Session 37: Sneaky Slithering Slippery Snakes Report
General Summary
The party had survived combat with enhanced and strengthened trolls, for the most part, and now faced this powerful celestial rainbow serpent. The being spoke of trades, of knowledge and deals. The serpent looked closely and noted that Roisin Marshfield was horribly scarred, and promptly swallowed her. "Mmmmm, Tasty" was it's only statement upon consuming their princess. The party argued a bit, and the being held back, almost waiting for something, and Goro suddenly stepped forward "I will, how you say, pay the price. Whatever it is, only let me stay here." The Serpent snapped over to Goro, and asked "You will pay the price, not knowing what it is? You will remain here after?". Goro responded "Yes, I wish to". The Serpent vomited forth Roisin Marshfield, her scars gone and hand healed. The Serpent said "You will stay?", and Goro responded "Yes", "Very well, wait in the room over there". The serpent asked Roy "You wish knowledge?" and Roy said "I think not".
"You do, you just don't trust me, do you"."That's correct"
"I can always be trusted, to follow a deal and to do what's right"
"But you take without asking, because you can, so to me that's not trustworthy"
"No, I do what must be done, because I can. There's a difference. What to you wish to know, I will tell you the price."
"I want to know where I can find Magus Cornith (aka Zcorthrin)"
"The one who calls himself Zcorthrin? The one who hides his true nature, hehe? I cannot accurately tell you where he is, because he moves and will not be there when you go to seek him. I can tell you other things, what about this person do you wish to know? Do you wish to see him?"
"I wish to find him, so he can be eliminated, he continually comes after us and must be stopped."
"Ahhh, well I will tell you for free, you will find him when you assault the Iron Fortress, and not before."
"In that case, I need to inquire about a means of travel."
Cigran asked "Is that all you offer"?
The serpent responded "I can trade in a few other things, although the people of the town have most material goods. What do you wish, Child of the Sandssssss?"
"I wouldn't mind useful abilities, skills, or tools to help us on our journey"
"Material thingsss you can find in the town, if they are available. We have not much in the way of fancy things, but we have the basics. There are a few we can trust to trade with us. Do you remember the sandssssss?"
"No, I don't remember the sands."
"Do you wish to, or are you happier as you are?"
"I am perfectly fine as I am"
"As you wish, you have been here before, in a manner of speaking."
"So, material goods we can get from the town, knowledge we can get from you, is that all we're going to be able to get here or trade in deal in?"
"There are a few other things"
"What can you give us"
"You mean what can I trade for? A few things. I can change your form permanently, you could be a halfling, a dwarf, a descendant of dragons, perhapssss a gnome. I can send disease into a community if they offended the source, I can commune with world and ask a question, I can ask The Source too, I can speak to animals and dispel magic effects. I can manufacture things if raw materials are available, I can change one thing into another, I can make you a statue of stone, or reverse that, and if one has died I can form them a new body. What would you wish? I could make you a Giant, though in time you would forget your friends. Have you ever wanted to be a storm giant, a stone giant, perhaps for you, a cloud giant?"
"What is a descendant of dragons?"
"Descendants of dragons look a bit like you, though they have draconic heads, scales, and on occasion breath forth the elements. They are a bit taller, but do not have tails."
From here several things happened simultaneously, although it seemed to each that their own events were the only one going on.
Roy :
"You seek knowledge of The Weave, don't you, this is your life's pursuit.""Yes, unfortunately my life is restricted"
"I can grant you some knowledge, knowledge you do not yet have, for a price."
"What would that price be"
"hahaha, self improvement perhaps, you must give up something you enjoy very much, but which is not helping you."
A thought entered Roy 's mind.
Roy thought of all the times his gambling had cost him, all the times he drank too much after losing and woke up in another time and place. He would have to never gamble again, if he wanted to gain the power and knowledge he sought."Have you made a decision, will you pay the price?"
"I have, and I will pay the price, but first, does anyone want to roll some dice one last time?"
The serpent leaned close, said "Learn", and breathed in his face. Roy had never thought of what a snake's breath smelled like, but he was certain this wasn't it. It smelled like Cardamom.
Roy fell to the ground unconscious.
Something in that breath granted understanding of the ways of Warlocks.
Jeeves thought "I wonder how we're going to leave here?"
Jeeves received in his mind "You will walk, of course".
"Wouldn't that mean we have to go through the badlands, or the dark area, or someplace dangerous?"
"As you must..."
"I don't know how that's safe, but ok. So then how do people cross the badlands safely?"
"None cross safely, but some survive, and the challenge, and the knowledge, can be worthwhile."
"I can accept that"
"Are there things I should know to protect my patients?"
"Yes, there are many things, what would you wish to know?"
"I do not know which is best?"
"There are many paths, do you wish to survive longer, do you wish to be better at healing, do you wish to connect with magic, or with the power of the source, what do you wish to do?"
"Something that would ensure my patients don't die, whether or not they are very well off afterwards, is of less importance to me, but making sure they're alive by the end of something, that's what's important to me."
"So a way to keep them alive, to keep anyone alive?"
"For me it's mostly my patients, I don't know about anyone, but yes. Depends on the price."
"Life is a powerful gift, the price will be...high."
"ahh, yeah, I, I somewhat expected as much, just I didn't expect, I wouldn't expect it to be so high as to, *sigh* uh ah sorry, I wouldn't expect it to be as high as if my patients were healthy, however. I'd still be willing to hear it."
"It is not health, health is not a costly thing. Life is. You would have to give up life, to gain life."
"uhhhh"
"You would suffer that others might live, you would pay that price?"
"Yes"
"You will?"
"However, the others are the important ones"
"I understand, your thought."
Jeeves now received a vision of his life, if he makes this trade, knowing it is his future and the price he would pay.
"So, Jack. What do you choose? Will you pay the price?"An Undead horror, masked by magic, walks the streets, stands among Jeeves friends. It heals them sometimes, but also sometimes feeds on their life. This creature, this thing, in the midst of battle as a friend falls, lifts that one by the throat, and they recover, but it turns pale, and struggles for the rest of the battle. After the battle it siezes Roisin Marshfield, sinks its fangs into her throat and drinks her life energy, it does not kill her, but comes close. It pulls away no longer pale. Roisin Marshfield appears hurt, like one who has been hurt many times and cannot imagine a way to make it stop, everyone does. The one raised up during the battle has a look of horror on their face, almost like they wish they had not been restored, that they had died instead. Everyone has multiple marks on their necks, evidence of many "feedings". Another battle, another raised from death. This time, after the battle this horror drains Cigfran , but it is not quite enough, so the horror walks into a nearby building, takes a random stranger and drains their entire life, leaving a dried out husk casually tossed aside. This horror, this future Jeeves , does not seek to help patients, just keep them alive, no matter the cost, no matter what it takes, just keep them alive, even if they would be better off dead.
"I will not."
"You begin to learn wisdom, good. Actually, I think I'll call you Jack. Is there something more wise you would choose, something better, something to know?"
"Uh, What in my practice, I guess, would be able to maintain the health of others, I guess"
"Stop asking for yourself, perhaps for another"
"yes, that would"
"It is easy at times, to mask selfishness with selflessness and think one is helping. What would you know, do you wish to make a deal?"
"I, I had a thought. Uh, If we were to leave here, what, where would be the best place to go, or what would be the best thing to do, for, uh, I, I guess, The Source, is the way to put it?"
"Ahh, yes, that is a good question. What will you pay for the knowledge?"
"There is a price, you will have to... take greater responsibility, will you accept that prisssssse?"
"Um, I, don't know what that responsibility is, but I, I think I would."
"Very well, I will tell you what you must know."
"Well, John, I will not use the name you hate so much."
"Yes, I know what you did in the world you came from, I know that you have a price to pay for that."
"Here is your price for knowledge. You will learn a connection to the divine, and you will use that connection to help your friends. Do you understand?"
"Very well, here then is what you must know."
"Proceed forth, you must go through the wasteland, your friend Cigfran knows the way, you must keep your friends alive, you must keep them healthy. Not at overly great cost, just work for it."
"You must go to the city, the twin cities of Sudafell and Arenfell. You must go to Sudafell, you will meet someone there, you will know what to do when you see them. From there you must travel down the river to Kreilaebeig, you must meet the priest, you will recognize them, all of you will, and they will direct you further. From there you must go to the Ki'Rin, you must perform the service they request, you must ask of them what you wish, your friend Roy has a request to make. From there you must return to Levron's Citadel; make your way to the Pits of Borelius, retreive from there what you must; go to the Celebryth Vale, do there what you must; then travel in to the Korth Steppe, you will have goal there; on the way you will face a dragon, huhuhu, you will have to kill it; in the steppe you accomplish several things, when you return you will be stronger; then you will have other things to do, you will learn of them in time. After that, well."
You see... You see a sudden vision of a puppet stage, large, complicated; there are entire towns, regions, on this stage, and there is a dark and shadowy figure above the stage, and there are a great many puppets moving, and acting, and speaking according to this dark individual's control. Little puppets on invisible strings; unable to do anything for themselves, just what the being above them that holds the strings makes them do.
The voice returned as the vision faded.
"You have much to learn and much to do. Eventually, when all of you are ready, you will go to the iron fortres, you will sound the Iron Tone, destroy the Iron Throne, and face the wrath of the one who holds the strings, the one who holds your strings."
"How old are you Boris, what do you remember of your family?""I am 75"
"Are you sure?"
"What would the price be to know what memories, what I do not have anymore?"
"To have your memory restored? In your case it is its own price, if you choose to pay it."
"I know it will be bad, but I will pay it."
Boris sees a vision of his own past, a past stolen from his memory.
A small boy plays in a temple yard in a small town, somewhere unimportant. A priest comes up and says "Hello Boris, come it's time to go in now." The child looks up "but, but when do I go back to mommy and daddy?" The priest looks sad for a moment, "Oh, um, I don't know, someday, perhaps, but for now you're with us, come, it's time to come inside."
Boris remembers now his youth. His parents left him with the priests, along with his younger sister. He didn't know why, and his parents never returned, he never saw them again. Boris grew up with the priests and learned the ways of The Source and of Justice. His sister also grew, and when she reached the age of such things she met and married a very nice man, and the two moved to a distant city called "Marshfield". Boris thought this might be a good place to start a new place of worship, and followed them, finding much to do. One day, some years later, Boris was traveling to meet a colleague in Arenfell and met another priest on the road. This priest looked closely at Boris, and said "oh my. Yes, she'll do nicely". Boris asked "What do you mean?". The other priest reached out a hand "Pardon my manners, I am Sir Devone, what is your name." Boris thought nothing of this, answered "Boris", and took the offered hand. The next clear memory Boris had was in a bar, agreeing to take Kaalam as an assistant. The time between now opened to Boris. Boris is 325 years old. For centuries he has traveled about teaching false doctrine. When that dark, false, priest took Boris hand, it took his mind as well. For three centuries it dominated Boris' fate. Boris acted, thought, and spoke as this being directed, becoming nothing more than a puppet on strings. Somehow, something about the woman who asked Boris to take on Kaalam broke those strings. Boris never did anything openly terrible, save once, but he taught thousands a false truth, pleasant lies that seemed to lead to The Source but would inevitably lead to Corruption instead. That dark priest will need to be destroyed, though it will take a long time to develop the skill necessary. That dark priest is no man, it is a thing that does not belong in this reality.
Boris recovered another memory, a darker memory. Boris remembered that he was the one who introduced his sister to the duke, at this dark priest's command. Boris was there when the duke, also a puppet, seduced his sister, and watched the events so this entity could observe, for it could observe through the eyes of any or all of its puppets at any time. Boris subtly encouraged his sister to continue the affair, and to hide the results from her husband. Boris was standing silently by, when the Duke, not her husband as Roisin Marshfield remembered, cut his sister's throat, poured out her life blood into a bowl, and fed it to Boris and to Roisin Marshfield.
Boris final thought before the memories faded was that he wasn't sure what might be worse than death, but he will have to find out.
As the vision faded, Boris suddenly gripped his weapon so violently that his palm began to bleed. His jaw clenched so hard that he shattered one of his own teeth. Cigfran noticed this and thought that he didn't know what made Boris angry, but he didn't want to be anywhere near it, as the collateral damage would be terrifying.
"What would you learn, Cigfran ?""I need to become better with my crossbow, what would it cost for that?"
"I see, you aren't entirely sure of your path, are you?"
"Nope"
"I see... I suppose you could get better with a crossbow, I could give you that knowledge, but what is the prisssse? For you? Ahhh, you are devoted to your family, your clan, are you not?"
"yesssss"
"Would you relenquish that, for this knowledge?"
"I do not know how I could."
"Yes, we could redirect, you will forget your clan, and these friends will become your new clan. Will you pay this prisssse?"
"Yes"
"Very well, for this you must remember the sandsssssssss."
You see a small down, in a dusty, dry, place. You see a family, a mother, a father, three children. The youngest is you, perhaps 3 or 4 years old, just learning to run and play. You had an older sister, and an older brother. The town is small, perhaps not more than 20 or 30 families. Looking on with adult eyes, you've been there before. That town is gone, very long gone. Your young self is playing in a small garden, and your mother tends the plants that will feed your family, as your father is away tending the sheep he raised. And now you remember that day, the day the raiders came in. You see your clan ride in with a priest at their head, and they slaughtered every. living. thing. in that town, except you. The priest saw you and ordered them to leave you alone while they butchered your family, and the priest took your hand and your mind went blank. You now see, as if from outside, all the things that happened over the following 200 years. You were raised by your clan, but when you reached adulthood you stopped ageing somehow. The Thing that appeared to be a priest controlled you like a puppet on strings. Everything you did was subject to its will. You killed what it told you to kill, you ate what it told you to eat, you moved where it told you to go, you breathed when it told you to breath. The first thing it made you do was join the feast, where the raiders ate the town. You did things of such horror, over those centuries that, well, best not to think of them. In the end, your troop, your clan attacked another small town in another distant place, it doesn't matter where, it was one of thousands. The priest had gone off to somewhere else, but it still controlled everything you did, no matter how distant, you could not escape. When you approached this town, there was a halfling woman in the road, and something made your clan stop. She looked at all of you, and then looked at you, Cigfran , and said "Cigfran , you have a job to do. You need to go find a Rose". Your mind cleared, you were no longer a puppet, you were free. You knew, that if you could find the Rose and protect that person, someday, someday you'll get to pay that monster back, for 200 years, and for killing your family, for destroying the community you should have had. The woman looked at you, and said "Don't worry, you'll remember eventually, but not today." A false memory was placed. You remembered being hired by the Duke, to go return his daughter, but you know that never happened. You watched as that woman, whatever she was, as she lashed out with a golden whip, and killed every member of your clan except you. Not that you felt sad about that in this vision. They had committed uncountable atrocities, and they were nothing but puppets; death was a mercy to all of them. You remember where your town was, you remember this land, you know your way through! It's not safe, but it's possible. That monster has much to pay for, very much indeed.
Cigfran promptly dropped to his knees, pulled off his helmet, and began to vomit on the ground.
Roisin Marshfield tried to comfort Cigfran and hold his hair back.
"What knowledge to you seek, Princess?""Last time I answered that, I saw some pretty terrible things, I'm not sure I want to see any more knowledge right now."
"Are you sure, Princesssssss? Is there anything you would learn, anything at all. Do you wish to know who your true enemy is, would you learn its true nature?"
"I don't want to know, I don't want to pay the price, I don't want to see things I cannot comprehend."
A few moments later, after others begin to react to their own choices.
"Do you wish to stay a while, to rest here?""We can stay for a bit, but not for too long, we have a mission to do"
"That you do, Princess. Have you made up your mind? Do you wish to know anything?"
"I would like to know about what we're facing, what they truly are, but before I would accept to this I would like to know the price would be."
"The Price? You wish to know what you face? I can be done, the price, ahh for you Princess, the price is easy to pay, but terrible to bear, a burden almost, but not quite beyond your bearing. Will you pay it?"
"I'm guessing you're not going to tell me what you're going to burden me with, I already feel burdened enough!"
"But you can bear it, and you must. Will you pay the price?"
"Sure, what more can I do, bear more pain."
"Very well, Princess, then here is what you wish to know.
"You see a vision of a huge group of puppets on a vast stage, and a dark shadowy figure holding their strings and making them put on a show."
"Princess, your price, what you must pay, you must bear the burden of leadership, you are in charge these people, and you will one day rule. your. nation. You must do so willingly, and well."
"You will bear the terrible burden of responsibility, for all of your people, for centuries. Will you pay it?"
"I will"
"You will bear this burden, no matter what it means? You will give up your life of freedom and adventure to rule your nation, not today, once the monster is destroyed. If you will commit to this then you will gain the power to inspire your people. Now you will know what you truly face."
"Your father, your father died 512 years ago, his body lives, truly lives, but his mind is gone. He met a man he thought was a priest, asked that priest to pray for him that he might be a great leader, a ruler over many. The priest took his hand, and consumed his mind and his soul. That priest was no man, but a creature called The Puppetmaster, for that is what it does, it does nothing by itself; it controls others. It has controlled your friend Cigfran , he spent centuries as one of its puppets. It has controlled Roy , and your uncle Boris, and Jeeves , and Kaalam, and even the one who's fate was destroyed, it has even controlled Goro. You alone it could not control, and it does not know why and it cannot tolerate that. I wants you back so it can take you in to its control, attach to you the same strings that hang cut from your friends, or if it cannot attach to you those strings, kill you, and consume your soul, but it cannot allow you to remain free. That is the one thing it hates, is a free will, and it will do anything to destroy all free will, everywhere. That is why it wants the Throne, with the Throne it can claim the will of everyone. So be not angry with your father, his flesh, his form, is but a puppet on a string. Your friends have been puppets, but their strings were cut, Roy cut his own, the others' were cut by a friend. Jeeves knows where to go, Cigfran knows the way. Follow the paths before you, grow, become stronger, protect your thorns, for one day Rose you must face The Puppetmaster, you must be a puppetmaster of your friends, you must control them for a time, and you must learn who is the greater puppetmaster, you, or the creature you face. The winner gains dominion over all, the loser, the loser will be killed and their soul burned away into nothing. Even the Pale Queen cannot restore them, or save them, or grasp their soul, it will be gone. That is your fate, princess, burn the soul of The Puppetmaster, or be burned in turn. The Puppetmaster is what you face, so lead your friends, become a ruler, become a puppetmaster of sorts, know always that your proper strings are held in the hands of The Source, survive, face this aberrant Puppetmaster, destroy it, and rule, and bear that burden, and when your time is done, go to face the Pale Queen, and her judgement, and your final destination."
As the vision faded Roisin Marshfield screamed in anger at what she had seen and learned, a scream so powerful, empowered by the magic of her noble blood, that it killed Boris outright, blasted Roy and Cigfran back and severely weakened them, and deafened Jeeves . The stones of the tower flexed from the force of her scream.
Jeeves rushed in, and saw Boris laying unconscious, and quickly called upon divine healing to restore Boris' health.
As the party came to terms with their new awareness, knowledge, and restored memories, The Master suggested they take a short rest in town, and train anywhere outside of town. The Master also offered to transform any of them to temporary forms, and fun shennanigans ensued as Cigfran and Roisin Marshfield became Fairy Dragons, Boris became a Sprite, and Jeeves became a parrot. Their experiment at being other creatures over, the group headed over to the local inn to arrange rooms, and had a surprisingly pleasant dinner at the tavern. It was strange, and very confusing to see the pleasant community, the children playing freely, the neighbors enjoying a night at a tavern with families, and nobody getting drunk or causing problems. After a nice meal the party retired for the night, and came out the next morning well rested. Roy even had someone return his coin purse after it fell off his belt the night before, having just held his money with no thought other than to return it.
The group headed out of town to train without risking harm to anyone. After a week of training, and the typical surges of unexpected magic, the group felt ready to head out into the badlands.
Rewards Granted
Roisin: Inspiring Leader
Roy: Access to the Warlock Spell List
Cigfran: Crossbow Expert
Jeeves: 4 uses per day of Cure Wounds, spending a chiurgy die for each
Boris: Boon of The Ox
Missions/Quests Completed
Discover The Truth of the Black Docks
Character(s) interacted with
The Master, ruler of the Black Docks, and a Celestial Rainbow Serpent.
