Played from 03/05/2021 to 09/05/2021
Gab: Well, we left off on quite the cliffhanger there (and I haven’t played for some time). Let’s figure this out- is the school of magic on the phone something that Wither can recognize?
Kreios: No.
Gab: Hmm, so it’s possibly something homebrew. Is the magic unnatural to Faerun?
Kreios: No.
Gab: Gotcha, so no techromancy here. Did the Wish from before affect her phone?
Kreios: Not the Wish, no.
Gab: Hm, more mystery… Does this mean the phone can act as an arcane focus or something?
Kreios: Yes, actually.
Gab: Okay cool! Another thing I’m wondering… Does this magic that Wither can’t yet identify remind him of his friend?
Kreios: Yes.
Gab: Oh. Oh dear. Well then, that might imply some sort of curse… Does the phone have any sort of magical property on it?
Kreios: Yes.
Gab: A minor one?
Kreios: Nope.
Gab: Major it is. Now is it a curse?
Kreios: Yes, it is.
Gab: Oh boy, time to find some other resources to help with the randomness. I found a list that should work, so I need to roll a d20 for Cursed Spellcasting Focus Properties.
Gab: OH GOD.
Kreios: I always knew cell phones were a menace.
After staring at the object in his hand for some time, Wither realized what was throwing him off so badly. He couldn’t quite tell what school of magic was affecting this item, and it reminded him of his friend, the one he was searching for now. The closest thing he could surmise, and at least an answer for the other two, was...
Wither: Illusion.
Lotlyn: What?
Wither: The magic that is on this item is strange, but it’s more reminiscent of the school of illusion.
Lotlyn: Oh… is that a bad thing?
Wither: No, not necessarily. The spell I cast only allows me to find magic and determine the school of magic used, not what the magic does. I’d need to cast another spell to actually identify the magical effects on this strange item, but that will take more time to cast-
Lyssa: Wait wait wait, hold on! Are you sure my- this thing has magic on it?
Lyssa reached out to grab the phone as the glow started to fade away. The outburst surprised Wither. This girl knew something about the item that she wasn’t sharing.
Wither: …do you know what this is?
Lyssa: Oh uh- that’s nothing really! It’s uh, like, a mirror, and that’s it…
Wither: What is it really?
Lyssa: Wh-?
Wither: I’m serious. I was truthful with you, so you need to be truthful with me. I can’t exactly help you if you’re hiding something. So do not lie to me.
Lyssa: Okay, sorry I… It’s just hard to explain?
Wither: Try.
Lyssa sighed deeply. Her lie was cracking, but how could she explain her smart phone without explaining everything else? She had to try.
Lyssa: Alright… so I didn’t lie that it’s like a mirror. It’s just... also a lot of other things. It’s a way for me to write stuff down. It lets me look up information that I don’t know, and listen to music, or talk to people that are far away… It does all that, but it can’t do it right now. I don’t know all the specifics on how it works, but I do know it requires these towers to help me connect to others? And that’s how I know I’m far from home, cause… it doesn’t work here.
Lyssa was clutching her phone, looking at it the entire time she spoke. She’d kept it off for the past few days since her battery was limited, and she wasn’t sure if she might need to use it someday. She noticed it the first night she was here, there was no internet or signal here. So there was no point wasting her battery for now.
Lotlyn was certainly surprised. She didn’t even consider that Lyssa might lie about anything, but she saw it more like something she was embarrassed to talk about. She empathized with how scary it must be for Lyssa right now. Wither, on the other hand, had his suspicions. He didn’t trust easily, and now he knew enough about this girl to be worried. She shared something in common with the man he was searching for, and she was holding back information about what she did and didn’t know or remember. Beyond that, he’d never heard of towers that could power mundane items, let alone magical ones. It sounded plausible, but if she really didn’t remember…
Gab: Is he gonna press this?
Kreios: No, not now.
Wither decided at that moment to let it go. Because of the connection she shared with his old friend, he knew he couldn’t just leave now. He was so close, so best not to shake this girl too much. If he could gain her trust, she may finally reveal more.
Wither: Well, if that's what it is, then it's clearly a magical item you know something about.
Lyssa: That's just it- it isn’t a magical item! I mean- that’s just not how it worked back home.
Lotyln: Maybe it was a magic item and you just didn't know? Wither, maybe you could use that other spell you talked about?
Wither looked between them both, a little annoyed. He was about to deny the request when everyone heard his stomach growl. Ah... right. He came back here to look for any food and supplies that might have survived the fight…
Lotlyn: Oh! Well there's an idea! Why don't we find a better place to set up a camp, and I'll make us lunch?
Wither: ...oh. You'd do that? I suppose I could cast Identify with no issue, then...
Wither was easily bought when it came to free food.
Lyssa: Yeah... I think I'm okay with that.
Lyssa handed the phone back to Wither, and he gave her a reassuring smile.
Lotlyn: That settles it! You two, get in the carriage! We're getting away from this creepy crypt!
Lyssa: Yeah! ...wait what crypt-
Wither joined Lyssa in the back of the carriage, and they back tracked to their earlier camping spot, the one they found after fighting the fire hawks. Lotlyn was true to her word- she used some supplies to make meals for the group. Some hot ramen and fried fish, and Wither was more than ready to cast his ritual. It took 11 minutes, but he was able to figure out what was magically affecting the phone.
Gab: Does Wither feel like he’s going to tell them?
Kreios: Nope.
Gab: Well FINE then.
Lyssa: So? What did you find out about my… device?
Wither: Well, I can say this much- this item does have some magic placed on it, but it’s only important if it's used as an arcane focus.
Lyssa: An arcane what?
Wither: No need to fret, it doesn’t sound like you’ll be using it or casting any spells anyways.
Lyssa: Hey, what’s that supposed to mean? I might learn how!
Wither: Sorry, I meant no ill will. I simply meant that... well, you shouldn't use this as an arcane focus. There's a chance that it wouldn't work.
Lyssa: Wouldn’t work? …hm.
Lyssa could tell that Wither was holding back, but he was also right. It wasn’t like she could cast anything right now… but maybe he could teach her? Might be worth asking some day, and then he would have to tell her what was going on with her phone. She just hoped it wasn’t cursed or anything. (Lol)
After they ate, they started to open up to one another. Lotlyn spoke of all the types of people that she’d met passing through Lathtarl’s Lantern, making sure to describe a few in details in case any matched Wither’s friend- sadly, none did. But it was still a fun time, and it reinvigorated Lotlyn about becoming an adventurer herself. In fact, Wither finally felt relaxed enough around the two of them to make a decision for himself.
He expressed to the ladies that he would like to actually join their “party”, as it were. He felt he needed to make up for accidentally putting them in danger, but also realized that if they journeyed on the coast together, they would all be safer, and he’d have a bit more help in his search. Needless to say, the two were in agreement. They all got along well enough, aside from any secrets, and the friendship that was starting was genuine.
Wither presented his map to the group, and it was a great help. It was much larger than what Lotlyn had, and he managed to point out a few locations to avoid such as the Dragonspear Castle and Warlock’s Crypt. He also made sure to say that they should stay as close to the actual coast as possible, so taking the Trade Way wouldn’t be ideal. Lotlyn still would’ve preferred the Trade Way to avoid danger, but she knew they would be safer in either case if Wither was with them. When Wither relented that this was the extent of his knowledge of the Sword Coast, Lotlyn was more than happy to help! She may not have left Lathtarl’s Lantern before now, but she knew quite a bit about the area from stories.
And one such story reminded her that the forest wasn’t exactly a safe option either. It was called the Trollbark Forest for a reason- it was crawling with poisonous creatures and huge trolls. But Wither’s notes about the possibilities of devils or evil mages the other way wasn’t reassuring either. There was also the option of taking to the sea and sailing to the next town of Orlumbor, but none of them knew how to sail, and Wither had heard of horror stories at that port. So they were stumped.
Lyssa: Hey… do trolls or devils speak different languages than us?
They both looked puzzled.
Lyssa: Well, I mean- do they speak Common too? Maybe we can just explain ourselves and avoid having to fight anyone? You never know, maybe they need someone to talk to too? Some sort of problem we can solve?
Wither: It’s not so much a language barrier as it is a… morals barrier. They are evil creatures, they wouldn’t listen to reason.
Lyssa shrugged it off. No one is truly evil, she knew that much.
Gab: Okay, which way are they going to go then…
Wither and Lotlyn debated for some time about which path would be best, and it took an interjection from Lyssa to bring it to a stop. She made a good point that if they stayed closer to the sea, there would be more options for travel (boat and carriage), and since Lotlyn knew the land fairly well, they might be able to avoid any trouble in the forest. Lotlyn still wanted to take the safer path, but she couldn’t help but admit they’d need Wither’s help if there was trouble even on the Trade Way. Through the forest it was, then. But not before heading back to town for supplies—with three mouths to feed and a better idea of how long the trip could be to the next town (which appeared to be Daggerford), they would need more supplies.
Gab: Before we get them back on the road, I was wondering... Has Lyssa been having any prophetic dreams while she’s been here?
Kreios: Nope, none at all.
Lyssa was put off by something. It was minor compared to all the actual weirdness she'd had to endure so far, but it was important to her. Where were the prophetic dreams? She realized it was silly to be disappointed by as strange a situation as this, but shouldn't she be given some inkling as to why she's here? Her greater purpose? ...was she even the "main character"?
Gab: Oof… anyways, let’s get them back. Is everything as expected on the two day trek back?
Kreios: Not this time.
Gab: Oh god, another combat?
Kreios: No, not that.
Gab: So more like a random event? Mind if I use another random table to roll on? I don’t think a portent if gonna help me out much here.
Kreios: Sure, why not?
Gab: Let’s use this one.
Gab: Oh! I know what’s gonna happen!
Lotlyn was relieved to be heading back home for supplies, since feeding an extra person made her nervous. They were down to about 2 more days worth of food for them all, and she was not about to let anyone starve. Thankfully, the ride back was calm. Wither and Lotlyn tried to help Lyssa's memory a bit by asking her about her home. Some things she knew, others she "couldn't remember". Lyssa wanted to probe about the possibility of electricity and a way to charge her phone, but she was sure Wither was suspicious of her by this point. Better not to press it unless the topic came up…she just really missed her phone games. But at least she had time to practice her scenery sketching now.
As the group made it back into Lathtarl's Lantern, Lyssa took it upon herself to introduce Wither to the area, using what Lotlyn had told her. She was pointing out various shops and stalls, making sure to highlight Lotlyn's old ramen place too. In fact, when they got there, something was odd…
Wither: Why are there so many people gathered nearby…
Lyssa: Huh? What do you mean?
Lotlyn: It can’t be-!
Lotlyn could hardly believe it! Standing in the middle of a crowd was her teacher, Ashok. He'd been out at sea for so long, she'd almost reserved herself to the fact he might have died. But there he was! While the carriage was stopped, she jumped from the front seat, startling both passengers. Lotlyn swiftly ran up to the crowd, weaving through to see him.
Lyssa and Wither stared at the scene, worrying how it might play out. But only a moment later, the two embraced- Lotyln being lifted and spun in the air with such energy that the crowd had to back away from the two. The crowd was laughing and cheering though, and that signaled Wither and Lyssa to go out and meet this man.
Ashok the monk was a frequenter of Lathtarl’s Lantern, often using the docks there to set sail for adventures himself. He was the one who taught Lotlyn what she knew about fighting, and she was always so happy when he’d return to teach her something new. Introducing each other, she welcomed everyone into her shop for a meal, planning to get their supplies after catching up.
Gab: I wonder where he was all this time? Can I get a portent?
Kreios: Here, try these words: “undesirable” and “appear”.
Gab: Oh! Did he come to someone’s rescue, by appearing and stopping some undesirables?
Kreios: No, not quite.
Gab: Did someone rescue him, perhaps?
Kreios: Not that either.
Gab: Okay… is the “undesirable” part about Ashok himself?
Kreios: Bingo. In fact, let’s have a Wild Intervention.
Gab: A what? Oh god, this is going to complicate things isn’t it… Alright, give me another portent
Kreios: Here, these might be helpful: “inflate” and “momentous”.
Gab: …I’m starting to see the picture now. Can I get a DC to check on Ashok’s state? (I finally get to use the Difficulty and DC features, woo!)
Kreios: I’d say the DC for this is easy, just a 10.
Lotlyn was so happy to see Ashok, she hardly noticed his weird mood. He’d been relaying stories of where he’d been; most of them Lotlyn knew, but in his latest adventure, he’d been fighting pirates on the coast, and protecting Lathtarl’s Lantern! Wither’ suspicions grew gradually, but it was Lyssa who picked up on it immediately. There was something really off about Ashok. Like he was being weighed down by something important.
Lyssa: Hey, uh... Ashok, right? I wanted to ask you something.
Ashok: Ah, of course, young miss! Ask away!
Lyssa: You didn’t really do all the things you’ve been telling us about, did you?
The question obviously shook him. As Lotlyn brought food over, she could finally sense the tension in the air. Ashok sighed and tried to laugh, but then just looked over at Lyssa. She was right on the money, wasn’t she? Had he been lying about his strength this whole time?
Ashok: Look. I may have… exaggerated some details of my adventures, but I am still a monk. I’m more than adept with martial arts, and I can hold my own more than any of you could. And if you think I’m gonna let you insult me by saying I’ve never done the things I’ve done-
Wither: Then all the more reason to prove it to us.
Gab: Can I get a DC to persuade him to join them in getting through the Trollbark Forest? It would certainly give him a true story to tell!
Kreios: Sure- this is a medium DC of 15.
Gab: WOO!
Kreios: Alright, you’ve got an NPC that can join you now.
Gab: I’ll take what I can get when it comes to potentially facing trolls.
Wither had only known Lyssa for about a day, but he was not about to let a fully grown man speak to her like he meant to hit her. Instead, he wanted to challenge his pride- join them to get through the forest, and he’d have more than enough material for stories, especially if he brought back a souvenir. He hit the right nerve too. Ashok smiled, shedding the anger he was displaying, and agreed.
Lotlyn was more than shocked. He’d seen him angry before, but not like this. And lying in his stories? That didn’t seem right… she knew he was an actual monk and a skilled fighter; he taught her everything she knew. Maybe he wasn’t a “master” like she’d been led to believe, but lies? She didn’t want to dwell on it. It was thanks to him that she could fight at all, so there must have been some truth to his stories. Even a little bit.
As a group, they went out to get supplies for the trip ahead of them. They planned for a week’s worth of rations for each person (now four), which cost 14 gold overall. Lotlyn had purchased more than enough horse feed, so Buckwheat was totally set. Now, it was just a matter of making it to and past the forest with no issues.
Gab: Oh, is that all? I sure hope bringing Ashok along doesn’t bite me in the ass.
To be continued
Comments
Post a Comment