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Session Stories - Moments in Roleplaying (updated 6/15/2023)
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<blockquote data-quote="Nthal" data-source="post: 8327959" data-attributes="member: 6971069"><p style="text-align: center"><strong>Story IX - Minds in Disarray - 7/3/2021</strong></p><p></p><p>SPOILER NOTE: This does describe events in the Tomb of Annihilation. So reader beware.</p><p></p><p></p><p>The group sat in the chamber huddled close to each other, chewing on their rations as they had many times in the past. But in the Tomb of the Nine Gods, the architect left behind several surprises: devious traps and puzzles namely. At first glance they were simple affairs, but it was apparent that mistakes could be costly. Just finding the right door, almost cost three of their lives, if it hadn’t been for their leaders’ quick thinking and use of magic. Arnara wasn’t just smart, she could be downright devious. Her age gave her knowledge and context beyond the rest of the party’s experience. And her intelligence made her an ideal strategist, formulating and guiding the groups successes. Her command of magic gave her access to a vast array of incantation and combined with her grace and poise as a Bladesinger she was almost untouchable in the scrum of combat. Certainly, she could and had jumped into the fray without much warning, but that was because she knew what her peers could do and would do. She was rarely wrong in these matters. But that was before they found the ring.</p><p></p><p>Usually there was banter or discussion but now the pervasive silence of the tomb’s walls seemed to have chilled the desire for small talk. Now they feared that the tomb had claimed its first victim. Or perhaps its second if you counted that one of their members was now a statue held in safety by the Grung. The overbearing Toddy was now replaced by Eliana, an escaped slave of the Yuan-Ti. But Eliana was too tricked by tomb, her femininity gone and replaced by what someone mentioned was her “hot brother.” She/He/They took it in stride, having faith they could fix this occurrence with prayer, and perhaps some holy blessings when they returned to civilization. But their foolhardiness in drinking from a fountain of water was one thing; Arnara said not to do it, and never let the waters touch her lips.</p><p></p><p>But the ring was another story. Arnara, was no fool and examined the magical bauble. She said it radiated something called ‘abjuration,’ which Aegis spelled out in plain common as ‘protective magic.’ And Aegis may not have been Arnara’s equal in arcana or smarts, but he was more than capable in magical artifice. Neither saw an issue with the ring, and both knew magics that could address most curses.</p><p></p><p>And now they all looked at their leader with concern. She normally would sit with them and eat quietly as was her custom. She was not boisterous, or chatty, preferring the others to talk for her. Perhaps this was why they listened to her; when she talked it was always important. So, she rarely contributed to the discussion beyond a correction on a piece of knowledge, or the occasional impish smile at a measure of wit. But not now.</p><p></p><p>Arnara sat shivering alone on the floor of the tomb apart from her comrades, her arms clutched around her knees. Her head twitched slightly, as she rocked her body back and forth, and stared at the vacant space in front of her. Her breathing was labored, as if she were dancing in combat or was bearing great pain. All of which was very unlike the elf, who’s cool and calm demeanor was a rock the others could count on. The others had tried to include her in their normal circle, but she slapped them away, grunting in the most unelvish, or just the most un-Arnara-ish way. She was focused inwards as she faced some inner demon. And now she sat apart from the others, heedless of their conversation.</p><p></p><p>Hawthorne chewed on his dried meat as he oiled his hand crossbow. But he did this half-heartedly as he looked at Arnara, confused. “Has she gone completely Barmy?” he wondered aloud.</p><p></p><p>Shalai sighed and shook his head. The strange white-haired monk had skills and powers that defied even Arnara’s logical explanations. He carried within in himself another…being. One he could communicate with, and this allowed him to touch the minds of others. He rarely did, and he almost always sought permission before doing so. But he now broke this rule as he tried to understand what had happened to Arnara. His face grew alarmed as he shook his head, trying to make sense of what was plaguing Arnara’s mind.</p><p></p><p>“She’s possessed by something calling itself ‘Obo’laka’ and it claims to be one of the dead Trickster Gods of Omu. So, but what is happening isn’t better than going ‘barmy.’ On one level, it’s like Lai and I trying to talk to each other.”</p><p></p><p>“You know, I barely understand the idea that you carry someone else around in your head,” Hawthorne noted. “But you…well you two seem to have a grip on things though,” Hawthorne said and then pointed to Arnara “What’s the problem with her?”</p><p></p><p>Shalai thought a moment, “I have had all my life to talk to and be with Lai. We know each other intimately, and really have a lot in common. We disagree certainly, but…” he turned to look at the elf sympathetically. “…Obo’laka has just arrived and based on my link to them…Arnara and Obo’laka couldn’t be more different. It might be…problematic.”</p><p></p><p>“You call that ‘problematic?’” Rafelor coughed as he nearly choked on his biscuit. “She’s the reason we have gotten this far. We need her to be…HER!”</p><p></p><p>“I suspect that is what she is trying to be now,” Elliana’s new gravelly voice said. “Possession is a battle of the self against another. I don’t suspect this to be easy though.”</p><p></p><p>“Why the hell not?” Rafelor said, his patience nearing its end.</p><p></p><p>“First if this is ‘Obo’laka’ that means it’s a powerful being; one that was powerful enough to be worshipped as a god. And second…it’s been imprisoned, alone in the darkness of the crypt for centuries. I can’t imagine that it is fully sane.”</p><p></p><p>“So, we do nothing?” Rafelor exclaimed.</p><p></p><p>“Well…not nothing. We wait. But its close enough to be nothing. It’s all up to Arnara now.” Elliana said as she looked at the quivering elf.</p><p></p><p>[HR][/HR]</p><p></p><p>Inside Arnara’s head it was a torrent of thought and emotions. The presence in her mind was impossible to ignore; it railed in rage against a name they had heard in Omu; Acererak. It hated them, for sealing Obo’laka away in a prison. But this gave Arnara an important piece of information; it wasn’t the only one sealed in the tomb. All the others were trapped here, bound to objects scattered in the depths. So, what Arnara was facing now, was likely to be faced again by another in their group. She had to learn how to deal with Obo’laka.</p><p></p><p>But it wasn’t going to be easy.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>“We must find others! Not I’jin though! Others! Others! All the Others!” Obo’laka’s thoughts rang throughout Arnara’s head.</p><p></p><p>“Stop shouting!” Arnara pleaded, trying to order the cacophony that swirled in her mind.</p><p></p><p>“We cannot rest here! Not safe. RISKY. Must go must go. But slow slow safe safe.”</p><p></p><p>“I need to recover as do others we—” Arnara tried to reason with the noise in her head.</p><p></p><p>“Not SAFE! Many traps. Many things. Acererak dangerous. Killed me once! No risk worth dying again.” Obo’laka ranted.</p><p></p><p>Arnara tried to clear her mind, and put her hands to her head, in an attempt to suppress the headache.</p><p></p><p>“Obo’laka! Stop! I need my friend’s he—”</p><p></p><p>“Send them first! Let them find the traps. If they die, we will live!” Obo’laka driveled on. “We must not die. No risk risk risk. Not safe safe safe. Must stay that way! No danger no risk no danger no ris---”</p><p></p><p>“—Obo’laka pleas—”</p><p></p><p>“Acererak will pay pay pay. No death again. No tomb. No sleepless slumber. No no no no—”</p><p></p><p>“—Obo’laka, I nee—”</p><p></p><p>“Bad bad bad Acererak. Almost as bad as I’jin. I’jin bad bad bad. No help no help no help. Let them suffer and sleepless slumber…ber…ber”</p><p></p><p>“Stop it ple---”</p><p></p><p>“—I’jin bad. Acererak bad. Tomb bad. Traps traps traps. Others can find traps. Must be safe safe safe safe.”</p><p></p><p>Arnara gritted her teeth in pain, and she clutched her hands to her head and grunted. Before shouting in her mind:</p><p></p><p><strong><em>“Stop it!</em></strong>”</p><p></p><p>For a moment, the storm quieted down, the dull roar fading to more of a whispering breeze. It stayed this way for a while as Arnara slowly took in breathes to calm herself and waited. Finally, there came more motes of thought, but far quieter and more tentative.</p><p></p><p>“Oh. Sorry. Long, long time.”</p><p></p><p>“I have to help my friends, there will be risk—”</p><p></p><p>“No no No NONORISK!” the voice became agitated and the storm began to build again.</p><p></p><p>“<strong><em>Quiet</em></strong>!” Arnara shouted again, and the storm faded somewhat. “Acererak isn’t safe. The tomb isn’t safe. WE aren’t safe. We need to work together to do beat him. I’ll keep myself and you safe. But you need to…quiet down. Let me think. Let me keep us safe!”</p><p></p><p>“Try try try try…”</p><p></p><p>[HR][/HR]</p><p></p><p></p><p>“That’s a bunch of naughty word!” Rafelor spat. “That ring comes off. NOW!” and Rafelor stood and moved towards Arnara. She didn’t respond to his approach; her head still shook with tremors. He knelt and pulled from her knees her left arm, and gripped the wrist tightly, as he tried to pull away the ancient ring now encircling her finger. As he tried, the elf suddenly stood with a scared look in her eyes and spoke in a quick nervous voice, “NononoNO Risky risky risky! You no take it!” and she stood and spun forcing Rafelor’s arm behind him, as she pushed his wrist upwards along his spine. She then drew her rapier with her right hand and thrusted the blade towards Rafelor’s exposed back.</p><p></p><p>Rafelor shut his eyes tightly, waiting to feel the flames from the blade to skewer and roast his heart. But then he heard the blade clatter to the ground and his arm was suddenly freed, as Arnara spoke, sounding like herself again.</p><p></p><p>“No. No. He isn’t a risk…he’s…he’s…he’s a friend.” He then heard her step away and he opened his eyes and turned to look at the elf.</p><p></p><p>Her face looked tired, and her eyes were half opened. She backed up and leaned against a wall for support and gave a deep sigh, as she bowed her head. “I’m sorry about that Rafelor. It shouldn’t…happen again.” She took a deep breath and then bent over slowly and retrieved her blade and returned it to its sheath. She looked very fatigued now, but she turned to look at Shalai and said;</p><p></p><p>“I do not like this…but I think I understand you and Lai…a little.”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nthal, post: 8327959, member: 6971069"] [CENTER][B]Story IX - Minds in Disarray - 7/3/2021[/B][/CENTER] SPOILER NOTE: This does describe events in the Tomb of Annihilation. So reader beware. The group sat in the chamber huddled close to each other, chewing on their rations as they had many times in the past. But in the Tomb of the Nine Gods, the architect left behind several surprises: devious traps and puzzles namely. At first glance they were simple affairs, but it was apparent that mistakes could be costly. Just finding the right door, almost cost three of their lives, if it hadn’t been for their leaders’ quick thinking and use of magic. Arnara wasn’t just smart, she could be downright devious. Her age gave her knowledge and context beyond the rest of the party’s experience. And her intelligence made her an ideal strategist, formulating and guiding the groups successes. Her command of magic gave her access to a vast array of incantation and combined with her grace and poise as a Bladesinger she was almost untouchable in the scrum of combat. Certainly, she could and had jumped into the fray without much warning, but that was because she knew what her peers could do and would do. She was rarely wrong in these matters. But that was before they found the ring. Usually there was banter or discussion but now the pervasive silence of the tomb’s walls seemed to have chilled the desire for small talk. Now they feared that the tomb had claimed its first victim. Or perhaps its second if you counted that one of their members was now a statue held in safety by the Grung. The overbearing Toddy was now replaced by Eliana, an escaped slave of the Yuan-Ti. But Eliana was too tricked by tomb, her femininity gone and replaced by what someone mentioned was her “hot brother.” She/He/They took it in stride, having faith they could fix this occurrence with prayer, and perhaps some holy blessings when they returned to civilization. But their foolhardiness in drinking from a fountain of water was one thing; Arnara said not to do it, and never let the waters touch her lips. But the ring was another story. Arnara, was no fool and examined the magical bauble. She said it radiated something called ‘abjuration,’ which Aegis spelled out in plain common as ‘protective magic.’ And Aegis may not have been Arnara’s equal in arcana or smarts, but he was more than capable in magical artifice. Neither saw an issue with the ring, and both knew magics that could address most curses. And now they all looked at their leader with concern. She normally would sit with them and eat quietly as was her custom. She was not boisterous, or chatty, preferring the others to talk for her. Perhaps this was why they listened to her; when she talked it was always important. So, she rarely contributed to the discussion beyond a correction on a piece of knowledge, or the occasional impish smile at a measure of wit. But not now. Arnara sat shivering alone on the floor of the tomb apart from her comrades, her arms clutched around her knees. Her head twitched slightly, as she rocked her body back and forth, and stared at the vacant space in front of her. Her breathing was labored, as if she were dancing in combat or was bearing great pain. All of which was very unlike the elf, who’s cool and calm demeanor was a rock the others could count on. The others had tried to include her in their normal circle, but she slapped them away, grunting in the most unelvish, or just the most un-Arnara-ish way. She was focused inwards as she faced some inner demon. And now she sat apart from the others, heedless of their conversation. Hawthorne chewed on his dried meat as he oiled his hand crossbow. But he did this half-heartedly as he looked at Arnara, confused. “Has she gone completely Barmy?” he wondered aloud. Shalai sighed and shook his head. The strange white-haired monk had skills and powers that defied even Arnara’s logical explanations. He carried within in himself another…being. One he could communicate with, and this allowed him to touch the minds of others. He rarely did, and he almost always sought permission before doing so. But he now broke this rule as he tried to understand what had happened to Arnara. His face grew alarmed as he shook his head, trying to make sense of what was plaguing Arnara’s mind. “She’s possessed by something calling itself ‘Obo’laka’ and it claims to be one of the dead Trickster Gods of Omu. So, but what is happening isn’t better than going ‘barmy.’ On one level, it’s like Lai and I trying to talk to each other.” “You know, I barely understand the idea that you carry someone else around in your head,” Hawthorne noted. “But you…well you two seem to have a grip on things though,” Hawthorne said and then pointed to Arnara “What’s the problem with her?” Shalai thought a moment, “I have had all my life to talk to and be with Lai. We know each other intimately, and really have a lot in common. We disagree certainly, but…” he turned to look at the elf sympathetically. “…Obo’laka has just arrived and based on my link to them…Arnara and Obo’laka couldn’t be more different. It might be…problematic.” “You call that ‘problematic?’” Rafelor coughed as he nearly choked on his biscuit. “She’s the reason we have gotten this far. We need her to be…HER!” “I suspect that is what she is trying to be now,” Elliana’s new gravelly voice said. “Possession is a battle of the self against another. I don’t suspect this to be easy though.” “Why the hell not?” Rafelor said, his patience nearing its end. “First if this is ‘Obo’laka’ that means it’s a powerful being; one that was powerful enough to be worshipped as a god. And second…it’s been imprisoned, alone in the darkness of the crypt for centuries. I can’t imagine that it is fully sane.” “So, we do nothing?” Rafelor exclaimed. “Well…not nothing. We wait. But its close enough to be nothing. It’s all up to Arnara now.” Elliana said as she looked at the quivering elf. [HR][/HR] Inside Arnara’s head it was a torrent of thought and emotions. The presence in her mind was impossible to ignore; it railed in rage against a name they had heard in Omu; Acererak. It hated them, for sealing Obo’laka away in a prison. But this gave Arnara an important piece of information; it wasn’t the only one sealed in the tomb. All the others were trapped here, bound to objects scattered in the depths. So, what Arnara was facing now, was likely to be faced again by another in their group. She had to learn how to deal with Obo’laka. But it wasn’t going to be easy. “We must find others! Not I’jin though! Others! Others! All the Others!” Obo’laka’s thoughts rang throughout Arnara’s head. “Stop shouting!” Arnara pleaded, trying to order the cacophony that swirled in her mind. “We cannot rest here! Not safe. RISKY. Must go must go. But slow slow safe safe.” “I need to recover as do others we—” Arnara tried to reason with the noise in her head. “Not SAFE! Many traps. Many things. Acererak dangerous. Killed me once! No risk worth dying again.” Obo’laka ranted. Arnara tried to clear her mind, and put her hands to her head, in an attempt to suppress the headache. “Obo’laka! Stop! I need my friend’s he—” “Send them first! Let them find the traps. If they die, we will live!” Obo’laka driveled on. “We must not die. No risk risk risk. Not safe safe safe. Must stay that way! No danger no risk no danger no ris---” “—Obo’laka pleas—” “Acererak will pay pay pay. No death again. No tomb. No sleepless slumber. No no no no—” “—Obo’laka, I nee—” “Bad bad bad Acererak. Almost as bad as I’jin. I’jin bad bad bad. No help no help no help. Let them suffer and sleepless slumber…ber…ber” “Stop it ple---” “—I’jin bad. Acererak bad. Tomb bad. Traps traps traps. Others can find traps. Must be safe safe safe safe.” Arnara gritted her teeth in pain, and she clutched her hands to her head and grunted. Before shouting in her mind: [B][I]“Stop it![/I][/B]” For a moment, the storm quieted down, the dull roar fading to more of a whispering breeze. It stayed this way for a while as Arnara slowly took in breathes to calm herself and waited. Finally, there came more motes of thought, but far quieter and more tentative. “Oh. Sorry. Long, long time.” “I have to help my friends, there will be risk—” “No no No NONORISK!” the voice became agitated and the storm began to build again. “[B][I]Quiet[/I][/B]!” Arnara shouted again, and the storm faded somewhat. “Acererak isn’t safe. The tomb isn’t safe. WE aren’t safe. We need to work together to do beat him. I’ll keep myself and you safe. But you need to…quiet down. Let me think. Let me keep us safe!” “Try try try try…” [HR][/HR] “That’s a bunch of naughty word!” Rafelor spat. “That ring comes off. NOW!” and Rafelor stood and moved towards Arnara. She didn’t respond to his approach; her head still shook with tremors. He knelt and pulled from her knees her left arm, and gripped the wrist tightly, as he tried to pull away the ancient ring now encircling her finger. As he tried, the elf suddenly stood with a scared look in her eyes and spoke in a quick nervous voice, “NononoNO Risky risky risky! You no take it!” and she stood and spun forcing Rafelor’s arm behind him, as she pushed his wrist upwards along his spine. She then drew her rapier with her right hand and thrusted the blade towards Rafelor’s exposed back. Rafelor shut his eyes tightly, waiting to feel the flames from the blade to skewer and roast his heart. But then he heard the blade clatter to the ground and his arm was suddenly freed, as Arnara spoke, sounding like herself again. “No. No. He isn’t a risk…he’s…he’s…he’s a friend.” He then heard her step away and he opened his eyes and turned to look at the elf. Her face looked tired, and her eyes were half opened. She backed up and leaned against a wall for support and gave a deep sigh, as she bowed her head. “I’m sorry about that Rafelor. It shouldn’t…happen again.” She took a deep breath and then bent over slowly and retrieved her blade and returned it to its sheath. She looked very fatigued now, but she turned to look at Shalai and said; “I do not like this…but I think I understand you and Lai…a little.” [/QUOTE]
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