Mysterious Marpenoth 1494

As Liar's Night approaches once more, spooky stories are told around campfires across the Realms. Contained within these haunted pages you will find a collection of tales to send shivers down your spine. While they are just stories, who knows how true they really are?

This is the challenge entry page for Spooktober 2022!

1 - Portrait

by SilkyNoire

Sariel looks at the portrait of herself. Everyone else says the piece looks amazing, but she isn't so sure. Something seems off about it.

The others she asks can't see anything strange about the painting. She gets Enna to cast detect magic, but that comes up blank. She'd bring it to the artist to ask what was wrong, but that would probably make him feel bad. Instead, she simply hangs the thing up in the tavern and tries to forget about it.

Which is harder than it sounds. Patrons ask about the beautiful woman in the painting, and are directed to her. While she doesn't mind the attention, she does mind being reminded of the painting.

Over time, she softens towards her portrait. She starts coming to appreciate it more, the artistic quality, the colours, the texture. After a few months, she even starts liking it. She proudly shows her portrait off to visitors, and commissions more paintings.

While rearranging the tavern, she has to move the painting of her to make room for a group painting. When she places it across the room, it hits her. The dark lighting of the other side made her cheekbones looks slightly different. She feels a bit silly about the whole thing.

2 - Vanish

by SilkyNoire

Invisibility isn't perfect. A dragon's heightened senses allow it to smell and hear an invisible person. A beholder's antimagic cone suppresses invisibility spells. A lich can simply see straight through it. A wizard has many spells that defeat it. Even a particularly perceptive individual, like Valna, can sometimes spot the telltale shimmer in the air that comes from the effect.

Despite all of that, a cloak of invisibility is a powerful thing. In the world of men, not dragons or beholders or liches, the average guard will never see an invisible person. A wizard or ranger may cast an invisibility spell, but these require the caster to speak the components clearly and relatively loudly - not so good when trying to sneak around. Typical invisibility spells are also broken by fast movement, such as weapon strikes or spellcasting.

The cloak simply works. It doesn't require any special skills or the Art. A lowly thief in a small town could wear one and never be caught in her life. Of course, the power of these cloaks makes them valuable. They are hard to create, taking a year for even an accomplished mage to craft. Powerful organisations, having heard about a cloak, may try to take it for themselves. Of course, they'd have to find the wearer first.

She's thought about it long enough. Sariel will get herself one of these cloaks.

3 - Abandoned

by SilkyNoire

The wind whistles through the age-old stone frame. It's a simple thing - a stone building, worn down by the ages. It's old enough that a large tree has grown into it, providing a tiny roof to the dilapitated structure.

As the hunter's moon rises over the leaf-covered ruins, Selûne's Tears sparkle in the twilight. Some small animals skitter about the ruins, but it is lifeless. Built deep in the wilderness, its purpose lost to time, hasn't seen visitors in centuries. Not that there would be anything to find - the wooden interior has long since rotted away, the valuables smashed and ruined by weather.

Perhaps a family once lived here. It could have been a place of life, part of a village or on its own. Perhaps it was a shop, or a tavern, providing a place of community to those around it. But that doesn't matter now. The ruins sit where they have sat for a thousand years, unmoving, but not unrelenting.

Someone will probably come across the ruins one day. They might view it as a simple point of interest, taking a look for a few minutes and moving on without note. All of the history of these bricks and stones remembered only by a single person for a few minutes.

Or maybe that person will decide to build anew - maybe a lone house, or maybe a bustling town. Anything could be possible with these simple stones.

5 - Misfortune

by SilkyNoire

Motzny brings down his greataxe, but the half-elf dives out of the way. He notices the wood elf draw her longbow, and he deflects the arrows with his shoulder plate. But when he looks back, the half-elf has gained some distance from him.

He shouts at his companions to hurry up, but they don't care. He's just the muscle, after all. He's not paid to think. This time the human comes at him with her rapier. He's distracted enough by the thin blade that he almost doesn't notice her dagger going for his tendon. He expertly blocks it, then hits her in the chest with the pole of his axe.

What he didn't count on was that even that was a distraction. The rapier his his hand, forcing him to drop his axe. No matter though, as he draws his handaxes. Refocusing on his original target, he barrels towards the half-elf. A trained fighter, the prone girl is no match for him.

But then something happens. Something he couldn't have expected. As he goes to finish her off, his handaxe breaks. And now, because of poor construction, the half-elf is back on her feet and summoning a magic sword. Great. What a day to be Motzny. With his sole remaining handaxe, he gets ready for the next round.

6 - Chasm

by SilkyNoire

Sariel checks her rope's anchor one last time. It's secure, so she holds on tight and leans over the edge. The cliff descends a good hundred feet or more below her. Sure, she could climb down without a rope, but it's faster and safer to use one.

The first step backwards is always the scariest. You fall backwards into nothingness, against every instinct your mind tells you. Even for an experienced climber like Sariel, it's still mildly unnerving. She takes another step, then another.

Although she has a rope, she isn't wearing any climbing gear. The only thing securing herself to the rope is her grip strength, but that's not much different from climbing. The important thing is her gloves. Without them, her hands would be burned every time she tried rappelling.

A strong gust of wind sweeps through the canyon, knocking Sariel from her footing. Her heart leaps as she's flung into the air, barely holding on. It's times like these she wishes she could cast feather fall.

But she holds on nonetheless. Her feet hit the ground, and her climb is complete. Aside from a bit of excitement, a hundred foot drop without safety gear is nothing special for her. She smiles, and starts walking into the dark canyon before her.

7 - Thorn

by SilkyNoire

Aial looks at the papers before him. They are a collection of reports from the Ardent scouts, detailing possible disturbances in the Dessarin Valley region. He sighs and sits down, absent-mindedly fiddling with his symbol of Chauntea. Exhausted from a day's work, his mind drifts into somewhere between waking and sleeping.

He recalls summer days long since past, running about Goldenfields with Mira. The two love each other, making plans for the future. One day, she disappears with little more than a goodbye. Gone from his life. Half a decade later, they reunite - cleric and paladin. But things are too different for them now.

He recalls the months on the road with Sariel, the nights stolen away by the thief. He thought and thought about it, but never asked her. He was too late.

He thinks back to Mira. He thinks again. Maybe there could be something. All he has to do is ask.

8 -Howl

by SilkyNoire

Howls fill the cool nighttime air. All Sariel can see is the dense forest around her, wind whipping the branches above. She breathes quickly and sharply, head snapping back and forth.

She hears something behind her, and spins around. She aims her bow at the bush, but there's nothing there. The blue light of the magical weapon illuminates her surroundings, but fails to reveal her stalkers. Thoughts, images, rush through her mind. A dire wolf holding her lifeless body by the neck. A pack of wolves eating her alive. A werewolf tearing-.

She closes her eyes and shakes her head. She doesn't want to think about what might happen. She tries to focus on the present. She sweeps her surroundings again, slowly and carefully. But those thoughts keep coming back.

Two glints in the brush reveal a target. She looses her arrow, magical energy blasting forth. The arrow buries itself in the bush, and she hears the whine of a canine.

But wolves hunt in packs. Before she can celebrate, another wolf darts from the brush, right into her. It knocks her to the ground, and she loses her bow. Dazed, she looks up. While it isn't a dire wolf, it's still probably larger than she is.

It lunges for her. All she has to defend herself with is her bracer. She quickly puts it in the way of the wolf's hungry maw, and hopes for the best.

9 - Mirror

by SilkyNoire

The silent house creaks as Sariel takes one step after another, surveying her surroundings with her bow drawn. Nathxena is behind her, doing the same with her crossbow, and Valna in the front with her dual swords. The end of the hallway iss blocked by debris, but a door to their right is merely locked.

With practiced precision, Sariel picks open the lock. Inside is the house's master bedroom, and there doesn't appear to be any ghosts in this particular room. While Nathxena gets to work on the safe and its contents, Sariel and Valna search the rest of the room.

Sariel goes through a small cabinet. She finds two silver pieces, hardly worth picking up. On top of the cabinet is an old, broken mirror. She gazes into it, seeing her shattered reflection like a kaleidoscope. The dozen Sariels looking back at her are different, thanks to the imperfections in the mirror.

She keeps looking. Maybe on all the other worlds of the universe, there exist other Sariels. Maybe there are even different timelines, like Enna sometimes says. Maybe in one, Sariel is a legendary mercenary, known across Faerûn for her skill with a blade. Perhaps she is a powerful wizard or sorceress, bending reality to her whim. In another, she could be queen of a kingdom. Or perhaps she becomes the greatest thief to have ever lived.

She stops for a moment. Perhaps those are not pasts that never were. Perhaps they are futures that may be yet to come.

10 - Broken

by SilkyNoire

The party has been tracking these bandits for three days. Valna peeks over the log she's hiding behind, surveying the camp they led her to. There's ten of them, all humans. Two of them have crossbows, and the rest are armed with axes, swords, and hammers. Her party of four is a match for them.

The ranger next to Valna puts his hand on her shoulder and nods. She doesn't need the encouragement. The ranger disappears into the forest, leaving Valna on her own.

She waits for the signal. It's a false bird cry, one that can't be noticed by those who don't understand the High Forest. When she hears it, she stands up, nocks an arrow, and looses it at the nearest bandit. He goes down, as do three others. A hail of arrows shoots into the camp, but Valna can't find a clear target. She moves in for a better shot.

Out of a tent darts an eleventh bandit, tackling Valna to the ground. He's not a large man, but compared to Valna, he might as well be a giant. He brings up his axe, then swings it down at her head. She quickly puts up her shortbow to block it. The axe is stopped, but her bow is shattered.

Another man trips over the one on top of Valna, giving her an opening. She headbutts him, sending him reeling. She rolls backward, coming to her feet in moments. The man charges at her again, but she steps out of the way, drawing and slicing with her blades in one swift motion.

With that, the village is safe once more.

13 - Haunt

by SilkyNoire

According to Valna (and experience), a ghost is a soul of a dead person that hasn't passed on to Kelemvor. It remains bound to Toril by unfinished business, eternally trying to finish it. Sometimes a ghost does complete its task and move on, but usually they don't.

The most surefire way to get rid of a ghost is to find out why they are still around, and fix that. However, sometimes that can be easier said than done, as Sariel is finding out. She stalks through the darkened house, hoping to find something that will tell her how to help it pass on.

"Ghost remover" isn't Sariel's usual job, but in this case it pays well. A man recently purchased the estate at a rock-bottom price, only to find out why the price was rock-bottom. An ethereal woman floated through the walls, and nearly scared the poor man to death.

Aside from their horrifying visage, which can age someone decades in a matter of seconds, the ghost's deadliest ability is that of possession. Sariel has been possessed by a ghost before. She was trapped in her own body, as another being used her like a meat puppet. Luckily that ghost was benign, but it was a very strange experience.

Sariel finds a book inside of a cabinet, and starts reading. It appears to belong to the ghost, judging by the name - which matches a local tale of a young woman tied in chains and thrown into the lake for forging a pact with an otherworldly being. Sariel can relate to that experience.

18 - Spirit

by SilkyNoire

Sariel finishes chugging her drink and the crowd cheers. She's the clear favourite. Valna probably could have won some of the crowd over with a more revealing outfit like her opponent, but she has a plan.

Enna and Nathxena both have their drinks. They can hold their beer, but not as well as Sariel. Valna, on the other hand, usually gets completely drunk after a single mug. She doesn't mind, since it's fun. And the others say she's cute when she's drunk!

It's her turn, and she chugs the whole thing. The others are surprised, and are even more surprised when, by the next round, she isn't under the table. After a few more rounds, it's down to her and Sariel. The latter looks to be barely holding herself together, but Valna is completely fine. There's a problem. Sariel's accusing her of cheating with her periapt of proof against poison. Sariel is completely correct, but Valna planned for this. She takes her shirt off, to the whistles of the crowd, but manages to hide her periapt in her thick clothes.

The last drink is presented to her. It's in a fancy bottle, and it smells strong. She hesitates, but gulps it down. She can feel herself becoming tipsy. But on Sariel's turn, she drinks it. Then falls off of her chair. The crowd cheers, proclaiming Valna the winner as she feels the alcohol really affecting her.

Sariel forgot that Valna can cast protection against poison, and so did everyone else.

22 - Lock

by SilkyNoire

She can hear the footsteps close by. The drow patrol found the body, and now they're searching for her. She snaps her mind back to the task at hand.

She applies tension to the bottom of the key hole, and puts the pick back in. She rakes it back and forth, trying to find the right setting for the pins.

A drow shouts, and she holds her breath. They're closing in.

Her hands are shaking. It's making the picking hard. She wishes she could leave this accursed city, and live on the surface in peace.

No, she has to focus. She breathes in and out, then rakes the pins again.

Click!

With a flash, she swings the door open and grabs the papers.

By the time the patrol gets to the door, Nathxena is long gone.

31 - Drown

by SilkyNoire

Sariel's strokes slow, and her kicking is more desperation than swimming. She holds her neck in a desperate attempt to keep her air in, her body convulsing all the while. And then she can't take it anymore. She relents, allowing the sea to victoriously invade her lungs.

Her body falls limp as the world begins to fade. Her limbs no longer respond to her commands, and all she can do is watch the surface slowly fade into darkness.

In theory, her idea was sound. In practice, the temple was guarded, and there weren't any air pockets. The treasure was still in her backpack, the riches now weighing her down to her demise.

Of course, maybe Zelifarn is still around, instead of playing with dolphins or breaking into shipwrecks like he usually does. Sariel tries to move her head to scan for him, but her muscles refuse to answer.

It feels like the longest twenty seconds of her life. She's drowned before, and it's not pleasant. Sometimes she forgets that she needs to breathe, sometimes she gets tied to a rock. Still, that won't stop her from taking risks. Not now, not ever.

Consciousness fades from her mind. Her eyes close, and the last bubbles of air slip from her lungs. A single arm stays outstreched toward the fading sun as she sinks into the abyss.