Session 25
In the previous session, our heroes woke from the dream after Oryim and Liaden O'Legal perished within it. However, before Kalydin could be woken, Seraph informed him that he now remembered everything. Things that he had either forgotten in place of his new duty or chosen to forget because it was easier not to ponder.
Seraph showed Kalydin his life and his family. As a mortal human man by the name of Daelin, he lived his mortal life in Ishfell which lay on the South-Eastern border of Hydenbur. Daelin had a family. He lived a quiet life as a Hydenbur Hierocracy clerk with his wife and daughter. His daughter, turns out, was Kalydin's mother. 30 years ago; Daelin commissioned a necklace for his wife, who was deathly ill. She passed away ad gave the necklace to their daughter who cherished it.
Several years later, the little girl was now a young woman intending to travel abroad to Mitlind. Daelin hugged her tightly as she left and passed many years in sadness and solitude. After some time, he could bear it no longer. He missed his daughter terribly and would do anything to see her again. So, as the second Dossil war was in its peak, he enlisted. He was placed in a small platoon to carve a deeper path into Mitlind to secure footholds for their homeland.
While passing through a unnamed village, Daelin seized his chance to escape from his fellow soldiers and search for his daughter. Forsaking all oaths of fellowship and his declarations before the gods he doffed his armour, stole clothes from a nearby clothesline and started running. He knew not where he would run to, or where his daughter was but he ran all the same. Hours turned to days. Days to weeks until he fell to the floor tired and broken.
He was soon attended by an elven man, who helped Daelin to his feet and offered him shelter, food and water. Daelin explained his position and that he was searching for his daughter. The elf laughed, revealing that he was actually married to the woman and that she was out running errands in the town nearby, but that she would be home in the evening. Elated, Daelin spent the rest of that day gazing out the window. As the sun began to set, Daelin saw his daughter crest the hill. Tears welled up in his eyes at the site of her. The elf had informed him that she was expecting their first child soon, so Daelin's heart was full of whimsical dreams of being there to help raise his grandchild.
This fantasy was short lived. Daelin felt the hand of the elf clasp down on his weakened form and the voice that was once full of mirth now turned to hollow spite. "You will not interrupt my plans." Spoke the elf, as they plunged a sickle into the old man's ribs. Yanking it clear, spraying the wall with blood, the old man attempted to crawl away only then to be grabbed by the ankles and draged into the field of long grass behind the house. Kalydin watched on in horror as Daelin's form was hacked apart, the sickle coming down over and over. Spraying arcs of viscera as it was raised overhead.
Daelin called out to anything that could be listening, begging not for his life, but for the safety of his daughter and grandchild. His vision left him, as did all senses. Daelin was dead. And yet, he opened his eyes to see the field around him, his form glowing with light though he knew not why. He found that he could always see his daughter, throught wood and stone alike. And so, he followed her, unable to change anything but trying anyway. He bore witness to the birth of his granddaughter, Freda. And grew sad when her childlike wonder was twisted by the elf to evil. She was taught the art of raising the dead to serve her and she practised often on dead birds and other animals around her home.
Finally, a familiar memory. Kalydin and Seraph watched the moment their home burned, with Daelin's daughter inside. The first moment someone could see Seraph since he passed into the afterlife. Seraph, was Kalydin's grandfather and had a purpose to protect him and prepare him for the horrors that the elf, Grimwalde, had attempted to bring upon him. With their shared history now pieced together, they woke.
After waking, our heroes were unsure what way to go. After discussing what had happened in the dream with the priest of The Hermit, he informed them that those ho had died in the dream now had their souls held captive by the Elder Beings, and that they would slowly start going insane. Not liking the sound of that, Liaden and Oryim asked if there was ever a cure. The priest told them that this had never ben attempted before but they should seek out one of the deities of dreams and nightmares to potentially seek some form of guidance.
Liaden remembered that Melina, the old woman who invited her to tea, seemed to know something about the dream and the Elder Beings. After deliberating for a while, the party agreed that they would be no help to anyone if half of them were crazy. So the diverted their path to Silvaantar in order to speak with Melina about hopefully retrieving their souls.
When they set off they had to set up camp not long afterwards. They pitched their tents near another group, who seemed to be members of the military. Oryim, when they were on watch, overheard some of their conversation. The soldiers on watch talked about how they were very early and that the dignitaries wouldn't be there for quite some time. Noting this down, they informed their allies in the morning that, whatever was happening, something would e going down in the near future.
Seraph showed Kalydin his life and his family. As a mortal human man by the name of Daelin, he lived his mortal life in Ishfell which lay on the South-Eastern border of Hydenbur. Daelin had a family. He lived a quiet life as a Hydenbur Hierocracy clerk with his wife and daughter. His daughter, turns out, was Kalydin's mother. 30 years ago; Daelin commissioned a necklace for his wife, who was deathly ill. She passed away ad gave the necklace to their daughter who cherished it.
Several years later, the little girl was now a young woman intending to travel abroad to Mitlind. Daelin hugged her tightly as she left and passed many years in sadness and solitude. After some time, he could bear it no longer. He missed his daughter terribly and would do anything to see her again. So, as the second Dossil war was in its peak, he enlisted. He was placed in a small platoon to carve a deeper path into Mitlind to secure footholds for their homeland.
While passing through a unnamed village, Daelin seized his chance to escape from his fellow soldiers and search for his daughter. Forsaking all oaths of fellowship and his declarations before the gods he doffed his armour, stole clothes from a nearby clothesline and started running. He knew not where he would run to, or where his daughter was but he ran all the same. Hours turned to days. Days to weeks until he fell to the floor tired and broken.
He was soon attended by an elven man, who helped Daelin to his feet and offered him shelter, food and water. Daelin explained his position and that he was searching for his daughter. The elf laughed, revealing that he was actually married to the woman and that she was out running errands in the town nearby, but that she would be home in the evening. Elated, Daelin spent the rest of that day gazing out the window. As the sun began to set, Daelin saw his daughter crest the hill. Tears welled up in his eyes at the site of her. The elf had informed him that she was expecting their first child soon, so Daelin's heart was full of whimsical dreams of being there to help raise his grandchild.
This fantasy was short lived. Daelin felt the hand of the elf clasp down on his weakened form and the voice that was once full of mirth now turned to hollow spite. "You will not interrupt my plans." Spoke the elf, as they plunged a sickle into the old man's ribs. Yanking it clear, spraying the wall with blood, the old man attempted to crawl away only then to be grabbed by the ankles and draged into the field of long grass behind the house. Kalydin watched on in horror as Daelin's form was hacked apart, the sickle coming down over and over. Spraying arcs of viscera as it was raised overhead.
Daelin called out to anything that could be listening, begging not for his life, but for the safety of his daughter and grandchild. His vision left him, as did all senses. Daelin was dead. And yet, he opened his eyes to see the field around him, his form glowing with light though he knew not why. He found that he could always see his daughter, throught wood and stone alike. And so, he followed her, unable to change anything but trying anyway. He bore witness to the birth of his granddaughter, Freda. And grew sad when her childlike wonder was twisted by the elf to evil. She was taught the art of raising the dead to serve her and she practised often on dead birds and other animals around her home.
Finally, a familiar memory. Kalydin and Seraph watched the moment their home burned, with Daelin's daughter inside. The first moment someone could see Seraph since he passed into the afterlife. Seraph, was Kalydin's grandfather and had a purpose to protect him and prepare him for the horrors that the elf, Grimwalde, had attempted to bring upon him. With their shared history now pieced together, they woke.
After waking, our heroes were unsure what way to go. After discussing what had happened in the dream with the priest of The Hermit, he informed them that those ho had died in the dream now had their souls held captive by the Elder Beings, and that they would slowly start going insane. Not liking the sound of that, Liaden and Oryim asked if there was ever a cure. The priest told them that this had never ben attempted before but they should seek out one of the deities of dreams and nightmares to potentially seek some form of guidance.
Liaden remembered that Melina, the old woman who invited her to tea, seemed to know something about the dream and the Elder Beings. After deliberating for a while, the party agreed that they would be no help to anyone if half of them were crazy. So the diverted their path to Silvaantar in order to speak with Melina about hopefully retrieving their souls.
When they set off they had to set up camp not long afterwards. They pitched their tents near another group, who seemed to be members of the military. Oryim, when they were on watch, overheard some of their conversation. The soldiers on watch talked about how they were very early and that the dignitaries wouldn't be there for quite some time. Noting this down, they informed their allies in the morning that, whatever was happening, something would e going down in the near future.
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