" says Nente.

If only.

But Gwen glances at Tybalt to make sure he's well placed. He is, and though the battle is much harder than any previous ones, they're able to defeat Nente.

"With valor, we have won the day!" cries Eir.

"Not yet," Rytlock tells her. "We need to find the other champions."

Without waiting for Gwen to take the lead again, he heads back to the central chamber, which has passages north and east as well. Gwen follows, with a backwards glance at the ghostly remains of Nente.

Under her breath, she mouths, Go in peace.

They end up taking the east route out of the central chamber, then heading north into what looks like a cathedral. The atmosphere, as usual, is eerie, with candles flickering and green light encasing the upper level of the chamber.

A ghostly woman materializes, as expected.

"Why are you here?" she asks, sounding considerably more sane than the other ghosts. "This is the land of ghosts."

"Stand down, specter. We seek only to protect the living," replies Eir, civilly enough.

Rytlock turns on Eir. "Don't chat with her, Eir! Dispatch her!"

Kasha immediately attacks, calling on ghosts to defend her, casting wells, and summoning minions that regularly throw people back. At one point, Gwen is launched forcefully by one she's fighting with her swords, all the way back into a glowing green circle so cold that she nearly drops her main sword. She has to scramble up and launch herself away.

Once Kasha is defeated, she snarls, "I curse you to the Mists!" as she vanishes.

Even Rytlock seems thoughtful as he looks at the spot where she had been.

"She fought well," he says at last. "Her trials over this world are over."

Gwen looks at him in very genuine surprise. She says nothing, but mentally files away the remark for consideration.

They briefly confer about strategy for taking down two champions at once, since Ralena and Vassar are the last, and Rytlock says they're more powerful together. Gwen, to his surprise, volunteers to distract Vassar; she's the most suited to countering another mesmer. Tybalt immediately says he'll help her, joined by the Priory Asura. The others will keep Ralena as far from Vassar as possible and take her out.

It goes basically according to plan, though even with Gwen's magic pouring through her swords and pushing him back, Vassar is a challenge, using her own tricks against her and some she doesn't even know. But between Tybalt, the Asura, her own power, and perhaps the blessing of Lyssa on her, Gwen manages to keep herself standing and Vassar at bay while Rytlock and the other Charr fight off Ralena.

They're still fighting her when Vassar goes down. Gwen, the only melee fighter of her group, spares a moment to make sure they've got the situation under her control, then gives a slight bow to what remains of Vassar. As she does, a slight glitter catches her eye—a pair of rings, by their size, clearly meant for human hands. She's still got enough of bandit Gwen in her to use clones to conceal her hand scooping the rings up and slipping them into her pocket. They're hot to the touch, but she doesn't care; she's seen the Charr systematically destroying Ascalonian artifacts on the way through, and they're not going to get everything.

She murmurs a benediction for Vassar's spirit, then joins the last of the fight against Ralena, who quickly falls to all of them.

With a trace of smugness, Rytlock says, "With all this death, Adelbern's blood must be boiling by now. Perfect chance to deal with him."

"Does he have blood?" says the Asura.

They brace themselves as they return to the core chamber, where Magdaer is still sparking. Adelbern is there, madder than ever.

"What have you done?" he howls.

"Your champions are gone, ghost!" snaps Rytlock. "Just like your son and your kingdom!"

Lyssa's tears, thinks Gwen. She supposes that's what she gets for thinking slightly better of him for a moment; she hadn't really expected him to taunt a ghost his people had driven to madness about the death of his son. Least of all when he'd looted that son's sword.

"We still hold Ebonhawke," she says stubbornly. King or no king, he deserves to know that.

Adelbern, again, seems not even to hear or notice her.

"I will have my vengeance!" he screams. "Join me in death!"

They don't, of course, though he is the most difficult opponent of them all. After he vanishes, the catacombs fall completely silent, and for a moment, they just look at each other. It's hard to feel jubilant—maybe even for Rytlock.

Eir gestures at the broken sword.

"Magdaer is shattered," she says, "but I know a blacksmith who can mend these pieces."

Rytlock whirls around to face her, and now he seems more angered than he'd ever been by Gwen.

"Did you really think that if you got me a sword you'd earn forgiveness?" he demands.

Forgiveness? Gwen thinks. For what?

"For you?" says Eir, sounding puzzled. "The sword would be for Logan."

Gwen starts.

"What?" says Rytlock. "Why would you risk our lives, my life, for that coward?"

"He isn't a coward!" says Gwen hotly.

"I thought it would heal old wounds," says Eir, though her resigned tone makes it clear that she's realized the truth. "It would remind you—"

Even Gwen is a bit puzzled by this line of thinking. She could see the idea of the sword winning Logan over, though Gwen doubts even so fine a gift would succeed, but as for Rytlock—

"Remind me of what, betrayal?" he snarls. "Pah! You've become a sentimental old woman. We're finished here!"

With that, he stalks away, a little belatedly followed by everyone but Gwen and Tybalt.

"I understand why Logan would hate Rytlock," Gwen says at last. "But why does Rytlock hate Logan?"

Eir turns to look down at her, and sighs.

"Mistakes from a lifetime ago, best forgotten. Rytlock's right. I've gotten too sentimental. Too weak."

Gwen's eyes widen.

"A long time ago, I led us into a disaster," Eir goes on. "He blames me. They all do. The thing is, they might be right."

"I'm sure you did what you thought was right," says Tybalt.

Eir just shakes her head. "Come, we should leave. Ultimately, this mission was a failure."

"It's not a failure," says Gwen, with a glance over at where Adelbern had materialized. "We gave these people some peace and made Ashford safer."

Tybalt gives a decided nod. "She's right."

"Yes, but I was stupid to think a sword could slice through the wall between Logan and Rytlock," says Eir.

After a pause, Gwen says, "Should we follow Rytlock and see where he's going?"

"No," says Eir. "He still hates Logan—and now he hates me. I should have left well enough alone."

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And that's the Ascalonian Catacombs dungeon headcanon! Quite a bit of it comes from the canon dialogue etc, of course, but I wanted to go over it for story purposes anyway.