Session 28: More Unseen Bullshit, Dead Hobgoblin, Bathing in Bloodwater, Feeling Little Bit Bad That I Am Still Wearing Ring, Being Broke, Kisha's Voice in my Fucking Head, Stupid Divination Spell, GG Being Executed in Five Days

General Summary

So fucking tired. Too many injuries, too much magic flowing through my body. I must rest. All of us, we must rest.
We are in safehouse where Grandfather has made deal with smugglers so that we can stay. We have found coin that Unseen guy has told us about in Grandfather’s pocket, and now it is safely in bag where they can not be tracking it anymore. We think.
It is decided that, unlike way that is usual, Grandfather and I will both be meditating first since it takes only few hours, and having our magics come back to us would be big help.
But there is not to be rest. While we both settle into position for meditation, Skreek and Ingoria are checking out rest of warehouse. It looks like nobody has been here in long time, so this is good. Then Ingoria climbs to roof and Skreek takes to sky. I have given Baermek sending stone so they can communicate.
And it is only few minutes after I have closed my eyes, that Baermek smacks me on shoulder and hisses “They’re on their way!” Skreek has spotted four Unseen, dressed in usual mission garb, climbing over rooftops toward this place, and one who is dressed different and seems to be leader, who is hanging back. Quickly we run into warehouse and set up little ambush for them by front door.
There is sounds of combat outside, many arrows and crossbow bolts are whizzing through air and there are grunts of pain and someone screams. Then there is shout in elven, “They’re at the front door!” and some asshole casts darkness on us. Again.
I back up out of darkness, and so too does Baermek and Grandfather. We are all there waiting when monk follows us out and gets slammed with spells. He is very hurt, but still is feeling feisty enough to give Baermek really nasty whack with his sword. I gather shadows into weapon and send them to strangle this guy, while I reach out to second monk and give him death touch. First one is down, second one is very hurt. Ha!
But this is when two more run up and kill Baermek. This is not too big of deal because really he is total asshole, but it does mean they can both now hit me, and this is not acceptable. I can hear above are sounds of combat, but they are too far away for me to get to. Grandfather has run off after Skreek and I am alone.
I look down at corpse of Baermek and do quick math problem. Lots of monks versus just me, and I started this fight already in bad shape. If I am to fall here, there will be no one left to bring me back. And if I do not come back, then Kisha has won.
Fuck this shit. I dive out of window that has been broken in fight. Landing on boardwalk, I use magic of tattoos to turn into shadow and slip through cracks, dropping silently into water below. Then I swim as quietly as I can toward building across street, where I stay floating, perfectly still.
Above me I hear sounds of monk who is looking for me. He says many things which are not very flattering about me, and completely trashes place from sounds of it, but it does not occur to him to look under building (and to be fair to this idiot, why would it?). I smile and silently flip him off.
But otherwise, I stay quiet and still until I hear him run away. In distance, I hear sound of something large making big sploosh as it enters water. Maybe other guy is not so much idiot. I stay still for moment longer, listening, listening, but I do not hear anything more, so I make my way very quietly until I am under warehouse again. It sounds like combat is over, so I find crack in floor where I can come back up and see if anyone else has survived.
To my big surprise, everyone else is very hurt but still alive, except for Baermek, who continues to be dead. Maybe I could do something about that if it hadn’t been so long, but it has been more than one minute, so he’s screwed. Eh.
Others they are not so ready to let asshole go though, so together we schlep him into nearby dinghy that we have borrowed with no plans to return, and start rowing out from town – not with any destination in mind, just away.
We take turns rowing (Boggie, why could you not have given me amazing magics, but also let me still be badass monk?! Was is really being necessary to give me little noodle arms?). It is many hours, maybe five hours, before we find little cove where we feel we are probably safe. But, even with being so far out of town, we still have Skreek do rope trick thing, so we can get quick rest and see if anyone is following. It does not look like it, and now we are ready for real rest. So, so ready.
With much relief, I close eyes to sink into place where all is peace… but peace is thing which I cannot find. For last few hours there is something which has been bugging at me. My mind, it keeps returning to room at Academy – warm with lantern light we do not need, warm like blankets from bed, tousled and fallen to stone floor. Kisha has my ring, Kisha has stolen Mama’s ring. But here is gift, here is new ring. Here is my hand being held in long, clever fingers as ring slides on. Here is smile – not usual cocky one that thrills and annoys me – this one is shy, almost bashful. Here are eyes that are telling me things I want to hear, need to hear.
I am loved.
“Don’t take the ring off, Alyona. Ever.” It is promise I have kept. Once it was taken from me, and you know what is fate of that asshole Aleorman, who took it. But, never, never have I taken it off myself.
But, here is problem. If it is that we can track Kisha through Mama’s ring, then also it is possible someone could track me through this ring. It is no big secret that I wear it always.
I should take it off. Yes, smart thing would be to hide it away in Grandfather’s bag with coin. With it on my finger, we are compromised. But this time I cannot choose smart thing. I open eyes and look down at ring.
It is old, much older than is Mama’s ring. Well worn gold, scratched and scuffed, but with warm glow to it. It has single pearl nestled into band – smooth and silky, color like cream. It wraps around my finger like an embrace.


I close eyes again and try to return to meditation, but my left hand moves without thinking to wrap tightly around my right, as if it could hide away ring from magic, from questions.
Maybe, maybe wearing this ring is death for all of us.
I do not care.

*****

Next morning it is business of bringing back hobgoblin from where he is having nice little rest in Czerno. Skreek flies back to town and manages to find cleric who can rez him. A few minutes of chanting, some hand waving and tada! We have asshole back. Yay. All of his amazing personality, plus now we are out like 1400 gp. Literally, we are down to one gold piece each. It has been long time since I have been this broke, and I do not like it. Next time we are in town, I am going to find some nice little shop to knock over or take quick hit job or something. This is bullshit.
Baermek is being all weird and dramatic about why it is we brought him back. Like it is any big deal to die, fucking newb. I am only half listening, when…
Breathtaking stupidity. Sloppy form. Telegraphing moves.
In my head. IN MY FUCKING HEAD!! Voice is little bit different – more raspy, more hoarse – but it is that bitch, Kisha! There is no question. How she is doing this, I do not know. Kisha does not have the magics to do sendings… at least she didn’t before. But then, neither did I.
For second I cannot think. I am there again in sparring grounds, not waiting to die, but rushing toward it. Panic, fear, anger.
All into little box. All of it stuffed down in little box in bottom of my mind.
“Oh. Hey.” I respond, doing best to sound bored, unimpressed. “You sound horrible. Case of the sniffles? Don’t worry. I’ve got a cure for that.”
Then I brace myself waiting to hear that voice again, but there is nothing. Slowly, I relax. Nobody else has noticed this I think, so caught up in Baermek’s drama they were. Good. This is between me and Kisha. Others, they do not need to be in my head too.
But, if before I was anxious to kill her, now I am on fire with need. We must find way into her base! She must die before I ever have to hear her speak in my head again. And there is only one person I know who maybe will have answers I need.
Well, “person” is not maybe not right word.
There is plant, found in deepest caverns, which is called gor’kiye slezy, or “bitter tears.” Any light at all will shrivel it; it must be collected in total darkness. Then it is mixed with wax to make candles, which can safely be exposed to light. Candles are stupid fucking expensive, but even Drow who have not enough money to eat, they will sacrifice much to afford them for funerals of family, even family that they hate. Smell is nauseating, and burns your eyes, but it must be so strong to reach senses of those you have lost. Only with scent to carry them, will they pass on to next world. And dead moving on is good for them, and good for you, too. Just look at what happens when someone dies and keeps coming back.
When Skreek flew into town. I asked him to do little errand for me. With last little bit of money we had before rez, I sent him to church, where it is Drow worship God and Saints. Yes, yes, we have the churches. But no god has ever spoken to me there, much less given me any power to change things. Old Gods are better. Old Gods are real.
And candles made from gor’kiye slezy, these are old, old things. Yes, churches will sell them to you, and take food out of your children’s mouths to do so, but they have stolen candles from old ways, along with everything else. So I must give what little bit of money we have left to Church to buy two candles. Hopefully they will choke on it. Complete assholes.
When Skreek gives me candles, I find quiet spot on edge of cove and sit with one in front of me. For little minute, I am not sure what to do. Always my conversations with Czernobog have been fairly, um, casual. Never before have I sought him out with magic like this. But, as I stare at candle and breathe in deep, I find knowledge that is needed. It is like Boggie has written these things in my heart, and I only am needing to read writing that is there. Creepy, right? But also it is pretty cool.
For long time, I sit and breathe in smoke of gor’kiye slezy candles and chant, feeling skin grow colder, and air around me grow darker. All this time I am thinking of Kisha, focused on her – on finding her, on killing her. How? I ask of Darkness. Go in after her? Or lure her out? I breathe in, and taste of bitter tears fills my lungs, freezing them for moment. I can feel them spasm and then my breath returns, but no longer am I one who is breathing. Something is breathing for me. I feel presence, like I have felt in Czerno. And, even though it is tiniest sliver of Boggie, I feel like skin will burst with immensity of power that now rides me.
I cannot see; everything has gone black. My question echoes back at me from walls of cavern, rolling into chorus – enticing, entreating.
How? Go in after her? Kisha. Kisha. Kisha. How? Lure her out? Kisha. Kisha. Kisha. How? Ambush? How? Lure? How? Kisha!! How? Attack? How? Lure? Kisha!!
Even when my voice has gone quiet, still it echoes back, louder and louder, almost deafening. And voice which is not mine rolls out of my mouth, darker and more bitter than any plant could ever be.
The monster that hides its face in the shadows Is not easily led into the light, But such a dangerous place may lead you Into an early twilight.
Voice stops, chanting stops, my lungs are my own again, and I cough as I take back control of them. I think about for long moment answer I have received.
Seriously Boggie? What the fuck?! I want my money back.

*****

Alyona to GG: What is it you dreamed? How was he killed? When will Zinalla be there? We will not let you die!”
GG to Alyona: I dreamed I cut his heart out, I don't know how he died. We argued recently. 5 days till trial. He was my friend.

Report Date

04 Nov 2023