Mending a prophecy, and other fate related shenanigans.

Boss floor.

The nature of DnD is such that the idea of a game session having only one fighting encounter is absolutely possible.

The writer is also tired a would like to 'go back home' (stop writing this)

Somehow, for reasons that aren't clear to him, it's meeting this vampire that has him realize why Valdez thinks this will be their last side-quest before the main event. Maybe there's something about her.

She introduces herself as Vivica of Ladydove, and tells them they're the first visitors to make it to the last floor unscathed in an eon.

"But that's enough about me, you're here for Umejaros"

Nico finds himself exchanging looks with Valdez and nodding. The vampiress makes a long slow nod and walks through the room, circling their party.

"I was but a child when Umejaros was written, but I know the story well, would you like to hear it?"

"That depends," says Reyna, "what do you want in return?"

Vivica laughs loud enough for it to echo through the tall tower walls.

"Clever little Warlock"

She makes a motion to the cages in the room.

"I've been looking for ways to preserve the high races should the book be used"

Then she turns back to them with a neutral expression.

"I'll only ask for a bit of your blood"

Time stops with a loud noise, and the room shifts so they can huddle together.

"Creepy"

He's not sure why, but hearing Percy right then makes him realize that the others have been weirdly quiet this whole time.

"So, what do you guys think?" prompts Valdez

The conversation that follows reminds Nico that he has really been unconscious for two days, because everyone seems to know a lot more about DnD than before.

In fact, their character sheets make an appearance during the discussion, as they try to make a plan for how to fight should they need to, and he notices they're all level 3 except him.

In the end they decide to agree to the vampire's request, since they're all growing tired and would like to go back home.

Vivica spins them a tale about the beginning of all things, how dragons and humans were the first and only sapient races of the land, how the others started sprouting as if out of nowhere, and how humans had grown resentful in the wake of this insurgence.

And one day a prophecy was written, one that foretold of humans taking over the entire world, erasing every other species to reign supreme, and could only be stopped with the help of a single book.

'Umejaros', they had named it, meaning 'deadly fate', and laced within its words was a spell so potent, so encompassing, that just opening the book would forever change the world.

"If the book is destroyed there be little hope for the high races"

Then she smiles at them, a sharp and vicious sort of grin that lights every nerve in his system with dread.

"Whatever paladin has tagged your lot, must belong to the Purity faction"

Then she turns around sharply, striding towards the pulpit, and somehow piercing her right arm all the way to the elbow in it's pages, and then pulling from inside it a single scroll.

"This map shall show you the exact location of the book, may you find it before your pursuers"