Session 60: Revelations and Convolutions

General Summary

Fatigue

The session began with combat! Hysteria had been pierced by an arrow at the end of the previous session, and it was discovered during this encounter that the arrow had somehow also slowed them down. Your attacker was well-hidden, and spotting them was tricky though doable. Some of you were able to see where the enemy was, but not what the enemy was. You all slowly made your way into the forest to fend the creature off though, and Kaswink even managed to hit something that turned into a strange dark mist. The enemy, however, kept moving away from you and using ranged weapons like their bow and a long chain to just slow you down. Eventually, Hysteria managed to get a spell off and knew that, despite the enemy being invisible, they had successfuly incapacitated it.

Hysteria found the body, and there was some brief debate as to whether or not they should be interrogated or just killed. Hysteria in particular wanted them left alive. Kaswink tied the mysterious assassin up with some rope before breaking them free of Hysteria's strange spell, and Frode dispelled the invisibility affecting the creature. You all gathered round to see what the heck was going on. The creature looked to be something similar to Hysteria; likely an elf, wearing dark, black leather armor, a bow, a dagger, a long spiked chain and a porcelain white mask. Weapons were removed just in case they broke free, and Kaswink attempted to remove their mask, but Hysteria insisted it be left in place.

As interrogations on this Jester began, you all heard a voice in your minds that sounded like a cold, northern wind blowing through a tundra. It was rather eerie, and it said, "Do what you will. This body is the King’s to use as He wishes. If He wishes this body to die, then it will die.” Hysteria: "Who are you working for? He doesn't call himself 'The King'" Fatigue: "I work for...The King. When you were still there, you might have called Him your Patron." Hysteria: "He changed His name without telling me?" Fatigue: "Moving up in the world." Hysteria: "Why are you here then?" Fatigue: "Came along to make sure He gets to where He needs to be." Hysteria: "And that involves shooting me with a bow and arrow?" Fatigue: "Yes. Not to kill you...you wouldn't have died. No, I just needed to slow you down." Kaswink: "We're in your way, huh?" Fatigue: "Oh, not in our way. No, just... well, alive and well the king still wants you alive, He just doesn't want you going to where we need to go." Hysteria: "And where are you going?" Fatigue: "I don't think I can tell you that one." (Kaswink explained to Hysteria that you all have that information and more already thanks to the Chittering Spirit) Hysteria: "Why does the Patron not want me involved in His affairs anymore?" Fatigue: "You...hm, what's a good way to put it? umm" (Kaswink kicked them, and instructed them to stop wasting your time) Hysteria: *something about professionalism, not sure* "You're not acting in the interests of The Patron, are you?" Fatigue: "Well, of course I am. You're the one not acting in service to our Patron." Hysteria: "We don't lie to each other. Why hasn't He reached out to me? You're lying." Fatigue: "Your actions were not, um, something that He agreed with." Hysteria: "Can He tell me that Himself?" Fatigue: "If you would like to visit Him." Hysteria then asked for this Jester to take you all to this mostly unheard of Person, and Kaswink interjected with a warning that this person is clearly there to waste your time. They likely wouldn't want to take you there, and if they appeared compliant they would likely lead you elsewhere. She insisted on just going there yourselves instead since you know where they're going. Hysteria could tell that this Jester was being as straightforward and truthful as they could be, and that they genuinely thought Hysteria should be speaking with this King. Hysteria asked them again if they would take them there, and, when Fatigue refused, Hysteria slit their throat. As this Jester was choking on their own blood, they remained calm, unmoving, and that same cold voice rattled through your minds just as chilling as it did before. "You'll never catch up. My King is almost back to His throne." They continued to choke on their blood a bit, but Kaswink made sure to give them a quicker death despite Hysteria's disagreeances.

Plans for...

As you all meandered back to your base camp, Kaswink turned to Hysteria with a comment. "I hate to say it, but I think you've been replaced." Hysteria explained that there is a lot going on, and that there were always more Jesters than just themself. Kaswink acknowledged this, but also believed that this Jester might be an "improvement" so to speak. That the other Jesters might've been changed because they stayed with this so-called "Patron". Hysteria confirmed that they've heard some strange things while in the Spirit World regarding how their Patron may not entirely be in as much control as He should be. "Where to begin? I don't want to tell too much because...well, I can't." Hysteria revealed their missing tongue, "That's the point of this." Agave inquired about the number of Jesters that might be out there still in service to this other person. Hysteria confirmed that there are many like them, and, worse still, that they aren't exactly the top of the ladder. Agave then asked if they would be coming for you all, or at least for Hysteria. "So, my master, we met...what I initially thought was a vision of Him when I first came to this place. And um, there was some inklings from that point that He was being usurped. This is the work of the person that is trying to usurp Him. According to that elf, whom I don't believe, it seems that he has succeeded, this usurper. I don't believe it because, well, that's not really how these things work. There's usually a lot more political games going on than just His death, but I don't know the nature of this usurper very much. He plays with deceptions. I have to assume that, if you're playing in the realms that my master plays in, well, you're a master in deception. No one knows your true cause. If you're going to trick someone like me, the first thing you would do is say that you're someone I trust. I believe that is what is happening here. I choose to believe it. I don't believe that my boss would outright kill me after I did a job for Him." Kaswink inquired about the messages that the world has been giving Hysteria, and they explained that they had reached out to their Patron, talked with them thanks to Namina. Apparently they had been given instructions to find their Patron (Hysteria didn't mention it, but the exact message was "Free Me."). They didn't do this right away as everyone was busy with everything else, but their next stop is supposedly to go and find their Patron right away. They also revealed that they spoke with their Patron in The Maze when they told the rest of you to leave. They claimed that they cannot tell you what was said because of their tongue as "more than their tongue would get cut". Hysteria described their vision given to them by the Whydigo. A vision of their Patron chained to a wall and being tortured by someone with a mask that had three horns. The description seemed to match what Croak had given regarding the person that tricked and tortured him, and Kaswink made this connection while also positing that "Maybe the Usurper did to your Patron what he did to Croak. Chained Him up, took His place, left a body double under His control." Perhaps this "Usurper" is no more than a piece of The Oni?

Kaswink continued,

"We know that he has control of people. He has control of Simol, he had control of Croak. He takes control of people in leadership positions. He took control of your person, and I think that they took control of Frode's kingdom."

Hysteria agreed, and provided some more insight into their Patron's role in elven society. Well, at least that the Patron provides an important role in general. Apparently it's a big deal that this Patron is either replaced or being controlled. Plans were then made to rest and tackle some more of this in the morning. There was also a brief discussion of whether or not people were going to visit Spalsis that night or sleep and go in the morning. You were all pretty beaten up and tired, but Hysteria had an urge to leave that very night and find their Patron right away. They felt that they needed to go as soon as possible, stating that they didn't need to sleep at the moment, and felt that the rest of you could just catch up. However, they also didn't want to travel alone. Agave refused to travel that night as he needed to stay with anyone wounded and resting to make sure they are safe and recovering. He also refused to leave Kaswink in particular as they needed to stick together due to their history. The idea to split the group in two: One staying with Kaswink and the other going with Hysteria, but Hysteria was eventually talked into sleeping at least one night before leaving in the morning. We also learned an old elven saying: "The end of the world won't come... If it's coming tomorrow, it'd come the day after just as quickly."

Of These, My Horns are Chipped and Twisted

Upon waking up, the world started ending. At least, that's what it seemed like, anyways. You found your base in dire straits as three massive horns made of black and dark red smoke were rising out of the ground. Within the smoke you could see fractaling spirals that made up the general shape of these coiling horns. One pierced through the floor of your cabin, and two more were found outside. The horns damaged you when they were destroyed, and they also released strange bursts of psychic energy each round of combat. Additionally, when a horn (or eventual shadow) was struck or when the psychic waves damaged you each round, you heard something speaking to you in your minds. The voice that spoke these words seemed to be your own, and, when put together, they made a poem. Of these, my horns are chipped and twisted
But, by them, they do rise from the ground
And, with them, they do lie still
Though, of these, the noxious weeds are dead
Yet, without me, they will live and strangle
Then, out of them all, these horns do burrow
So, internally, I am gored by myself Of these, my ramblings persist ever on
And, with them, they do lie still
But, by them, I am without my own
Though, of these, I am everyone else
Then, out of them all, they are all me
Yet, without me, I am not you
So, internally, I have been gored by myself

The horns were eventually defeated, and, as the final one scattered into a few piles of coiling string, shadows began to crawl from the holes that they left in the ground. These shadows weakened you when their attacks managed to hit, but they were also defeated in the end, and you continued to plan your morning. There was a general agreeance that you should get moving soon, and Kaswink rather ominously mentioned that "something else might be coming." Hysteria scouted the area looking for anything nefarious, but they saw nothing that would warrant the immediate murder of. With that in mind, there was some debate that a brief moment of rest might be beneficial. You all started eating and discussing what to do next as Agave went underground to see if any other damage could be found from these weird horns. The only damage he could see though was some damage to the roof of the cave and some of the cave walls, but no demons and no damage to the plantlife on the cave floor. Kaswink was shaking, and Hysteria brought up the strange message you were receiving throughout combat. Kaswink confirmed that it is The Oni, likely here to collect her, and suggestions to get moving were made again. Kaswink was worried that that might lead to getting attacked in the back, but Hysteria felt that it would be foolish to not move just because of a chance of being attacked. Some of you noticed that Kaswink was visiby crying, and Agave approached her to comfort her. She held onto her glaive and said, "I'm not as smart as my grandfather...I don't know if I'll be enough." Agave replied with more comforting and encouraging words, "You are strong and powerful, Kaswink. You are determined and nothing can stop you." Kaswink responded to this with some doubts, "My grandfather only beat it because he outsmarted it. I don't know how to outsmart it. I don't know what to do...it sprung up on us!"

The rest continued, Kaswink collected some of the strange bits of spirals that had turned into string and fallen from these horns, and a plan was made to proceed to Spalsis while things seemed quiet. Kaswink offered to stay behind or even to be "put down" so as to avoid getting the rest of you hurt, but Hysteria was worried someone else might get involved if the Oni isn't just dealt with. They also brought up that this same Oni seems to either be the one Usurping their Patron or, at the very least, heavily involved with whoever is. They stated that they would need Kaswink's help stopping this Oni as they seem to want more than just to hurt Kaswink's family. Kaswink called herself a tool, just a tool for the Oni to use, and Hysteria argued against the point of breaking a tool to begin with. "What use is breaking the tool to the hand? What does a hand do when the tool it's using breaks? It grabs another one. How many lives are you willing to sacrafice, Kaswink?" She voiced her concern over being controlled and used to kill all of you, but Hysteria wasn't convinced such a thing would happen or that it should be worried about. They declared that the short rest must be skipped, and that it should instead be taken on the road. DAN had concerns over this, but they acquiesced when they were reminded of the cart. It was agreed that using the Mothlight Tree would endanger the Mothlings and anyone else that might be in there. Agave elected to go through the Mothlights alone, collect a rock at the base of the mothlight tree near The Sleeping Oak, and then return so that he can teleport everyone to that location. He did so, it was a success, but something went wrong when he teleported the rest of you.

Rather than arriving at the mothlight tree near The Sleeping Oak, you instead ended up inside someplace strange. The ground was dark, black, possibly not even "ground" at all, and large purple spirals covered the ground. Familiar horns were sticking out of this ground, and, as you arrived, you took some more psychic damge from a pulse of energy. Next session starts off in combat with more of these horns...what other fiendish things will this Oni send after you?

Monday D&D Feb 13, 2023