Perspectives - 1/17/2022
Special thanks to Ryan, Graysire, and Jess (see notes)
Several large columns of thick black smoke wafted high into the air. As we watched, several mounted solders gave chase to vegepygmies fleeing the battle. Loramica’s men were swift and merciless, lancing and trampling down the fleeing creatures, while behind them, a pair of wizards hurled flames at the fallen, keeping them down.
“It looks like we missed what happened here,” Sage said after watching the Karrns continue their slaughter. “They’re just mopping up now.”
“Let us see where the…other soldiers came from,” Doxx said grimacing.
I thought a moment and coiled a light and dark strand around and pulled my familiar out from their hiding space.
Goss I—
--Oh! Really? Now you need me?
Yes I do.
--Well you…wait you do? Alright then.
Go up, keep an eye out around us.
--Got it.
Gossamer took to the air and started to wing upwards. Meanwhile, Adrissa was on her knees looking at the turf. Her head looked up and she squinted and frowned. “They are going straight to Denning, right in between the two gates on this side.” She then waved for us to follow her, and we ran towards the town. I was nervous though. While it seemed that the fires were fading, just I knew that someone likely died in the defense of the town. I honor my duties as they are important for the souls who crossed the veil and for the souls left behind. But that didn’t mean I wanted to perform the rites. But perhaps things weren’t so bad inside Denning. Maybe the Karrns were able to protect them.
I wondered, as Adrissa followed the trail came up to a section of wall that stood between the gates on this side of the river. She stopped, and bent down looking at the soft, muddy earth before looking at us. “Here. They dropped down from the walls here,” she said.
“What?” Bookshelf exclaimed. “They were
in the town?”
“Someone was helping them,” Doxx said grimacing. “The Emerald Claw may be banned by the crown, but they still have many friends.”
“They could see,” I said. “They must have had curative—”
“Or they had the same supplies as Loramica’s men.” Doxx said. “Same Karnnathi training.”
--Hey Myr. The kids inside are organizing adults to put out fires. Quite a number of bodies of the pygmies though.
So the Karrns were busy.
--Looks like they trampled a bunch of them, and a pair of patrols still are still sweeping. The Inn seems to be where the wounded are being tended to.
Keep safe and keep an eye out.
“Well, we better head inside and see what has happened,” Rosa said softly. “And see how we can help.”
“The kids are getting fires put out, the soldiers are clearing streets, a lot of wounded.”
“Do you think you can pick up the trail on the inside?” I asked the girl.
“I can citizen,” The Blade said with bravado. “I have tracked many criminals across cobblestone. Sage; you know what to do.” The Blade stood in front of the wall, looked up and waited. Sage stood there silently looking at the elf blankly, as the rest of us looked at each other. Finally, The Blade turned around, “Look, I don’t have my grapple and rope so if you—”
“—Oh! I see.” Sage said and he stepped next to the elf and kneeled down, while raising his shield flat overhead. The Blade pulled the cowl over his head and swiftly jumped from Sage’s knee to shield and then quickly leapt on top of the wall, his black cloak flaring and trailing behind him. He then ducked out of sight on the other side.
“Should we follow him?” Rosa asked puzzled.
“No, we should let him have his moment to himself on this dark night,” Doxx mused.
I turned and looked at the old woman confused, “The sun hasn’t even set yet.”
“It’s close enough.” Doxx muttered and waved her hand at me dismissively.
“We should get inside…the normal way,” Rosa chided, and we followed along the wall to the gate.
The Blade
The Blade dropped down into the alleyway and looked around, before squatting and examining the cobblestone below. It seemed that the rain had already washed away whatever dirt may have been present. Under the cowl he frowned, and his eyes searched around, looking for anything out of place. He was about to give up when he heard a faint creak of wood nearby. His head turned and saw a door, open just a crack. He froze and watched, and it creaked again as a light breeze blew through the alley. He moved to the door and kicked it open, pointing an arrow inside.
The door was apparently the back entrance to a shop. The lamps on the walls were unlit and the room was cold. The windows in the front were smashed, and glass covered the floor along with several sport spears. But as The Blade spun around all he saw were low shelves with goods, fishing nets, tackle, tents and other supplies useful in the wilderness. He sighed, and was about to depart when he saw something behind the door he entered.
There on the floor were open leather saddlebags in a pile along with discarded cloaks, still damp. He knelt down and looked the pile over. There appeared to be nothing of note about the cloaks, and he began to search the bags cautiously. Inside each he found oil, a whetstone and cloth used to polish armor or blades. As he searched the bags, he noticed that in one of them was what appeared to be embossing in the leather.
“Who tools the inside of a bag?” he muttered aloud. “What kind of amateur criminal does that. What kind of criminal breaks into a shop and leaves their stuff? What kind of…wait.”
He rotated the bag around and looked inside again. With a groan he realized that it wasn’t an emboss, but it was the imprint of something the bag once held. And now he had rotated it, he recognized that the imprint was in the shape of the half-faced helm he had saw on the Emerald Claw soldiers. He nodded with satisfaction, then thought a moment. He brought the bag to his nose and took a whiff. He immediately covered his nose and mouth under his cowl and stifled a sneeze.
“Horses. It smells of horses, but you didn’t ride them to find us. So where are they now?”
Suddenly the wind picked up and blew open the door scattering leaflets around. One smacked The Blade in the face, and he pulled it away with a gloved hand. He stared at it for a moment, and he recognized it as an advertising flyer for the shop. A small frown crept over his face as it reminded him of another flyer in Sharn…
---
The winter breeze drifted down the alley in Sharn, prompting a shiver from the shorter of the two human men. The other was leaning his back against the brick tower wall with an annoyed expression.
"Let me see if I have this straight," he groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "So, you tried to rob a shop, and you got beat up by a guy in a black cloak."
"Yeah."
"And then, three days later… you tried to rob the same shop…"
"Yeah," he interjected with an anxious nod.
"…and got beat up by another—"
"No, the same guy."
"…by the same guy in a black cloak." He shook his head with a sigh as he blindly snatched a flyer from the wall next to him and casually blew his nose in it.
The shorter one patiently waited for all of two seconds before urgently whispering "What do you think it means?"
The taller man dropped the crumpled flyer into a puddle at his feet. He then looked his companion up and down for a moment and began to walk past him out of the alley. Over his shoulder he finally replied, "I think it means you're bad at crime."
The short one stared blankly for a moment before frantically stepping to catch up to his friend. "No, you don't understand. This guy wasn't normal. He—"
"Look, do yourself a favor," he barked as they both round the corner and disappeared from view. "Don't tell anyone else that story."
Remaining behind in the now empty alley, the defiled flyer unfolds slightly as it soaks, making the surface once again visible.
It read:
Trappers’ Trappings
Quality Hunting and Fishing Implements
and Habiliments
Don’t be left in the cold!
Our tents are the most durable in Sharn. All materials are locally crafted so we can pass the savings on to you!
Don’t just guess. Ask the plants!
We offer the most innovative spells to get your through the wilderness with style. Your competitors are all doing it. Shouldn’t you?
Don’t hunt hungry!
At Trapper’s Trappings, there’s only one shelf: the top shelf. Enjoy the finest outdoor rations, packed with all the best nutrients, so you can stay hot on the trail!
Bad credit? No credit? No problem!
Because we only take gold.
Stop in today, or visit one of our sister establishments in Sharn: “Hooked on Tackle” in Precarious, or “Spraying Prey” in Middle Dura. You’ll be glad you did.
Adamas Seinessa ,Proprietor
The flyer drifted away in the breeze, floating upwards until a hand reached out of a darkened shadow of a nook in the wall. In the nook, a cowled figure crumpled the flyer and muttered under his breath, “And add littering to your crimes.”
----
The Blade looked at the flyer and narrowed his eyes at it, “Copycats,” before stuffing it into a pouch. Then he looked out the broken windows and into the afternoon sun, whispering aloud, “I found their hideout easily. I can find where these Emerald Claw folks came from too.”
Myrai
The sun had just started to set and the light was fading. Overhead the clouds roiled and rumbled with thunder, their once dingy grey, now darkened with the threat of rain. Finally, we made the last turn along the wall, and the gate came into view, and we rushed over to see what assistance might be needed.
To my surprise the door was shut and barred as before. But what was new, was a pair of tree trunks that now angled from the muddy earth and led up over the wall. The bark showed signs of scratches and claw marks while next to them, four large piles of burned plant matter, the remains of vegeogres lay unmoving. They were covered in arrows, most of which had burned away with the pitch that was once dipped around them. Several smaller bodies were present as well, and the dirt and loam in front of the gate looked to have been churned recently by horses. We threaded our way around the ashen corpses and Sage banged on the door with his metal fist. Above us I heard a boy’s voice call out, “It’s the heroes! Open the gate.” We heard the bar slide away and then the doors creaked open as the rain began to fall.
The other side and its causeway leading to the town’s center was a mess. Palisades were broken, with wet splintered wood scattered around. Here too were burned vegepygmy corpses of various sizes, as well as their thorny mounts. The blind men that manned the gates turned nervously at every sound, as a pair of children guided them. The children’s faces were dirty with soot, with clean trails where tears streamed down their cheeks. They, like the adults, looked tired, like sleep was a distant memory.
As we entered and they moved to close the gate, the children looked at us for something. Hope perhaps? But as they turned to look at Adrissa, they started to tear up and turned away. I looked at our young charge and saw confusion in her eyes. Then from the battlements above, Jace appeared and ran up to Adrissa.
“Adrissa! I’m…I’m so…so sorry,” he said his eyes tearing up much like the other children.
“Wha…what has happened?” Adrissa asked as uncertainty cross her face.
“The…things came running up with trees and just climbed over,” Jace started. “A whole pack of them! Cyra blew the horn like she was showed, and the soldiers came on their horses. We…we gave more than we got, but…”
Jace’s voice trailed off, as he turned to look at three figures that lay underneath canvas on the cobbles. Two of them were adults, but the third was far smaller. Adrissa didn’t wait for Jace to finish. She ran over to the wet tarps and pulled back the one covering the smallest figure. There on the muddy streaked stone lay the young girl who embraced Adrissa on the way out of town. Her face was smooth and clean as the rain pelted her still cheeks. In her chest were a pair of short arrows, each one fatal in that petite frame.
Adrissa discarded her bow and sank down next to her friend. Her face was expressionless as she stared Cyra’s peaceful face. She was quiet for a moment before and without turning she asked quietly, “I thought…I though we built cover for them,”
“We did,” Jace said near tears. “But when she started to blow the horn, two of the dog things charged at her and she ran scared. Then she fell…with an arrow stuck in her. Then another. If she just ducked and hid…she…she.”
Adrissa nodded and turned to me. Her eyes looked older, and her face resigned. “Can you…take care of them?”
I nodded, “I will.”
Adrissa quietly nodded and said, “I’ll meet you by the Jorasco station later. I’m going to see about better cover for the kids.”
“We are going to see if things are under control at the Inn,” Sage said, and Bookshelf, Doxx and the Juggernaut trudged towards the town center.
I looked at Adrissa and reached out for her, but she turned away. My arm and hand hung there a moment before I dropped it to my side. I looked at the corpses and then closed my eyes and concentrated. I imagined a pair of light stands, weaving across themselves in a lattice over and over again. I then pulled the strands taut and snapped them asunder leaving next to me a disk floated next to me. I moved over to the bodies and bend over and picked up the small girl and lay her gently on the disk. I then started to do the same with the much heavier adults, when I realized the Rosa, in the form of a bear, lent me her strength. Together we put the two adults onto the disk, and I walked to the Temple of the Sovereign host.
Rosa had shifted back to her halfling self, and she followed me as we walked with the disk following close behind. The light rain covered us with droplets as we entered the grounds of the church, and I made my way to back where the graves stood.
“Are you alright Myrai?” Rosa asked me, as we threaded our way through the graves.
I sighed, “It doesn’t matter where I have been, death is the same everywhere,” I said bitterly. “But…
I set those kids to work, to be the eyes of their parents and elders in town.”
“You blame yourself?” Rosa asked.
I swallowed hard and shut my eyes, before shaking my head. “No, I don’t…But doesn’t make it any easier. It’s not like we had a lot of choice.”
“No,” Rosa said quietly. “Not us. Not them.” Rosa fell quiet as we continued to walk through the graveyard. “I had always heard the Children were dangerous. But I honestly had no idea.”
We finally reach an open section of the graveyard, and saw that other bodies had been placed here, waiting. Almost a dozen bodies, all adults lay there, waiting for a gravedigger and perhaps some eyes to open the earth to inter them. A simple marker with the symbol of the Sovereign Host, the Octogram leaned against a wall, waiting to be planted.I moved myself so the disk was at the end of the row, and Rosa and I dragged the two adults off the disk. The I carefully lifted the girl Crya, and gently laid her down beside the others. Kneeling beside her, I pulled a pair of greenies and then I kissed one and placed it over an eye.
“I saw you do that with Mobad. What’s the reason?” Rosa asked.
“An old tale,” I said after I kissed the second coin, “where souls travel to the lands of the dead via a river. The river’s name changes by who is telling the tale, as does the destination. But they all have a ferryman needing to be paid, and the coins are the fees.” I placed the second coin on the eye of the girl. “It’s only a tale, and only the most superstitious would be concerned about not having them. But tradition has a comfort to it,” And I placed my hand on the girls’ still heart and looked over the row of corpses and sighed, reciting the Litany of Death.
“No one should be alone, in life or death,
Death is part of life, not an ending but a beginning
Death is without deceit and has meaning,
All should strive to help those to live,
So, they can die at their appointed time,
I will honor those who have died before me,
For it is their lives and deeds that give us the world today,
Bless this soul at his chosen, appointed time,
So, she can lead her kin and friends onwards,
So be the will of my Lord, and my desire in faith
May Death grant all of you peace.”
I stood up with tears in my eyes, and focus some of the strands from within me, light and dark. I walked down the row, as a wave of earth flowed over each corpse, which sank beneath the loam, followed by the one next to them. I slowly stepped, interring each one swifter than any grave digger could. Finally, the last one sank within, and it was only Rosa and me that stood there. I took the marker and thrust the end deep into the soil.
“Well,” Rosa said looking at me with approval. “I can honestly say I wish my corpse were in your hands if the time comes. But I’d rather you help save my life first.”
Sage Redoubt
Sage walked ponderously through the now darkened streets, taking care to avoid slipping on the slick cobblestones. A rare streak of moonlight escaped the clouds, briefly reflecting off the puddles on the street before vanishing. Sage paused for a moment, looking for any sign that the clouds might disperse, but when he was met with nothing except more rain, he continued his duty thinking to himself:
Duty. Is this my duty? I was built to fight a war, to serve as a knight phantom. That was my duty. Then they chose to instead direct me to the Mror Holds, to stand vigil over a vault that no one would dare enter. That was my duty. Is my duty now to help save Denning? To kill these druids?
As he walked through the streets, Sage looked at the houses around him. He knew even with morning no one would stir within, they were empty, gathering dust as people rested at the inn or church. It was easier to keep people safe when they were concentrated in only a few areas, but it made the streets feel abandoned and the buildings seem like empty shells.
The Blade would say his duty is to protect and save people from threats like the vegemites. Doxx would probably say his duty is to Karrnath, or perhaps his purse. Both then have a duty to help Denning, but what about afterwards? Will these people be able to return to their lives or will they become like Adrissa?
An image came unbidden to Sage’s mind of how Adrissa threw herself against the vegepygmies with more reckless ferocity than even the late Mobad; how afterwards she seemed to pause as if lost, as if she didn’t realize the fight was won. Sage was then shaken from his reverie rumbling of the clouds above.
For now, at least, it doesn’t matter, we need to save Denning first, that will be my duty.
Adrissa
A bright light suddenly lit, stabbing my eyes waking me from my sleep. I opened them and saw Myrai. I watched her flare ghostly wings flushing outwards and I watched them fold back in wrapping herself with them only to disappear again. It startled me as it was the first time, I had ever seen anything like this before. It was beautiful. She then lay down on a bedroll here in the Jorasco station and shut her eyes and covered them with her arm, as the other cradled a nearly empty bottle of liquor to her side.
I slowly got to my feet and looked around to see everyone but Sage in the room all resting soundly. After a moment of thought, I slipped out into the rain and onto the lonely streets of Denning. It was warm and humid outside, and the clouds were dark and gloomy. Suddenly a stray ray of light pierced through the clouds casting a dim glow on the empty buildings down the street. At first, I thought it might be the dawn, but it was still too early for that. My father always called the first beam light a ‘ray of hope.’ Hope for a new day, and new fortune.
Hope… I no longer believe in hope. Did hope save my parents? I slowly started down the desolate streets towards my destination, but as I walked, I felt like I was being watched. I dismissed it as a misjudgment. However, in the corner of my eye, I spotted Sage. He was carrying under his arms bundles of wood. I stared at him for a time, seeing that even in such weather he was still working hard and was helping make this town safer. I… I wished that I had such strength at that time then, maybe all this wouldn’t have happened.
I approached my destination as, the Temple the Sovereign, as the rain started to fall. I headed over to the graveyard and looked around. I saw what I thought to be freshly dug earth, and a simple Octogram marker set into it. I then kneeled in front of the mass grave and thought of the recently departed child. Her name was Cyra. I did not know her well, but I saw her when my family came to church. She always had with this big bright smile on her face.
For a time, I stayed there in silence and eventually I choked out the words,
“I… I am so sorry this happened to you Cyra… I wish I could have stopped this all from happening. Your life was… cut too short and I never want anyone else to become like me, parents taken…”
I covered my face with my hands, as tears drip down. I sobbed for some time and then I opened my eyes and looked up.
“I’m sorry mom… dad… it’s all my fault that you died. If only I was stronger, I could have saved you. I can’t turn back time and even if I could, I wouldn’t. I can’t. I know this is selfish of me but Boldrei, please… I can’t lose anyone else. If I do, I don’t know what I would do…”
I slowly got up and headed back to the Jorasco healing station the rain covering the tears on my face.
Gossamer
It was early morning. It was getting harder and harder to see the clouds in detail, as the threatening clouds churned above the town of Denning. They hung low and dark and even managed to dim the light of the dawn, which had just started to appear in the eastern mountains. But now the clouds no longer threatened; they fulfilled their promise and started to pour rain upon the town and doused the dawn for the moment.
Gossamer sighed. From his perch over the Drover’s Rest Inn it just made his assigned job harder. He watched with unblinking eyes the front of inn looking for a child out of place. The haze of the rain now made that challenging, clouding the streets with mist. Fortunately, there was little movement on the cobble street. Most everyone was asleep at this hour; only the large warforged Sage Redoubt was working, delivering materials to the northern gate.
He understood why he was where he was. Gossamer did not need to sleep at all, and Myrai did. She may hate the dreams sleep brought, but she couldn’t dodge them forever. And yet, there was the risk of a child messenger needing something. There were too few in the town that could see, and even fewer that could and provide guidance. So Myrai set a task on Gossamer.
“Watch the Inn; if a child comes about looking for help, find me.”
Simple enough. A ledge underneath the eaves provided elevation for a view in front of the Inn. And its location was fortunate as it kept the rain off the Tressym. But it was somewhat boring, now that the children were organized. So, Gossamer sat bored, with paws curled beneath him. He wasn’t cold, but he conserved energy and sat watching as the rain fell. It was then, that a rare burst of light came through the clouds from the east, brightening the town. A momentary glimpse of a dawn’s light faded with the rain. Such things were now unappreciated by most of its citizens, blind to it.
Gossamer reflexively looked at the streets, for signs of traffic. Sage was walking away with a load of materials on his shoulders, but nothing else stirred. Then a movement on the other side of the road caught the Tressym’s attention. A child, moving quietly and alone. Gossamer at first was confused; it wasn’t heading to the Inn, so what was it doing? Gossamer stood and stretched his legs and wings and then stared at the figure creeping quietly away. It was then that Gossamer recognized the figure as the little human called Adrissa. She wasn’t trying to stay out of sight, but she was certainly avoiding making noise.
Gossamer took to the air, gaining altitude, and then locked his wings into a glide. He followed the girl with urgency, following another task set for him
“Hey, also keep an on Adrissa. I’m worried about her. Especially if she is alone.”
He watched from the air as she moved to one of the churches. Gossamer remembered that for part of the day, Myrai had spent time here with Rosa, and then later with other adults, cleaning up the dead from the streets. Before they arrived, a Vegepygmy band managed to jump a wall and caused a ruckus. It took some time for the Karrnathi patrols to catch up and deal with them, restoring order. The patrols now were more frequent and constant, but the damage was done in the sortie. It didn’t help that a number of the citizens from outside the walls had lost hope and managed to commit suicide. But all needed to be taken care of, and Myrai had them buried at one the churches, and it was this one he spied the girl heading for.
Gossamer decided to land and continue to followon paws. The beating of wings would make noise, but less so his paws on the ground. His black pelt now glistened with water beading on the fur, as he made his way into the church yard. The girl was moving to the area the recent graves had been dug, and Myrai had recently consecrated. He watched, as she approached a particular one on the side of the yard. He watched her sink to her knees in the muddy ground and saw her pray. He snuck through the grass towards some low shrubs to watch and listen.
She knelt there, crying a while. She spoke in soft tones and Gossamer could only just hear her say;
“Please…I can’t lose anyone else. If I do, I don’t know what I would do…”
Her voice trailed off, perhaps uncertain, or perhaps just choked away by the tears. Gossamer watched and waited, and soon the girl rose to her feet. Her hand clutching around herself as if she was trying to keep warm, during this unseasonable balmy rainfall. And he padded after her on the ground, staying behind her.
Adrissa was in no rush, as she slowly made her way back. Passing the Inn and returning into the Jorasco store front where the travelers, and Myrai stayed. Gossamer watched, as she slowly turned the handle on the door, and crept quietly inside.
Blinking a moment, Gossamer again took to the air. After a quick look, he found what he was looking for; a ledge underneath the awning of the Jorasco station. A place he could shake off the water and be close to the occupants. As he sat on the ledge he started to groom and waited for the question. It wasn’t long before it came.
Where did she go?
--To the church where you were performing services. She spent time at one of the mounds, the most recent one I believe.
There was nothing for a while, while Gossamer continued to groom.
Well, at least she came back. Did she say anything?
--
Only a plea. Something about not losing anyone else.
I don’t suppose you wrote it down.
--I do lack the thumbs for that.
Probably not important…she’s nearing her limits.
--Possible. What should we do?
I don’t think we can do anything right now but watch and pray. If she needs to talk, it has got to be on her own terms.
--Will she?
Again, there was a long pause before a reply:
I don’t know it’s not something we can force though. All we can do is pray.
--For?
For her not to something rash. I am certain she hasn’t reached her ‘Appointed Time.’ So, we wait.
--Get some rest, we’ve done what we can.
But its’ never enough.
And Myrai’s thoughts were again stilled, as she began making her way to the realms of dreams, leaving Gossamer with his own thoughts. He spread his wings, and flew back to the Inn, and resumed his vigil in the rain. All the while wondering what Adrissa’s future held.
Session Notes:
Sorry this one took awhile. At the time in this campaign, several people were reflective on the various events, and each wrote a piece of fiction related to it. So (with minor edits) I have now posted a collage of not one, not two, but three additional players; 'The Blade','Sage Redoubt','and 'Adrissa' (with their permission).
I hope you enjoy each of them getting into the headspace of their characters.