Nthal
Lizard folk in disguise
Water and Light - 4/9/2019
We all froze and blinked. The sudden appearance of light put us immediately on edge.
“What did I do?” Iesa asked, unwilling to step forward or backwards.
“I do not know yet, I need some time to answer that.” Beepu barked, and pulled out his book and started flipping through the pages.
“So…can I move?”
“Hmm? Oh, most likely. If it was going to be harmful, you probably would have been incinerated already.”
“Inciner…what?”
“Turned to ash.” Beepu said absently.
“Ah…great. Wait. No. Not great. You sure?” Iesa said turning to look at the Gnome with alarm.
“Yes, yes. Just let me know if something else happens to you.”
“Like what?”
“Maybe you get frozen?” Daneath said sounding helpful.
“Perhaps…shocked?” I venture with a smile and wink at Daneath.
“Good point. Perhaps poisoned?” Daneath said thoughtfully.
“True…or maybe he just disappears in a puff of dust?”
“You. Are. NOT. HELPING.” Iesa said, looking at us in horror.
“Shhh…you are disturbing my focus. This will take a bit”
Daneath and I stepped into the room, moving past the mortified Iesa. Even Nestra entered with a small smile on her lips.
While Iesa regained his composure, I looked around. This was clearly a chapel. The room was rectangular, with an altar in the middle of the long side of the rectangle, and opposite that was a pair of double doors. In each corner was a pillar, and upon each was a blazing light, far brighter than my own. In the room were four stone sarcophagi, evenly spread through out the room. In the far side of the room was another single door.
Otherwise, the room was empty and dusty.
“Any guesses on who this is dedicated to?” Iesa asked as he moved towards the altar.
“Not yet…and don’t touch anything. Seriously.” I said.
“Yeah yeah, I’ll wait for Beepu. Wonder what’s in those…”
“No.” I said firmly.
“What?”
“No grave robbing.”
“They aren’t using anything anymore.”
“No.” I said simply, and I pointed to the holy symbol on my neck.
Iesa scrunched up his face, “You know, the dead can’t spend it.”
“I’m not disturbing the eternal slumber of the dead.”
“Why?”
“Because I want them to stay eternally slumbered” I turned, glaring at him. “It’s not like a random chest in a chamber you found stuff.”
“Hey now…” Iesa began to protest.
“Or that pouch from the body?” I retorted.
“Now come on…wait, you saw that?” Iesa sounded surprised.
“She’s got you there.” Daneath chuckled, “But we should really find the fastest way out of here.”
“I just wanted…” and Iesa muttered quietly under his breath.
“Now then. What is going…oh my!” Beepu said as he strode into the room. His eyes blazed with a blue light as he looked at the floor and the pillars in the corners.
“What do you see?” I asked looking at him carefully.
“Lines…lines of power.” And he started circling the perimeter counter clockwise around the room, passing the single door, and only stopping once he reached the double doors. Once there, he took a step back and exclaimed, “Well, well.”
“Well, well…what?” I said a little impatiently.
“Iesa hit on a magical trigger, that covers the floor by the doorway we came out of, and the double doors there. Both link to the pillars in the corner. But the trigger does not cover that third door in the corner.”
“Anything else?” I said.
“Yes, yes, yes. While the rest of the room, the altar and the sarcophagi do not have an aura, the there is another stronger one near the double doors. It actually appears to be on the ground on the other side.”
“But not this side?” Daneath asked.
“No. The doors have no magic on them at all.”
“What kind of magic is it?” I asked, wondering how I could learn this spell.
“Well…the door is blocking a clear read on that. But we can probably open it safely.”
“Probably?” Daneath asked dubiously.
“Yes. Yes. Yes. Go ahead” Beepu said and waved his hand at Daneath with a big grin on his face.
“Ok…” Daneath said, and he put down his sword and grasped the large handle and was going to pull when…
“Sure, he won’t get incinerated? Or frozen? Or shocked?” Iesa asked no one in particular.
Daneath glared at Iesa, “Really? Now?”
Iesa held up his hand with a helpless expression. “Just…checking.”
Daneath grasped the handle and began to pull.
“Or poisoned…”
Daneath let go of the handle and glared at Iesa, “Now look, if you want to open this door!”
“No, no. Sorry.” He said sounding almost hurt. Almost. And then under his breath I could barely hear “Or turned to dust.”
But Daneath didn’t respond to the comment, and pulled the doors open, revealing a short hallway, that opened into a small square room, with a raised pool of liquid. The pool was illuminated from another passage on the right, and we could see the reflection of the light on the ceiling of the square room. I could hear us all inhale sharply though as we saw that light.
The light was the warm glow of daylight, we were certain. Not the small light of my magic, and not even the stronger, harsher light on the pillars. It was the warm glow of daylight. We couldn’t even feel it, and our hearts were warmed by just the thought of it.
Until Beepu spoke.
“Oh dear. That’s a strong big of magic there.”
“Where?” Daneath asked, freezing.
“Right in front of the doors. Very strong evocation magic all on the floor and walls.”
“What does that mean? Myrai can you…translate.”
I shrug and say “Um…well, that means that if you step into that area, you might…”
“Might what?”
“…Get incinerated, frozen, shocked, poisoned, or turned to dust…” I said in a helpless voice, feeling terrible saying the possibilities.
For a moment there was silence as we looked at each other back and forth.
“Well…at least it won’t be me!” Iesa said smiling, clapping his hands together. “Beepu…do your stuff!”
Beepu’s smile faltered. “Uh what? I cannot do anything about this.”
Iesa smile faltered. “What do you mean? I thought you were a wizard!”
“I am a wizard…but I do not have the power to counter this.” Beepu said.
Iesa looked dumbfounded and turned to look at me.
I shook my head “I can do…stuff. But I don’t know what to do about that.”
Iesa turned to look at Daneath, frowned a moment, and turned to Nestra.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Nestra said archly.
“We can’t be this close…and…and…”
“Let’s look around, maybe there is a way around it,” Daneath said optimistically.
Iesa brightened at this and moved to the third door in the corner. “Yeah, yeah, around it. Beepu said this door was safe!” and quickly burst into the room. Just as quickly, he came out with a guilty look.
“I…need the shield.”
Daneath rolled his eyes and walked over to the door, and together entered the room.
Nestra had this point sat down by one of the sarcophagi and shook her head in disbelief. I was afraid to ask if it was the situation, the chaos that Iesa was causing or both.
Beepu, had edged himself to the doorway and was looking at the ground frowning. I walked carefully and stood next to him. I then asked, “Anything else?”
Beepu nodded, “Yes…the field is not deep, barely a finger width. But the field certainly does go to the ceiling.”
“Meaning you can’t just send Foggle through, or just jump over it.” I guessed.
“Correct. And the only thing I am certain of is that it will not heal you.”
“Wrong evocation.” I said frowning.
I looked down the hall, straining desperately for any detail. When I noticed that there were shadows on the rim holding the pool of water. Squinting I couldn’t make out what it was.
“Hey Beepu, take a look at that pool. Can you see the shadows on it?”
“Hm…no I can’t really…wait. Hold this.” And suddenly Foggle landed on my wrist.”
“Hi…Foggle. What am I—”
“Hold him up, facing the pool.”
I gamely raise him to my eye level, not being entirely clear what Beepu wants.
“No no no…higher raise him up with your arm.”
I raise Foggle up and find myself standing up on the tips of my toes. “Like this?”
“Yes, yes, YES! It’s writing! But I can’t make it out at this angle, though. I can only make out one
word in elvish…water.”
“Damn it.” Iesa said, with Daneath in tow. “It’s just a cloak room. Nothing in there, that isn’t moth eaten.”
“There’s got to be a way.” Daneath said. “Maybe another hidden door?”
“Might as well look,” Iesa said and started moving to the wall to our right. “Uh, Beepu…the walls are safe right.”
Beepu nodded and waved his hand, still staring at the magical field I assumed. Muttering, “Water. Water. A clue?”
I thought a moment, thinking back to some lessons in the Civic Festhall that I had attended. Lessons about the habits of some religions and water. “Maybe the ‘trap’ isn’t meant to keep us in…maybe it’s to keep others out.”
Beepu looked at me, “I follow the logic. We are trying to break out and not in. So?”
“Perhaps we either need to drink from the pool or bless ourselves with it beforehand to come inside the temple.”
“Of course; an infidel wouldn’t understand the ritual! That’s probably right. But it doesn’t help us much. We can’t read the rest of it from here.”
I think a moment. “I might have an idea. But I don’t like it much.”
Beepu raised up his arms and hands upwards, “At this point it’s the best idea we have.”
I turned to the pair who were scouring the wall for a door. “Hey, by any chance did you see any…I don’t know…vials, flasks or cups in that room.”
Iesa thought a moment, “Yes…there were a couple of metal flasks. Why?”
“Go grab them and bring them here please. I have an idea.”
Iesa frowned a second, and then shrugged. He then walked towards the cloakroom, pulling Daneath with him. After a moment, they returned with a pair of small flasks, about the size you would hold liquor in.
“Great, these will do. Thanks.”
“Sure thing. Now what’s your idea?” Iesa said.
“Oh…I’m going to walk through the door and get some water from the pool.”
“Oh, ok that makes...WHAT?!” Iesa said looking at me in shock. “Isn’t that going to get you incinerated?”
“Or frozen?” Daneath said with alarm.
“Or poisoned?” Exclaimed Beepu.
“Or turned to dust?” Nestra said from her seat softly, not caring if we heard her.
“Possibly. But I know a trick. All I have to do is shunt the energy that would maybe kill me, elsewhere.”
“Well shouldn’t you put that on like Daneath or something?” Iesa looking at me with more than little concern.
“Yeah put it on me…wait what?” Daneath spoke and then realized what he was saying and looked at Iesa with alarm.
“I can’t. This only is going to work on me.” And I closed my eyes seeking that dark spark of energy. Finding it with my mind, I focus in stretching it, and wrapping it around myself. All the while ensuring that a portion is attached to a stream of negative energy. Mentally I stabilize it to act as a sink, so that any energy or damage would be drained away keeping me safe. It wasn’t a real shield of magic; if I could do that any negative effects would just bounce off of me. Here I was more, redirecting it. All the while the conversations continued.
“Can’t you do that Beepu?” Iesa asked the gnome.
“Let me think. No. Very certain. No.” Beepu said decisively.
“What? I thought you were a wizard!”
“Not this again…I do not know everything yet, and I certainly have no idea what she is trying to do, and I understand less on how she does what she does to start with. This is sorcery I have never seen before.”
I took a deep breath, and moved forward toward the doorway, striding with purpose. My right hand is at my own neck, clutching my holy symbol as I strode towards the threshold of the door.
“Well come on there has to be a better…. MYRAI!” Iesa had finally noticed me moving towards the door and took a step towards it when I crossed the threshold.
I could feel the energy cascade into my being, in a blaze of pure power. Like I stood in a great beam of light magnified a thousand-fold. The energy poured into me and I could see only a brilliant white light, leaving spots in front of my eyes. The darkness that I had wrapped around me, lapped at the energy, sucking at its power and draining it. But even its thirst wasn’t enough, and I could feel the pain, spread like fire across my skin and soul.
And then…it was gone.
I was across the threshold, and I looked myself over seeing wisps of white smoke waft away from my skin and clothes. The hint of burned cloth hung in the air, as I turned to look at the shocked members of the party.
“I guess we forgot the option, ‘Seared by light’” I said, somewhat in shock that I made it across.
“Are you …well, I guess you look…what happened?!” Iesa said.
“I sent the big light somewhere else, so it didn’t hurt me…much. Beepu, is the trigger still there?”
Beepu nodded, “Yes, it is. It will go off again if crossed, so you didn’t disarm it. How powerful was it?”
I shook my head clear a second, “Well, I’m not sure. But without what I did…I don’t think I would have survived. Stay there.”
Without waiting for a response, I walked to the pool and looked at the inscription on the edge. My heart sank a second as looked at the words. Which I was pretty sure was elvish. Then I remembered, Beepu said one of the words was ‘water.’ He must speak elvish.
“Hey Beepu,” I shouted. “I’m not sure I can pronounce this right, but can you translate elvish?”
“Of course…just give it your best shot!” And I saw that the others, including Nestra, were standing in the doorway watching intently.
“Alright, I can do this,” I said to myself, and started at a point on the circle and shouted, “Sagrate aborre o tay eiya e rezo pon aguan absolvican paar enete no mey cofre.”
“That doesn’t make any…of course, you started in the middle of the sentence. Um, basically its ‘To enter, anoint yourself and pray for…forgiveness?'”
“Right,” and I knelt down to the pool and filled the flasks full of water. I then dipped my hand into the water and brushed my fingers across my brow, and then again under the eyes and chin.
“Well…here goes nothing. Please forgive me for…for…any sin I have committed. I’m not trying to desecrate your temple or show impiety. I, just…just want to go home.”
I stood and walked back to the threshold to the chapel. The others saw me approach and started backing up.
“Wait…shouldn’t you do another spell?” Daneath said.
“I am going with some faith here,” I said.
“Yeah, great. I still might have some doubts—”
And I crossed into the room. No light erupted. There was no pain. Nothing. And for a moment, no one said anything.
“Are you a believer now?” I asked with small smile.
“I could be…convinced yes.” Daneath said with a much wider one.
“Well…everyone kneels. I’ll anoint you and you can pray for forgiveness.”
“About what?” Beepu asked.
I spread the water across Beepu’s forehead, cheeks and chin. “Anything you think you need forgiven; just be honest about it. Then we will cross the threshold one at a time.”
“That’s it?” asked Iesa.
I repeated the same motions with the water, “That’s it. I didn’t even say it in Elvish.”
“Well that’s good. I don’t have time to learn Elvish,” Daneath said.
Again, spreading the water across his face, “Well it might come in handy I suppose. Someday”
“I can teach you all! It is a simple matter of getting a strong grasp of the five genders specific form and the declensions. Simple really.” Beepu said with excitement.
“Not today,” and I brushed Nestra face with the water. Unlike the others she was trembling…afraid.
“I don’t know what to ask you.” Nestra said looking at me with a pained expression on her face.
“You aren’t asking me for forgiveness. There is nothing I can forgive. Just ask. Just believe. That is all that matters.” I say, smiling at her.
And just to make sure, I anoint myself again with the water, and whisper a prayer for myself and the rest. Then one at a time we passed through the doors.
Beepu went first, with confidence and calm.
Daneath went next assured…but he still held his breath crossing.
Iesa followed, gritting his teeth and his eyes tightly closed.
Finally, I took Nestra’s shaking hand and together we crossed.
While there was no dazzling light, and certainly no pain, there was a feeling of a weight being lifted from our shoulders. Perhaps we truly were absolved of some sins. I don’t know how we could have felt gladder than we did at that moment.
We passed the pool and looked down the hall, and we could see the final remains of the sun as it rose in the distance, putting the tunnel back into shadow.
The Hate Night was over.
But the ordeal was far from done.
Session notes:
A year later after this event occurred, I realized that I (and not the DM) screwed up. You see in the campaign I had cast False Life to get by the field. That was fine. Except I cast it on Daneath, and he walked through the field.
False Life is a self only spell, so really only I could walk through the field. So, I did change the story a bit to hem back to the rule, because that type of mistake bugs me. But I would have done it for them all the same.
And it wasn’t the only time; we’ll get to abuse of another spell I did later, because I didn’t read it properly. And disengagement movement was another one we kept getting wrong as well.
So, I wish there was a good elvish primer somewhere, or that I had the time to write my own parser for this. But I don’t know one (or least one I like), and I don’t have time. I just hacked Portuguese to be elvish…because I wanted to.
The original phrase was close to “Para entrar na minha abóbada assustada, irritar-se com as minhas águas, e orar por absolvição.” And since it was machine translated…well I’ll let you go figure it out.
1,533
Water and Light
I don’t know much about traps. But I do know about being bobbed and peeled. To me, it’s the same thing; one is social the other mechanical.
And while I can’t do much about the mechanical, I do know that knowing what the trap/cony-catcher is expecting, it becomes easier to disarm the situation.
Usually.
And while I can’t do much about the mechanical, I do know that knowing what the trap/cony-catcher is expecting, it becomes easier to disarm the situation.
Usually.
We all froze and blinked. The sudden appearance of light put us immediately on edge.
“What did I do?” Iesa asked, unwilling to step forward or backwards.
“I do not know yet, I need some time to answer that.” Beepu barked, and pulled out his book and started flipping through the pages.
“So…can I move?”
“Hmm? Oh, most likely. If it was going to be harmful, you probably would have been incinerated already.”
“Inciner…what?”
“Turned to ash.” Beepu said absently.
“Ah…great. Wait. No. Not great. You sure?” Iesa said turning to look at the Gnome with alarm.
“Yes, yes. Just let me know if something else happens to you.”
“Like what?”
“Maybe you get frozen?” Daneath said sounding helpful.
“Perhaps…shocked?” I venture with a smile and wink at Daneath.
“Good point. Perhaps poisoned?” Daneath said thoughtfully.
“True…or maybe he just disappears in a puff of dust?”
“You. Are. NOT. HELPING.” Iesa said, looking at us in horror.
“Shhh…you are disturbing my focus. This will take a bit”
Daneath and I stepped into the room, moving past the mortified Iesa. Even Nestra entered with a small smile on her lips.
While Iesa regained his composure, I looked around. This was clearly a chapel. The room was rectangular, with an altar in the middle of the long side of the rectangle, and opposite that was a pair of double doors. In each corner was a pillar, and upon each was a blazing light, far brighter than my own. In the room were four stone sarcophagi, evenly spread through out the room. In the far side of the room was another single door.
Otherwise, the room was empty and dusty.
“Any guesses on who this is dedicated to?” Iesa asked as he moved towards the altar.
“Not yet…and don’t touch anything. Seriously.” I said.
“Yeah yeah, I’ll wait for Beepu. Wonder what’s in those…”
“No.” I said firmly.
“What?”
“No grave robbing.”
“They aren’t using anything anymore.”
“No.” I said simply, and I pointed to the holy symbol on my neck.
Iesa scrunched up his face, “You know, the dead can’t spend it.”
“I’m not disturbing the eternal slumber of the dead.”
“Why?”
“Because I want them to stay eternally slumbered” I turned, glaring at him. “It’s not like a random chest in a chamber you found stuff.”
“Hey now…” Iesa began to protest.
“Or that pouch from the body?” I retorted.
“Now come on…wait, you saw that?” Iesa sounded surprised.
“She’s got you there.” Daneath chuckled, “But we should really find the fastest way out of here.”
“I just wanted…” and Iesa muttered quietly under his breath.
“Now then. What is going…oh my!” Beepu said as he strode into the room. His eyes blazed with a blue light as he looked at the floor and the pillars in the corners.
“What do you see?” I asked looking at him carefully.
“Lines…lines of power.” And he started circling the perimeter counter clockwise around the room, passing the single door, and only stopping once he reached the double doors. Once there, he took a step back and exclaimed, “Well, well.”
“Well, well…what?” I said a little impatiently.
“Iesa hit on a magical trigger, that covers the floor by the doorway we came out of, and the double doors there. Both link to the pillars in the corner. But the trigger does not cover that third door in the corner.”
“Anything else?” I said.
“Yes, yes, yes. While the rest of the room, the altar and the sarcophagi do not have an aura, the there is another stronger one near the double doors. It actually appears to be on the ground on the other side.”
“But not this side?” Daneath asked.
“No. The doors have no magic on them at all.”
“What kind of magic is it?” I asked, wondering how I could learn this spell.
“Well…the door is blocking a clear read on that. But we can probably open it safely.”
“Probably?” Daneath asked dubiously.
“Yes. Yes. Yes. Go ahead” Beepu said and waved his hand at Daneath with a big grin on his face.
“Ok…” Daneath said, and he put down his sword and grasped the large handle and was going to pull when…
“Sure, he won’t get incinerated? Or frozen? Or shocked?” Iesa asked no one in particular.
Daneath glared at Iesa, “Really? Now?”
Iesa held up his hand with a helpless expression. “Just…checking.”
Daneath grasped the handle and began to pull.
“Or poisoned…”
Daneath let go of the handle and glared at Iesa, “Now look, if you want to open this door!”
“No, no. Sorry.” He said sounding almost hurt. Almost. And then under his breath I could barely hear “Or turned to dust.”
But Daneath didn’t respond to the comment, and pulled the doors open, revealing a short hallway, that opened into a small square room, with a raised pool of liquid. The pool was illuminated from another passage on the right, and we could see the reflection of the light on the ceiling of the square room. I could hear us all inhale sharply though as we saw that light.
The light was the warm glow of daylight, we were certain. Not the small light of my magic, and not even the stronger, harsher light on the pillars. It was the warm glow of daylight. We couldn’t even feel it, and our hearts were warmed by just the thought of it.
Until Beepu spoke.
“Oh dear. That’s a strong big of magic there.”
“Where?” Daneath asked, freezing.
“Right in front of the doors. Very strong evocation magic all on the floor and walls.”
“What does that mean? Myrai can you…translate.”
I shrug and say “Um…well, that means that if you step into that area, you might…”
“Might what?”
“…Get incinerated, frozen, shocked, poisoned, or turned to dust…” I said in a helpless voice, feeling terrible saying the possibilities.
For a moment there was silence as we looked at each other back and forth.
“Well…at least it won’t be me!” Iesa said smiling, clapping his hands together. “Beepu…do your stuff!”
Beepu’s smile faltered. “Uh what? I cannot do anything about this.”
Iesa smile faltered. “What do you mean? I thought you were a wizard!”
“I am a wizard…but I do not have the power to counter this.” Beepu said.
Iesa looked dumbfounded and turned to look at me.
I shook my head “I can do…stuff. But I don’t know what to do about that.”
Iesa turned to look at Daneath, frowned a moment, and turned to Nestra.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Nestra said archly.
“We can’t be this close…and…and…”
“Let’s look around, maybe there is a way around it,” Daneath said optimistically.
Iesa brightened at this and moved to the third door in the corner. “Yeah, yeah, around it. Beepu said this door was safe!” and quickly burst into the room. Just as quickly, he came out with a guilty look.
“I…need the shield.”
Daneath rolled his eyes and walked over to the door, and together entered the room.
Nestra had this point sat down by one of the sarcophagi and shook her head in disbelief. I was afraid to ask if it was the situation, the chaos that Iesa was causing or both.
Beepu, had edged himself to the doorway and was looking at the ground frowning. I walked carefully and stood next to him. I then asked, “Anything else?”
Beepu nodded, “Yes…the field is not deep, barely a finger width. But the field certainly does go to the ceiling.”
“Meaning you can’t just send Foggle through, or just jump over it.” I guessed.
“Correct. And the only thing I am certain of is that it will not heal you.”
“Wrong evocation.” I said frowning.
I looked down the hall, straining desperately for any detail. When I noticed that there were shadows on the rim holding the pool of water. Squinting I couldn’t make out what it was.
“Hey Beepu, take a look at that pool. Can you see the shadows on it?”
“Hm…no I can’t really…wait. Hold this.” And suddenly Foggle landed on my wrist.”
“Hi…Foggle. What am I—”
“Hold him up, facing the pool.”
I gamely raise him to my eye level, not being entirely clear what Beepu wants.
“No no no…higher raise him up with your arm.”
I raise Foggle up and find myself standing up on the tips of my toes. “Like this?”
“Yes, yes, YES! It’s writing! But I can’t make it out at this angle, though. I can only make out one
word in elvish…water.”
“Damn it.” Iesa said, with Daneath in tow. “It’s just a cloak room. Nothing in there, that isn’t moth eaten.”
“There’s got to be a way.” Daneath said. “Maybe another hidden door?”
“Might as well look,” Iesa said and started moving to the wall to our right. “Uh, Beepu…the walls are safe right.”
Beepu nodded and waved his hand, still staring at the magical field I assumed. Muttering, “Water. Water. A clue?”
I thought a moment, thinking back to some lessons in the Civic Festhall that I had attended. Lessons about the habits of some religions and water. “Maybe the ‘trap’ isn’t meant to keep us in…maybe it’s to keep others out.”
Beepu looked at me, “I follow the logic. We are trying to break out and not in. So?”
“Perhaps we either need to drink from the pool or bless ourselves with it beforehand to come inside the temple.”
“Of course; an infidel wouldn’t understand the ritual! That’s probably right. But it doesn’t help us much. We can’t read the rest of it from here.”
I think a moment. “I might have an idea. But I don’t like it much.”
Beepu raised up his arms and hands upwards, “At this point it’s the best idea we have.”
I turned to the pair who were scouring the wall for a door. “Hey, by any chance did you see any…I don’t know…vials, flasks or cups in that room.”
Iesa thought a moment, “Yes…there were a couple of metal flasks. Why?”
“Go grab them and bring them here please. I have an idea.”
Iesa frowned a second, and then shrugged. He then walked towards the cloakroom, pulling Daneath with him. After a moment, they returned with a pair of small flasks, about the size you would hold liquor in.
“Great, these will do. Thanks.”
“Sure thing. Now what’s your idea?” Iesa said.
“Oh…I’m going to walk through the door and get some water from the pool.”
“Oh, ok that makes...WHAT?!” Iesa said looking at me in shock. “Isn’t that going to get you incinerated?”
“Or frozen?” Daneath said with alarm.
“Or poisoned?” Exclaimed Beepu.
“Or turned to dust?” Nestra said from her seat softly, not caring if we heard her.
“Possibly. But I know a trick. All I have to do is shunt the energy that would maybe kill me, elsewhere.”
“Well shouldn’t you put that on like Daneath or something?” Iesa looking at me with more than little concern.
“Yeah put it on me…wait what?” Daneath spoke and then realized what he was saying and looked at Iesa with alarm.
“I can’t. This only is going to work on me.” And I closed my eyes seeking that dark spark of energy. Finding it with my mind, I focus in stretching it, and wrapping it around myself. All the while ensuring that a portion is attached to a stream of negative energy. Mentally I stabilize it to act as a sink, so that any energy or damage would be drained away keeping me safe. It wasn’t a real shield of magic; if I could do that any negative effects would just bounce off of me. Here I was more, redirecting it. All the while the conversations continued.
“Can’t you do that Beepu?” Iesa asked the gnome.
“Let me think. No. Very certain. No.” Beepu said decisively.
“What? I thought you were a wizard!”
“Not this again…I do not know everything yet, and I certainly have no idea what she is trying to do, and I understand less on how she does what she does to start with. This is sorcery I have never seen before.”
I took a deep breath, and moved forward toward the doorway, striding with purpose. My right hand is at my own neck, clutching my holy symbol as I strode towards the threshold of the door.
“Well come on there has to be a better…. MYRAI!” Iesa had finally noticed me moving towards the door and took a step towards it when I crossed the threshold.
I could feel the energy cascade into my being, in a blaze of pure power. Like I stood in a great beam of light magnified a thousand-fold. The energy poured into me and I could see only a brilliant white light, leaving spots in front of my eyes. The darkness that I had wrapped around me, lapped at the energy, sucking at its power and draining it. But even its thirst wasn’t enough, and I could feel the pain, spread like fire across my skin and soul.
And then…it was gone.
I was across the threshold, and I looked myself over seeing wisps of white smoke waft away from my skin and clothes. The hint of burned cloth hung in the air, as I turned to look at the shocked members of the party.
“I guess we forgot the option, ‘Seared by light’” I said, somewhat in shock that I made it across.
“Are you …well, I guess you look…what happened?!” Iesa said.
“I sent the big light somewhere else, so it didn’t hurt me…much. Beepu, is the trigger still there?”
Beepu nodded, “Yes, it is. It will go off again if crossed, so you didn’t disarm it. How powerful was it?”
I shook my head clear a second, “Well, I’m not sure. But without what I did…I don’t think I would have survived. Stay there.”
Without waiting for a response, I walked to the pool and looked at the inscription on the edge. My heart sank a second as looked at the words. Which I was pretty sure was elvish. Then I remembered, Beepu said one of the words was ‘water.’ He must speak elvish.
“Hey Beepu,” I shouted. “I’m not sure I can pronounce this right, but can you translate elvish?”
“Of course…just give it your best shot!” And I saw that the others, including Nestra, were standing in the doorway watching intently.
“Alright, I can do this,” I said to myself, and started at a point on the circle and shouted, “Sagrate aborre o tay eiya e rezo pon aguan absolvican paar enete no mey cofre.”
“That doesn’t make any…of course, you started in the middle of the sentence. Um, basically its ‘To enter, anoint yourself and pray for…forgiveness?'”
“Right,” and I knelt down to the pool and filled the flasks full of water. I then dipped my hand into the water and brushed my fingers across my brow, and then again under the eyes and chin.
“Well…here goes nothing. Please forgive me for…for…any sin I have committed. I’m not trying to desecrate your temple or show impiety. I, just…just want to go home.”
I stood and walked back to the threshold to the chapel. The others saw me approach and started backing up.
“Wait…shouldn’t you do another spell?” Daneath said.
“I am going with some faith here,” I said.
“Yeah, great. I still might have some doubts—”
And I crossed into the room. No light erupted. There was no pain. Nothing. And for a moment, no one said anything.
“Are you a believer now?” I asked with small smile.
“I could be…convinced yes.” Daneath said with a much wider one.
“Well…everyone kneels. I’ll anoint you and you can pray for forgiveness.”
“About what?” Beepu asked.
I spread the water across Beepu’s forehead, cheeks and chin. “Anything you think you need forgiven; just be honest about it. Then we will cross the threshold one at a time.”
“That’s it?” asked Iesa.
I repeated the same motions with the water, “That’s it. I didn’t even say it in Elvish.”
“Well that’s good. I don’t have time to learn Elvish,” Daneath said.
Again, spreading the water across his face, “Well it might come in handy I suppose. Someday”
“I can teach you all! It is a simple matter of getting a strong grasp of the five genders specific form and the declensions. Simple really.” Beepu said with excitement.
“Not today,” and I brushed Nestra face with the water. Unlike the others she was trembling…afraid.
“I don’t know what to ask you.” Nestra said looking at me with a pained expression on her face.
“You aren’t asking me for forgiveness. There is nothing I can forgive. Just ask. Just believe. That is all that matters.” I say, smiling at her.
And just to make sure, I anoint myself again with the water, and whisper a prayer for myself and the rest. Then one at a time we passed through the doors.
Beepu went first, with confidence and calm.
Daneath went next assured…but he still held his breath crossing.
Iesa followed, gritting his teeth and his eyes tightly closed.
Finally, I took Nestra’s shaking hand and together we crossed.
While there was no dazzling light, and certainly no pain, there was a feeling of a weight being lifted from our shoulders. Perhaps we truly were absolved of some sins. I don’t know how we could have felt gladder than we did at that moment.
We passed the pool and looked down the hall, and we could see the final remains of the sun as it rose in the distance, putting the tunnel back into shadow.
The Hate Night was over.
But the ordeal was far from done.
Session notes:
A year later after this event occurred, I realized that I (and not the DM) screwed up. You see in the campaign I had cast False Life to get by the field. That was fine. Except I cast it on Daneath, and he walked through the field.
False Life is a self only spell, so really only I could walk through the field. So, I did change the story a bit to hem back to the rule, because that type of mistake bugs me. But I would have done it for them all the same.
And it wasn’t the only time; we’ll get to abuse of another spell I did later, because I didn’t read it properly. And disengagement movement was another one we kept getting wrong as well.
So, I wish there was a good elvish primer somewhere, or that I had the time to write my own parser for this. But I don’t know one (or least one I like), and I don’t have time. I just hacked Portuguese to be elvish…because I wanted to.
The original phrase was close to “Para entrar na minha abóbada assustada, irritar-se com as minhas águas, e orar por absolvição.” And since it was machine translated…well I’ll let you go figure it out.
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