Chapter Two: Oh, yeah, well...

[Underleaf]

---

---

Day One: Midday

---

Although it had been only half a day, the time apart from their gear had felt like an eternity. A limb that was missing has now been returned. Norgalidir held his own attire in his hands, wrinkled from laying in a pile all night, but still his own. Aryana felt the weight of her own weapon in her palm, as it sent a shock through her body. She blinked from the sudden sensation and, for a moment, she saw a bird flying overhead, but it quickly vanished. Silas reclaimed his items, but it was the lute that captured his attention. And Amarilis' fingers first claimed a silver barked branch with bells that hung from it. The moment her skin touched the wood her mind was flooded with thoughts and emotions not her own, but finished with a memory that was.

A tree sprouted in the forest, it grew tall beside a home with a swing that fell from its limb. A child laughed and rocked on the swing. There was joy in the scene, but a chill wind whipped through and scattered the happy home and giant oak in a sea of dried leaves. The child walks hunched over down a cobblestone street that forms from the fallen leaves. Fear and loneliness tickle the skin. Buildings begin to grow from the edge of the street, each with menacing windows that look like malicious grins. The child looks back over their shoulder at Amarilis. They blink and she sees the eyes of Slim. Their lips mouth "I'm sorry" as they fade into the void.

Sounds of laughter surround her, voices hollering numbers fill her ears while her vision is too blurry to see any details clearly. But then she felt a warm breath on her cheek and a familiar voice speak. No longer a child, adult Slim is heard. "You shoulda stopped while ya were ahead." Amarilis nodded in agreement as she felt a grip on her earlobe. "Please..." She heard herself whisper cry. But her plea melted into the surrounding sounds and she felt the slice of metal cut into her skin, removing her ear. The teifling screamed in pain.

She blinked and was kneeling over her belongings. Aryana and Mollie's voices were heard in the main room. "You won't see me. This is my little corner of the world."  Returning to the others, Amarilis witnessed the women staring each other down, a battle of wills. But her attention drifted to the lifeless body of Slim. Life had taken much from that soul before their life finally gave out. Deep within, the warlock knew that the struggles Slim had lived through, they felt their pain and sorrow. It was overwhelming and caused tears to flow. Lady Blinks' words filtered into her mind. "The Emanation of Beauty, of Balance, they are dreamers who seek harmony with others. It is Tifiret who begins an embrace and will be the last to leave it. Do not fear all your aspects, for each is needed." Amarilis knew in her heart she had given Slim a chance to apologize and their soul was now at rest. She also knew few others could have offered the tortured being peace.

 

---

Back in the street, the party gathers with their new companions. Sophie, Kara, and Stash followed behind The Magnificent Bastards, unsure what to do with themselves. Those in the alley watch as the group leaves, brows pinched in confusion, though no one says a thing.

---

OOC

Current condition: 1 level of exhaustion

Reward: YOU LEVEL UP! AND HAVE ALL YOUR STUFF BACK!!! Congrats!

Amarilis specific reward for resolving their fortune card:

Whispers of the Dead
3rd-level Phantom feature
Echoes of those who have died cling to you. Whenever you finish a short or long rest, you can choose one skill or tool proficiency that you lack and gain it, as a ghostly presence shares its knowledge with you. You lose this proficiency when you use this feature to choose a different proficiency that you lack.

 

[Gralhruk]

Silas Da'an (Half-elf Fathomless Warlock 4) Thread Sheet Statblock

---

AC 16 | HP 8/30 | Initiative: +3 | Passive Perception: 12

Spell Slots: 2/2 4th | Concentration: None | ActionsActions
Forgo attack to allow familiar to use its reaction to attack

Bonus Actions
Tentacle of the Deeps
Command familiar to attack
Cast Magic Stone
Cast Hex
Cast Misty Step

Reactions
When your familiar takes damage you can use your reaction to grant it resistance against that damage
Cast Silvery Barbs | Limited UseTentacle of the Deeps: 2/2 per long rest
Silvery Barbs: 1/1 per long rest
Misty Step:1/1 per long rest
Tomb of Levistus: 1/1 per short or long rest | FeaturesAdvantage on saves vs charm (Fey Ancestry)
Cannot be put to sleep (Fey Ancestry)
Can breathe underwater (Gift of the Sea)

---

Silas plucked a few strings, and fiddled with the pegs until the notes rang true, then ran a quick scale up and down, looked up and smiled. He strummed out a quick march, thinking it would be good to get gone from this place, then paused a moment to lay his hand upon the cleansing stone he'd just recovered. The day's (and night's) worth of sweat and grime faded from his person, leaving him veritably glowing, the oils gone from his hair leaving it to move silkily about his face. He took up his strumming once again and gave a devilish grin.

"I put my hand upon her toe, yo ho, yo ho"

He stopped abruptly and put on the shimmering cloak, then slung his pack and lute over his shoulder, feeling a good bit more like himself than he had in recent memory. Now, truly, it seemed they might find Tarstool and be done with this thing. Whistling the same tune, he scooped up Aryana's belongings and headed back into the main room, hooking his arm through Aryana's as he passed, drawing her away from Mollie and presenting her gear with a flourish.

"Look alive, Mollie - you've jumped up a few stations, thanks to us. Use the free time, take a few lessons, maybe when next you take the stage you'll be able to have some fun."

Arm still looped with the Warlocker, he began humming again and headed out into the street, wondering where they ought to search next. This had worked out most favorably, a thing he hadn't quite expected. Berber followed rather more slowly, and he peeked though the familiar's eyes to see Mollie's reaction - he couldn't recall exactly what he'd done that burned her so, but he felt it quite silly that she held such a grudge when all they'd done is help. Almost by accident, he noticed the remnants of her gang tagging along.

"Oh, yeah, well," he began, not really sure they were ready to take on a bunch of orphaned criminals. Still, the healing had been most useful. "What sort of plans do you all have now that you are free from that murderous thug?"

 

---

Mechanics ___________________________________________________ Main Hand: Empty Off Hand: Empty ___________________________________________________ Action: Bonus Action: Move: Manipulate: ___________________________________________________

[NorthOfOrdinary]

Aryana (Half-Elf Undead Slayer Fighter IV)

---

AC 13 | HP 33/35 | Init +3 | PP 11 | Speed 30 ft | DV 60 ft

ActionsUnarmed Strike (melee) +2 to hit, 1 blungeoning damage
Longbow (150/600) +5, 1d8+3 piercing damage
Shortsword (melee) +6, 1d6+4 piercing damage Bonus ActionsSecond Wind: 1/1 short rest
Action Surge: 0/1 short rest
Detect Magic: 1/1 short rest
Counterspell: 3/3 long rest FeaturesTwo Weapon Fighting
Second Wind
Actions Surge (Level 2)
Mage Slayer (Level 3)
Punisher (Level 4) Racial and Background TraitsDarkvision
Fey Ancestry
Haven from the Haunted InventoryLongbow, with 20 arrows
+1 Shortsword, cold iron (1000gp)
+1 Shortsword, alchemical silver (1100gp)

Cloak of Protection (3500 gp)
Glamoured Studded Leather Armor (2000 gp)

Potion of Heroism x 5 (900gp)

Traveler’s Clothes
Backpack
Bedroll
Mess Kit
Tinderbox
Torches x 10
Daily Rations x10
Waterskin
Herbalism kit
Vial of Holy Water
Holy symbol
Lamp
Hammer
Wooden stakes x3
Shovel

Gold Pieces 100gp
Silver Pieces 10sp

---

Aryana's anger dissipated into the outside air like a dandelion in the wind as Silas guided her, arm in arm, back into the alley. She beamed with joy at the return of her cloak and her swords - eliciting a small squeal of excitement as she tested the weight and balance of one of them in her free hand. It was as if a missing appendage had found its way back to the young woman. She sheathed it on her back with its twin as they gathered with the remnants of the gang.

 

"Glad you're still with us," Aryana offered an olive branch to Sophie, concealed within a healthy cover of sarcasm. "Do try to avoid ambushing anymore world-famous bands of traveling heroes. It rarely ends well and I can tell that Kara needs you." She had a bleeding heart even if she tried to hide it. The corners of the fighter's mouth turned up in a welcoming smile.

 

The Warlocker reached into her bag and produced a healthy handful of food from her rations. She offered some to all of their circle outside, before passing the rest out to the young urchins that had previously been boarding up the windows when they first arrived.

---

 

Edited October 9, 2023 by NorthOfOrdinary (see edit history)