Session Forty Nine: Lucy in the Fane with Crystals
General Summary
Griff and Tristan head upstairs towards the bridge. Griff creates a mudslide, making it difficult for undead to crawl out of the hole below the bridge. Most sink to the bottom, but one or two stragglers keep trying to get out of the mudslide. Griff throws a rock at one before they head downstairs.
The group decide to take a rest before continuing. Malak reads a book and after checking to make sure Griff is fine, April snuggles up to Malak with her notebook. Griff and Tristan sit opposite Emir, who’s checking his viol as Silmer patrols the corridors. He really wanted to borrow a pillow from the crystal room...
Silmer spots Lucy sitting next to Emir, exchanges a look with Griff and then keeps patrolling. The party all start noticing apart from Malak and April, lost in their books and notes. Lucy only realises that she's been spotted when Emir says "Hello Lucy". She's very excited that the group can see her.
She introduces herself and explains the following based on questions and her own outburst of excitement:
- She’s attached to the bow, not the actual viol (whose name is Crystalini).
- She’s aware of what happens around her when the bow is out.
- It’s due to a meeting with a hag in Kennren that she ended up in this situation. She accidentally shot the hag after being startled by a squirrel. This was over a century ago
- Her first memory in this state was of her mother singing to the Duchess.
- Her body’s no longer here and the form she’s in isn’t solid.
- Others have been able to see her. George was one of them, but she thinks that he didn't realise that she was a ghost.
- She cannot interact with or see other ghosts
- She can move 30 ft from her bow
- After showing the ability to understand Godric, and the mention of a mark between her toes, the group consider that she could potentially have been a Vadalis.
- She’d like to make paint from gems and ensure everyone knows “Lucy is here”
Malak offers to send a message to Cissa. While Lucy ponders her words, Malak sends a message to Cissa telling her what’s happening. With the help of Lucy, he convinces Cissa he’s telling the truth.
Griff believes he could free her from the bow. Lucy considers this for a moment, but decides that she wants to stay with Emir for now.
Malak sends a message to Jurian about Lucy, who passes it on to Corvus. His response: “Aware it’s a curse. Seeing a specialist soon.”
Emir asks Lucy a few questions he’d always hoped to ask. She likes a lot of music, especially the bagpipes. She love the stars as her first memory is of her mother smiling down at Lucy, with the night's sky behind her.
As the group finish their rest, everyone agrees Lucy should come along for the adventure in “human form”.
While Malak, Tristan and Godric guard the caved-in hollow, the rest head off to one of the unexplored rooms. Silmer had seen something glint in the bedroom on his patrol.
- The bedroom holds skeletons with decayed clothes. The group scoop up two silver rings
- There are wine bottles with no labels. They have a unique structure and glint. There are also potions. April stashes them. Some tiny khyber crystals litter the floor. April scrapes them into a vial while Lucy watches with great interest.
- Silmer finds papers on the floor that he takes to Emir. The text says: ‘Those lost behind the walls. Find them beyond the crystals.’ Lucy unveils that one language was in Giant.
Back in the room with the cave, Malak, Tristan and Godric are having a conversation (trying to in Godric’s case). They’re talking about missing their respective partners. Malak makes a joke about Vadalis females wanting babies early on, to which Godric tries to weigh in... to no avail.
Griff enters the room, asking Malak to go help with translating the papers Emir has. Griff translates for Godric: “Waiting to have kids is fine.” Godric is of the belief that you don’t settle down and just enjoy being in love.
With Malak’s help, camp sleepover discover that Soft Ones buried people alive here. This was a “merciful” death. Others were given a ring to wear. That was worse.
When the group get together, they remember a caved in wall at the entrance. They decide to let Lucy walk through and investigate. It’s a series of panels similar to the previous one where a crystal was slotted in. Once it’s cleared, Griff goes through as a cockroach and puts the crystal in. The light from the flame by the bridge grows wider until it encompasses the bridge. Unearthly screams can be heard.
With the group needing to cross the bridge, important questions are raised. Is it the same flame Malak and Griff previously walked through and who else wants to take a shot at a longer life? April begs Silmer to walk through as she does not want her best friend to die young. Silmer seems keen to do so, thinking back on Hawk.
Tristan and April step aside to talk about whether it would be a good idea or not. They decide to think on it and let it slide this time. Malak suggests to Dimension Door them across.
Emir seems very interested in walking through, much to Lucy's shock. He explains that he wants to sit under the tree that he planted. But after hearing the April and Tristan are undecided on whether they wish to extend their lives, he agrees to assist Malak in teleporting them over the bridge with Dimension Door and will walk through when they leave the temple.
Griff mentions the elder asking about "changing eye colour". As the others will be crossing with Dimension Door, he will escort Silmer across and then they can check each other's eyes after.
So Emir and Malak use magical means to “swoosh” April and Tristan across the bridge while Griff and Silmer walk through the flame. Much to Griff's dismay, it’s revealed that the effects of the flame might be stacking on top of each other. Silmer's eyes are lighter... as are his.
