Session 15 - Got That Ping?
General Summary
Last Day in Legacy
Milo wakes up intending to talk to Arkyn, but quickly NOPES out of that choice when he notices some rolling from Arkyn's constructed nest. Running into Aiaoue in his hasty retreat, Milo learns that Aiaoue can do practically everything: embroidering, mending, carving, cooking, potion making, and probably more (based on the number of pockets she still has remaining). However, Aiaoue's not great at reading or writing. Milo offers to help Aiaoue with the reading and writing in exchange for her teaching him some carving. They'll have time aboard the Iron Arrow.
Arkyn, after attempting to keep Sayah from getting up, is eventually bested. After saying goodbye, Arkyn joins Milo and Aiaoue. Milo inquires about Arkyn's sending stone. While the stone only goes to Auntie, Arkyn CAN send messages. Did you know you can jailbreak those sending stones? Milo has Arkyn send a quick message to his wife. Afterwards, Milo quickly runs to the pawn shop, trading the glowing Angler's Folly for a Speaking Shell. In honor of the Festival of Flowers, he records a poem and sends it, along with a note, to Chloe. He has such a great relationship with the post master for never speaking and never being closer than 30 ft.
Arkyn heads to the Theater, expressing guilt for not being around much. Delilah shrugs her shoulders; she doesn't seem to hold anything against Arkyn. When Arkyn asks if Delilah wants anything from the miasma, Delilah gives a non-answer. What could she want from the miasma? Arkyn wonders why Delilah is so nice. Delilah mentions that people soften with age. Arkyn's mind conjures images of Ironborn, Dunebrook, Jeff, and Teagan. Arkyn is more inclined to believe that Delilah is the outlier of old people.
After searching the Church and a bit of the town for Eight, Arkyn finds her at the Tavern behind the bar with Jin. Arkyn vaguely mentions showing Eight appreciation before stalking around the bar. Eight's disposition shifts and seems incredibly on edge. After Arkyn admits that he just wants to give her a hug in thanks for the ring, Eight hesitantly allows it, but does not return it. Arkyn asks if there's anything Eight wants from the miasma and the blood witch reiterates what she initally requested of Aiaoue: Find any trace of Vendetta's species. Eight believes that is why Vendetta stares so forlornly at the miasma.
Choo Choo Miasma Time
In the morning, the group boards the Iron Arrow, receiving the final set of instructions and guidance from Ironborn. Arkyn settles into the helm. The Iron Arrow is a peculiar beast, tethering herself to the innate sense of magical being that underlies Arkyn. Suddenly, Arkyn is aware of a few extra tons of metal. Teagan gets his first taste of the "Pilot Comms Curse": "Good afternoon, we'll [unintelligible mumbling], remain seated [unintelligible mumbling], thank you for flying [unintelligible mumbling]". Meanwhile, Milo hunches over at the diagnostics panel. As Arkyn turns the ignition on the Iron Arrow, Aiaoue, Cadence, and Teagan take one last look at the people of Legacy. Weird shadows there.
The Iron Arrow hums to life, achieving levitation and MWD coverage in the few seconds before she cuts through the miasma. The light of Legacy fades as the Iron Arrow charges forth, following the tracks previously laid. Aiaoue heads to the kitchen, recruiting Quill to help her train her reflexes. She's not about to let Jin burn down THIS kitchen; not like he did his tavern. After the first 8 hours pass, Arkyn steps down from pilot, passing the helm to Milo.
Teagan, hanging out at Comms in the Pilot Car, asks if anyone else noticed the weird shadow thing going on. Cadence and Aiaoue did! Aiaoue is impressed by how the halberd turned into the whip; it just wouldn't make sense for the dagger to do that. It makes SO much more sense for a long and hard thing to turn into a long and floppy thing, ya know? After a moment of thought, Teagan is first to realize that everyone the party has had a ping with – Ademar, Omarosa, Viren, Marcia, Delilah – had weird shadows... but so did Syrio. Teagan is immediately up in arms. WHO PINGED WITH SYRIO? Do you think Ademar pinged with Syrio and that's why they work together?
As night falls, Milo brings the Iron Arrow to a halt. Her engines hiss as they receive a reprieve. Watches are arranged and while at first everything is as normal as being on a train in the middle of the miasma can be, Cadence notices a brilliant flare on the radar. Quickly, she wakes Milo to try and run through the diagnostics. However, as they return to the Pilot car, the miasma thickens before disappearing entirely.
The view from the Iron Arrow changes. The sun shines brilliantly outside. In the distance, two trees – on on each side of the tracks – grow rapidly, reaching towards one another across and over the tracks. Blurry silhouettes move rhythmically along with the growing trees until they have formed a bridge. For a moment, the silhouettes seem to stop, turning to wave.
As the miasma presses in more aggressively, Arkyn and Teagan are suddenly consumed by aggression. Arkyn lashes out at Sayah, critically hitting her. She storms off as Arkyn immediately feels shame. Teagan, asleep, hits something. Aiaoue, who was resting with Vendetta, watches as a Teagan sized fist comes through the interior wall of the Iron Arrow and then retreats back. The rest of the night passes smoothly. In the morning, Teagan makes a mostly unintelliglbe announcement asking after whoever punched a hole in the wall near his bed.
As the Iron Arrow continues along her path, another hallucinatory event occurs, but this time, the MWDs surge to prevent any negative ramifications of the intensified miasma.
The view from the Iron Arrow changes. Stretching out before her and to all sides is a spectacular field of flowers in vibrant, alluring colors – all bathed in warm sunlight. And then they all begin to release wails and screams of agony as the Iron Arrow crashes through them.
Hello Darkness, Not My Friend
As night falls, Milo brings the Iron Arrow to a halt. After some discussion on whether to actually stop or keep moving, they resolve to rest and allow the Iron Arrow to rest. Milo, Jin, Arkyn, and Sayah remain up in the pilot's station for the first watch. Milo is the first to notice something wrong. There's a thud from outside and the sound of something scraping against the Iron Arrow's metal hull. The sound is vaguely reminiscent of the creatures that crawled aboard the Iron Queen. Arkyn is able to prep himself for combt right before the doors to the Iron Arrow are torn open and five vine-covered humanoid husks haul themseves aboard, moving towards the engine array. Milo quickly gets on the comms and proves that the speakers do, in fact, work. Everything else is jolted awake by Milo's alarm.
Teagan, Jeff, Cadence, and Quill make it towards the car. Aiaoue is able to get off an Entangle and while most of the creatures near the engine are restrained, those that were not confined in vines easily moved outside of her Entangle, unhindered. A trio of creatures then moved through the door. Vines trailed behind them and extended outward as they moved; flicks of darkness drifting and shifting around them. Their bodies rotted in a macabre, yet oddly artistic and beautiful display. One shrouded itself in darkness and moved towards the helm. Another charged towards the engine, rendering it nonfunctional and cases the engine array to stall. An MWD flickers, but the array manages to stay working.
Before being consumed in darkness, Arkyn manages to get a Slow off, capturing a broad group of enemies. Milo hooks himself up to the Iron Arrow, planning to get the train moving. Teagan casts Sickening Radiance and watches, with an odd sense of satisfaction, as everything is purified or purged in the light. Jin really doesn't want to be in a fight, but as he steps out of the darkness, he finds hismelf between darkness and enemies... and sickening light and more enemies.
As Cadence arrives, she notes that she is able to see through the darkness with ease... and beyond the range of traditional blindsight. It's special, familiar darkness. So she's able to see as Teagan, Jeff, and Quill engage with one of the larger creatures and she can see how Arkyn and Milo are both taken down by two other creatures. Aiaoue, after getting sweet pactics and shoving a creature into the radiance, flies through the light to get to Jin. Teagan also eventually charges through his own light, eyes flashing gold as he fells creatures; their bodies are ignited and purged in holy light. Jeff isn't sure how he feels about the 2 v 1 he's been put on with Quill once the "tiefling" starts to crackle with lightning.
Once one of the larger creatures is felled, it's body slumping into darkness, vines, and rot... the other two flee the Iron Arrow. For the briefest moment, Cadence swears she sees the silhouette of a woman made entirely of darkness.
Love Triangle? That's my favorite shape!
He's got that PING in him!
Report Date
06 Dec 2024
Primary Location
Related Characters
Those Left Behind
As Teagan, Aiaoue, and Cadence look back at the town of Legacy, something seems a little off with a few people.Ademar
The "Lord of Legacy" watched the Iron Arrow's departure with narrow eyes. The shadow Ademar has expands, billowing out to match a figure donning a cloak. Although Ademar rolls dice across his right hand, his shadow holds a cane. His shadow features a wide brimmed hat from beneath which an eye of brilliant gold appears. The shadow produces a set of cards in its left hand just as Ademar does.
Delilah
From a distance, the elderly owner of Sinner's Choice watches the train depart as her shadow stretches to match a creature at least 3 times her own height. A warm glow ignites around the edge of her shadow as two warm glowing eyes open. As Delilah offers a small wave, the shadow lifts a hand, clutching the silhouette of a lantern that briefly glows.
Marcia
The newest escort of Sinner's Choice watches the scene with scrutiny. Although her arms are crossed, her shadow reveals a silhouette holding a halberd in one hand and a dagger in the other. Two eyes, glowing pink, flash from her shadow. As Marcia turns to return to Sinner's Choice, her shadow twirls the halberd, and it morphs into a whip.
Omarosa
Disdain, anger, and annoyance battle for control of Omarosa's expression as she watches the Iron Arrow depart. As her lip lifts in the start of a snarl, her shadow morphs to feature an elongated snout with a snarl that's far more apparent. Only one glowing green eye is visible. As Omarosa runs a hand through her hair, her shadow twirls a staff.
Syrio
Syrio stands regal and rigid as he watches the mechanical beast depart. Yet, his shadow bends into a bow. When it returns to the expected upright position, its face features the eyeholes and grin of a theater mask, glowing teal and blue.
Viren
Viren watches with a poory concealed expression of sadness. Although wrapped in thick robes, Viren's shadow is lithe, stretching taller. The shadow's eyes blaze pink as hair ignites for a moment. As Viren caves in on himself, his shadow stands with confidence, hip cocked.
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