Death's reflection in the mirror of fear: Difference between revisions

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Sunny tells us the world through the window is grey which is true for all of us except Elfdis.
Sunny tells us the world through the window is grey which is true for all of us except Elfdis.
Thinhel paints things which haven't happened yet. She doesn't think she could paint us finding Dewriel. She is quite upset about Dewriel being lost or broken. And she thinks she wouldn't exist elsewhere - she was born here. Dewriel thought there might be a few of the originals - the first ones who came here - still here. She thought there might have been people finding ways to leave. As far as Thinhel knows, Dewriel hadn't found the originals.
====Rocking Robin====
We go back to the rocking harpist. His harp has extra strings - an extra octave, which Dewriel helped him with. His music is amazing, but I can't play along with him as I'm putting him off. I take careful note of the design. He is a little offended by my poor abilities, but not enough to require a duel.
===The Aspiring Tower===
We fly purposefully between settlements and get where we're going faster. It's all in the power of the mind.


==Buffs & Mil Sci==
==Buffs & Mil Sci==

Revision as of 09:15, 7 April 2021

Summary

GM: Stephen
Season: Autumn 821 wk
Night: Wednesday
Location: New Windsor
Level: Low-Med

Party
  • Amira Human E&E - Jono - Amirelf
  • Mavric Dwarven Thespian (Wicca) (Playwright) - Lisa - Elfric
  • Sol Elven Solar Celestial Fighter (Party Leader) - Nick - Sunny
  • Eydis Dwarven Mind Mage - Kelsie - Elfdis
  • Minerva Human Solar Celestial Blast Mage (Military Scientist) - Jacqui - Minelfra
  • Reko Human Fire Mage - Nemo - Rekelf


Employer & Mission
Maethedir, Lore Wielder of the Oscillating Chapter of the Vermillion Archive engages you to:
  1. enter the Mirror World and acclimatise yourselves sufficiently to be adequate to the tasks.
  2. investigate the disappearance of Dewriel, Spirit Scholar of the Oscillating Chapter of the Vermillion Archive.
  3. recover any findings of Dewriel and return them to Maethedir.
  4. report on your experiences to the best of your ability.
  5. minimise the embarrassment and shame reflected on the royal archives and thus her majesty.
Fiscal Arrangements and Recompense
Your transport, admittance to the archives, interaction with the artefact with all due licences, fees and assurances will be covered by the Vermillion Order.
On the adequate completion of your tasks each survivor shall be gifted a powerful magical item from the Archives.
40 whole guineas each for your time and any incidental expenses.

Scribe Notes

Key things to note about our mission:

  1. We won't be in our own bodies.
  2. Our own bodies will be cared for.
  3. None of our stuff will go with us, including Minerva's eagle companion.
  4. Elves think other races are not very bright.
  5. Amira is my fan girl. This is very exciting.


We are going on a flying boat to Alfheim, then into the library, then through the artefact. When we get to the other side which is the Freia, the essence of us (rather than the Hroua which is the physical), there will be constructed vessels for us which may or may not have clothes and our intrinsic abilities. We know that we will have to learn how to work these new vessels and it may take a while before we are at full capacity.

We're just discussing stuff when a Guild security person instructs us to go deal with an undead incursion about 12 miles west of the Guild. He equips us with a healing potion and restorative each, advises us to stay clear of the tree and we're off.

Are you, are you, coming to the Undead Tree

There are some villagers barricaded in a barn. Undead (zombies and skeletons) are coming out of the tree and from the ground underneath. Minerva blasts a pile of them with her multiple bolts of light. Eydis puts on her shroud of attracting undead and attracts a spectral figure rather too well!! Sol saves villagers and they declare him their Elf Lord. Amira sneaks up and whacks the spectre. It disappears into the ground, taking the incorporeal Eydis with it. We get swarmed by undead who want to eat our brains (presumably for the scripts).

Minerva is assaulted by a skeleton made up of small skeletons of animals. They try and worm their way into and under her armour but are repelled by the light. She struggles, but can't significantly damage them. Amira and I throw off the shackles of our captors - we actually do throw our captors - and valiantly defeat our opponents.

Sol and the spectral figure charge towards each other, light blade and dark blade raised. There is a titanic clash and the spectre disappears. Sol prepares to fuck the tree up with his magic sword, but we remind him to keep it clean as this is a family show. The tree begins to split in two and a couple more blows topple it. It rots away revealing the cavern.

Under the Undead Tree

The spectre takes Eydis under the tree where there is a coffin and the colours are all funny. Honestly, you couldn't make this stuff up!!! The coffin has a lid. It is made of stone with runes on the top. Eydis is still incorporeal but her hands don't pass through into the coffin. She decides to try and float up through the ground. Instead she is sucked into the tree and moved up. She can't free herself and is beginning to be absorbed into the tree. Luckily the light shows her the way out and she manages to force her way out. She reports on the glowing lights in the walls, the coffin with the runes on the lid and the cavern.

Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be, If they met at midnight in the hanging tree

The tree started to look sick the previous day. We fail to determine whether there were any mysterious visitors, sounds, lights etc in the previous nights. We potion up. Under the ground it is rotten and dank. The coffin is now cracked and we can see the body underneath. Very old, maybe hundreds of years. Humanoid - not human or elf, a little bigger. GTN: greater hobbit, probably male. Minerva breaks out her Rosetta stone from her travelling cabin and translates the runes. The runes are bindings on a greater undead over 2,000 year ago. he was bound and then the blessed tree was planted to stop disturbance. The protections should last for millennia, which they did. The local hobbits squat in the cabin but Minerva boots them out.

We enjoy a lovely cup of tea and scones, and entertain the locals with fine music, stilt walking and dancing before flying back to the Guild. We go to claim our payment and are given tax free status for a season plus 237 SP. We then try and claim healing potions as part payment. The healers do not let Amira leave with a tray of potions, despite convincing tales of the bursar requisitioning them.

The Journey Begins

We are greeted the next morning by a troupe of battle hardened elves who march us out. Hovering just above the riverbank is a large ship with sails and a gangplank. We meet an elf with half a clear crystal face who asks us to step into the front cabin and stay out of the way at all times. Our employer is nearby, ready to take our questions. We go very high. There are other flying things but we try not to look too closely. Beds are very quiet and comfortable.

We research the concept of the spirit world with Minerva's pet dragon and learn that the world is somewhat shaped by the beings in it, as it is a spirit world. Reading the night sky will work. Anything we have imposed our will on may come back with us in some respect - for instance, we may be able to speak some Elven when we return due to our immersion.

Questions Have the crystal faced guards gone through the mirror world and has this caused the effect? No, this is from other battles and encounters.

We come into land. There are a lot of buildings built within the trees. We are taken in to the buildings and papers are shown. We descend below ground, about 50'. Lots of checks and papers and licences. A room with upright half coffins - sized for someone to go in. You lie down and lean back and they will lead us to the mirror. There is a perfect mirror on the wall - 6 foot by 3 foot. Mithril, decorated with priceless gems. We must focus on the abilities we wish to retain while we are there - this gains us 30 ranks (1 per day of the transition). We will have ranks in estoc for duelling. Bodies are as follows:

Short blonde hair - male (Sol) Shoulder-length dark hair - male (Amira) Blonde - female (Minerva) Brown - female (Eydis) Dark - female (Mavric) Short brown hair - male (Reko)

Dewriel - person we are going to find has been coming and going for 10 years but something happened this season and the researcher didn't return. Local residents are friendly and helpful and have been for last 10 years. They are very into their architecture and protective of it. The researcher is the only one who has been going in. The bodies we are using were going to be sent in to negotiate in a few months. They need the report/ information being gathered. Want to minimise the embarrassment and shame the Archives might suffer if they were to send important VIPs in. So they need to know what they will be facing.

Dewriel gradually formed a physical presence on the other side - took about 5 years to become competent. Dewriel has been killed a few times - duelling, monsters etc. Differences often resolved by duelling to the death. Death still hurts. Dying too many times has consequences (mental instability).

Eydis decides to go first. Body is healthy and fine, but there's no-one there. Sol goes next and I follow.

Reflections of a Long Times Past

We wake up in a beautiful room. The proportions are excellent. We are in armour and have our swords.

We follow the beautifully flowing corridors to a meeting room where we encounter Doors, Archie and Porty. Dewriel had a disagreement with the people here around a roofline, although it didn't go as far as a duel. She established a residence near the forest.

We follow the perfect road to the place of stillness. The path leads us to some trees and we see a cottage which looks crude in comparison to everything else. We think it was abandoned a few weeks ago. There is food in the cupboard, shoes on the shelf. It looks like one person lived here. Sol and Eydis find notes which suggest that the writer was close - talks about the caves. There is someone in the caves who knows about the mirrors and the information is relevant to the field of study being pursued. There is an extra page with words and pictures and symbols. Eydis and I both memorise it.

We fall into a philosophical loop about whether elves would think to have animals with minds. We fly for a while north towards the caverns. We encounter a wagon driver who apparently has no mind, but who is quite friendly and able to hold a conversation. Clues:

  • Don't go up towards the flying things as they will attack and it will hurt.
  • They wanted to know what faction we were with but when being told we were unaligned, called us Younglings.
  • Weird types in the caves which can permanently scar the Fea.
  • They make things in the caverns eg ploughs which require no work from the farmer.
  • Trade/ barter basis. Very specific barter.

Random stranger tells us Dewriel was here not long ago (but may have been some months as these are elves). Who should we talk to about mirrors? Borodia or Glayweal. She had questions about music and mirrors which were of no interest to the stranger. She wasn't interested in Green so the stranger wasn't interested in her. The stranger is wanting to refine emeralds into purest green as it may be the answer to the question which is "what are the colours of creation? The primal spectrum". Has been working on green for 12 centuries; before that it was turquoise but that didn't work out - it was wrong. Green is a much stronger lead. The stranger is Verbion and he studies alchemy.

We ask for many directions and eventually end up in a cave with Borodia. Bubbling pool in the middle, alembics, molten metal, mirrors. Confirmed Dewriel interested in access mirrors and music. He is interested in reflections of reflections and you should then see what is really there. Music not really their thing - probably want to go and see The Village for that. The study of Primal Mirrors - no one has delved into that. The Village with the musicians and artists. He says our reflections are off, although Eydis is less so than the rest of us. Hard to tell because we are reflected multiple times. No use.

Glayweal - a cave made into a building with doors and windows. Some professional adversity. She says there is no difference in reflections and there is no meaning. She last saw Dewriel about 3 months ago and she wanted to know things which were of no interest to Glayweal - access mirrors are a dead end alley. Research done long ago but it came to nothing .They can't be done from within here, only externally. We have tea and interrogate Glayweal. There may be some clucking and some rudeness. I feel a duel may be coming on. Or not. We make ourselves very unpopular. She clearly knows something about what happened - was definitely not telling the whole truth. Appears to be able to reflect magic back.

Back to Borodia's cave. He is not helpful. Evening seems to have fallen and we head into the foothills to find somewhere to stay. We don't seem to be hungry and we don't have any camping gear. We sleep. There are complaints about the poor accommodation but the ground seems soft and comfortable. Reading the Night Sky tells us that we should check in the tree, the cave, the vale and the building-ishness.

High ho, high ho, it's off to the forest we go

We have a plan. We're off to the trees, noted on the map as the Joyful Forest. It's called the Joyful Forest because it's full of narcotics. We get a mild buzz on and collect some fruit in our socks. Eydis practices some omphaloskepsis. Minerva has over indulged too much in the berries. Sol has absorbed some local plantlife and is floating a little off the ground! Beautiful Belariel (a stranger elf) propositions Amira and kisses them. They are excited and some of their bodily functions are different from what they are accustomed to. Eydis suggests renaming all of us as follows: Elfdis, Minelfra, Rekelf, Amirelf, Elfric and Sunny. Amirelf and Minelfra are getting it on with a couple of partners. I climb a tree and brachiate through the trees after being plastered in green paste. Unfortunately, the elf in the tree knows nothing about Dewriel. We make our way to what is either the Azure Sea or the Lake of Tranquillity. Some of us have to go back for other people's armour while those people swim in the altogether (in the lake or sea)! I take a rememberry and can remember the transition period between the mirror and here.

We fly up to determine where we are. Everyone gets dressed, after a fashion. Minerva experiences the joys of flying wearing no pants but it doesn't seem to bother her too much. I have berries to give her to keep her happy but she is very rude. She seems to be very unappreciative of the fact that some people went back to collect her armour which she had left behind. Apparently some people can't cope with a bare bum.

Craft Towns

The town has walls carved with stories. I could stay here all day reading these panels, but we do have a job to do. The stories are amazing. Interwoven, detailed, in depth sagas. There are buildings and people and docks on the lake. It feels cosmopolitan.

Amirelf discovers that girl underwear does not work so well for a boy body. We purchase a teapot, cups, tea, food, bags and some more underwear and trousers. Rekelf goes back to fetch Minelfra while the rest of us investigate the music sector of the town. I find instruments. Dewriel worked on a harp together with one of the instrument makers. She took a small harp with her which they had made and tuned for her (we remember a harp case back at her house). She wanted to increase her understanding of music. We need to go to the Artist's Residences down south by the Wild Waters.

There are weirdly no inns. What town doesn't have inns? Luckily we find a mattress shop. We make a list of what we need and in the morning we will each go to a shop and try and find things we need. There may be a pot of happy tea made and shared.

Rope, blankets, pot, hand axe or dagger, water skin, tarp.

Amirelf, discussing their new penis: "Pork swords are not the chop"

The mattresses are extremely comfortable but luckily, Minelfra wakes us all up pre-dawn and we sneak out before the owners return. We find the food quadrant and trade for bread and pasties - surprisingly no halflings anywhere. There is delicious nutritious food and cream buns. The bakers tell us that there is farm food available up at the Farms (one with Arda) in the northeast. Our party leader foolishly differentiates between yesterday's adventures in the joyful forest and today's adventures with cream buns.

We acquire practical stuff, then we notice that there are heavily armoured people near the mattress shops where we slept last night. Craftspeople feel they have been disrespected and that the culprits should be found and made to give satisfaction. We spend about an hour studying the story panels outside the city, and think it needs a lot more time to get all the information. It does look like this is a history which goes back thousands of years. We make a great escape and sing quietly as we walk. There may be some berries involved.

What a wonderful world (Artist's Residences)

A beautiful town. Each building is different and uniquely beautiful. Looking for harps, music and mirrors here.

We find music and harps. We are directed to find Grey, a painter of grey.

We find a grey house on a lake shore. Elfdis says it's not grey, it's all normal colours.

Sunny is being very punny.

Thinhel is the name of the painter and she is very hospitable (apparently female, hard to tell with elves). She offers us tea and advises she was a friend of Dewriel. The paintings over the walls look grey to most of us, but to Elfdis, they are scenes of people, landscapes, sunrises, trees, animals and so on. We think the furniture is made of grey wood, but Elfdis says it looks like wood to her. Elfdis and I debate as to whether the tea is Earl Grey or Lady Grey. Thinhel leaches the colour out of things to see what's there beneath the colours as they are a distraction. Grey makes things grey for herself. Philosophical questions are asked about art.

What does Thinhel know about Dewriel?

Hasn't seen her for a while. Knows that she comes and goes from the outside world - she knew but had forgotten until Dewriel convinced her it was real. She realises we are from the outside world. There are children here for those who choose to have them. They are born as babies and grow normally to adulthood. Dewriel talked about important nobles coming in - only a few months ago. No known enemies - at least no-one whose opinion matters. Was doing research o music and theories about music being the source of creation - fundamental sounds of the world which ca be more clearly heard here. The Silent Ones have similar theories and she spent some time with them although they are hard to communicate with. Dewriel was looking for something to do with the Alchemists. She did do some paintings of Dewriel which Elfdis says are largely nudes - swimming, reading (a very old text about the Mirrors of Fea which was from the Archives and she returned it some time ago) - love has been painted into these pictures. Mirrors - access here is through mirrors (confirmation int he Archives). Worked with some people in the Aspiring Tower on the records and doing some work on the bodies to shorten the acclimatisation period. Dewriel left her harp here and Thinhel still has it. She left it here while she went talking to the Alchemists, bureaucrats (archivists) or the Castle (Martial Keep) - it's all politics to her. Dewriel had been killed a couple of times in duels, some time ago when she arrived early on but not often enough to be a problem.

If you settle somewhere, over time it gradually shapes to meet your needs or expectations. She only has one bed, but we can sleep on her lawn. She warns us not to go too far out into the lake as it's wild water. Elfdis thinks there are elementals or the water is elemental water somehow and once I eat some berries, I can see it too. Some of us swim but we don't go too far. The water makes us feel energised, but we feel like we should sleep. Well, some of us do. DAs reveal that there is no magic.

Sunny tells us the world through the window is grey which is true for all of us except Elfdis.

Thinhel paints things which haven't happened yet. She doesn't think she could paint us finding Dewriel. She is quite upset about Dewriel being lost or broken. And she thinks she wouldn't exist elsewhere - she was born here. Dewriel thought there might be a few of the originals - the first ones who came here - still here. She thought there might have been people finding ways to leave. As far as Thinhel knows, Dewriel hadn't found the originals.

Rocking Robin

We go back to the rocking harpist. His harp has extra strings - an extra octave, which Dewriel helped him with. His music is amazing, but I can't play along with him as I'm putting him off. I take careful note of the design. He is a little offended by my poor abilities, but not enough to require a duel.

The Aspiring Tower

We fly purposefully between settlements and get where we're going faster. It's all in the power of the mind.

Buffs & Mil Sci

Loot and Expenses

Calendar

Autumn 821wk: Fruit (4)
Moonday Duesday W'ansday Th'rsday Frysday Reapsday Sunday
Lugnasad 1 Guild Meeting Undead tree 2 Travel to Alfheim 3 Mirror travel 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30 1 2 Harmonious Residence 3 Caverns of Alchemy 4 Craft Towns
Autumn 821wk: Harvest (5)
5 Artist's Residences 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 Equinox 16 17 18
19 Harvest Moon .. 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 1 2
Autumn 821wk: Vintage (6)
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 Blood Moon 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Beerfest