Session 44: The One Where Hysteria Dies

General Summary

Hysteria's Doom

Time began counting down until Hysteria would die. They were seeing their own death, out of time and place, an event that wasn't supposed to happen for some time brought forward to them in this moment. This vision of their own Doom had a chance to be stopped, and it was up to the rest of the Spiritual Travelers to find a way to keep Hysteria alive. Not only that, but the sound of nearby loggers was also audible...pressure was building. Namina attempted a couple of solutions: The first being to ward off the approaching death with magical abjuration. She offered to heal Hysteria back to full health, but this notion was swiftly dismissed as not being important at the time... Instead, her second attempt was to remove the potential curse causing this Doom. The removal of the curse did...something, though whether or not it removed what was ailing Hysteria was unclear. Something did, however, detach from them and attempt to flee into the nearby forest. Kaswink was quick to chase after it, but Agave stopped the spectre in its tracks with a swift use of his usual moonbeam. The shadow dissolved into the combined light of the rising sun and the beam of moonlight. The Doom that Hysteria was seeing during all this was presented as the rest of their environment, including their allies, being a lot dimmer, darker, and the ground that they should've been standing on was replaced with a distant Orb of swirling light and dark. They were unsure of what this would be...but it seemed like something that shouldn't be happening yet. Hysteria responded to this strange shape by patting it reassuradly. Frode and Kaswink spent the last moment of Hysteria's life praying to Ilmater, and Namina took the time to remove their mask. For the first time, you were able to see Hysteria's full face, not just their mouth or a portion of their head. They had very pale blue skin, gaunt features, kinda malnourished, long ears that pointed back and out, a "condescending longish/slender face" that was described as "baby face" or very young (visually 18/19 years old by human standards), short cropped hair that looked like it was buzzed at one point but had been growing, their eyes were red as if they were albino, and they had no tongue. Namina also readied a spell to preserve Hysteria's body should the ward against death not work as well as it should, and Agave began calling out the Chittering Spirit in an attempt to summon it. DAN's last action for Hysteria was to split into three separate people, no longer three halflings in a trenchcoat. They broke their formation and dropped to their knees around Hysteria. They had no words, speechless, just staring at this dying friend...

Hysteria's Death

Upon their death, Hysteria found themselves mostly without a body and in a dark void. They were be presented with three archways. One of them was unable to be seen through due to a blinding light, the other due to darkness. The middle arch was more transparent and its contents were clearly visible. Middle Arch - The middle arch, the one you can most clearly see through, shows a pristine vision of the last hundred years, primarily moments with the other Spiritual Travelers in the Spirit World. Your mistakes, triumphs and all that on full display. Your life flashing before your eyes… Though, between each scene flashes something new, something you haven’t seen yet, and it starts out rather blurry before slowly, very slowly becoming as clear as the other footage. It’s an image of the person you’re looking for. In a prison, at home, in a cemetery, at home with her kids, in a cemetery, at home with her husband…each moment of her life dissolving, never to reappear after you see it. The last thing that is displayed within this arch is her, as a hag, working in a garden. It stays like that, just an observation of her, possibly in real time. Though there is a shadow within this image, it stalks around her, detaches from her body, and its face becomes a porcelain white before the shadow stabs into her, ending her life once and for all…finally, justice is served. You feel like you could step through and deal with her once and for all, but you have two other options as well.

Light Arch - To the left of the middle arch is one filled with light. Nothing is visible in this archway, but you can sometimes hear laughter. It sounds carefree, and it relaxes you a bit, makes you feel free of responsibilities, like a relaxing Slnkodeň (Elven Saturday) afternoon with some friends. Something Hysteria hasn’t really experienced for at least a hundred years. It is tempting, subconsciously drawing you in, and is joined by a voice. The voice sings, and as it is heard it creates a sense of synesthesia, a confusion of senses, as you begin to see this voice singing before calling out to you. It wants you to walk through this portal, it wants to keep you safe, and beyond that it wants to keep you …alive. It sounds lonely, this voice, it sounds like it misses someone and its song is incredibly sad. The tone is feminine, though you can never be sure who or what is at the other end of it, and it is also familiar despite never being heard by you before. This person or spirit or whatever it is is something trustworthy to you. It offers you eternity, as long as you stay by her side.

Darkness Arch - The last visible arch is filled with darkness, it seeps from the bottom of it and looks like a combination of liquid, mist, with an oily consistency. It almost feels like it is reaching out to you, very slowly, and slightly more gravity is physically drawing you toward it. While the other two doors kinda draw you in with temptation, this one is more physical, and the only audio available from the other side of it initially is the sound of weeping. It sounds similar to the singing voice from the other door, and it is eventually joined with the very soft sound of a bell, chiming away as if some hour has just begun. It chimes 12 times…the last three chimes are accompanied by a small amount of chains rattling. These chains become deafening as the last chime rings and hangs in the air, sustained for what feels like an eternity in this …unusual place. This arch makes you uncomfortable in more ways than one, but something about it feels…important, relevant to a part of your cause. While the other arches might give closure, offers, eternal whatever this one feels like responsibility. The responsibility looms overhead, under your feet, and the crying stops before an ear-tearing sob cries out into the area around you.

Meanwhile, back in the land of the ...Spirits, the rest of the Spiritual Travelers were dealing with this corpse. Frode, strangely enough though not really addressed, was hearing the sound of rattling chains while Hysteria was standing in front of those arches. Frode and DAN were preparing for combat as the sound of logging was still approaching. Kaswink was also preparing for combat, though she was also addressing the corpse. She was worried that if it wasn't buried soon then she would go feral while she slept. Namina was protecting the corpse at all cost, wanting to keep it above ground and needing time to prepare to bury it properly. The idea was presented that a shallow grave was used that Agave could just dig out each morning for Namina to do what she needed to with the body. Namina explained that the body won't decay for ten days, that the spell she used was to keep the dead preserved until properly buried...so that they could return to a cycle that apparently no longer exists. Agave transformed into an owl and flew into the forest to scout and observe this logging activity.

Hysteria was contemplating these arches, and they began to reach out to a "specific individual from their life". "You've reached out to me before. I don't know if that's because I was close to you or because I was straying to far...but, Patron, I think I need guidance here. I don't know what to do. I think I know what to do, but it feels like I'm being pulled in a direction that isn't what I need to do. I think I need some guidance. If you can't hear me, I guess I'll go where you told me to go last, but it feels like you're telling me to go somewhere else." Hysteria didn't receive a response with words, but each of the arches had their own way of trying to convince them that they were the right path. The song from the arch of Light tried to beckon them closer, more volume and laughter trying to get their attention. The Clear arch had the shadow and dying hag both turned to look at Hysteria, staring without moving. The Darkness from the last arch was physically tugging at their clothes. Each one seemed to be involved with who they were speaking to in some way or another it seems.

Meanwhile, Agave was flying into the woods. He was able to see that there were eight Uginot ec Mlet on their way to your base, and that they were making swift work of the trees compared to the last time they were seen...some upgrades must've been made. Back at the base, Hysteria's body twitched. Namina kept a tight grip on the muscle that twitched and had been carrying Hysteria's body around with an almost territorial attitude towards it. As she gripped the arm muscle that twitched in this way, it relaxed and she could feel the warmth of blood flowing through it once more...

Hysteria thought back to the last bit of instruction they received and feeling that their mission is most important...plus they were able to see what it contains more clearly. Hysteria chose clarity. A goal that they’ve had for some time, a mission that has taken longer than most others they’ve had…something far more challenging than anything else their Patron has set them on. Finding someone in an entire world? Well, they’ve got the opportunity to finish this, and why not take it? The archway, the space between this otherworld and what lies beyond had no sense of “here” or “there”, it was just like stepping from one room to another. they were in this Hag Village, a place they were in quite recently, but it looked different. Everything was grayscale except their target who was still out in her garden doing some weeding, watering and so forth.

Their intent, their goal, mission was all right there, ready to be completed… They snuck behind a tree, readied their bow, and fired at this hag. Their arrow phased right through the hag, it vanished and was replaced with the sound of laughter. “That won’t work…not yet.” A feeling like someone was wrapping their arms around their shoulders, gently caressing from one side to the other, running fingers along their frame could be felt. “We could play a game, you and I, but you should know that someone has already taken your body…quite upsetting for me and anyone else that wanted it. I could help you get it back though, and help you deal with this Hag. I would just need payment in return.” The voice still didn’t have a source, just the same unsettling caresses along their shoulders.

Hysteria's Chance

Agave began flying back to alert the rest of you. Frode and DAN continued waiting for the loggers, and Kaswink began praying over Hysteria's body. Namina used her time to magically make Hysteria's newly alive body invisible. As it became invisible, a hand from this supposed corpse grabbed at Namina's arm. She felt the rest of the body move, and then she heard Hysteria attempt to speak before suddenly going quiet and letting go of her.

Hysteria stabbed at the strange presence, feeling no hesitation to stab themselves in the process. They were met with more laughter and an explanation: “The game would be a simple enough challenge, and you’d be able to kill this hag, but you would have to get your body back on your own while dealing with any other spirits that might bring you harm along the way...or you could just take my deal.” Hysteria refused this deal, and the spirit seemed excited to play a game. It observed Hysteria, stating that they looked to be the sneaky type and offered a game of Hide and Seek. It explained that it would hide first, then Hysteria would hide, and back and forth until a winner is determined. Each time Hysteria fails, however, a cord connecting them to their body would be severed. They would then be forced to find their body on their own...an almost impossible task that likely led to many lost and unknown spirits. The spirit offered its deal again, providing a bit more details about it... “The deal, well, the price involved would be revealed when the time comes for me to take it. I would help you become corporeal enough to harm that witch, and I would help you get your body back. In exchange, something will happen at any time to benefit me...” Hysteria refused on the grounds that this spirit was not providing any information about who or what it is...and not trusting that it was a Spirit as it claimed, believing instead that it was some fae out to trick them.

Hysteria's body, meanwhile, was under some scrutiny by Kaswink. Having heard Hysteria try to speak as they were turned invisible, she decided to test this newly animated corpse by asking them to get something from her room. Hysteria's body stood up, and was followed by Namina as she was holding its hand. It ended up going into the first room it saw, Frode's, and was stopped by Namina. She removed the invisibility from them and used her command of wind to knock this imposter to the ground. As soon as it flopped to the floor of your cabin, she immediately pinned it and began an interrogation. Her first question was simple enough as she asked who they are. The corpse furrowed its brow, looked from side to side as if looking for an answer or just completely baffled by whatever accusation she was making. It began to sign, but had a difficult time as its arms were pinned to the ground...regardless of this it was signing "Hysteria" over and over. Word of loggers coming was provided by Agave, and plans to stop them were in the works. Kaswink took the pylons of her Glaive of the Stalker and hid in a bush. DAN and Frode continued waiting, and Agave began casting a spell to disguise the surrounding area of the Home Base to look like a massive ravine.

Hysteria Prime, or "Ghost Hysteria" as the kids call them, was busy with a game of Hide and Seek. They were doing great, had managed to find the spirit once and hide from them once. Though they also failed another attempt to find the spirit and experienced one of the chords breaking. As this chord broke, the spirit inhabiting their body began to learn more about them...becoming Hysteria as Hysteria lost their Self. Each time Hysteria won, however, their rapier would gain more density, become more corporeal and get heavier, almost phasing through their Spirit Bod. The Spirit was growing frustrated with each victory that Hysteria claimed, and eventually departed, leaving Hysteria on their own with this hag. They lifted this now incredibly heavy, far more corporeal than them rapier and approached this hag. They were able to see her elven children, her husband, her contributions to the community all in their mind. Despite this, they plunged this rapier directly into her neck, Justice is finally served!

They watch as their blade their blade struck true right into her neck, though they felt like it was going through with little to no resistance. They've stabbed a lot of people, but not many fae critters…this feels almost like they just sank their blade into a vat of oil or some other viscous liquid. Their completely non-magical blade was not only sinking into this liquid, it wasn't really making it all the way in, like it was hard to tell where the blade ends and the goop began…it was like it was melting or something. And then a bunch of crazy happened... "Where you stabbed also suddenly caves in as if under an immense amount of pressure. An unseemly dent in this hag is suddenly visible, like something hollow and stiff suddenly struck with a blunt instrument. It continues to cave in like this, collapsing more and more until the last thing to cave in is her head which is smiling the entire time. As the last bit of her falls into herself, being consumed as if she were a klein bottle or her insides were eating her outsides…the rags she was wearing begin to spiral into the space that she was, vanishing into nothingness, but also staying put and wrapping around this fixed point where your weapon once was. It starts to almost look like a nest… Feathers, bugs, bones, and mud all start to become visible in the folds of this impossible nest of rags and vanished hag. At the center, where your weapon first struck her, the point that everything collapsed into begins to form a sort of starburst effect as light escapes and forms into …an egg. As it is solidifying, the hags from the village begin to surround your location, not paying any attention to you, just moving around this egg and nest. They’re chanting in some unknown language, and their movements are…unsettling. Their whole bodies wave back and forth, arms flailing about, and their eyes are all covered in a milky-white cataract. They’re creepy, and it only gets creepier the longer they dance and chant while they move around this nest."

Stopping Ilven's Forces

Kaswink, Frode and DAN began moving some trees and logs around to set up a perimeter to corral the loggers towards a specific point. Namina continued interrogating this Hysteria Body while it continued trying to convince her that it is Hysteria. It was describing things about Namina that Hysteria would know from life, and Namina took a moment to tie this corpse up in a way that it would be able to sign more freely. It was at this time that she noticed this Hysteria's aura was...not Hysteria's aura. For one thing, it was visible, and the visible aura that she could see was not at all the Indigo that she saw coming from Hysteria on that airship ride however long ago. Realizing that her spell should've prevented any sort of undead...Namina's thoughts turn toward something more powerful than her magic possessing Hysteria's body. She tried to connect with whatever this spirit was, try to see what was doing these things, and was able to see the Spirit very briefly. The spirit didn't have a form of anything that could really have a name. It was just a mass of ...something, trying to condense its shape into Hysteria's own. It seemed focused, desperate, terrified, and it was suddenly pulled away before being immediately replaced with Hysteria. Hysteria's presence removed Namina from this trance and hid their aura from her. As Hysteria arrived back in their body, they could feel this immense pressure at the exact spot that they stabbed the hag. It felt like something was pushing and pulling, hot and cold, and they felt an intense agony from it as they woke up in their own body. They were able to breathe, Namina was able to see them return, and the pressure that was building up on their neck began to release as a dark, oily, misty substance poured forth. Namina was unable to see this substance, but it was beginning to fill Hysteria's vision completely. Meanwhile, several loggers had found themselves on the otherside of an illusory ravine.

The loggers were not retreating despite this obstacle, they weren't going back into Kaswink's pylons, but they clearly did not want to go forward...until someone started to pull at several invisible, puppet-like strings. Some of them tried to refuse, but were pulled regardless, and the one that did manage to resist found himself collapsed and grabbing their head in immense pain. As the rest of them crossed Agave's illusion, their steps appeared to be more difficult than the last and evidence of more of these "strings" could be seen as their leg movements were unnatural. Kaswink moved forward first, looking for myotlings and getting into position to slow these loggers down. Frode also moved forward, grabbing a logger and dragging them back while chastising them on their deplorable actions. He handed his prisoner to DAN, announced his plan to the group, and suddenly became Confused as a Myotling appeared after casting a spell. Namina was in the process of treating the newly risen Hysteria before moving towards the nearby combat, and Hysteria found themselves experiencing more awful things. The darkness that was pouring from them had started to cycle back into their body. With each pass the darkness would take blood and such with it, and more wounds were starting to open up as well from past injuries and missions. From these wounds more blood would escape before re-entering and re-emerging again and again, with the blood eventually becoming more and more darkness. Agave was quick to get them back up, and began moving into position to help out with these darn loggers! DAN pulled out some crossbows and started shootin legs hoping to trip and slow down the enemy. After their turn, Kaswink shouted out to aim for the Myotlings, and she moved forward to begin attacking it. Her attacks made short work of the butterfly person.

Combat proceeded with Frode continuing to arrest more of these loggers, DAN helping to grapple and snipe who they could, and Agave/Namina healing and casting spells to take down more Myotlings as they appeared. At one point Namina sacrificed all of her health to heal DAN, and they gained the confidence to run into the fight and do some sick moves. Kaswink continued taking down targets, losing health along the way and eventually becoming berserked. Hysteria had more visions of this same darkness leaving their body, clouding their vision, and turning to light that made the world around them shift and distort. They were unconscious by the time the encounter ended, watching as the darkness that was pouring from their wound and surrounding them became a single point of light. As the last Myotling fell, the loggers returned to their "awaiting orders" kind of state, and DAN began to corral them back into the forest for the time being. Plans to heal them began to be made, and a need to find their families at whatever tourist camp they're from is also on the table. Kaswink, still berserk, was knocked out by Namina as there wasn't enough healing to keep her from being feral.

Hysteria and Kaswink are currently sleeping off this encounter, and while they do so Namina has taken it upon herself to perform the necessary rituals to keep Kaswink sane for another night. Hysteria had one last vision in their sleep: "A voice whispers to you using a choir made up of your friends, your targets, the hag you just attacked, and a voice that you’ve never heard before. It is a fairly average voice, the accent is very old elven, and it sounds almost like a child speaking just beneath everyone else, though it rings in your ears louder than any other. He says “I would’ve called it…Hope.” And you can see that the shape this light was forming into is a mask, not unlike your own, though the design, the filigree, it’s all quite different. Instead of invoking feelings of Madness and Hysteria, it feels like something foreign to you as a snow elf: Possibility, perseverance, Hope."

Things to discuss next time: Whatever the fuck the Whendigo said, Ilven, and whatever happened with Hysteria.

D&D September 12, 2022