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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nthal" data-source="post: 8087777" data-attributes="member: 6971069">A Mind’s Grip Tossed Asunder - 9/14/2020 I might be considered a bit of a control freak.  I am in control.  I must be in control.  I feel at my worst when I am not, whether a pack of monsters are charging at us, or because I was strung up for the night with a fiend or hipped across the multiverse. But those examples are physical manifestations.  Mental ones are even scarier. Crawling up out of the ruined hut it was nice to feel the warm of the sun in my face.  I never really thought of the ‘north’ as cold, but there was a distinct difference on how the rising sun felt here.  I stepped off the ladder and breathed deeply; the smell of the salt air was fresh and clean.  I chuckled; this might be the last respite I would have for a while.  I was a wanted…no hunted woman.  And damned if I would get caught.  Not to the pirates, and certainly not to Philandre.  The idea of being kept as a brothel slave to that woman was sickening.  I would kill them first or force them to kill me. But now we had to survive, and find this casino run by drow.  I looked around, as Iesa climbed up and Mo quickly bounded off, looking for a rooftop.--Morning!  You DO tell terrible stories.  Enlightening but terrible.It wasn’t for you.  Anyone been nearby?--No.  Last night they streamed towards the cave we came in by.  But I did notice that some came back with wounds.  Looks like they might picked a fight.  But that was early last night, nothing since.    That’s good.--I wouldn’t count on that.  A lot of blame was tossed your direction as they came back to town.I winced.  “Iesa, we’re going to need something to cover ourselves with.”“I know.  Stay here,” and Iesa stayed low to the ground and moved into the alleyway and darted out of sight.  I then helped Beepu and the Daneath up out up off the ladder.“Been talking to Foggle,” the gnome said as I pulled up Daneath.  “Looks like there were three ships in harbor last night, but only one this morning.  I bet they pulled out with the morning tide.” “That might help, less pirate looking for us,” Daneath said straightening out.“I hope so,” I said looking around for Iesa.  “Being the object of the pirates’ affection is more than I can stand.  The less pirates, the better.”We stayed next to another empty ruin and waited, and soon Iesa reappeared.  In his arms were a pair of sea coats.“Well…that’ll work.  Very piratey,” Daneath said as he took one and Iesa donned the other one.  “Yep, Myrai wearing yours should be fine, especially if he hunches like an old woman.”“I guess,” I said scrunching my face on how my back would feel.  “What did you get Beepu?”Beepu looked at Iesa expectantly.“Seriously, there are no small folk here.  I haven’t even seen a child!” Iesa exclaimed as he raised his hand.  “But…you are short enough to hide in Daneath’s cloak, as Myr bends over.“You must be joking,” Beepu said his eyes narrowing.“I don’t smell do I?” I said suddenly concerned about my hygiene.“What?  No!  That is not the problem.  The idea is ludicrous.  How will that even work?”Iesa knelt over to the gnome and looked him in the eye.  “Look, no one looks an old woman shuffling.  We’ll go slow so not to arouse suspicion.  But what I need to do is get out there and talk to the locals.   So, head inland, and stay next to Daneath.  I’ll find you.”“Iesa…be careful,” I said.“I will…go!” he replied, and he crept back into the alleyway.“I hope he knows what he is doing,” Beepu muttered.“Same here.  Hate to lose a brother now.” Dan said with a worried expression.  “Look, I’ll follow behind you, that way I don’t accidently lose you.”  I nodded, and crouched over Beepu with the cloak, and we made our way into the shanties.It was slow going, and as I expected my back was killing me.  Looking around I found a stick and basket.  I gave my rod to Beepu and used the stick to lean on and put the basket on an arm. With my shield on my back I looked like a crouched robed woman.  I just hoped it would do.And it seemed to so just that.  Iesa appeared to be right; an old woman was uninteresting, and no one tried to speak to me.  But I with copper wire around my finger, could talk to Daneath easily:“Heading to the left now,”“I see you. I’m crossing to the otherside.  No one is looking at you.”“Ok, I’m shuffling forward, any sign of Iesa?”“Not yet.  Go into the alley to your left, a pair of pirates are near you.”And so on.It worked fairly well.  We followed the alleys to the main road, and then turned inland, moving as far away from the quays and the brothel.  The homes were slightly nicer, in the sense there was less sewage our front and they had real foundations.  Finally, we came to a fork in the road, and there wasn’t a clear direction to go.  I moved over to an alley and waited, while Daneath waited across from me.After what felt to be an eternity, Iesa appeared behind me, scaring me.“Iesa!” I hissed between my teeth.  “Don’t DO that!”“Sorry, can you get Daneath over here?” he said.Looking across the way, I saw the warrior approaching, and I said “No need.  What did you find?”“Well, a couple of things.  First you are very popular.  Three thousand crowns popular, paid in jewels by the madam herself.”“How nice…wait a minute.  In jewels?” Beepu said from under the cloak I wore.  “They are paying for your bounty with MY bounty!  Those conniving pirates!”  and he spat on the ground.“Second, the search did reach the cave, and the drow shot them.  They seem to think the drow are protecting us,” he continued.“Why would they?” Daneath asked confused.  “Didn’t we kill some of them earlier?”“I’m guessing they didn’t ask, and the drow just let loose.  They made up a story and went back to drinking.  Apparently, the bounty isn’t enough to beat up the drow over.”“Maybe, or they are plain scared of them,” I wondered aloud.“Whatever the case, the Casino is uphill to on the left fork of the road.  Enters a lava tunnel of some sort.” Iesa finished.“Well to the left, I guess.  Follow me and I’ll slowly hobble my way to safety,” I said in a mock-heroic tone.We departed the alley, with Beepu and I sticking close, Iesa on the other side of the street, and Daneath somewhere behind me.  I slowly tapped and leaned on my stick.  It felt like slow progress as I slowly shuffled forward.  It took a while, and the houses became slightly nicer.  I slowly made my way to the top of hill and crested onto a plateau.  There were the remains of a house that was perched on the slide of a bluff overlooking the bay.Or half of it was, as it was clear that only half of it remained on the bluff and I guessed the other half was at the bottom.  Frowning I looked around, and I saw that there were no passages into the hillside, just a couple of houses here at the top.--Uh Myr.  You have some pirate coming up and they are heading right for…Iesa?I slowly turned, and indeed I saw eight men, seven with drawn cutlasses making their way to Iesa.  A fifth man who looked like a painfully tall and thin scarecrow of man followed, calmly strumming a lyre, like nothing was amiss.“Iesa?” I asked, twisting the copper around quickly on my finger.  “Did you happen to get this all from the man with the lute?”“That’s a lyre Myr and oh…crap,”I grimaced.  “Beepu, Try not to rip my shirt alright?” I said whispering below me, dropping the stick and grabbing the rod.“Why?  No.  What did he do?” Beepu asked groaning.“He led some pirates right to us,”“I am ready then…foolish son of a—”The man with the lyra called out aloud.  “--Thanks for the tip friend.  You led us right to them.”“I don’t believe I sold them out, much as you sold me a bill of goods.  I even tipped you for the song!”  Iesa spat fingering his rapier hilt.  Daneath had turned and had already drawn his sword.“I think your lady friend wants to come with me, and not put up a fight.  I think we will be dear friend from here on out.” He said as he casually plucked on his instrument.I stared at him like he was mad.  I straightened up and got my rod ready.   But it was strange…the man’s words echoed in my head.“…wants to come with me…”      “…not put up a fight…”           “…come with me…”                “…Not…fight...”“Beepu…we probably shouldn’t fight them.  I’ll just go with that man and take care of…things,” I said slowly.  My mind was disconnected in a fog.  But it was important I follow that man…“What?  Myr?” Beepu said in alarm.  He turned around underneath me and jumped to slap me solidly on the cheek.I stood up suddenly in confusion, “What was that for?” I said as I looked at the gnome in anger.At the sound of the slap, Iesa was in motion, quickly drawing his rapier, and thrusting it into the man closest to him.  The pirate groaned, dropping his cutlass, and then collapsed on the ground in a pool of blood.  Iesa then spun away from two men slashing at him with their heavier blades, none finding their mark.I started to run over to the man with the lyre shouting “I’m coming!”  As I approached, of the pirates moved over to me and each gently took an arm.  That was nice…nice that they would take me to the man that was walking down the street, playing that lute…er lyre…whatever.   The men who had my arms were filthy and unwashed, but they were a help.  One of them saying, “That’s right dearie.  Fost wants you to follow him…we’ll keep you safe, so you don’t have to fight.” with a nasty smile missing more than a few teeth.“Myr?!?  What the hell are you doing?” I heard Daneath behind me say.  The men pulled me gently along, as the nice man…Fost?...yes Fost, trotted down the hill.“We need to catch up with Fost,” I said feeling this was urgent that I should follow him.  I didn’t turn to look, but from behind I heard the whistling of a blade and a yelp of pain, followed by the sound of Beepu throwing fire at another pirate.   I wanted to help, but I…I…I was tired of fighting.  I shouldn’t fight.  I should follow Fost…but he keeps moving away.Fost continued to play his lyre calmly and spoke, “You know the plan, she’s a wanted woman.  We should manacle her, so people think we caught her and keep her safe.”As I was being jostled and following the man, they quickly clamped a set of manacles on my wrists.“Hey, just let me get to Foss, I’m not going to fight you…this isn’t needed!” I said in alarm…but I had to get to Fost.  I shook my head.  I wanted to resist…but I didn’t want to fight.  “We can work it out I’m sure, but I don’t want to fight you!”From behind me I heard more shouting, of my name.  But it wasn’t important.  Getting to Foss was important.  I heard more steel on steel, and steel slashing flesh.The four men led me into a muddy alley, with Foss at the far end.  Various wooded boxes and crates were stacked haphazardly along the walls here and there.   Behind me I still heard fighting and I was glad that it wasn’t near me, and I didn’t have to fight.  That’s good.  Almost to Fost now.Fost smiled at me wickedly and with a sneer, “Philandre said to give you a work over before we dropped you off—”I was puzzled for a moment as two of the men pushed me against the wall and pinned my manacled arms above my head.  Then a basket hilt smashed into my cheek almost knocking me down, followed by two two pommels to my ribs, cracking at least one, and a third to my gut. knocking the wind from me.  The fog was fading fast.  What was I doing?I felt ill, as they punched me again.  I felt another rib crack and I was coughing up blood. Another blow to my face and another to my gut, and I lost control of my legs and collapsed gasping for air into the mud of the alleyway.  I tried to pull my hands from the manacles in vain, desperately.  The man, Foss stepped close to me with an evil grin, taking his place with the other four men that surrounded me.“—And to take our bounty out of your hide.  One at a time boys.”I was scared.  I never had been threatened like that.  Not any spiv.  Not any fiend.   I lay there in pain as they grabbed at Daneath’s cloak ripping it away trying to get to my clothes and armor.  I grit my teeth together in anger.  I searched inside myself for the largest white strand I could find.  I pulled it tight and mentally tethered it away from me.  I looked at Foss and spat at him.“Over your dead body,” I hissed and then I pulled the strand until it snapped.A bolt of lighting streamed from the heavens, striking the point where I once lay in mud.   The detonation of sound obliterated boxes and crates around the point and threw the four of the men lifeless to the ground.   Foss stood there stunned, his hands on his ears, covering the blood that streamed from them.  He staggered a moment in pain and looked at the ground seeing only the empty manacles there.  He then turned around looking for me in desperation.As for me, I was laying on my side on top of a nearby rooftop in pain.  Not from the explosion I caused, but from the cracked ribs and beating I had received.  Focusing I pulled myself up and stood on the roof looking down triumphantly.  My blood was boiling, and I pulled on a dark strand.  Around Foss’ neck a ghostly skeletal hand formed and started to pull his life away. He glared at me and grabbing for his lyre he plucked a couple of strings smiling.  But I could see the expression on his face turn from contempt to fear.  The dark strands siphoned away the magic he used to try to heal himself.   From the distance I could see him shake his head, his hands clasped together in a desperate plea for mercy.My face was contorted in anger, and without a second though I pulled on the dark strand again.  Foss stiffened and fell into a lifeless heap around the impression in the dirt and mud of where I once lay.  I readied myself to pull on another strand if another emerged from the alley, all the while I cursed at my attackers.“May Kelemvor damn your souls, for trying to—"I was about to finish it, when I heard a whistling sound followed by the sound of metal sinking into flesh.  I blinked and looked down, and I was surprised to find that a dagger had lodged itself into my chest.  I gasped at the sudden rush of pain, as blood poured from the open wound.  I grabbed and yanked out the dagger dropping it on the wood where it clattered and skidded off the roof.  But the wound was now gushing blood.From below me, I heard fighting, steel on steel once again.  I wanted to fight.  I wanted to hurt who threw that dagger at me.   But I was so tired, I wanted to rest.  I remember my body relaxing as I fell from the rooftop.  I was so happy to get down, but the ground was coming up awfully—[HR][/HR]I was warm.The warmth spread through my tired limbs, numbing the pain.I took a breath.  On my tongue was the taste of wet air, salt and other minerals. The air was warm too…warmer than it was before.  But it was so soothing.I slowly opened my eyes and my vision started to focus.  My head was tilted backwards, and I felt something under my arms.  The chamber I was in was a natural cavern.  Along the walls were lit oil lanterns, and the light played off the steam that drifted around them.   I lifted my head and found that I was in a bubbling pool of water, perhaps a natural hotspring.I turned my head and looked around.    Behind me I saw the open mouth of a cavern, and more lamps leading off around a corner, and I thought I saw that this passage was one fork of at least two.   But beyond the pool, and what looked to be a towel folded neatly on the floor near the spring, the chamber was empty.I looked myself over.  The dagger wound was already closed and only a bit of redness remained and touching my ribs I could feel only the barest level of soreness. Wait my ribs?Looking down at myself in the water, I swore that my eyes were about to pop out of my head when I shouted aloud:“WHERE IN SODDING BAATOR ARE MY CLOTHES!?”Session Notes:So, in full disclosure; I have no idea what happened this session, because I wasn’t there.So, I know that the pirates were trying to catch me, and the other players said, “they did something to your mind and caught you.”  But the details were vague.  And no one else took notes.Now, I came back to the next session, and yes it opened with Myrai was alone naked in a hot spring.  I admit to having a major problem with this.  In my mind the suggestion of hot tubing in a Pirate’s port is a bad idea in principle.  As you will soon see (foreshadowing) this wasn’t because we were safe either.   It one thing with a spell being cast on Myrai and a saving throw being intentionally failed to keep things going while I wasn’t there.  But making a character vulnerable, just because I missed a session (just like Beepu) I felt wasn’t right.</blockquote>

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