Exalted: The Bronze Tide - Epilogue

This is the epilogue after Part Three of the Bronze Tide arc

The Sea Floor
Beneath the ocean, a column of hulking humanoids pauses as it marches. A great diagonal line has been cut across the column, with the bodies of those who stood there having drifted to the surface to form part of the path Bhadri rode her Devil-Tiger across the ocean on.

The figures, humanoid in shape but crustacean in appearance, rumble in their confusion until their leader, a massive claw for one hand and a daiklaive trident in the other, signals for them to keep marching. As they resume their march, the figures chant:

"Anuung... Anuung..."

Somewhere Underground
Deep below the surface, there is a cylindrical chamber at an angle, as if slowly sinking even further underground. Lights flicker from the screens at one end, illuminating the humanoid figures standing silently within... humans once, but now with their flesh hanging off in tatters too old to be truly rotting anymore. In front of the screens a tiny, withered Djala looks up at where the surface must be, joy shining in his milky white eyes.

"Master! You've returned!"

The Messenger
A small room, far from Marrull Vaar. A woman is sitting in a chair, a map spread out in front of her that she's examining with one gnarled hand. Her skin is scarred and her breath rasps slightly. Outside in the sun, a celebration of some kind is taking place.

A messenger comes in and hands her a scroll. "It just arrived by Summoning Circle last night, and the Exarchs have verified its authenticity with the Intelligencier" he whispers.

"You may g-... wait." she barks, before stopping herself. She skim reads the scroll, smirking.

"Rare to see an old dog throw a bone, especially one with so much meat on it. Interesting. Recall the others, and have our asset in the area report in about this "Marrull Vaar" - ask the eye if we might borrow whoever they've got down there.

"And send Nestor a thank you gift. I mean it! It does one good to make friends with your future neighbours...."

A Very Different Message
Meanwhile in Marrull Vaar, King Bellar receives a different scroll. When she reads it, her eyes widen with dismay.

The Void of Light
Somewhere in a void of bright silvery light, a plaintive voice cries out:

"Wh... where am I?"

The Other Side
In the clearing on the other side of the portal, the two figures the Circle had seen stood, the darkness around them absolute. The figure at the console, who looked like Hephastia save for her skin of steel instead of bronze and the Blade of Five Midnights replacing the blade of Widow's Steely Remorse, frantically adjusted the dials on her device.

"It worked! I can't believe it, we saw them! Prajña, do you realise what this means?"

The stranger who looked like Reeds but clad in white, turned to her and smiled a cold, strange smile.

"Yes... it means it's working. Let's tell the others."

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