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Fri 10th Jul 2020 03:02

Session 8: I can Finally Tell You that Hanging Out with This Group is a Blast.

by Kepharel

Traditionally I try to write my notes and journal the day of. I like to keep facts straight and things orderly. These past few weeks I am a bit at a lose. I am sitting here outside the pool at the Blissenburg hotel, starring into the water. My ears are still slightly ringing and I've been getting random nose bleeds. The last mission was and is a complete blur. There is still so much I am still trying to piece back together. Though when my mind wanders, or during a long slumber, I see the exact same thing every time. The slight click as my foot steps down into soil, followed by a large pressure, the smell of burnt sugar, a rapid rush of searing air, and then... darkness. The emotions are intense and acute. anxiety, turns to fear, turns to anger, but in the darkness there is a calm.
This calm in the darkness is always followed by a distant memory, that returns with a rush of joy.
 
Sitting out in the jungle amongst the stars. There is a calm about me. Siona cuddling next to me as we both gaze above us; her head resting against my chest. The world itself is still, time feels to have stopped, and in the moment it is just the two of us.
 
As I regain consciousnesses, the prior moment is fleeting. Air fills my lungs again, and the comfort I just found leaves in an instant. Fear quickly fills my mind, but this time I am just waking up. I panic and try to free my arms and seconds pass until I realize I am simply tangled in my bed sheets. With the moon still out, it must still be early. I am drenched in sweat, but for now I am safe, with an attempt to regain my composure I lay back down.
 
Our mission started with us taking the Baron's contract. After speaking with Frang, it seemed straight forward. Scout out a group of gnolls and figure out where their camp is located.
Travel time was five days, and outside of an interesting interaction with some monkeys it was pretty non-eventful. We eventually made our way to the Zebrund river, and after some discussion we carefully crossed it. We then traveled a bit until we found a cave filled with bats. We rested outside of the cave for the night, and the next morning made our way up a path. Some travel later we came upon a cart. Should have been a pretty clear sign of a trap, but no one had any idea what kind of trap it was about to be.
 
I woke up in chains next to everyone else. I was in a lot of pain and pretty banged up and looking about the group everyone else looked pretty banged up as well. I was glad to see everyone survived. Somehow. I'm not entirely sure how we survived, but somehow we did.
We each get out of our restraints and quickly took a gnoll hostage. After some talking to, we got most of our gear back outside of a few items. Which felt like a real slap in the face, I mean, honestly, who steals a man's shoes before they kill him? Just seems rude. I had to walk back shoeless, luckily I couldn't feel my feet for a couple days into travel.
Nevertheless, we planned our escape, and after a well placed summon animals, we were able to get out without any more harm.
 
Now, I am sitting here. Starring into this pool, afraid to go back to the group. I've never been afraid like this before and to be honest, I've never had this much to lose. The moment I stepped over the explosive reminded me of a poem I heard and it feels fitting to share:
The weak breeze whispers nothing
 
The water screams sublime
 
His feet shift, teeter-totter
 
Deep breath, stand back, it’s time
 
Toes untouch the bridge
 
Soon he’s water bound
 
Eyes locked shut but peek to see
 
The view from halfway down
 
A little wind, a summer sun
 
A river rich and regal
 
A flood of fond endorphins
 
Brings a calm that knows no equal
 
You’re flying now
 
You see things much more clear than from the ground
 
It’s all okay, it would be
 
Were you not now halfway down
 
Thrash to break from gravity
 
What now could slow the drop
 
All I’d give for toes to touch
 
The safety back at top
 
But this is it, the deed is done
 
Silence drowns the sound
 
Before I leaped I should’ve seen
 
The view from halfway down
 
I really should’ve thought about
 
The view from halfway down
 
I wish I could’ve known about
 
The view from halfway down--
 
Every time I relive that moment I gain a bit more control over myself, but that control is never enough to stop myself from stepping over that spot. No amount of rage, fear, or frustration is able to stop what has already happened. The deed is already done and someday, hopefully... the ringing will stop.

Continue reading...

  1. Background
  2. Session 1: Oozing Excitement
  3. Session Two: One Flew Over The Kruthics' Nest
  4. Session Three: Maybe Someday, I Gotta Go See About a Girl.
  5. Session 4: Toads?! Where We Are Going We Don't Need Toads!
  6. Session 5: Sabertooth Tigers, and Dinasours, and Merfolk! (Oh My!)
  7. Session 6: Is that Superman? No, just Glark Kent.
  8. Session 8: I can Finally Tell You that Hanging Out with This Group is a Blast.
  9. Session 8 Part 2: The Binds that Tie Us
  10. Session 9 Part 1: The Sweet Smell of Gun Powder and Cocoa Beans
  11. Session 10: I Came in like a Fireball
  12. Session 11: We Went and Built an Outpost
  13. Session 12: The Harrowing Tale of Rhinoman and T-Rex-Boy
  14. Session 13: The Demise of King Less-Talko-More-Leave-o
  15. Session 14: Our First Glimpse of the Mountains
  16. Session 15: A Roc and a Hard Place
  17. Session 16: Symbolic Confusion
  18. Session 17: Our Return Home
  19. Session 18, Venturing to the Falls
  20. Session 19: Traveling Through Merfolk Land
  21. Session 20: Risen from the Earth
  22. Session 21: The Ancients
  23. Session 22: Venturing into the Volcano
  24. Session 23: Completing The First Trial
  25. Session 24: Second Trial, Mossglimmer Valley
  26. Session 25: Mossglimmer Valley Part 2
  27. Session 25: Mossglimmer Valley Part 3
  28. Session 27: The Near End of Baron Maltrix
  29. Session 28: Rooth Upper Vault Part One
  30. Session 29: Rooth Upper Vault Part 2
  31. Session 30: Rooth Upper Vault Part 3 (Dragons Hurt, Man)
  32. Session 31: Returning North
  33. Session 32: Valeun Upper Vault Part 1
  34. Session 33: Valeun Upper Vault Part 2
  35. Session 34: Valeun Upper Vault Part 3
  36. Session 35: Valeun Upper Vault Part 4 and Next Steps
  37. Session 36: Our Adventures into Unknown Lands
  38. Session 37: Enemies from Above
  39. Session 38: Enemies? From Above
  40. Session 39: The Golden City
  41. Session 40: Fuck this Jungle and the Shitty People in It.
  42. Session 41: Onto Our Next Trial
  43. Session 42: Tempestan Upper Vault Part 2
  44. Session 43: An Interesting Offer
  45. Session 44: Aquos Upper Vault Part 1
  46. Session 45: Aquos Upper Vault Part 2
  47. Session 46: Aquos Upper Vault Part 3
  48. Session 47: The Welcoming Committee
  49. Session 48: Tectan Upper Vault Part 1
  50. Session 49: Tectan Upper Vault Part 2
  51. Session 50: Tectan Upper Vault Part 3
  52. Session 51: Tectan Upper Vault Part 4 and Returning Home
  53. Session 52: Head Out of the Clouds
  54. Session 53: Removing the Mining Camp
  55. Session 54: Meeting My Future Father-in-Law
  56. Session 55: Heading East
  57. Session 56: Overstaying Our Welcome
  58. Session: 57 Boglun Lower Vault Part 1
  59. Session 58: Boglun Lower Vault Part 2
  60. Session 59: Mapping Lake Bart
  61. Session 60: Death of a Merfolk and Our Return to Fiddletown
  62. Session 61: Trade Routes Open
  63. Session 62: Norhm's Second Miracle and Tectan Lower Vault Part 1
  64. Session 63: Tectan Lower Vault Part 2
  65. Session 64: Tectan Lower Vault Part 3
  66. Session 65: Next Steps and Holy Shit We (Norhm) Got a Dragon
  67. Session 66: Killings Some Kobolds
  68. Session 67: More Kobold Fun
  69. Session 68: The Archimedies Conflict Part 1
  70. Session 69: The Archimedies Conflict Part 2
  71. Session 70: Tempestan Lower Vault Part 1
  72. Session 71: Tempestan Lower Vault Part 2
  73. Session 72: Bag-o-Beans and Traveling Further East
  74. Session 73: Dealing with the Xorn
  75. Session 74: Traveling Towards the Magmos Lower Vault
  76. Session 75: Magmos Lower Vault Part 1
  77. Session 76: Magmos Lower Vault Part 2
  78. Session 77: Magmos Lower Vault Part 3 and the Return Home
  79. Session 78: Magic Swords are Dumb
  80. Session 79: Rooth Lower Vault Part 1
  81. Session 80: Rooth Lower Vault Part 2
  82. Session 81: Rooth Lower Vault Part 3
  83. Session 82: Rooth Lower Vault Part 4
  84. Session 83: Where to Next?
  85. Session 84: Down By the River
  86. Session 85: Drastically Changing an Ecosystem
  87. Session 86: Bright Light in the Darkness
  88. Session 87: Outside Our Next Trial
  89. Session 88: Valeun Lower Vault Part 1
  90. Session 89: Valeun Lower Vault Part 2
  91. Session 90: Valeun Lower Vault Part 3
  92. Session 91: Valeun Lower Vault Part 4
  93. Session 92: Returning Home
  94. Session 93: Finding a Potential Cure
  95. Session 94: Aqous Lower Vault Part 1
  96. Session 95: Aqous Lower Vault Part 2
  97. Session 96: Aqous Lower Vault Part 3
  98. Session 97: Aqous Lower Vault Part 4
  99. Session 98: Aquos Lower Vault Part 5
  100. Session 99: Back Home for a Minute
  101. Session 100: Tectan Deep Vault Part 1
  102. Session 101: Tectan Deep Vault Part 2
  103. Session 102: Tectan Deep Vault Part 3
  104. Session 103: Tectan Deep Vault Part 4
  105. Session 104: Tectan Deep Vault Part 5
  106. Session 105: Tectan Deep Vault Part 6
  107. Session 106: Saturday Knight Live
  108. Session 107: Fright Knight
  109. Session 108: Knighty Knight Time
  110. Session 109: Next Stop Crimes Against the State
  111. Session 110: The Not so Great Heist
  112. Session 111: HE'S GOT A SISTER?!?
  113. Session 112: A Fight for a Holy Book
  114. Session 113: More Minor God Fun
  115. Session 114: Magmos Deep Vault Part 1
  116. Session 115: Magmos Deep Vault Part 2
  117. Session 116: An Evening with Some Vampires
  118. Session 117: Getting to Know Our Vampire Selves
  119. Session 118: The Fall of Knight Volsaid, Long May She Reign
  120. Session 119: The Fall of Lord Crestin?, Long May He Reign?
  121. Session 120: The Fall of Queen Velshava?, Long May She Reign?
  122. Session 121: End 0f The Vampire Era
  123. Session 122: A Rose Without a Thorn, or Something Like That
  124. Session 123: From The Ash
  125. Session 124: Starting Over
  126. Session 125: The Forge
  127. Session 126: Onward to Our Next Trial
  128. Session 127: Aquos Deep Vault Part 1
  129. Session 128: Aquos Deep Vault Part 2
  130. Session 129: Aquos Deep Vault Part 3
  131. Session 130: Tempestan Deep Vault Part 1
  132. Session 131: Tempestan Deep Vault Part 2
  133. Session 132: Tempestan Deep Vault Part 3
  134. Session 133: Tempestan Deep Vault Part 4
  135. Session 134: Tempestan Deep Vault Part 5
  136. Session 135: Dealing with Political Bullshit
  137. Session 136: Next Deep Vault New Problems
  138. Session 137: Rooth Deep Vault Part 1
  139. Session 138: Rooth Deep Vault Part 2
  140. Session 139: Rooth Deep Vault Part 3
  141. Session 140: Rooth Deep Vault Part 4
  142. Session 141: Rooth Deep Vault Part 5
  143. Session 142: Going After the Chalice

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by 3 Armored Kittens · Prodromos v.1.1 - World Anvil 0.9.15.050 © 2017-2025 [en] | Anvil Time: 10:00, Jul 6 2026