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Session Stories - Moments in Roleplaying (updated 6/15/2023)
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<blockquote data-quote="Nthal" data-source="post: 8359909" data-attributes="member: 6971069"><p style="text-align: center"><strong>Story XI - Cracked mirrors - 7/31/2021</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center">(note: if you haven't played through Tomb of Annihaltion, there are some spoilers here.)</p><p></p><p>“You all look stronger! what happened?" the booming voice of the armored Toddy said, echoing in the manor house. "The southerner still looks like a coward however."</p><p></p><p>“He is,” Yaka said quickly agreeing, the floating skull nodded and bobbed in midair.</p><p></p><p>“Gold!” beamed the knight pointing at Yaka without a hint of surprise. He then turned to stare at Shalai quizzically. The monk returned the stare and waited for Toddy’s next thunderous statement.</p><p></p><p>"Why do i have a feeling that you are different now?” Toddy boomed the question never taking his eyes off of Shalai.</p><p></p><p>“Ah gee, must be how long you've been in that statue. Those eyes of yours ain't working right anymore, eh?” Hawthorne said dismissively.</p><p></p><p>“No, no I smell…”Toddy paused and then lifted his visor up a finger width, and bent down to smell Shalai. “…Goat.” Shalai shuddered at the memory of the curse that had afflicted him, but his reaction escaped Toddy’s notice.</p><p></p><p>"Ah nah, that'd be the beastmen we fought back in the tomb, right Shalai? Nicked 'em good we did!" Hawthorn deflected.</p><p></p><p>Toddy appeared unconvinced and only gave a low “Hmmmmmm…”</p><p></p><p>“I- uh- yeah! We really... nicked em.” Shalai said eagerly, flinching at the thought of relieving his recent transformation.</p><p></p><p>"Good!” said Toddy approving and closing his visor again. “What did they look like?”</p><p></p><p>“They looked like a... goat man.” Shalai said shuddering. “Horns, hooves...and those weird eyes…”</p><p></p><p>Toddy nodded sagely, his helm squeaking as metal rubbed metal around the gorget. "Yes, they are horrifying. I once had a subordinate lay with a similar creature to save the company; a triple breasted beast woman."</p><p></p><p>Hawthorne almost interjected, but he stopped himself, looked at Yaka and then counted it out on his fingers and mumbled quietly to himself.</p><p></p><p>"I don't remember what it was called,” Toddy boasted with a chuckle. “It had wings and talons with a body of a woman.”</p><p></p><p>"A harpy?" Hawthorn said with a note of distaste.</p><p></p><p>After a moment Toddy responded. "No that sounds like something you get at a brothel."</p><p></p><p>From behind Toddy, Arnara placed a hand on the large man and said, "I am glad that you got to walk away from the tomb. It...was important to me that we didn't leave you behind. And excuse me...I need to bring tea upstairs to...myself and I...uh we need to make some decisions." Arnara then left the room and heads upstairs with a tray of tea and two cups floating behind her.</p><p></p><p>"Ah! Thank you for your concern,” said the man. “I would’ve escaped there eventually, I’m sure.” He said confidently.</p><p></p><p>"That I was sure of,” Hawthorn said, while Yaka shook her head in disagreement. “Half-expected ya to launch yourself at Acererak outta gods know where during our fight. Always seemed like that kinda cutter to me.”</p><p></p><p>“Acererak the lich?” Said Toddy.</p><p></p><p>“Aye.”</p><p></p><p>“If <strong><em>I</em></strong> were there his head wouldn’t be on his shoulder!” Toddy boasted with a laugh, to which the others laughed along.</p><p></p><p>Rafelor and Aegis however ignored the ribald and tasteless conversation between the others, and both watched Arnara walk quietly upstairs, her head bowed in thought as the tea followed her.</p><p></p><p>“That can’t be easy,” Aegis said looking at Rafelor. “I don’t even know what to say to her…or to…her. Does she even have her own name?”</p><p></p><p>Rafelor shook his head. “I don’t know. And I don’t know what to say to either of them either. I’m not sure they do.” Rafelor turned to look at the tiefling. “But knowing Arnara, she’ll have something planned.”</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Arnara moved quietly upstairs and proceeded down the luxurious hall, with the tray following silently behind her. She came to a door, with Morrigan perched on the bust of some human male next to it, standing guard. Arnara opened it and slipped inside, the tray following dutifully behind her.</p><p></p><p>The room was a well-appointed bedroom, with polished wood panels, and green curtains made of a gauze like material. The wide wooden bed had four mahogany posts and its bedding shared the same color of green. There lying on pillows, reclined a woman who took in the air in labored breathes. She was at least a foot and a half shorter than Arnara, and the skin on her arms and neck were tight showing the bones on an underfed frame. Her right wrist curled up unnaturally against the forearm, and her left arm was shorter than the right. Her hips were cocked in a manner, suggesting that standing and walking straight would be with great difficulty, as one leg was shorter than the other, and her left foot curled under itself. But as much as her body was broken, her face shared the same winsome features as the elf bringing the tea. Where Arnara was refined, this elf was disheveled; her silver hair was in a shaggy bob, her nails cracked, her skin a mess of scabs and cuts. But they otherwise shared the same blue eyes and fine delicate features. And in those eyes held the promise of great intelligence, and yet were haunted by memories of pain and suffering.</p><p></p><p>The reclining figure struggled to sit up. After some effort she braced their twisted back up on the padded head board and looked at Arnara patiently.</p><p></p><p>“I brought you…us…our favorite tea,” Arnara said awkwardly. “But I suppose you know that already.”</p><p></p><p>Arnara’s twisted double nodded quietly and reached out with her left hand. Arnara made a motion and the teapot tilted and poured out the tea, its spicy note filling the room. A cup then floated to the broken elf’s hand, as Arnara sat down on the edge taking the second cup in hand.</p><p></p><p>“I do…and I know how awkward you…we feel. And yes, I still hurt a lot, but I am feeling better.” The double said softly, looking at Arnara with concern.</p><p></p><p>Arnara looked down, struggling for the words. “This is so strange; you know everything I know and yet I know nothing of your thoughts. And you know all my concerns and worries about you…us. My uncertainly. My doubts. I remember telling Rafelor that I dreamed only once, and I didn’t like it then. This is worse. a waking nightmare to me…us. A cruel joke by the Sewn Sisters…if I had thought about it more I—”</p><p></p><p>“—Would have killed the last one for what that twisted coven had done.” Arnara’s double said. “But we know that the moment is past. It’s too late for many things.”</p><p></p><p>The pair looked at each other; the broken one feeling the pain of Arnara, along with pain left over from the tortures she had faced. Tortures that Arnara couldn’t imagine fully, and her grasp of the horror was far off from the reality of her broken twin. It was in fact, far worse than Arnara suspected. But perhaps nothing was worse than the two of them coming to terms with the new reality they faced.</p><p></p><p>“I knew that hags had strange magic. Horrible magic…but…this is so wrong. And I don’t even know how to fix this. If it <em>can</em> be fixed.”</p><p></p><p>“I was in that cage for…days?” Arnara’s double started. “Weeks? I don’t know now. I wished for death then. Quick, slow it didn’t matter. An end of any kind.” The double said quietly. “And every step you made, every wound you suffered, every doubt you had, made me wonder about the nightmare I was in. And yet…your moments of care, and compassion with all of them gave me…such…hope,” and the tears poured down her cheeks. “I prayed to Selune, to Corelleon, to all the Seldarine. Every step you came closer, every puzzle you all solved, every challenge you faced was almost more torture than the pain the hags inflicted. I dared to dream you would…succeed. That we could even meet at all. “</p><p></p><p>She stopped a moment as she choked on the lump in her throat. “And then to watch you, charge at the…lich itself. Throwing your spells and sword at him. I was never more afraid then as the hope welled up inside me, fearing you…all of you would falter. And never was I prouder of you…us for succeeding. That not just you, but your companions as well succeed in saving a world and each other. The elation you felt, when you saved Toddy from his stone prison. Nothing could have brought me more joy. Joy I can only use words to tell you, while I feel the pain of what you see when you look at me.”</p><p></p><p>Arnara now cried as she listened to herself. She moved the cup to the invisible servant leaving the tea to hang there in the air. She then leaned down to hug herself, letting the tears flow freely. Talking into the shoulder of her damage self she said. “I’ll take you back to the forest. I’ll talk to the elders. I’ll go to Candlekeep, Mulhorand, even Thay if I must. Anywhere to find a way to make this…right, better, something, <strong><em>anything</em></strong>.”</p><p></p><p>The twin, patted Arnara on the back nodding. “I know. I know you will. But…I know you know that you should enjoy the victory. I’ll be fine resting here…I can feel the joy no matter how far away you are. Then we go home, and then…well…we’ll find an answer. I can look in the libraries and scrolls, while you roam and seek out what you can. But that’s tomorrow. Celebrate today…please. For me?”</p><p></p><p>Arnara sat up and chuckled. “Wouldn’t that be self-serving?” The other Arnara laughed and shrugged. “I guess so…but I won’t tell you if you don’t want to hear that.”</p><p></p><p>Both women laughed and both dried their tears. Arnara stood up and opened the door.</p><p></p><p>“There’s a bell there on the table…ring it if you need…me. After all I’m good at guessing, but I’m not a mind reader like you.”</p><p></p><p>“I work with what I have,” the double said smiling. “Go.”</p><p></p><p>Arnara nodded, and left closing the door behind her. All the while the mishappen double shook her head.</p><p></p><p>“Am I really that serious all the time?”</p><p></p><p><strong>Session notes:</strong></p><p>So...the clone is a throwaway bit in the lair of the Sewn Sisters; the DM is to pick a player and there you have a clone to spy on the party. But as it turned out, the DM chose Arnara, the party leader (which makes the most sense if you want to spy on a group), but the module doesn't even touch on the implications. So the whole setup is the DM's fault <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /></p><p></p><p>What happens next is a collaboration between myself and other player on what happen to the clone, while Arnara is questing looking for a cure.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nthal, post: 8359909, member: 6971069"] [CENTER][B]Story XI - Cracked mirrors - 7/31/2021[/B] (note: if you haven't played through Tomb of Annihaltion, there are some spoilers here.)[/CENTER] “You all look stronger! what happened?" the booming voice of the armored Toddy said, echoing in the manor house. "The southerner still looks like a coward however." “He is,” Yaka said quickly agreeing, the floating skull nodded and bobbed in midair. “Gold!” beamed the knight pointing at Yaka without a hint of surprise. He then turned to stare at Shalai quizzically. The monk returned the stare and waited for Toddy’s next thunderous statement. "Why do i have a feeling that you are different now?” Toddy boomed the question never taking his eyes off of Shalai. “Ah gee, must be how long you've been in that statue. Those eyes of yours ain't working right anymore, eh?” Hawthorne said dismissively. “No, no I smell…”Toddy paused and then lifted his visor up a finger width, and bent down to smell Shalai. “…Goat.” Shalai shuddered at the memory of the curse that had afflicted him, but his reaction escaped Toddy’s notice. "Ah nah, that'd be the beastmen we fought back in the tomb, right Shalai? Nicked 'em good we did!" Hawthorn deflected. Toddy appeared unconvinced and only gave a low “Hmmmmmm…” “I- uh- yeah! We really... nicked em.” Shalai said eagerly, flinching at the thought of relieving his recent transformation. "Good!” said Toddy approving and closing his visor again. “What did they look like?” “They looked like a... goat man.” Shalai said shuddering. “Horns, hooves...and those weird eyes…” Toddy nodded sagely, his helm squeaking as metal rubbed metal around the gorget. "Yes, they are horrifying. I once had a subordinate lay with a similar creature to save the company; a triple breasted beast woman." Hawthorne almost interjected, but he stopped himself, looked at Yaka and then counted it out on his fingers and mumbled quietly to himself. "I don't remember what it was called,” Toddy boasted with a chuckle. “It had wings and talons with a body of a woman.” "A harpy?" Hawthorn said with a note of distaste. After a moment Toddy responded. "No that sounds like something you get at a brothel." From behind Toddy, Arnara placed a hand on the large man and said, "I am glad that you got to walk away from the tomb. It...was important to me that we didn't leave you behind. And excuse me...I need to bring tea upstairs to...myself and I...uh we need to make some decisions." Arnara then left the room and heads upstairs with a tray of tea and two cups floating behind her. "Ah! Thank you for your concern,” said the man. “I would’ve escaped there eventually, I’m sure.” He said confidently. "That I was sure of,” Hawthorn said, while Yaka shook her head in disagreement. “Half-expected ya to launch yourself at Acererak outta gods know where during our fight. Always seemed like that kinda cutter to me.” “Acererak the lich?” Said Toddy. “Aye.” “If [B][I]I[/I][/B] were there his head wouldn’t be on his shoulder!” Toddy boasted with a laugh, to which the others laughed along. Rafelor and Aegis however ignored the ribald and tasteless conversation between the others, and both watched Arnara walk quietly upstairs, her head bowed in thought as the tea followed her. “That can’t be easy,” Aegis said looking at Rafelor. “I don’t even know what to say to her…or to…her. Does she even have her own name?” Rafelor shook his head. “I don’t know. And I don’t know what to say to either of them either. I’m not sure they do.” Rafelor turned to look at the tiefling. “But knowing Arnara, she’ll have something planned.” Arnara moved quietly upstairs and proceeded down the luxurious hall, with the tray following silently behind her. She came to a door, with Morrigan perched on the bust of some human male next to it, standing guard. Arnara opened it and slipped inside, the tray following dutifully behind her. The room was a well-appointed bedroom, with polished wood panels, and green curtains made of a gauze like material. The wide wooden bed had four mahogany posts and its bedding shared the same color of green. There lying on pillows, reclined a woman who took in the air in labored breathes. She was at least a foot and a half shorter than Arnara, and the skin on her arms and neck were tight showing the bones on an underfed frame. Her right wrist curled up unnaturally against the forearm, and her left arm was shorter than the right. Her hips were cocked in a manner, suggesting that standing and walking straight would be with great difficulty, as one leg was shorter than the other, and her left foot curled under itself. But as much as her body was broken, her face shared the same winsome features as the elf bringing the tea. Where Arnara was refined, this elf was disheveled; her silver hair was in a shaggy bob, her nails cracked, her skin a mess of scabs and cuts. But they otherwise shared the same blue eyes and fine delicate features. And in those eyes held the promise of great intelligence, and yet were haunted by memories of pain and suffering. The reclining figure struggled to sit up. After some effort she braced their twisted back up on the padded head board and looked at Arnara patiently. “I brought you…us…our favorite tea,” Arnara said awkwardly. “But I suppose you know that already.” Arnara’s twisted double nodded quietly and reached out with her left hand. Arnara made a motion and the teapot tilted and poured out the tea, its spicy note filling the room. A cup then floated to the broken elf’s hand, as Arnara sat down on the edge taking the second cup in hand. “I do…and I know how awkward you…we feel. And yes, I still hurt a lot, but I am feeling better.” The double said softly, looking at Arnara with concern. Arnara looked down, struggling for the words. “This is so strange; you know everything I know and yet I know nothing of your thoughts. And you know all my concerns and worries about you…us. My uncertainly. My doubts. I remember telling Rafelor that I dreamed only once, and I didn’t like it then. This is worse. a waking nightmare to me…us. A cruel joke by the Sewn Sisters…if I had thought about it more I—” “—Would have killed the last one for what that twisted coven had done.” Arnara’s double said. “But we know that the moment is past. It’s too late for many things.” The pair looked at each other; the broken one feeling the pain of Arnara, along with pain left over from the tortures she had faced. Tortures that Arnara couldn’t imagine fully, and her grasp of the horror was far off from the reality of her broken twin. It was in fact, far worse than Arnara suspected. But perhaps nothing was worse than the two of them coming to terms with the new reality they faced. “I knew that hags had strange magic. Horrible magic…but…this is so wrong. And I don’t even know how to fix this. If it [I]can[/I] be fixed.” “I was in that cage for…days?” Arnara’s double started. “Weeks? I don’t know now. I wished for death then. Quick, slow it didn’t matter. An end of any kind.” The double said quietly. “And every step you made, every wound you suffered, every doubt you had, made me wonder about the nightmare I was in. And yet…your moments of care, and compassion with all of them gave me…such…hope,” and the tears poured down her cheeks. “I prayed to Selune, to Corelleon, to all the Seldarine. Every step you came closer, every puzzle you all solved, every challenge you faced was almost more torture than the pain the hags inflicted. I dared to dream you would…succeed. That we could even meet at all. “ She stopped a moment as she choked on the lump in her throat. “And then to watch you, charge at the…lich itself. Throwing your spells and sword at him. I was never more afraid then as the hope welled up inside me, fearing you…all of you would falter. And never was I prouder of you…us for succeeding. That not just you, but your companions as well succeed in saving a world and each other. The elation you felt, when you saved Toddy from his stone prison. Nothing could have brought me more joy. Joy I can only use words to tell you, while I feel the pain of what you see when you look at me.” Arnara now cried as she listened to herself. She moved the cup to the invisible servant leaving the tea to hang there in the air. She then leaned down to hug herself, letting the tears flow freely. Talking into the shoulder of her damage self she said. “I’ll take you back to the forest. I’ll talk to the elders. I’ll go to Candlekeep, Mulhorand, even Thay if I must. Anywhere to find a way to make this…right, better, something, [B][I]anything[/I][/B].” The twin, patted Arnara on the back nodding. “I know. I know you will. But…I know you know that you should enjoy the victory. I’ll be fine resting here…I can feel the joy no matter how far away you are. Then we go home, and then…well…we’ll find an answer. I can look in the libraries and scrolls, while you roam and seek out what you can. But that’s tomorrow. Celebrate today…please. For me?” Arnara sat up and chuckled. “Wouldn’t that be self-serving?” The other Arnara laughed and shrugged. “I guess so…but I won’t tell you if you don’t want to hear that.” Both women laughed and both dried their tears. Arnara stood up and opened the door. “There’s a bell there on the table…ring it if you need…me. After all I’m good at guessing, but I’m not a mind reader like you.” “I work with what I have,” the double said smiling. “Go.” Arnara nodded, and left closing the door behind her. All the while the mishappen double shook her head. “Am I really that serious all the time?” [B]Session notes:[/B] So...the clone is a throwaway bit in the lair of the Sewn Sisters; the DM is to pick a player and there you have a clone to spy on the party. But as it turned out, the DM chose Arnara, the party leader (which makes the most sense if you want to spy on a group), but the module doesn't even touch on the implications. So the whole setup is the DM's fault ;) What happens next is a collaboration between myself and other player on what happen to the clone, while Arnara is questing looking for a cure. [/QUOTE]
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