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Message: <blockquote data-quote="lykkenthrope" data-source="post: 9787957" data-attributes="member: 7045440">What was Grom Doing Session 19 & 20(Shoutout to my ADHD, the real MVP.  I managed two narrative/lore drop heavy sessions while at the same time having a private discord chat with Grom's player) When the party first approached the Seela village, Grom froze as lance of pain speared through his mind so sharp that even Propriety, “the voice in his head”, cried out. The closer he walked toward the village, the worse the pounding headache became. Since he hadn’t told the others about the voice, and he didn’t feel like this was the best time, he offered to stay back and watch the perimeter for Kayzk (or any other pursuers) who might be tracking them.Grom realized it unsettled him that the voice in his head could feel pain. So, after everyone walked away, he took this opportunity to question it. Propriety more formally introduced herself, explained that she was a Trillith, a designation that meant nothing to Grom beyond sounding both ominous and funny, and that she was trying to stop her family from destroying the world. It was a lot for Grom to take in. He eventually decided Props had been nothing but helpful and he was down with saving the world, so he told propriety to just tell him where he could swing his axe. It was also during this time that Propriety shared she thought it might be the song causing them pain, she could tell it was ancient magic, older than anything she had ever come across.When Reshi joined him they had a causal conversation comparing scars, battles, and joking about strength, and Grom asking many questions about how his scales work as armor. When the party regrouped with them after speaking with Vuhl, Grom took special notice that Crystin admitted to feeling better outside of the village and that her headache had faded as soon as she couldn’t hear the song anymore.When the others returned to the village for the evening, Grom and Crystin stayed behind. That’s when her demeanor suddenly shifted, her voice turning sharp and exacerbated. She spoke to him in a langauge he didn’t know, but did somewhat recognize: It was the same language Propriety sometimes murmured inside his thoughts.Grom could tell Crystin was speaking to him as if he should have understood and when he didn’t respond, a flash of confusion -then concern- crossed her face as she continued to speak to him, almost indignantly, in that same language as if expecting him to drop some sort of act. When he still didn’t say anything back to her, Crystin looked disappointed and seemed to be searching for something in his eyes, but then quickly masked this with a smile and her, normal timid tone returned.As if nothing had just happened, Crystin asked Grom if he could teach her how to get stronger, to fight. The sudden shift unsettled him, and he knew he didn’t understand what was going on, but trusted that if Props didn’t show herself to “other small one” then it would be better to not acknowledge anything, plus teaching someone to hit things was something Grom loved. So he played along, showing her basic stances before getting some rest.The next morning, once they reunited with the group, Grom casually asked Vic and Reshi, the two “booksmart smoke and mirrors” users, about a word Propriety had said a few times when other Crystin had been talking.Vic didn’t recognize it, but Reshi shared that he did know the word and was very surprised that anyone, but especially Grom, would be asking about anything in that language. Reshi explained the word was from the ancient language of the Dragons, a language only taught to Dragonborn leaders and sects that had worshiped the Dragons of old, a dead language. Grom, ever with the comedic timing, was confused about how languages could die…he wasn’t aware that they were alive. But finally, Reshi did translate the word for him, that it meant “sister”.With this knowledge, Grom looked ahead at Crystin as she walked with Torrent toward the path leading to Gwen’s lagoon, quietly resolved to keep a much closer eye on her.(end aside)[SPOILER="DM Note. My Trillith Changes (Big Spoilers)"]I knew from the start that I wanted to expand the role of the Trillith in my campaign. While the war with Leska would remain the main, visible conflict I wanted the party to gradually uncover a second, secret war happening in the background, a “war within a war” if you will. Really putting in place that players don’t just have to save the continent, they have to save reality.I have divided Trillith into 3 broad camps:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Camp 1 (Ascension): These Trillith want to be free of their mother entirely, no longer be dreams, and to create their own domain of existence/reality.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Camp 2 (Protectors/Stewards): These Trillith like mortals and seek to safeguard the mortal realm either by wanting to wake Trilla or at the very least, prevent new, destructive Trillith from being born.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Camp 3 (Apathetic): These ones are neutral, detached, and mostly just vibing.</li> </ul>I’ve also reimagined their nature to feel a bit more Invasion of the Body Snatchers? Instead of simply coexisting within a host’s soul, Trillith possession in my setting often overrides the host’s mind entirely. Only those from Camp 2 tend to choose a more symbiotic bond, allowing the host’s original personality to remain dominant.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Crystin’s Trillith, Prophecy, falls into the neutral Camp 3. The dominate spell kept Prophecy from full exerting control, but once that was removed, Crystin's personality never actually resurfaced they have been speaking to Prophecy.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Grom’s player uses a homebrewed Barbarian subclass tied directly to his Trillith. When he rages and channels her power, it resonates allowing other Trillith to potentially sense Propriety.</li> </ul>[/SPOILER]</blockquote>

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