Explorer - "So what was your plan ?"
Founder - "Escape. Of course my fool. We're all damned here, even you. These people ... these betrayers ... we had a plan."
Learner - "And I was the sacrifice."
Founder - "Then you remember me now."
Learner - "What I remember is another world entirely you will never understand. And we still do need that sacrifice."
Founder - Laughs, feebly standing for it proudly. "You always were the worst of us. That's why it would have worked."
Learner - "Only in Hell."
('Peter Piper' by Run DMC)
He
can be cut from the vineworks that sustain him, necessary for actual
death. The barbs other room all lash out, themselves needing to be cut
to survive while the demons crawl through.
In the end he's found weak and fallen to the floor on atrophied legs. The assault ceases, demons he called roar into dissipation, the swamp land now frozen as last it was.
Founder - Rolls painfully over to his back, offhandedly noticing his opened chest and flapping the skin shut. It flaps back. "Listen kid. It's just like you said to the wolves. We want the same thing. This whole fucking Hell was an accident. None of us belong here. And we became whatever it wanted."
Takes the head with a rumble across the lands.
The room shakes, the vine-works lighting over and growing with life re-naturalizing, flowering, filling the room with clear time to go, The Learner and Explorer leap from the near window ...
Falling with parachutes ... watching the strange land solidify over the valley.
Learner - "You know I think that was a really great plan !"
Explorer - As a crow with a tiny parachute, "Yeah !"
The Learner looks and breaks out laughing as they fall slowly to the gathering herds at the base of the statuesque over-grounds. This structure is based entirely on what the mass was doing when the Founder was cut off, and will be as such after the prologue.
It could be upright swiping at flyers on in the mid of punching the ground, but still learning to walk it was likely on at least three limbs to the ground.
~ at the base where they gather and prepare ~
Killer - "Could have used you clearing out those golems in the underground."
Learner - "Could have used you upstairs. Quarry acquired ?"
Killer - Smiles, "Yes sir."
Learner - "Well done soldier. I think I do remember you. You're reliable."
Explorer - As they watch the Killer walk away and into the mix, "Told you."Learner - "Shut up."
Explorer - "That's a pretty sweet retirement plan right there though."
Learner - "Mm-hm. Now let's get it done."