Neither Grujúng nor Nebússa was keen to allow Dhich'uné the opportunity to act any further. They quickly began descending the stairs of the chamber, followed by Srüna. They had no clear plan how to proceed, only that, if allowed too much time to prepare, the Worm Prince would be an even greater threat than he already was. Meanwhile, Keléno made use of a scroll of shield of defense to protect himself, Kirktá, and their wives, Mírsha and Nye'étha, from any ranged attacks that might come from below. Then, they too moved downward toward the center of the chamber, albeit more cautiously than the others.
Dhich'uné took note of the rapid descent of Grujúng, Nebússa, and Srüna, shouting to Kirktá, "Call off your attack animals or I shall be forced to do so myself – and I will not be as gentle as you would be, brother." Upon hearing that, the trio slowed their movement but did not stop completely. Seemingly satisfied, Dhich'uné explained, "Once, I believed I must sit upon the Petal Throne only to die, my blood poured out under a knife wielded by you, in order to seal a new pact with the One Other. I now know that was folly. So crude a sacrifice was never required. Not blood, nor flesh – only preparation.”
At this, Kirktá and then the others noticed that Dhich'uné's body was surrounded by a black-green silhouette, like another version of himself, only larger and that seemed to fade in and out of sight. Kirktá, still under the effects of the seeing other planes spell he'd cast in the previous room, also saw something else. This silhouette was wrapped around Dhich'uné's limbs and head, pulling at them and perhaps even controlling him. It was as if there were a hidden puppeteer at work. The silhouette possessed moments of iridescence, along with gaps in its strange substance. The gaps looked like holes in worn cloth, with only "strands" connecting it to Dhich'uné in places.
Dhich'uné continued,
“Years I gave to Sárku, years hollowing myself of every weakness, every desire, even of life itself. I thought I was to become his vessel, his undying emperor. But no: all that time, I was shaping myself for another, greater patron. The One Other has chosen me not as sacrifice but as a partner. Together, we shall reign without end. The empire eternal. The dream perfected. Tsolyánu unchanging.”
Needless to say, this admission terrified the characters. They suspected that Dhich'uné had altered his original plans and now had some new scheme in mind. Yet they never once suspected that he might abandon Lord Sárku, the god to whom he had dedicated his life up to this point, and seek to join rather than control the One Other, with the pariah god as his eternal co-ruler over Tsolyánu. More than ever, they knew he had to be defeated.
Grujúng and Nebússa crossed one of the bridges leading to the central platform where Dhich'uné stood. They were still about 50' from him, just about within sprinting range. Srüna stayed on the other side of the bridge, her splendid eye of Krá the Mighty at the ready. Kirktá and the others similarly stayed on the far side of the chasm separating the platform from the ground floor of the chamber. From there, it was obvious that the large circular object near Dhich'uné was likely the prison of the One Other, now open. The characters had seen it in one of the "windows" they encountered earlier in Avanthár, windows that looked to reveal the future or perhaps possible futures.
Kirktá then put on the mask he had been given by Míru, the mysterious priest of the One Other who had inexplicably aided him in recent weeks. The mask revealed yet more about the strange silhouette that surrounded Dhich'uné, in particular that it was simultaneously growing in strength and intensity but also straining against its connection to the Worm Prince's mortal form. The holes seen earlier were larger now, even as the silhouette looked more potent than ever.
Dhich'uné yelled out, “I — We — have surpassed all need for the old ways. This new pact is stronger, perfected. They bound Us, long ago, in chains of memory. But all chains rust, all chains break.” Every time Dhich'uné spoke, another voice reverberated under his own, becoming stronger and louder. Whenever he attempted to say "I" or "me," another voice drowned him out, saying "we" or "us" in a voice filled with fury and hatred. “They shall pay. They shall all pay. The First Tlakotáni stole Our freedom and now thinks We will be satisfied with its mere restoration. No, his descendants have fattened on Our silence. Now We break that silence. Now We will break all!”
Yet, something of Dhich'uné's own ego and arrogance remained. Doubled over in pain, grabbing his head, he wrestled with the One Other's increasing control, “No! Not destroy. Preserve! Rule forever! Eternal Tsolyánu. Eternal throne. I — We — I —” Dhich'uné's body was now wracked with pain and contorted in unnatural ways. Black-green sparks of otherplanar energy snaked across him. “Enough! We are no emperor’s slave. We are no ornament for the Petal Throne. We are vengeance unquenched! Rivers will boil, temples will sink, streets will drown in silence. We will unmake this empire of thieves. We will bind this land as it once bound Us!”
Now on his knees, Dhich'uné extended his hand in the direction of Kirktá, his face and his voice, for a brief moment, solely his own, "Brother, end it ..."
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