Session XI: Manifesting Nightmares Report

General Summary

The group gathered at the school and got ready for a travel / field trip to Zilargo, to the outskirts of the countries nearest the coast to find a specific cave system where a Dal Quor Manifest zone is known to exist. Little in terms of civilization exist there, but there is plenty to do.   To get there, first, they need to take the train. Jolie and Lilli are both veterans of the travel system, having travelled on multiple occasions, not to mention reaching Sharn proper from their respective hometown. Flip, however, is more accustomed to fishing boats for long distance, and has mainly gone through short distance travels on land, via feet or animal powered ways. This was a first, and the visit of the crowded lightening train proved a difficult one. The water genasi discovered an aversion and fear of going deadly speeds in an electrified metal cage, and imposed panic attacks and maintenance challenges to his companions, Jolie and Lilli who did all they could for this 12+ hour travel to Zilargo.   Once back on solid ground, the group took some wagons to reach the space outside living zones and followed a winding path along the coast to get to a deep lit cave, with a strange underwater vortex in the center. The more magically aligned Jolie and Lilli felt the magic permeating the air here, in its subtle presence. Soon, as everyone broke in group to setup camp as practice for travel lodging arrangements, most were subject to little annoyances: voices, whispers, shadows in the periphery. But as time went, some saw more and more problems, and poor Lilli, was the one in the group to fall first. Busy with her back to the other two, she turned when her name was ushered multiple time from behind, only to see a vision of Jolie and Flip, dead and undead, drowned and decayed. Rotting and unresponsive. Trying to navigate this and Jolie and Flip failing to reach her, she fell to blocking her senses, rocking back and forth, only to reopen her eyes to a perfectly normal realities. In other camps, the chorus of whispers from the cave was mixed with the occasional scream or groan of fear, whimper or startled gasp.   The teacher gave a small lecture, seeing the outcomes of the visit leaning heavily to nightmare and explained the little he knew of the nature of the planes of dreams, explaining the balance between dreams and nightmares there. He explained that likely, right now, the balance leaned more to nightmares, it would seem, but that these are illusions, and to close their minds and remember that they are safe, with the plane a bit far away this year and the zone mainly echoes at this moment.   With this, the group when to sleep. This is where, as Jolie predicted, the interractions would be 'richer'. It starts with Flip, surrounded by a sea of sand, parched and dehydrated, not even able to sweat, left to meander for water until he bumps into a large glass overlooking the void. Looking back, all else vanished. Ahead, beyond the glass, there is a silouette, and muffled voices.   Pan to Lilly, who spots a gnome in the crowd - her brother, Fizzgig, running and weaving through the masses. Lilli takes pursue but he's always out of reach, just a movement in the corner of her eyes to follow, fleeting. Until she bumps into a glass overlooking the void. The market sounds fade and looking back, there is nothing but darkness around. Beyond the glass, there is a silouette, and muffled voices.   Pan to Jolie, sitting at a desk with a paper in their hand, with nothing but Fs as grades. "Too predictable" they say, unimpressed as they are interrupted from the mundane nightmare by paladin Mystic, looking down to them, admonishing in a stern voice that it is THEIR fault that Alastair was condoned, stopped and lowered. It was THEIR nature at the source of it all, for not getting enough penance. Jolie protested in that continued unimpressed way, saying this was disappointing. In an acted cry to play the victim, Mystic's smile became twisted and unattural, revealing the quorri spirit within, and then mimicked them, changing their face to awhite (shin, hair, eyes), with little glistening veins to them - version of Jolie, before aging some, and then breaking into a desperate cry "No.. don't take my baby!" and then faded, as though turning to sand in the wind.   Flip and Lilli, on opposite side, had their vision clarify and realized they were watching the end of that scene, cathing the audio of the last moment. Both wanted to help and pounded on the glass. "Bomp bomp". As it went, Flip grew more desperate and hit it much harder, shattering the glass and slicing his arm in the process. Lilli's glass vanished and the trio rejoined at the center of this shared nightmare. They looked to Flip and began to bandage him, asking him to please stop injuring himself. This is when he saw, in the distance, a blue figure of a boy, one he knew, just in the distance. Others caught the sight seeing his reaction, but the boy vanished in the wind. They try to give him water, but all drops vanish before touching his lips.   Then a voice, angry came from the corner, where Fizzgig held captive a young halfling, knife to her throat calling the group for help. Lilli's brother was all hate, all blame, and as they tried to approach, with no hesitation, he sliced her throat and dropped her. Dumbfounded, Lilli ran to the girl, wanting to help, the others in tow. She was gone, dead... blood on her hands. And then, like the others, gone, like sand in the wind. Thunder struck loudly above, and the ceiling began to crack. Rocks fall, everyone dies.   They all wake up in a startle, looking to each other, exchanging a few words. Flips is parched, and his arms hurt, and his finds it bandaged. Going out of the tent, they inspect the water. Thunder struck loudly above, and the ceiling began to crack. Rocks fall, everyone dies.   They all wake up in a startle, looking to each other, exchanging a few words. Flips is parched, and his arms hurt, and his finds it bandaged. Going out of the tent, this time Flip dives right into the water and goes in. Thunder rumbles above but they remain awake, in the real world this time. Removing the bandage, Flip finds a scare where the glass had cut his arm.   The rest of the night is spent with talks and only small annoyances, but otherwise good. They take the train back and vote for the next field trip to include the Twilight forest, ending the trip.   GAME END

Missions/Quests Completed

First Field Trip

Character(s) interacted with

Professor ir'Larrian

Notes

Return to playing will be in 2024, starting with a visit to Tavick Landing's shopping district