Session 24
Kalydin sat upon a stone, surrounded by the burnt remains of his childhood home. Still reeling from the revelation of his memories, he sat in silence. It was Seraph who spoke to Oryim and Liaden O'Legal saying that they needed time. With a nod of understanding, they went on through the loose door into the next memory.
Meanwhile, Sam Calas noticed that he had been left behind in a memory not his own. Still standing in Oryim's childhood bedroom, he noticed as the landscape began to change. Words became muddled as nothing made sense. Light was cast with no shadows, time didn't move yet the surroundings did. The room folded away like a broken box to reveal an emptiness beyond. The sound of running water, like a stream, entered his ears as he saw on the horizon a cloaked figure guiding a small boat down the stream. As it came level with him, it spoke and revealed itself to be Death.
Sam, recognising this as a memory played along, curious as to whether or not Death itself would care for theatrics of replaying some of the more vital moments. It was in this memory, that Sam's deal was revealed. Death offered to ferry the souls of Sam's wife and daughter to safety, in exchange for service. The deed in question was to retrieve a treasure stolen from one of Death's temples in Morris Cove, located deep in the Grimtooth Jungle. With newfound purpose, Death gifted Sam with a death-mantle, a spirit guide for him that took the form of an empty cloak.
As the memory continued, it froze as the sound of rushing water filled Sam's ears again. This time, the real Death appeared to speakm with him. Confused as to how two Deaths could be in the same place, Death explained that one was just a memory. Death warned Sam that he was in grave danger the longer he tarried in the dream. Warning him that the vengeful beings that dwelt deeper in the Dreamlands did not like others being concious in their realm.
Sam took the opportunity to speak with Death about faith, explaining that worship did not come easily to him. Death rebutted by saying that the idea of death existed before the deity, the same is true for magic and The Magician as well as with destruction and The Tower. Death explained that all deities were but ideas at first, and as ideas grow and change, so too do the idols those ideas create. Death told Sam that, regardless of whether he worships Death or not does not matter. They had a deal that they would both need to see through. Somewhat satisfied with this; Sam decided it was time to move on. Death provided him with a door to walk through. Sam turned the handle on the door and pushed it open.
As Liaden and Oryim walked through the doorway, they arrived in an empty, grey, square room with a door on each wall. In its centre, sat the glowing blue image of Melina, who watched them as they entered. Liaden's gut felt twisted again as the image of the elderly woman approached and attempted to give them a hug. Her arms phased through Liaden as she remembered that she wasn't actually there. Liaden, confused, asked what she was doing here in their dreams, to which Melina replied that she wanted to invite Liaden over for tea, but she was asleep when the projection began. So, instead, Melina projected herself into Liaden's dream.
Even more confused than before she asked, Liaden then asked where they were, at which point Sam stepped through the door on the far side of the room. Melina explained that she had no idea where they were and that she had tried to search for an exit, only to find that no exit existed here. She contyinued on to warn them that The Elder Beings were not fond of those who walked through the Dreamlands with lucidity. When Oryim asked what kind of danger they were in Melina started to explain, before vanishing mid sentence.
As she disappeared a nightgaunt stepped through the adjacent door, spotted them, and then quickly shut the door again. Shortly after, they heard what sounded like boots angrily storming towards them from the other side of the door. The door swung open as another humanoid creature burst through, angrily yelling and demanding to know who these intruders were. After deciding that these intruders would need to be detained and tortured for information, our heroes elected to avoid that fate, instead trying to fight their way through.
This, did not go so well, as the party was quickly routed by the mounting and increasing force of the Deamland's natives. Oryim, who fell first thought they would have died, but their death in the dream jolted their physical body awake. One by one our heroes fell, either dying in the dream or being woken by Oryim in the material plane before they could. Shaken and somewhat disoriented, the party awoke in the chapel where they lay down to sleep. Unsure as to what they must do next.
Meanwhile, Sam Calas noticed that he had been left behind in a memory not his own. Still standing in Oryim's childhood bedroom, he noticed as the landscape began to change. Words became muddled as nothing made sense. Light was cast with no shadows, time didn't move yet the surroundings did. The room folded away like a broken box to reveal an emptiness beyond. The sound of running water, like a stream, entered his ears as he saw on the horizon a cloaked figure guiding a small boat down the stream. As it came level with him, it spoke and revealed itself to be Death.
Sam, recognising this as a memory played along, curious as to whether or not Death itself would care for theatrics of replaying some of the more vital moments. It was in this memory, that Sam's deal was revealed. Death offered to ferry the souls of Sam's wife and daughter to safety, in exchange for service. The deed in question was to retrieve a treasure stolen from one of Death's temples in Morris Cove, located deep in the Grimtooth Jungle. With newfound purpose, Death gifted Sam with a death-mantle, a spirit guide for him that took the form of an empty cloak.
As the memory continued, it froze as the sound of rushing water filled Sam's ears again. This time, the real Death appeared to speakm with him. Confused as to how two Deaths could be in the same place, Death explained that one was just a memory. Death warned Sam that he was in grave danger the longer he tarried in the dream. Warning him that the vengeful beings that dwelt deeper in the Dreamlands did not like others being concious in their realm.
Sam took the opportunity to speak with Death about faith, explaining that worship did not come easily to him. Death rebutted by saying that the idea of death existed before the deity, the same is true for magic and The Magician as well as with destruction and The Tower. Death explained that all deities were but ideas at first, and as ideas grow and change, so too do the idols those ideas create. Death told Sam that, regardless of whether he worships Death or not does not matter. They had a deal that they would both need to see through. Somewhat satisfied with this; Sam decided it was time to move on. Death provided him with a door to walk through. Sam turned the handle on the door and pushed it open.
As Liaden and Oryim walked through the doorway, they arrived in an empty, grey, square room with a door on each wall. In its centre, sat the glowing blue image of Melina, who watched them as they entered. Liaden's gut felt twisted again as the image of the elderly woman approached and attempted to give them a hug. Her arms phased through Liaden as she remembered that she wasn't actually there. Liaden, confused, asked what she was doing here in their dreams, to which Melina replied that she wanted to invite Liaden over for tea, but she was asleep when the projection began. So, instead, Melina projected herself into Liaden's dream.
Even more confused than before she asked, Liaden then asked where they were, at which point Sam stepped through the door on the far side of the room. Melina explained that she had no idea where they were and that she had tried to search for an exit, only to find that no exit existed here. She contyinued on to warn them that The Elder Beings were not fond of those who walked through the Dreamlands with lucidity. When Oryim asked what kind of danger they were in Melina started to explain, before vanishing mid sentence.
As she disappeared a nightgaunt stepped through the adjacent door, spotted them, and then quickly shut the door again. Shortly after, they heard what sounded like boots angrily storming towards them from the other side of the door. The door swung open as another humanoid creature burst through, angrily yelling and demanding to know who these intruders were. After deciding that these intruders would need to be detained and tortured for information, our heroes elected to avoid that fate, instead trying to fight their way through.
This, did not go so well, as the party was quickly routed by the mounting and increasing force of the Deamland's natives. Oryim, who fell first thought they would have died, but their death in the dream jolted their physical body awake. One by one our heroes fell, either dying in the dream or being woken by Oryim in the material plane before they could. Shaken and somewhat disoriented, the party awoke in the chapel where they lay down to sleep. Unsure as to what they must do next.
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