Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
The Thorns of Winter -(updated 8/1/2023)
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Nthal" data-source="post: 8482898" data-attributes="member: 6971069"><p style="text-align: center"><strong>Becoming Rosa - 12/12/2021</strong></p><p></p><p>I didn’t really have time to process what had happened. Rosa’s form had changed, but that was all. Right now, I was far more concerned with the melee deeper in the room. I flexed and pulled on some strands and tried to wrap them around a tree and vegeogre. But I could feel the strands strike something. The sensation was like a whip striking me, as my arms felt on fire as the strands were repulsed. I gritted my teeth, and hoped I wouldn’t regret my next move, as I ran directly towards the melee. My thinking was simple; find a way past the barrier and then use the strands.</p><p></p><p>Bookshelf saw my attempts to throw magic at the problem, and quickly followed me. As we got about half way across the room, they reached out their hand and pointed. The frosty white beam came close to one of the trees, but it was stopped about three paces away. Noting that, he made to continue forward.</p><p></p><p>The Blade and Adrissa were already past that point. Adrissa had discarded her bow, and drew her short swords, and started to slice into a vegeogre, spraying the floor with green-black ichor as she cut deeply into its legs. The Blade shot the same target, the arrow sinking deep into the fungus’ flesh. He then pivoted and loosed another arrow at Tracia. The grin on his face was dashed, when the arrow collided with another invisible barrier, yet the arrow had indeed flew closer to the evil druid than his earlier attempt. Torn on what do next, he continued closed the distance and readied another arrow, ready to assist Adrissa. The vegeogre, twisted and pounded the ground, but Adrissa managed to avoid its wrath. The nearby tree was a little luckier, and thrashed Adrissa with its branches, and drew blood.</p><p></p><p>Doxx stood there with a dumbfounded look on her face, before turning and swinging her staff at the legs of animated tree. The sharp sound of wood colliding echoed through the chamber, and she spun around, and this time there was the sound of wood cracking, as the tree’s ‘knee’ exploded into splinters. The tree staggered, and nearly fell, while the old woman continued her assault, kicking at the gnarled legs, each one causing more of the wood to crack and split. The vegeogre next to it, swung and found its mark, causing Doxx to grunt as the wind was almost knocked out of her. A second moist fist came down hard on the old woman’s back, but she held her ground with a simple grunt.</p><p></p><p>Sage however, ignored all the lesser foes and charged onwards. The massive juggernaut thundered down the length of the room until he stood next to Tracia. He towered over the comparatively small druid and swung down his armblade. However, the druid was quick, and the blade and its green flames struck the hard stone, creating a cloud of dust and pebbles in his wake. He retracted the arm blade and prepared to strike again, unconcerned with Tracia’s simple staff.</p><p></p><p>But Tracia, had other plans. She whispered something in the same language that I heard Rosa use, when she cast a spell. From her open palms, a bright orange light appeared, and stretched into a solid beam of firelight, that bent in a slight curve. She swung at Sage, who quickly I saw throw up a shield to deflect it, but to no avail. The flame found an opening past Sage’s shield and it cut upwards from his abdomen up towards shoulder. The metal plates on Sage glowed a dull crimson and smoke and embers flew from the wood that were underneath the plates. Sage looked down at the druid and said, with stark honesty; “That actually damaged me. I will repay you in kind.”</p><p></p><p>But before either could respond to the other, when Tracia was almost bowled over by Rosa. She took the form of a large black bear and slashed at Tracia, who managed to only get a superficial scrape, as she dodged the jaws seeking her flesh. Rosa roared in frustration, as she attempted to maul Tracia, to no avail.</p><p></p><p>I watched this as I stood next to Adrissa and focused on the strands again. This time I managed to get a pair of loops to surround the Awakened tree and the Vegeogre. I could feel the dark energies lash at them, flaying away their whatever life force that held them together. Meanwhile, just behind me I heard some muttering, and I saw a bead of light, fly over my head.</p><p></p><p>“Oh sodding Baat—” I started as the flames erupted all around us. I but I only felt warmth caress my skin. My flesh wasn’t burned or marked at all, and nor was any of the rest of us. The vegeogres and the trees however were set ablaze. The awakened pine needles and branches were aflame as embers scattered across the room. The vegeogres skin was seared to a crisp, which cracked and flaked off in large chunks, hitting the stone floor in smoking heaps. I then heard a dull voice speak, “Not surprised it didn’t break through the existing barriers.” I turned to look at Bookshelf with confusion, as I had no idea why I wasn’t on fire, or at least in pain.</p><p></p><p>That would have to discussed later, as the sounds of blades slashing and arrows flying came from Adrissa and The Blade respectively. Adrissa continued to cut at the legs of the vegeogre, now seared by the Bookshelf’s blast. She cut and swung and swung again, cursing at her foe, spraying more fluid across the floor. It staggered for a moment, when The Blade shot it with an arrow, which strike echoed in in the chamber with an explosive snap. The Vegeogre well flat on its front, allowing The Blade to rush over and at close range shot a second arrow into its midsection, causing it to quiver for a moment, before collapsing into a lifeless pile of fungus and rot.</p><p></p><p>As it died, the awakened near the pair was flailing wildly, its crown of needles and branches ablaze in a column of fire that scraped the ceiling with fingers of smoke. It stumbled and swatted The Blade, who grunted and rolled with the blow. It then tried to move past him towards Bookshelf, but Adrissa cut at its root like legs, her blade cleaving away more wood from it as it staggered towards the warforged. But it wasn’t able to reach its target, because I moved and blocked its path before it could reach them.</p><p></p><p>The Awakened swung and I felt the heavy wood batter my shield, causing me to stagger a moment. Looking over the top of my barrier I threw a dark strand and created a miasma around it. The dark energy, sapped at its life and even some of the fire for a moment and it halted thrashing side to side. Bookshelf then spread out his fingers, and engulphed the fallen vegeogre and the awakened in flames. This proved to be too much, and the Awakened crashed down upon the stone.</p><p></p><p>Doxx meanwhile, unleshed her fury on the vegeogre. Her staff swung and cracked the thing’s head with a wet sounding thump, before she pulled it away and thrust it back into its midsection with a resounding thud. Using the lodge staff as leverage, she used it as an acrobat might use a trapeze, and swung her body around the staff, and landed two kicks, across what might be described as a flimsy excuse for a head. She then landed on her feet and pulled her staff out from the vegeogre now covered with cracked and seared skin. It stood unmoving for a moment, before it crashed down backwards, deflating in defeat.</p><p></p><p>Tracia swung with her fiery blade of orange, and traded blows with Sage, who swung with his armblade of green flame. Both struck the other, the sound of searing flesh, contrasted to the sound of wood cracking from the heat of flames. Just as Tracia was going to swing again, the black bear sank its teeth into Tracia. She yelped in surprise and swatted at the bear, singing Rosa’s fur. Rosa returned the affection, and slapped at Tracia with an open claw, and bellowed again in pain and frustration as she was unable to land a blow.</p><p></p><p>“Enough of this,” and I ran forward closer to the druid. I pulled on a pair of dark strands and threw it at the woman. The strands took a grip, and I watched her contort in pain as she heaved and wretched. I pushed down into her dark venom and she looked at me with hatred. Her lips curled into a snarl, baring her teeth, but before she spoke, three rays of fire struck her in the chest, piercing her and erupting through to the otherwise. She stood there a moment and blinked in confusion before sinking to her knees and collapsing, the fiery sword in her hand vanishing in dark smoke.</p><p></p><p>My heart’s pumping slowed as I slowly began to catch my breath. But like the others, I turned to look at the bear in our midst, who now changed back into the familiar form of Rosa.</p><p></p><p>“So…you’re a becomer,” Doxx said, not accusingly, but as a quiet statement.</p><p></p><p>Rosa, her head bent down in shame, nodded. “It was the…best thing I came up with to keep myself safe.”</p><p></p><p>“Safe? From what?” Sage asked, confused.</p><p></p><p>Rosa looked at the juggernaut with pain in her eyes, “My name is Rhys, but I haven’t gone by that in a long time. I was accused of stealing some things in Fairhaven, and I ran. It wasn’t true, but no one trusts changelings after all. So headed into the Eldeen, and met…Rosa.:” She looked at us with tears forming in her eyes. “She healed me, and I stayed with her. She trained me in the ways of the Gatekeepers, and I was…happy. But…she kept secrets. I knew she was once a member of the Children of Winter, but…something happened. I knew she had…some type of relationship with Morrigon, and that it didn’t end well.</p><p></p><p>Rosa looked at the wall for a moment, collecting herself before continuing. “Morrigon, Tracia and some others, came to her house, and…there was an argument. I was in my natural form then, but I didn’t want to pry into what was going on. They then left. They embraced and hugged each other as old friends might. But afterwards, Rosa was crying. She was so upset that she didn’t want to talk to me at all. I thought that a good night’s rest would do us all good, and we’d talk in the morning.</p><p></p><p>“But something else happened,” Bookshelf stated quietly.</p><p></p><p>Rosa nodded and choked on the words, “The next morning I found Rosa in the garden…dead. She had a long sharp blade buried in her back. I thought at first that one of them did it. But the blade wasn’t one I saw on them before. When I pulled it out…so I could move her and bury her, it just fell apart in my hand, like it was a bad dream. At that point, I decided to hide.”</p><p></p><p>“But why as…Rosa? She was dead.” Adrissa asked confused.</p><p></p><p>“No one knew that,” Rosa said. “We lived on the edges of town, and I tended to stay out of sight. Most people didn’t know I lived with Rosa at all. So I buried her, and I knew her well enough to…<em>become</em> her,” she stressed looking at Doxx. “But I was still scared; if whomever did kill her, found out she was still alive…I might have been in danger. So I was planning to leave and hide. Until…”</p><p></p><p>“Until what?” I asked</p><p></p><p>“I got a letter. On the outside it was addressed to Rosa, but on the inside…it was addressed to me. The real me, Rhys. And it told me I was still at risk, and come to Karnnath to help—”</p><p></p><p>“—Melisandre!” Doxx spat. “Her hands are on everything! I want to question that woman more than ever.”</p><p></p><p>“I don’t understand how she knew who I was…or how she knew I had <strong><em>become </em></strong>Rosa at all. I had only been her for perhaps a week.” Rhys said confused.</p><p></p><p>“When was this?” The Blade demanded.. “How long ago?”</p><p></p><p>“Perhaps two, three months ago?” Rosa responded.</p><p></p><p>I thought a moment, “I was in Krona Peak about that time. I saw her there at a…inquiry. A couple of days later I met and talked to her on the Lightning Rail about this gold mine with Taryn. She mentioned she sent out letters to a number of folks. But I don’t think she ever left the Mror.”</p><p></p><p>“The Eldeen is very distant from the Mror,” Bookshelf stated. “But if you have the means, it is not impossible to get between the two places.”</p><p></p><p>The others nodded, but I turned in confusion, “How?”</p><p></p><p>“House Orien,” Bookshelf said simply. “They, for a price can teleport one from an enclave to another. I know there is on in Krona Peak. There is likely one in Varna.”</p><p></p><p>Rosa nodded, “I was on the outskirts of Havensglen. It isn’t far from Varna. And yes there is an enclave there.”</p><p></p><p>“So, it is possible she could have been near and knew, Bookshelf continued. “But it isn’t exactly a cheap form of transport.”</p><p></p><p>“She was of House…what was it…Medani,” I said. “Does that help?”</p><p></p><p>“House Medani is a very…closed house. Even to most Khoravar,” Doxx said. “But they do know things. But I want to know <strong><em>how</em></strong> she knows these things. Things are supposed to be secrets.”</p><p></p><p>“I don’t think she means us ill,” I said. “She has an agenda to be sure…but I don’t thi—”</p><p></p><p>“—I don’t like being threatened,” Doxx moved close and looked me in the eye. “And revealing secrets is a threat. I don’t like it, and she will answer for it.”</p><p></p><p>“I don’t think she is the enemy here,” I said backing up from the assertive old woman.</p><p></p><p>“A problem for another time,” Sage said. “I want to look at door and machine.”</p><p></p><p>I set to healing the others, and I noticed that Doxx and Rosa were talking in hushed tones as the rest looked over the corpses, the podium and the door. I didn’t catch all of it but heard enough:</p><p></p><p>“Why didn’t you tell me?” Doxx asked her.</p><p></p><p>“You weren’t keen on revealing yourself you remember?” Rosa replied.</p><p></p><p>“Well…you don’t need to keep secrets from me, and I won’t from you.”</p><p></p><p>I realized then, that changelings, while a scattered people, they likely formed bond between themselves easily. It probably was how they survived in a world that apparently didn’t trust them. I was personally enamored with the idea that you could just easily become…anyone else. But I could see the problem with that; If you did that, who was the real you? I didn’t really have much time to think about it when Sage spoke up.</p><p></p><p>“I found what must be what is left of the key…not much left, and it isn’t dweomerred anymore,” he said. In his hands he held a crystalline rod with a pair of colored gems on each end. The crystal was shattered, and it was incomplete in Sage’s hands, as bits and pieces were likely lost on the stone.</p><p></p><p>“The panel here…it seems only to be a lock,” Bookshelf said. “It doesn’t operate anything. But the runes on it…I am not familiar with.”</p><p></p><p>Doxx frowned, stood, and walked to the podium. Quickly she shrugged her shoulders. “Beats me. Anyone else?”</p><p></p><p>Rosa, The Blade, and Sage took a turn. Even Adrissa did after stating how would she know anything about it, and quickly proved herself correct. So at that point I figured that I might as well look at it.</p><p></p><p>I stepped up to the podium and looked, and my blood ran cold. “I can…can read this.” Just as I said that the room shook, and a droning noise came from behind us from beyond the ancient door. Dust from the ceiling fell, along with pebbles and chunks of larger stones.</p><p></p><p>I looked at the rest, a lump forming in my throat. “It’s in Infernal.”</p><p></p><p><strong>Session Notes:</strong></p><p>For folks who have paid attention, you might have noticed variance from the rules. Rosa d'Jorasco is a Halfling (small) and Changelings cannot change into small humanoids. The DM loosend this, allowing her to play a small changeling that could only shapechange into small humanoids. Of course, wild shape wasn't impacted. </p><p></p><p>This change threw everyone off of the possibility of a second changeling in the party. She was almost revealed much earlier in the combat with the other druid Gwen...but she made that saving through, whereas Doxx did not. In real time this reveal took probably six months.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nthal, post: 8482898, member: 6971069"] [CENTER][B]Becoming Rosa - 12/12/2021[/B][/CENTER] I didn’t really have time to process what had happened. Rosa’s form had changed, but that was all. Right now, I was far more concerned with the melee deeper in the room. I flexed and pulled on some strands and tried to wrap them around a tree and vegeogre. But I could feel the strands strike something. The sensation was like a whip striking me, as my arms felt on fire as the strands were repulsed. I gritted my teeth, and hoped I wouldn’t regret my next move, as I ran directly towards the melee. My thinking was simple; find a way past the barrier and then use the strands. Bookshelf saw my attempts to throw magic at the problem, and quickly followed me. As we got about half way across the room, they reached out their hand and pointed. The frosty white beam came close to one of the trees, but it was stopped about three paces away. Noting that, he made to continue forward. The Blade and Adrissa were already past that point. Adrissa had discarded her bow, and drew her short swords, and started to slice into a vegeogre, spraying the floor with green-black ichor as she cut deeply into its legs. The Blade shot the same target, the arrow sinking deep into the fungus’ flesh. He then pivoted and loosed another arrow at Tracia. The grin on his face was dashed, when the arrow collided with another invisible barrier, yet the arrow had indeed flew closer to the evil druid than his earlier attempt. Torn on what do next, he continued closed the distance and readied another arrow, ready to assist Adrissa. The vegeogre, twisted and pounded the ground, but Adrissa managed to avoid its wrath. The nearby tree was a little luckier, and thrashed Adrissa with its branches, and drew blood. Doxx stood there with a dumbfounded look on her face, before turning and swinging her staff at the legs of animated tree. The sharp sound of wood colliding echoed through the chamber, and she spun around, and this time there was the sound of wood cracking, as the tree’s ‘knee’ exploded into splinters. The tree staggered, and nearly fell, while the old woman continued her assault, kicking at the gnarled legs, each one causing more of the wood to crack and split. The vegeogre next to it, swung and found its mark, causing Doxx to grunt as the wind was almost knocked out of her. A second moist fist came down hard on the old woman’s back, but she held her ground with a simple grunt. Sage however, ignored all the lesser foes and charged onwards. The massive juggernaut thundered down the length of the room until he stood next to Tracia. He towered over the comparatively small druid and swung down his armblade. However, the druid was quick, and the blade and its green flames struck the hard stone, creating a cloud of dust and pebbles in his wake. He retracted the arm blade and prepared to strike again, unconcerned with Tracia’s simple staff. But Tracia, had other plans. She whispered something in the same language that I heard Rosa use, when she cast a spell. From her open palms, a bright orange light appeared, and stretched into a solid beam of firelight, that bent in a slight curve. She swung at Sage, who quickly I saw throw up a shield to deflect it, but to no avail. The flame found an opening past Sage’s shield and it cut upwards from his abdomen up towards shoulder. The metal plates on Sage glowed a dull crimson and smoke and embers flew from the wood that were underneath the plates. Sage looked down at the druid and said, with stark honesty; “That actually damaged me. I will repay you in kind.” But before either could respond to the other, when Tracia was almost bowled over by Rosa. She took the form of a large black bear and slashed at Tracia, who managed to only get a superficial scrape, as she dodged the jaws seeking her flesh. Rosa roared in frustration, as she attempted to maul Tracia, to no avail. I watched this as I stood next to Adrissa and focused on the strands again. This time I managed to get a pair of loops to surround the Awakened tree and the Vegeogre. I could feel the dark energies lash at them, flaying away their whatever life force that held them together. Meanwhile, just behind me I heard some muttering, and I saw a bead of light, fly over my head. “Oh sodding Baat—” I started as the flames erupted all around us. I but I only felt warmth caress my skin. My flesh wasn’t burned or marked at all, and nor was any of the rest of us. The vegeogres and the trees however were set ablaze. The awakened pine needles and branches were aflame as embers scattered across the room. The vegeogres skin was seared to a crisp, which cracked and flaked off in large chunks, hitting the stone floor in smoking heaps. I then heard a dull voice speak, “Not surprised it didn’t break through the existing barriers.” I turned to look at Bookshelf with confusion, as I had no idea why I wasn’t on fire, or at least in pain. That would have to discussed later, as the sounds of blades slashing and arrows flying came from Adrissa and The Blade respectively. Adrissa continued to cut at the legs of the vegeogre, now seared by the Bookshelf’s blast. She cut and swung and swung again, cursing at her foe, spraying more fluid across the floor. It staggered for a moment, when The Blade shot it with an arrow, which strike echoed in in the chamber with an explosive snap. The Vegeogre well flat on its front, allowing The Blade to rush over and at close range shot a second arrow into its midsection, causing it to quiver for a moment, before collapsing into a lifeless pile of fungus and rot. As it died, the awakened near the pair was flailing wildly, its crown of needles and branches ablaze in a column of fire that scraped the ceiling with fingers of smoke. It stumbled and swatted The Blade, who grunted and rolled with the blow. It then tried to move past him towards Bookshelf, but Adrissa cut at its root like legs, her blade cleaving away more wood from it as it staggered towards the warforged. But it wasn’t able to reach its target, because I moved and blocked its path before it could reach them. The Awakened swung and I felt the heavy wood batter my shield, causing me to stagger a moment. Looking over the top of my barrier I threw a dark strand and created a miasma around it. The dark energy, sapped at its life and even some of the fire for a moment and it halted thrashing side to side. Bookshelf then spread out his fingers, and engulphed the fallen vegeogre and the awakened in flames. This proved to be too much, and the Awakened crashed down upon the stone. Doxx meanwhile, unleshed her fury on the vegeogre. Her staff swung and cracked the thing’s head with a wet sounding thump, before she pulled it away and thrust it back into its midsection with a resounding thud. Using the lodge staff as leverage, she used it as an acrobat might use a trapeze, and swung her body around the staff, and landed two kicks, across what might be described as a flimsy excuse for a head. She then landed on her feet and pulled her staff out from the vegeogre now covered with cracked and seared skin. It stood unmoving for a moment, before it crashed down backwards, deflating in defeat. Tracia swung with her fiery blade of orange, and traded blows with Sage, who swung with his armblade of green flame. Both struck the other, the sound of searing flesh, contrasted to the sound of wood cracking from the heat of flames. Just as Tracia was going to swing again, the black bear sank its teeth into Tracia. She yelped in surprise and swatted at the bear, singing Rosa’s fur. Rosa returned the affection, and slapped at Tracia with an open claw, and bellowed again in pain and frustration as she was unable to land a blow. “Enough of this,” and I ran forward closer to the druid. I pulled on a pair of dark strands and threw it at the woman. The strands took a grip, and I watched her contort in pain as she heaved and wretched. I pushed down into her dark venom and she looked at me with hatred. Her lips curled into a snarl, baring her teeth, but before she spoke, three rays of fire struck her in the chest, piercing her and erupting through to the otherwise. She stood there a moment and blinked in confusion before sinking to her knees and collapsing, the fiery sword in her hand vanishing in dark smoke. My heart’s pumping slowed as I slowly began to catch my breath. But like the others, I turned to look at the bear in our midst, who now changed back into the familiar form of Rosa. “So…you’re a becomer,” Doxx said, not accusingly, but as a quiet statement. Rosa, her head bent down in shame, nodded. “It was the…best thing I came up with to keep myself safe.” “Safe? From what?” Sage asked, confused. Rosa looked at the juggernaut with pain in her eyes, “My name is Rhys, but I haven’t gone by that in a long time. I was accused of stealing some things in Fairhaven, and I ran. It wasn’t true, but no one trusts changelings after all. So headed into the Eldeen, and met…Rosa.:” She looked at us with tears forming in her eyes. “She healed me, and I stayed with her. She trained me in the ways of the Gatekeepers, and I was…happy. But…she kept secrets. I knew she was once a member of the Children of Winter, but…something happened. I knew she had…some type of relationship with Morrigon, and that it didn’t end well. Rosa looked at the wall for a moment, collecting herself before continuing. “Morrigon, Tracia and some others, came to her house, and…there was an argument. I was in my natural form then, but I didn’t want to pry into what was going on. They then left. They embraced and hugged each other as old friends might. But afterwards, Rosa was crying. She was so upset that she didn’t want to talk to me at all. I thought that a good night’s rest would do us all good, and we’d talk in the morning. “But something else happened,” Bookshelf stated quietly. Rosa nodded and choked on the words, “The next morning I found Rosa in the garden…dead. She had a long sharp blade buried in her back. I thought at first that one of them did it. But the blade wasn’t one I saw on them before. When I pulled it out…so I could move her and bury her, it just fell apart in my hand, like it was a bad dream. At that point, I decided to hide.” “But why as…Rosa? She was dead.” Adrissa asked confused. “No one knew that,” Rosa said. “We lived on the edges of town, and I tended to stay out of sight. Most people didn’t know I lived with Rosa at all. So I buried her, and I knew her well enough to…[I]become[/I] her,” she stressed looking at Doxx. “But I was still scared; if whomever did kill her, found out she was still alive…I might have been in danger. So I was planning to leave and hide. Until…” “Until what?” I asked “I got a letter. On the outside it was addressed to Rosa, but on the inside…it was addressed to me. The real me, Rhys. And it told me I was still at risk, and come to Karnnath to help—” “—Melisandre!” Doxx spat. “Her hands are on everything! I want to question that woman more than ever.” “I don’t understand how she knew who I was…or how she knew I had [B][I]become [/I][/B]Rosa at all. I had only been her for perhaps a week.” Rhys said confused. “When was this?” The Blade demanded.. “How long ago?” “Perhaps two, three months ago?” Rosa responded. I thought a moment, “I was in Krona Peak about that time. I saw her there at a…inquiry. A couple of days later I met and talked to her on the Lightning Rail about this gold mine with Taryn. She mentioned she sent out letters to a number of folks. But I don’t think she ever left the Mror.” “The Eldeen is very distant from the Mror,” Bookshelf stated. “But if you have the means, it is not impossible to get between the two places.” The others nodded, but I turned in confusion, “How?” “House Orien,” Bookshelf said simply. “They, for a price can teleport one from an enclave to another. I know there is on in Krona Peak. There is likely one in Varna.” Rosa nodded, “I was on the outskirts of Havensglen. It isn’t far from Varna. And yes there is an enclave there.” “So, it is possible she could have been near and knew, Bookshelf continued. “But it isn’t exactly a cheap form of transport.” “She was of House…what was it…Medani,” I said. “Does that help?” “House Medani is a very…closed house. Even to most Khoravar,” Doxx said. “But they do know things. But I want to know [B][I]how[/I][/B] she knows these things. Things are supposed to be secrets.” “I don’t think she means us ill,” I said. “She has an agenda to be sure…but I don’t thi—” “—I don’t like being threatened,” Doxx moved close and looked me in the eye. “And revealing secrets is a threat. I don’t like it, and she will answer for it.” “I don’t think she is the enemy here,” I said backing up from the assertive old woman. “A problem for another time,” Sage said. “I want to look at door and machine.” I set to healing the others, and I noticed that Doxx and Rosa were talking in hushed tones as the rest looked over the corpses, the podium and the door. I didn’t catch all of it but heard enough: “Why didn’t you tell me?” Doxx asked her. “You weren’t keen on revealing yourself you remember?” Rosa replied. “Well…you don’t need to keep secrets from me, and I won’t from you.” I realized then, that changelings, while a scattered people, they likely formed bond between themselves easily. It probably was how they survived in a world that apparently didn’t trust them. I was personally enamored with the idea that you could just easily become…anyone else. But I could see the problem with that; If you did that, who was the real you? I didn’t really have much time to think about it when Sage spoke up. “I found what must be what is left of the key…not much left, and it isn’t dweomerred anymore,” he said. In his hands he held a crystalline rod with a pair of colored gems on each end. The crystal was shattered, and it was incomplete in Sage’s hands, as bits and pieces were likely lost on the stone. “The panel here…it seems only to be a lock,” Bookshelf said. “It doesn’t operate anything. But the runes on it…I am not familiar with.” Doxx frowned, stood, and walked to the podium. Quickly she shrugged her shoulders. “Beats me. Anyone else?” Rosa, The Blade, and Sage took a turn. Even Adrissa did after stating how would she know anything about it, and quickly proved herself correct. So at that point I figured that I might as well look at it. I stepped up to the podium and looked, and my blood ran cold. “I can…can read this.” Just as I said that the room shook, and a droning noise came from behind us from beyond the ancient door. Dust from the ceiling fell, along with pebbles and chunks of larger stones. I looked at the rest, a lump forming in my throat. “It’s in Infernal.” [B]Session Notes:[/B] For folks who have paid attention, you might have noticed variance from the rules. Rosa d'Jorasco is a Halfling (small) and Changelings cannot change into small humanoids. The DM loosend this, allowing her to play a small changeling that could only shapechange into small humanoids. Of course, wild shape wasn't impacted. This change threw everyone off of the possibility of a second changeling in the party. She was almost revealed much earlier in the combat with the other druid Gwen...but she made that saving through, whereas Doxx did not. In real time this reveal took probably six months. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
The Thorns of Winter -(updated 8/1/2023)
Top