Session 158

General Summary

• Marvin and Theran took control of the situation in the house, un-petrifying Kris and then getting the clerics to bring him and Siraye to the Archdruid.
• They also took along the bits of Apple sprawled all over.
• Theran noticed a piece of paper that Siraye must have been holding, with notes about a magistrate named Kalavan Zilch. He picked it up.
• Marvin had tried to resurrect Apple, but he wasn't able to make do with her body in as many pieces as it was.
• Dazki eventually snapped out of it, but apparently only after Mirage Prime had tried to get him to kill Riley.
• Dazki refused to be her executioner, leaning on the notion that justice can only come from a neutral third-party and never from the victim.
• Outside, Dwardazik and (eventually) the rest of the party interrogated Riley:
• She had had an argument with Siraye over (at least) Annu's control rod. Riley panicked, she lost control, and the next thing she knows, Siraye's hand on her cheek snapped her out of it.
• She believes that she's only a liability if left around people she cares about, since there's nothing stopping this from happening again. She explained why she feels that she needs to have so much control: even merely touching anything that she hasn't attuned to — even adamantine gloves, which she demonstrates to Dwardazik — can cause the chaotic energy to take over and start breaking it.
• Theran talked with her solo for a little bit, but she screamed something that got the rest to come back for the rest.
• Maedia Widelove is "Mother Girth". Her story is that she was the last of her noble clan, but her only child was slain; now, she treats the worm parasites as her children, and she's given everything to protect them as her own.
• Riley promises that she can't be trusted to be with the party throughout this, but they still want to potentially use her to help break the tether that "Fogwalker" has to the Red Desert, so they placed the Pinpoint onto her before she departed so that they can find her again when the time comes.
• Theran started feeling conflicted and scared and all kinds of emotions, so they headed to The Dew Drop Inn so he can rest.

Full Recap

Marvin asks the two clerics tending to her — Avery and Kara — what they think they should do with Siraye. They suggest taking her to the Archdruid, and Avery runs off to find out where the Archdruid is. Kara is itching to clear the scene, since it was a Turmoil event that caused it. Theran gently probes Marvin to ask about money, since the useful restoration spells all require expensive reagents, and then he proceeds to deal with Kris. He casts "Fix All the Bad Stuff", which removes the half-petrification on Kris.

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Dwardazik is trying to get some information out of Riley.

Dwardazik: I'm gonna need you to speak with me, OK? I need to know what happened. I need to know that you're not under Mirage Prime's control. Can you do that for me? (Persuasion 23)

Dwardazik: Are you ready to speak with me? Because in a few minutes, I think there'll be some people here who are quite angry, and I don't know if I'm gonna be able to stop them if you don't talk to me.   Riley, glancing upward but still not meeting his gaze: Why can't I just let it go?   Dwardazik: What do you mean?   Riley: I can only take. I can only grab, I can't let anything go.   Dwardazik: That's your power from Prime, isn't it? He's cursed you in such a way that you can't touch anything?   Riley: I think you should let them eliminate me.   Dwardazik: Maybe I should. And, you know what? I very well might. But as someone who's also dealing with Turmoil, I think I'm the one person you could really talk to who could understand what you have to say. You ever heard of "Mother Girth"?

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Kris tries to stand up, but one of his legs is not bearing weight. Theran tries to calm Kris down and reassure him that they're going to help "her", but they need him to calm down for that to happen (Persuasion 15). Kris angrily elbows Theran in the stomach before the guards restrain him. Theran casts "Yum Yum Vitamin Berries" and instructs the guards to make sure that he eats them regularly to calm down and heal up. Kris vows to kill Riley as Theran heads back towards Siraye to check up on her. Theran investigates the scene a little bit more (Investigation 10): Theran retrieves the paper.

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Editor's note: even though only Dazki had this experience, it was all public without a single whisper, so I'm including it here without a single secret (that you know of) for the benefit of all. If that ruins your RP, feel free to skip this section.   Dazki is confronted with a feeling that he and Siraye are not alone together (besides the obvious). A deep, hollow murmur lingers in the air — powerful, and sympathetic.

Mirage Prime: Unfortunate circumstances. The world is one of cruelty. Good, bad — it is inconsequential. Many of its outcomes, despair. This needn't be one of them.   Dazki: And why not?   Mirage Prime: What would you give to be able to save her? To be able to help? To make this world as it should be, instead of one of cruelty.   Dazki: I would give everything that I am. Are you saying that that's possible?   Mirage Prime: As long as you have hope, anything is possible. You can fix this weakness. How much more must you fail? What would you give, to stop these things from happening again?   Dazki: What would it take to stop them? You seem to be the one with the answers. What would I need to do?   Mirage Prime: You need to have utmost conviction. You need to give, in order to receive. And wouldn't you give, to save her? To stop making these foolish errors?   Dazki: Of course I would. It seems like all I've been doing is giving, lately, and yet what do I have to show for it?   Dazki's dagger inexplicably falls out of its sheath onto the floor, with a clang.   Mirage Prime: With pieces missing, pieces can be so returned. Errors, removed. Failures, corrected.   Dazki grabs the dagger.   Mirage Prime: How far are you willing to go for your convictions?

Dazki stands up and walks out of the house.   (Religion 18) Theran had glanced over towards Dazki, and he had noticed that the shadows around him weren't moving quite right, just before Dazki stood up. He follows Dazki out, as Marvin stays behind to try something else.

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Dwardazik stands up and points angrily towards the door as Dazki walks closer and Theran trails close behind.

Dwardazik: Look. You need to tell me why you're covered in blood. What did you do in there? Explain it to me! Speak!   Riley: I ruined everything.   Dwardazik: How did you ruin everything?   Dazki pushes his way past Dwardazik.   Dwardazik, without actively stopping him: Wait! How do you know it was her, for sure, and that she wasn't under control?   Dazki uses the knife to tilt her head up, and she looks him straight in the eye.   Dazki: I'm sure you can guess, I had a very... interesting... conversation, a moment ago. (He throws the dagger into the ground.) But I will not be your executioner. Whatever happened, we can still fix this. But you need to work with me. I may never forgive you, but you still deserve another chance. Granted, this may end up being your last chance, but I am promising it to you like this. Not sneaking into your room and threatening you, not being a horrible person doing the wrong things. I want you to have another chance. I want you to help us with this. Please. We have begged for time to prove that you can help. Please, help me make sure that isn't in vain.   Dwardazik: It's more than you deserve —   Dazki: Dwardazik, shut the hell up. Your anger isn't going to help right now.   Riley: I don't want to be evil. I don't have a choice.   Dazki, sitting to meet her gaze: There's always a choice. Every action you make is your own choice. He manipulated you once, yes, but you're stronger than that. Prove it to him. Prove that you don't need him.   Riley: I didn't want to hurt her.   Dazki: I know, it's... it's OK. I saw the handprint, it made sense that it wasn't an intentional thing. That's not a defensive wound. It's an accident. Hopefully, we have people who can help with this. Just, please, help us. Help her. Not for my sake, or anyone else's sake. You can still give. You can help her. Please.   Riley weakly nods.   Dazki: Can you tell me what happened? What caused this issue?   Riley: I don't... it's all a blur, it's...   Dazki: It's OK, deep breaths. Just tell me what you remember, starting from when you teleported back here after confronting the man in — wherever it was that Prime last spoke to you.   Riley: I... I was just so mad. I lost control. Lost control of the situation. I don't know what else happened.   Dazki: Do you remember anything?   Riley: I remember the sad look of betrayal on her face. Snapped me back out of it. My only thought after was to flee. But I lost breath...   Dazki: Will you come back inside? Help us recreate what happened, see if it jogs any memories? If you're OK to do that...   Riley: I don't think I can see her.   Theran: You don't have to be ready to see her yet.   Dazki: I understand.   Dwardazik: So, what happened in there?   Theran: One casualty, one person near death, and one person who was half-petrified (now resolved).   Dazki: Dwardazik, can you take the manacles off?   Dwardazik: You do know that she chose this path, right?   Theran: Some people can choose the direction, but be unable to choose their path.   Dwardazik, looking at Dazki intently: You know that she's responsible for her own actions, right? She chose to come here, she knew the risks. You don't get to just wash that kind of thing away.   Dazki: People can make mistakes. They deserve to have a chance to atone for them. I'm not saying all consequences for her actions are going out the window. What I'm saying is that, right now, the best way to fix things — the best way to move forward — is with kindness. Not selfishness, not anger, not violence, not revenge. But with kindness and understanding. There will be consequences, but consequences should never come from an angry mind. Never from the injured; that's just petty revenge.   Dwardazik: Am I to believe that it was Siraye in there?   Dazki: She's alive. Barely. Apple... isn't.   Dwardazik: I see. I don't know if I necessarily agree, but I'll leave the choice up to you.   Dazki: I'm not asking you to agree. I know you wouldn't agree, I know you would take vengeance. But that's not who I am.   Dwardazik: I think you misunderstand. It wouldn't be vengeance, it would be justice.   Dazki: It would be revenge!   Dwardazik: Justice!   Theran: The two are not mutually exclusive.   Riley: It was me. I did it.   Dwardazik: I'm not going to be your executioner. It's not my loved one who was harmed. (He removes and retrieves the Dimensional Shackles.)   Dazki: Justice should come from a neutral third party, not the injured.   Riley's eyes dart around, as if instinctively looking for an escape route.   Dwardazik: If you're thinking about escaping, it's the wrong choice here. At some point, you're gonna have to account for your actions. Now's the time.   Riley: And what would you have of me?   Dwardazik points at Dazki.   Dazki: You don't remember anything about what happened in there?   Riley: There was an argument. It was just an argument!   Dazki: About?   Riley: Well, it... it wasn't really anything of her concern.   Dazki: She cares about you, so if it has to do with you, then she is going to be concerned about it.   Riley: And I felt panic, a loss of control. It wasn't until I felt her hand grace my cheek that I realized what I had done.   Dazki: What were you arguing about? I think it's important that we know.   Theran: If it's something too difficult to say out loud, then with your permission, I could pry? But I feel like this piece of paper (He holds it up) might have some answers...   Dazki: Theran, I don't think that's a good idea... because if Sending to her —   Theran: That's an entirely good point. Thank you for reminding me. Either way, it sounds like there is some magistrate, Kalavan Zilch.   Dazki: Is he the one you went to talk to?   Riley: Yes.   Dazki: I'm sorry.   Riley: I just thought there was trust in the whole situation. But I was betrayed instead.   Dazki: I think that's my fault. My actions (and everything) ended up causing the questions. And when there wasn't an easy answer, it probably became hard for her to trust you. Not because she didn't want to, and I don't think the questions were to break your trust but to rebuild it...   Riley: Then why can't I let it go? Why can't I...   Dazki: I can't tell you that, that's something that only you can figure out on your own. I haven't dealt with the trauma, with the difficulty that you have. I don't know what the right answer for you is. All I can say is, there are people who are willing to help you. Part of that help may involve taking accountability for your actions, and that is really gonna suck. Not gonna sugarcoat or lie about that to you. But, I think you're strong enough to do it.   Riley: Well, what of me now?   Dazki: Now, I guess, tell us everything you can about Prime, everything you can choose to tell us about this magistrate, everything about "Mother Girth" and "Fogwalker", and promise that you are going to do your very best to help us and stop using the powers that Prime gave you. The magic that you acquired using his gift, everything.   Riley: I don't want to use those powers.   Dazki: Good, then that's a step in the right direction. I don't know if we'll be able to find a way to remove them, maybe once we kill Prime it'll fade, I don't know.   Riley: I can't be trusted.   Dazki: Well, I'm choosing to trust you anyway.   Riley: I'll probably kill again.   Dazki: If you do, then you'll take responsibility for those actions, right?   Riley: Only suffering comes in my wake.   Dazki: Change that. I believe that you can.   Theran: Are we going to ignore the fact that Riley sounded an awful lot like Dazki just then? You need to learn to forgive yourself too.   Dazki: ...yep...   Theran: I can handle the conversation with Riley, and recording any information that she is able to give, if you still need time with Siraye. Someone should keep watch for the Archdruid.   Dazki: All right. Is Marvin in there?   Dwardazik: I just sent him a message. He's kinda busy in there. Not sure with what.   Theran: Kris might have broken free. I can handle that as well.   Dazki: Hey Dwardazik, thank you for trusting me. (He reaches into the Bag of Holding, pulls out Baxton's Ring of Mind Shielding and gives it to Dwardazik.) We don't need to hide this anymore, so I'm returning it to you. Since you were the one who wanted to be trusted with it. I know you'll choose the right thing, whatever that may be.   Dwardazik: I understand. (He takes off a glove, puts the ring on a finger, and puts the glove back on.) It's not always easy doing the right thing. And what's right isn't always so clear.   Dazki: I think "the right thing" was pretty clear for me, in the situation. How far am I willing to go for my convictions? I need to prove that I'm willing to do everything it takes. Including forgiving and giving a second chance, even when I don't want to. Because I believe it should be the right thing. I know you disagree, and that's fine. But thank you for trusting me.   Dwardazik: We'll get through this. One way or the other, we'll be there at the end.   Dazki: And I'm sorry I wasn't in the right state of mind to confront him about Grogery, when he came to me.   Theran: If you had, he probably would've just said something to tempt you.   Dwardazik: Grogery made his choices because he believed it would be the best for all of us. I believe he made the right choice.   Dazki: Not arguing that. Just saying I apologize for letting a situation go by, that we could've tried to use to our advantage. Because of my poor mental state.   Theran: Again, how do you know he wouldn't have used such information against you?   Dazki: I don't. How do you know that it would've succeeded?   Theran: Fair.   Dazki: Anyway, let's go see what Marvin needed. Riley, are you going to stay here, or are you going to try to see if you can come in with us? What's your choice here?   Riley: I feel like I will flee.   Dazki: If you go inside, or if we leave you here alone?   Riley: I feel like I will flee.   Theran: I feel it best for you two to go in with Marvin. I will stay out and keep her talking.   Dazki: If that's what you want.

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Inside, Kara is trying to convince Marvin to let them take the injured — that's Siraye and Kris, as they've completely written off the bits of Apple that can't be standard resurrected — to the Archdruid's location in the Temple district, so that they won't be in the way if/when the area gets reinfected. The group let them go, and they discuss among themselves.   Marvin reveals that he was evaluating Apple's situation and trying to find a way that he would be able to resurrect her, but he had to give up because of the condition of her body. He then suggests using a Feeblemind spell on Riley so that they could keep her close without risking giving her the upper hand. Dazki rejects the idea outright, and Dwardazik warns him that it wouldn't be a good tactical maneuver even without the moral issue: if it's her mind actively keeping the Turmoil in check, then turning her into a gibbering idiot would make things worse, not better.   As Dazki fills Marvin in on the details of what went down outside, they overhear Riley screaming at Theran ("Why don't you get that?!"), so they rejoin him. It sounds like Riley is trying to convince Theran that she's better off being burned in elemental fire, because that denies Prime from being able to reclaim his "gift". When the rest of the party join, Riley lashes out a little bit at the group, blaming them: Prime had lost track of her, and she would've gotten away with it too if not for them putting her back on his radar. When Dazki asks if she can hide herself again if they get her somewhere else, she says yes, but also (Persuasion 16) won't promise that she can be trusted to do that.   She does admit that she wants to hurt Prime badly, though, so she will share information about "Mother Girth" before leaving to someplace where she will be less of a risk to others. Maedia Widelove, scourge of the land. Abandoned, the last of her noble clan. And yet, the only child she was made to bear: slain. Now, her "children" are the parasites. There's little of herself, now: it seems she's given everything for her children.   Dwardazik asks Riley about her "curse". She explains: anything she touches (or that touches her) is "beholden to a chaotic and hungry power", even her clothing and weapons. But she can attune to mundane objects to suppress its effect on those objects. Dwardazik suggests that Dazki teach her the meditation techniques, but she promptly shuts the idea down. She offers to demonstrate by holding out her hand, for someone to touch it with anything. Dwardazik puts his adamantine glove against her hand, and it starts to get brittle and cold, threatening to crack, forcing him to pull it away. This, she explains, is why she needs to be in complete control: otherwise, "things go wrong, very quickly". So if she does something to make Prime start paying attention to her, then she risks having him manipulate things to make her lose control.   Theran suggests that perhaps Riley could use her "curse" to sever the tether that's pulling the Red Desert towards the plane. She doesn't seem enthusiastic about the idea, but she also doesn't dismiss it — she mainly points out that the party are currently her "chains", so she is going to have to go along with whatever their plan is. She indicates that she does have a place in mind where she can go to reflect, but she's not comfortable telling the party where it is, and when Dazki asks if there'd be someone there to watch over her, she replies, "not exactly" and challenges him to come up with something else to do with her while he holds her as his captive. They decide to let her go to this place, but using the pin point to be able to track her when needed. They squabble a bit about how to get the pin point to work, and they get a bit unsure + hesitant.   Dwardazik prompts her to ask if she's holding anything valuable on her person, which immediately riles her up. Her jaw tightens.

Riley: I believe that YOU have my valuable object.   Marvin: It doesn't belong to you.   Riley: Nothing "belongs" to anybody.   Theran: How very druidic of you to say...   Marvin: Especially when all you do is take.   Theran: If your intention was to let us have it, then that was an interesting way around your typical conundrum. But... I can see now that —   Riley: You having it almost got her killed.   Marvin: You're not attempting to turn this around on us, are you? Because you don't want to go down that route.   Riley: What do you mean?   Marvin: Did I fucking stutter? Are you trying to push your blame onto us?   Riley: Are you fucking deaf?   Dazki + Theran: Guys.   Dazki: This is not going to be productive. Yes, we have it. Now, the pin point, that's meant to be scryed on. I don't know the best way to do this. Theran, I think you know more about medicine / anatomy / stuff like that, than I do? It's on an arrowhead, but I'm guessing she doesn't want me to shoot her with an arrow.   Theran: You could probably force it on a stick and break the shaft off?   Dwardazik: I'd personally prefer to —   Riley: Can we just do this, already?   Theran: Hmm, the thigh, that would hurt every time you walk...   Riley: Oh my fucking god... (She grabs the pin point and aggressively jams it into the side of her thigh.) Fucking nobles, every time.   Theran: Something against nobles?   Riley: Silver tongues and bad ideas. Every time.

Dazki offers to give a message to Siraye on Riley's behalf, but she declines. She walks off.   When she's gone, Dwardazik immediately gets out some vials and scoops up some of her blood that had dripped onto the floor, for "insurance". They catch one another up some more, and Theran asks if the druids brought along any Apple chunks to attempt a Reincarnate spell. Theran wants to keep available the Reincarnate reagents that they have, just in case they run into an emergency, so if the Archdruid can't do it, they would need to buy new materials the next day.   After the adrenaline rush wears off from the emergency at the Quicksilver Estate, Theran suddenly gets profoundly tired, and visions appear in his head. They sit down at a nearby table; he seems conflicted about what to say; Dwardazik offers him some ale from his Skin of Endless Ale. He downs half of it (Editor's note: I'm assuming half of the pint from a "Pour", not literally half of the infinite ale), and starts speaking his mind.

Theran: It's about that "laundry" list that Riley left for us. I don't think she left it to make us doubt each other... I think she left it to make us doubt ourselves. The reality is, I'm good at this. I don't want to be good at lying to people, but I am. And through a crisis like that, my brain keeps going around like, "here's how I can get people to do stuff!", "here's how to make them calm down", "here's how to make them act productively".   Dazki: It's part of life, my man. especially part of the lives that we have ot live. I'm not saying it doesn't suck — because sure, it does — but there's something to be said about being able to act in a crisis and being able to do what's needed.   Theran: There's two bad options, here: either I was born acting this way — which means I might actually grow up to be as bad as my parents — or this is something I picked up after leaving home — which, I don't know... not talking about being able to handle myself in a crisis, but being able to hide myself so thoroughly from people.   Dazki: Everyone puts on a mask. Everyone hides a big part of themselves. It's OK, we have to have something that's just for us. It doesn't make you a bad person.   Theran: But it scares me that it's this easy to do it.   Dazki: Why?   Dwardazik: What's the problem with havin' some secrets?   Theran explains the Ship of Theseus thought experiment, seemingly out of nowhere and with no obvious, immediate connection to anything else.   Dazki: ...and? You think pieces of you are changing?   Theran: I know pieces of me have changed.   Dazki: Change can be for the better.   Dwardazik: I don't understand. Don't we have all kinds of different experiences, all the time in life? You're not the same person you were at the start of the journey as you are now. You're better. What's the problem with that?   Theran: It feels like a lot of this has been half of my ship catching on fire and having to rebuild it from scratch.   Dazki: Yeah. Yeah, that's a lot of what life is.   Dwardazik: Well, you came from a hell of a background, and you're stepping into some mighty big shoes. Not an easy journey, and it takes courage to go as far as you have.   Marvin: And come far, you have.   Dazki: But ultimately, you do get to choose how you change. Just like we were saying to Riley: she gets to choose how she changes, and so do you. Become the person you want to be.   Theran: Do you actually get to choose how you change, though?   Dazki: You certainly get to choose how you react to the changes in your life. I don't think there's predestination. Sure, we're going to react some way to external stimuli, but ultimately I think you can pick the person you want to be, and work towards that. And reassess, and change that idea as you develop and as you grow. So, maybe you don't get to have every part of the decision, but you get to pick the direction. You get to pick the destination. There's going to be bumps along the way, sure, but you get to pick where you end up.   Dwardazik: I like to think that's more like polishing the sword. But I have a feeling that you're forged in adversity. Maybe there is some truth, that you don't necessarily get to choose how you're going to change. But I don't think that's totally a bad thing. It's how you react to it that really matters. I dunno if that makes any sense?   Theran: You guys don't quite get it, but the fact that you want me to feel better means a lot.   Dazki: Well, explain it to us then! What are we missing?   Dwardazik: But only if you're ready, of course. A lot of things going on recently, and they're not always the most comfortable of subjects to talk about.   Theran: ...I don't feel like I deserve to be here.   Dazki: Why? What do you think is... why don't you think that?   Theran: I didn't... you guys have put in a lot of hard work to get where you are. But I never had to. Heck, I didn't even pay for this armor, I traded Grogery's set for it!   Dwardazik: But Grogery's... it was given to you. So it was just bartering!   Marvin: Not the point, Dwardazik.   Dwardazik: But Grogery's armor was a gift! Why would you think that this armor, which gives you a chance to survive, is somehow a negative? As you wear that armor, you're carrying a bit of Grogery with you! (He points to the symbolic piece of Grogery's old armor.)   Theran: But he's the one who sacrificed himself. I've barely made any good choices since starting on this journey.   Marvin: Nathan. You're going to make more bad choices. All of us are. There's no roadmap, no glossary or atlas showing us the way. We're all figuring this out as we go. And from what I've seen, yeah, you've made mistakes — and we're gonna give you some shit for it! —   Theran: You did throw a plate at me that one time, that was actually kinda funny...   Marvin: — but what I do know is this: you say that you don't deserve to be here, like it's some great honor going through what we're going through, together. You honor us just by presenting it that way! If none of us knew what was going on in the world — with Turmoil, any of this! — and we were just introduced to it out of the blue, we would probably all say, "aww hell no!" But we're here, and you're saying you don't "deserve" to be here? We don't deserve that! This is hell, and we're all in danger of dying all the time, with what we're doing. There's no saying that we're gonna make it on the other side. Grogery would be proud.   Theran seems to no longer be listening, because he's having a panic attack.   Marvin: Um... that's the... opposite... effect to what I wanted. (He scratches his head.) It sure felt like I was going down the right path, with that little speech there?

Dazki tries to calm him down, but it doesn't seem to work very well, or for very long. Theran says he just needs to lie down and rest, so they try The Dew Drop Inn.

Just Dropping In

As the party discuss the state of all the plants, a hag-like half-orc suddenly appears out of the plants, yelling at them not to touch the vines. They explain that they're looking for a place to rest, and she prods them to go deeper into the inn side, which they do. They don't go very far before another individual shows up to try to "fix" this situation. Not necessarily a young guy, but definitely less elderly. He apologizes for her behavior, introducing himself as Maca'an and saying that the locals refer to the half-orc as Oni. They get Theran into a room so he can lie down, and the rest of the party talk with Maca'an about pricing.   Dwardazik prods him about ale. Maca'an doesn't seem to have ever heard of "ale", and he seems perplexed why people would ever use honey ("puked out by pollinators") for anything. Regardless, he doesn't charge the party for rooms, because of their associations with the government. They spend some time while Theran half-trances: Dazki attunes back to Baxton's cloak, and Marvin starts attuning to the Far Gear.