{"id":12993,"date":"2020-11-10T15:58:13","date_gmt":"2020-11-10T21:58:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emifail.com\/ocs\/?p=12993"},"modified":"2021-12-27T00:23:18","modified_gmt":"2021-12-27T06:23:18","slug":"8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emifail.com\/ocs\/gatecrashers\/8","title":{"rendered":"revelations"},"content":{"rendered":"
ANJAY:<\/strong> Salem, I\u2019m like\u2014 on a scale from zero to like, a thousand, I am a thousand<\/em> percent sure he hates her.\r\nSALEM:<\/strong> Well, yeah, but in like, a special<\/em> way, you know?\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> ... What kind of special way do you mean?\r\nSALEM:<\/strong> ... Aren\u2019t they fucking?\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> No!! No???\r\n<\/pre>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
WARMUP<\/strong><\/p>\n
How does your character feel about keeping secrets from the rest of the party?<\/p>\n
LETHE<\/strong>: Lethe has nothing BUT secrets, and she doesn\u2019t feel bad about it.<\/p>\n
ANJAY<\/strong>: Anjay has no secrets! He doesn\u2019t feel that keeping secrets from the rest of the group is beneficial.<\/p>\n
SALEM<\/strong>: Salem values honesty! They don\u2019t see why you wouldn\u2019t be upfront about everything with someone you interact with a lot. You SHOULD be able to trust the people you\u2019re around with all your terrible secrets.<\/p>\n
CECIARE<\/strong>: Ceciare doesn\u2019t view things as secrets, so much as things that just haven\u2019t come up yet. They\u2019re not gonna spill their life story to you unless you directly ask them!<\/p>\n
HEMAKSHI<\/strong>: He isn\u2019t a fan of keeping secrets, but if it\u2019s at the benefit of someone else then he is fine with sharing. He isn\u2019t super chatty about himself, but he will answer if asked.<\/p>\n
KYRIELLE<\/strong>: She understands that information is a kind of currency and giving away facts about yourself is an easy way to put yourself at a disadvantage. She is very defensive of her past and secrets. She doesn\u2019t get the whole friendship thing yet \u2026<\/p>\n
\n
GAME START<\/strong><\/p>\n
The group is at the temple of Nethys after their fight with Pibbidy. Salem is at 0 HP and dying. Their spirit floats up out of their body and is whisked away to a small room in the Cracked Glass Inn.<\/p>\n
The world around them is brighter in color, shadows seem darker, flames seem more vibrant \u2013 but the weirdest part is that there is no sound anywhere.<\/p>\n
Salem knows this room very well \u2013 it is Orev\u2019s office. Orev is having a meeting with Bromseth, Leona, Oleana, and Nisus. Everyone looks tense as Nisus and Orev are arguing about something. Suddenly, Orev freezes mid-sentence. His eyes roll back, and he collapses behind his desk. Nisus looks concerned and quickly rushes to his aid. A very pale glow emanates from behind Orev\u2019s back, gently illuminating him from behind \u2013 though Nisus\u2019s body blocks most of Salem\u2019s view.<\/p>\n
Orev\u2019s desk, which is usually neat, has tons of papers scattered across it. Salem can recognize their own writing as they notice their mission reports \u2013 specifically the Farlight Forge and underground temple encounters. Scribbled on these reports and various papers are phrases include:<\/p>\n
– The Order of the Crooked Spire???
\n<\/em>– The Sapphire Bulls
\n<\/em>– The Blade of Bones???<\/em><\/p>\n
Suddenly, they are whisked back into their own body. Ceciare has seemingly returned to normal, Lethe is no longer a werewolf, the \u201cghost\u201d Pibbity has been defeated, and the crystal blade lies a few feet from his body.<\/p>\n
Kyrielle points her sword at Ceciare.<\/p>\n
KYRIELLE:<\/strong> Okay, you have to explain something.\r\nCECIARE:<\/strong> *puts their hands up* What would you like me to explain?\r\nKYRIELLE:<\/strong> Oh, I don\u2019t know \u2013 we could start with why you stabbed me through the chest with your hand<\/em>.\r\nCECIARE:<\/strong> To be honest, I don\u2019t know why. But I did.<\/pre>\n
Ceciare is trying to be as calm and collected as they can.<\/p>\n
Hemakshi picks the dagger up with a handkerchief.<\/p>\n
HEMAKSHI:<\/strong> I\u2019m not sure, but it may have something to do with this.\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> Okay, cool, you guys figure that out.<\/pre>\n
Anjay goes over to Salem.<\/p>\n
CECIARE:<\/strong> You can keep pointing that at me, but can I do something first?<\/pre>\n
They move their hands to the flower they have in their hair. Kyrielle tenses.<\/p>\n
KYRIELLE:<\/strong> Don\u2019t<\/em>.\r\nCECIARE:<\/strong> I can \u2026 at least try to alleviate some of the \u2026 damage I caused.<\/pre>\n
Kyrielle pauses for a couple seconds before slightly lowering her sword.<\/p>\n
KYRIELLE:<\/strong> If you can do something to fix this, you better do it \u2013 but if you pull anything, I\u2019m very<\/em> quick with this blade.\r\nCECIARE:<\/strong> I don\u2019t doubt it.<\/pre>\n
Ceciare pulls the flower from their hair and dusts it into their palm. They cast Heal, healing everyone around them. Salem awakens, their spirit seemingly having returned to their body.<\/p>\n
CECIARE:<\/strong> It\u2019s not much, but at least they\u2019re up now.<\/pre>\n
Salem is immediately incredibly<\/em> disoriented, having just been in Orev\u2019s office, as well as attacked by Ceciare. They are very overwhelmed and confused, sit up, skitter backwards, hitting the wall behind them, and outstretch their arms. They cast Grim Tendrils in a line at Ceciare, and from within their sleeves erupt a line of white, writhing tendrils. The tentacles lick at their legs, dealing necrotic damage. Ceciare winces in pain.<\/p>\n
CECIARE:<\/strong> Fair<\/em>. Deserved<\/em>.<\/pre>\n
Lethe peers over the pew she\u2019s hiding behind.<\/p>\n
LETHE:<\/strong> So, uh \u2026 are you okay?<\/p>\n
Salem skitters away from her as well.<\/p>\n
HEMAKSHI:<\/strong> Before we start flinging more\u2014whatever<\/em> that was, we need to figure out what just happened. Other than: clearly Pibbity had something<\/em>.\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> Yeah\u2014Yeah, it\u2019s\u2014that weird dagger. Obviously<\/em> it did something.\r\nSALEM:<\/strong> Wait, hold on\u2014are we\u2014are you still trying to kill us?\r\nCECIARE:<\/strong> No! I\u2019m not trying to kill you!\r\nSALEM:<\/strong> But you were<\/em>.\r\nCECIARE:<\/strong> I don\u2019t know why<\/em> that happened.\r\nSALEM:<\/strong> \u2026 Are you gonna do it again?\r\nCECIARE:<\/strong> Not of my conscious ability.\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> See you say<\/em> that, and it means that there\u2019s chance that your unconscious ability could then resume to try to kill us, and I\u2019m kind of concerned about that\u2014\r\nCECIARE:<\/strong> I mean technically if we\u2019re going by precedence of that<\/em>, anyone\u2019s unconscious ability could try and kill anybody. Someone\u2019s unconscious ability could end up, oh I don\u2019t know, being a completely different personality. I\u2019m saying that there\u2019s multiple possibilities.\r\nCECIARE:<\/strong> In my knowledge \u2013 aside from what just happened \u2013 I have not tried to kill anybody before.<\/pre>\n
In the distance, we hear a lone howl, joined by a small chorus. Lethe can smell four or five familiar scents that seem to be moving closer. Salem questions if they forgot to dismiss Ghost Sound.<\/p>\n
LETHE:<\/strong> Do you think we can have this conversation ... after we find the door?\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> Why?\r\nHEMAKSHI:<\/strong> This does bring up a good point \u2013 what are we even hiding you from?\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> I feel like we do have a right to know.\r\nLETHE:<\/strong> ...\r\nSALEM:<\/strong> Do you know them?\r\nLETHE:<\/strong> ... Yeah ... it\u2019s really, really best if they don\u2019t find me.\r\nSALEM:<\/strong> Is that who we\u2019re protecting you from?\r\nLETHE:<\/strong> Yeah ...\r\nSALEM:<\/strong> Will they kill you?\r\nLETHE:<\/strong> Uh ... I mean, there are things worse than death.\r\nCECIARE:<\/strong> That\u2019s true!\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> Well, you wanna fill us in a little more<\/em>, Lethe? Because, uhh\u2014\r\nKYRIELLE:<\/strong> Yes, we are all very clearly out of the loop about a lot<\/em> of things. I would like to know.\r\nSALEM:<\/strong> We do<\/em> have your key! So ...\r\nLETHE:<\/strong> Can I explain ... after?\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> No.\r\nSALEM:<\/strong> I think you should now!\r\nHEMAKSHI:<\/strong> You talk, we look.<\/pre>\n
Ceciare looks through Pibbidy\u2019s garbage pile and finds:<\/p>\n
    \n
  • A small cedar cask<\/li>\n
  • Something shiny<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    Kyrielle looks around the throne area. Behind the alter she finds inscriptions that resemble the markings of Alseta. There is no place to insert the keystone, but it seems like there is some sort of message carved on the shallow relief on the back of the altar. It seems to state something about \u201cAlseta\u201d and \u201clying beneath\u201d \u2013 she doesn\u2019t entirely get the meaning of it.<\/p>\n
    KYRIELLE:<\/strong> So, I found some weird bible verse here \u2013 but it\u2019s to Alseta, so I\u2019m guessing it\u2019s a clue to something. If anybody else has more of a shot at reading it than I do\u2014I don\u2019t know.<\/pre>\n
    Ceciare hesitantly approaches the altar.<\/p>\n
    CECIARE:<\/strong> \u2026 Am I good to \u2026 look?\r\nKYRIELLE:<\/strong> Er\u2014yeah.<\/pre>\n
    Kyrielle moves so that Ceciare can examine, keeping a ten-foot distance. They don\u2019t glean anything additional from it.<\/p>\n
    Hemakshi looks through Pibbidy\u2019s hideout. He finds cocoons containing the dead bodies of a few goblins. One female goblin has a wooden leg carved like a jaguar, a bandolier with vials of green liquid, and a chain with a miniature silver gauntlet trimmed in mother of pearl.<\/p>\n
      \n
    • ? vials of holy water<\/li>\n
    • ? spare shiver vials<\/li>\n
    • 2 small tubes of a silvery paste<\/li>\n
    • 1 wand<\/li>\n
    • 1 brooch<\/li>\n
    • 1 electrum and peridot studded ring<\/li>\n
    • 1 gauntlet<\/li>\n
    • ? vials of green liquid<\/li>\n
    • A few notes, marked with the same signature: \u201cFabian Cresorel\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      Hemakshi looks at the notes he has collected. They all have very nice handwriting, signed \u201cFabian Cresorel\u201d. (The Cresorels are one of the noble families of the area.) The notes are addressed to the Layok tribe of goblins.<\/p>\n
      One of your kin (Pibbidy) has stolen an item of incredible importance. A reward shall be offered for the return of said object to the possession of Favian Cresorel. Please locate this errant member of your tribe and punish him as you see fit.<\/em><\/p>\n
      HEMAKSHI:<\/strong> Does Favian Cresorel ring any bells for any of you?<\/pre>\n
      Anjay knows Fabian Cresorel is an older (late 70\u2019s) handsome tiefling gentleman. He used to be a famed explorer and entrepreneur, traveling with the Titan Society. He\u2019s eccentric and wealthy. Lucinia, Nisus\u2019s wife, is a third-cousin of Favian Cresorel.<\/p>\n
      ANJAY:<\/strong> Oh yeah! Favian, he\u2019s really important in the family\u2014 did you know that he\u2019s now the dad\u2014or, he is<\/em> the dad, there\u2019s no was<\/em>\u2014 he was the dad\u2014 is? Hm, it\u2019s a little complicated with nobles\u2014 but he stepped down so is the current head\u2019s father<\/em>, and he\u2019s super big into that archeology stuff, so that dagger must be really powerful<\/em> if he wants it back!\r\nHEMAKSHI:<\/strong> \u2026 Oh, it\u2019s the dagger<\/em>.\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> Yeah! I mean, what else would he want? Nothing here is that<\/em> important.\r\nHEMAKSHI:<\/strong> We hadn\u2019t dug<\/em> that far, I didn\u2019t know\u2014I\u2019ll keep the dagger safe, then.\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> Oh yeah, can I see it?\r\nHEMAKSHI:<\/strong> When we get downstairs.\r\nKYRIELLE:<\/strong> That is an incredible amount of leverage.<\/pre>\n
      Another set of howls echo. Anjay turns to Lethe.<\/p>\n
      ANJAY:<\/strong> Oh yeah, you were supposed to be talking!<\/pre>\n
      Near the cobwebs, Ceciare calls for help.<\/p>\n
      CECIARE:<\/strong> There might be something over here, but I think I need some help. Kyrielle, you<\/em> don\u2019t do anything because you\u2019re going to aggravate that wound.<\/pre>\n
      Kyrielle wants to protest, but she\u2019s in a lot of pain.<\/p>\n
      ANJAY:<\/strong> Uh \u2026 well, I will not be the first to say that I am probably not the person to lift<\/em> anything, but I can hold things!<\/p>\n
      Anjay holds his hands out. Hemakshi dumps all the stuff he found in the goblin pile into Anjay\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n
      [EMILY]:<\/strong> Anjay is the friend no one asks to help when they move.\r\n[KATIE]:<\/strong> \u201cAnjay, can you buy us the pizza while we move?\u201d\r\n[EMILY]:<\/strong> \"Anjay, can we use your car?\u201d<\/pre>\n
      Hemakshi slides the big stone altar to the right, and beneath it is a pretty well-maintained access hole. A small staircase leads down to something below the church. At the bottom of the stairs is a handle to slide the altar back into place, locking it from the inside.<\/p>\n
      HEMAKSHI:<\/strong> Alright, grab whatever else you need \u2013 we should probably head down.<\/pre>\n
      Ceciare looks over at Lethe.<\/p>\n
      CECIARE:<\/strong> Can I touch you?\r\nLETHE:<\/strong> ... Yeah?<\/pre>\n
      Ceciare casts Negate Aroma on her – Lethe\u2019s scent will end here.<\/p>\n
      [EMILY]:<\/strong> You can just erase<\/em> someone\u2019s smell<\/em>?\r\n[NIC]: <\/strong>Is that your way of telling people they need to take a shower?\r\n[ELY]:<\/strong> To be fair, Lethe probably does<\/em> need a shower.<\/pre>\n
      Everyone goes down the stairs, sliding the altar back into place and locking the mechanism. Taking a few tentative steps into the corridor, the walls transitioning from smooth stone to being lined with skulls and bones. There is a set of catacombs buried beneath this church. This was<\/em> the first temple to necromancy, so this is possibly one of the first places anyone was buried in the city.<\/p>\n
      They emerge into a larger, circular room that has cut-outs in the wall where bodies are placed. A lot of sealed sarcophagi been smashed open and looted. This room looks like a dead end, so somewhere within the room must be the entrance to the safe house.<\/p>\n
      Ceciare is the first to notice that one of the sarcophagi that has not been broken open has a small inscription underneath it \u2013 another marking of Alseta. They notice above it, on top of the archway, is a place they can set a keystone.<\/p>\n
      They attempt to put it in the hole without expending a spell slot \u2013 nothing happens. Worth a shot. They expend a spell slot \u2013 the energy is absorbed into the keystone. They are able to slot it into place, and a rippling wave of magical energy shimmers and flowers down from the open archway. It is cloudy, a pale pink for a moment, before it clears and reveals a doorway into a small, but cozy-looking, safe house. They are able to keep the keystone afterwards.<\/p>\n
      Inside, there is a small table with a few chairs stacked off to the side, a counter, a fireplace with logs stacked next to it, a small hallway and a couple doors that lead off into other rooms.<\/p>\n
      Since Lucinia was the one who arranged the safe house for them, Anjay walks in without hesitation.<\/p>\n
      ANJAY:<\/strong> Well, we\u2019ve got a lot of time on our hands, and we have a lot<\/em> to talk about.<\/pre>\n
      He throws a log into the fireplace.<\/p>\n
      ANJAY:<\/strong> Does ... someone wanna light this for me?<\/pre>\n
      Hemakshi lights the fire.<\/p>\n
      The commotion gets louder upstairs, and Lethe recognizes the voices. A friendlier voice yelps in pain as it is punished for not being able to find her.<\/p>\n
      Hemakshi sneaks into the back hallway to investigate the other rooms. There is a lavatory and a sparse room filled with pillows and blankets. The last door is locked. He tries to pick the lock with a bobby pin and fails. He tries again and gets electrocuted.<\/p>\n
      HEMAKSHI:<\/strong> Ah! Shit! <\/em>rst place.\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> See but, what if something had happened<\/em>, we were suddenly holed up in a place that wasn\u2019t the safe house for a month \u2013 then<\/em> it would have come up.\r\nLETHE:<\/strong> Well, then it would have come up.\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> ... But we still should have known.\r\nLETHE:<\/strong> Why?\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> ... Why not?\r\nLETHE:<\/strong> I mean it\u2019s only really a problem one time of the month.\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> Apparently not!<\/pre>\n
      Anjay is getting irritated with Lethe, who feels bad but doesn\u2019t really take responsibility.<\/p>\n
      LETHE:<\/strong> I guess I don\u2019t really know what you want me to tell you, other than that ... I\u2019m a werewolf and I have to leave.\r\nSALEM:<\/strong> Why are they hunting you?\r\nLETHE:<\/strong> Because I\u2019m trying to leave.\r\nSALEM:<\/strong> They\u2019re hunting you because you don\u2019t want to be with them?\r\nLETHE:<\/strong> Yeah.\r\nSALEM:<\/strong> Why don\u2019t you wanna be with them?\r\nLETHE:<\/strong> You know how sometimes people say you can\u2019t choose your family? What happens when you do get to choose them, but you made the wrong choice?\r\nHEMAKSHI:<\/strong> I take it they didn\u2019t take well to you going back on your choice.\r\nLETHE:<\/strong> Not \u2026 really.\r\nSALEM:<\/strong> Okay! So, they\u2019re a bunch of werewolves, right?\r\nHEMAKSHI:<\/strong> Do they pose a threat? Is this something that we also need to be keeping an eye on in the city?<\/pre>\n
      Hemakshi knows they have caused problems in the past due to his background. Anjay heard about the werewolf group, the Silver Fangs, from Nisus \u2013 they are a subset of the Tamaki clan, the elven family in the city. Their leader Heketa is especially ruthless and gets away with a lot. Nisus sports a few scars left by her and they have personal beef. Salem heard that Nisus was secretly in love with their leader.<\/p>\n
      ANJAY:<\/strong> Um ... sorry.\r\nHEMAKSHI:<\/strong> I could understand why you would have wanted to leave, and given what we know it would make sense why we needed to hide you, because they are ... trouble.\r\nLETHE:<\/strong> Not all of them! Just ... most of them. And like, remember when I told you not to eat the goblins?\r\nSALEM:<\/strong> ... Uh huh?\r\nLETHE:<\/strong> Um ... they kind of do that, but not just goblins ... and I don\u2019t\u2014\r\nSALEM:<\/strong> So if they found us, they would eat us?\r\nLETHE:<\/strong> If they found you with me ... probably.\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> Wow, the Silver Fangs, this kind of bad werewolf gang that works for the Tamaki\u2019s\u2014 you know my brother hates<\/em> them. They eat<\/em> people. That\u2019s really fucked up.\r\nSALEM:<\/strong> Actually, I think you brother really likes them.\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> No???\r\nSALEM:<\/strong> I dunno ... you should talk to him about it!\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> What does that\u2014 What does that mean?!<\/pre>\n
      Salem winks as they say wink<\/em>. Anjay stares back at Salem.<\/p>\n
      HEMAKSHI:<\/strong> Okay, so to be clear, Nisus ... does not<\/em> like them.\r\nLETHE:<\/strong> I mean Heketa hates everybody except the rest of the werewolves, so ... probably?\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> I feel like it\u2019s in our job description now, since we are helping you\u2014if this lady dies, is that fine?\r\nHeketa?\r\nYeah. Are you gonna feel bad if we accidentally kind of murder your old boss?\r\nLETHE:<\/strong> ...\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> I feel like it has to be said! Considering ...\r\nSALEM:<\/strong> *whispering* Anjay, I think you should probably check with your brother before killing her.<\/em>\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> No! He does not like her! Salem, I\u2019m like\u2014on a scale from zero to like, a thousand, I am a thousand<\/em> percent sure he hates her.\r\nSALEM:<\/strong> Well, yeah, but in like, a special way, you know?\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> \u2026 What kind of special way do you mean?\r\nSALEM:<\/strong> \u2026 Aren\u2019t they fucking?\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> No!! No???\r\nLETHE:<\/strong> She\u2019s definitely not \u2026 fucking \u2026 Nisus.\r\nH-How do you\u2014I hate to ask, but how do you know, because clearly there\u2019s some discrepancy\u2014\r\nHow do you not know? Your brother doesn\u2019t tell you everything, does he?\r\nHe does\u2014Wh\u2014He\u2014He tells me most<\/em> things\u2014\r\nLETHE:<\/strong> Heketa is definitely not \u2026 fucking \u2026 anybody else \u2026 that I\u2019m personally not aware of.\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> Well haven\u2019t you like\u2014I don\u2019t want to consider this, he has a wife\u2014I like his wife very<\/em> much\u2014I feel like I\u2019m going through a lot right now, literally my father had lots of things to say to me, we got taken to this big church\u2014there\u2019s a lot of things happening right now\u2014 Salem went down, is fine\u2014not\u2014you should really sleep\u2014\r\nSALEM:<\/strong> I\u2019m fine!\r\nKYRIELLE:<\/strong> I literally got stabbed in the chest and I\u2019m looking like the composed one here.\r\nANJAY:<\/strong> You really kind of are!\r\nCECIARE:<\/strong> I\u2019m still really<\/em> sorry about that.\r\nSALEM:<\/strong> Kyrielle, do you want my healing potion?\r\nKYRIELLE:<\/strong> \u2026 You\u2019ve had a healing potion this whole time?\r\nSALEM:<\/strong> Yeah!\r\nHEMAKSHI:<\/strong> Admittedly, I also have one.\r\nCECIARE:<\/strong> I also have a healing kit\r\nKYRIELLE:<\/strong> Were you all just gonna wait for me to die before doing something, what the hell?!<\/pre>\n
      Salem hands their Minor Healing Potion to Kyrielle. Hemakshi hands his Elixir of Life to Salem.<\/p>\n
      HEMAKSHI:<\/strong> Don\u2019t you need something like this, too?<\/p>\n
      SALEM:<\/strong> \u2026 Oh! Yeah, thanks!<\/p>\n
      CECIARE:<\/strong> I have a healer\u2019s kit as well, if people are willing to let me tend to wounds.<\/p>\n
      HEMAKSHI:<\/strong> Let\u2019s maybe \u2026 tend once we figure out \u2026 this.<\/p>\n
      ANJAY:<\/strong> Yeah, like, um \u2026 Ceciare? What? I feel like there\u2019s a lot to unpack.<\/p>\n
      CECIARE:<\/strong> Yeah \u2026 agreed. I\u2019m confused about it just as much as you are.<\/p>\n
      LETHE:<\/strong> So, you don\u2019t\u2014<\/p>\n
      CECIARE:<\/strong> Normally have claws? No, no I do not.<\/p>\n
      LETHE:<\/strong> Not even on a full moon?<\/p>\n
      CECIARE:<\/strong> No, I have never in my life had nails longer than my own fingers. Sometimes you let them grow<\/em> a little bit, but they\u2019re not claws<\/em>.<\/p>\n
      SALEM:<\/strong> You don\u2019t seem very disturbed by what you did to us.<\/p>\n
      CECIARE:<\/strong> \u2026<\/p>\n
      SALEM:<\/strong> You seem, you know, confused, but \u2026 not concerned.<\/p>\n
      CECIARE:<\/strong> \u2026 No, I\u2019m concerned. Some people have different ways of showing it.<\/p>\n
      SALEM:<\/strong> Well, that\u2019s a relief!<\/p>\n
      Hemakshi pulls out the dagger and quietly hands it to Anjay.<\/p>\n
      HEMAKSHI:<\/strong> Do you think this has something to do with the claws?<\/em><\/p>\n
      Anjay immediately gets distracted away from the conversation. He has to make a will save after touching the dagger and passes it.<\/p>\n
      Nic: Brian, I know we brought it up before as joke, but now I really don\u2019t think Anjay should have a gun.<\/p>\n
      CECIARE:<\/strong> If that\u2019s the case, keep<\/em> it away from me.<\/p>\n
      ANJAY:<\/strong> I just wanna know what it does<\/em>.<\/p>\n
      LETHE:<\/strong> I have an idea\u2014<\/p>\n
      ANJAY:<\/strong> I mean, so do I<\/em>, obviously<\/em>. I saw it happen first-hand.<\/p>\n
      Anjay is waving the dagger around as he inspects it. He finds out it is magical, can detect magic, and looking through it allows him to see the fey sprites in the room. Anjay is waving the dagger around.<\/p>\n
      ANJAY:<\/strong> Well, looking at it a bit, it\u2019s really clear why Favian wanted this thing \u2013 it\u2019s so weirdly cool<\/em>. It can detect magic, so that\u2019s pretty awesome in and of itself, especially if you\u2019re someone like me who has no idea where magic is\u2014 so now I can do that, so that\u2019s kinda neat\u2014 also<\/em> if you look through this funny crystal you can see all the little fey things that Ceciare was talking to us about! They actually<\/em> exist! I mean, not that I didn\u2019t think they did\u2014I just didn\u2019t have proof\u2014<\/p>\n
      LETHE:<\/strong> Ghosts??<\/p>\n
      KYRIELLE:<\/strong> No, the fey are real.<\/p>\n
      LETHE:<\/strong> So, you can see little fey creatures through it\u2014how does that change people into stuff.<\/p>\n
      LETHE:<\/strong> If you can see \u2026 ghosts \u2026 and fey \u2026 that aren\u2019t normally seen, does that mean you can see what other people can\u2019t see about other people?<\/p>\n
      Anjay lifts the dagger to look at Lethe through it. A couple images are reflected: Lethe, small, tiny and scared. Behind them is a shadowy visage of a wolf-like figure that resembles their transformed state.<\/p>\n
      He then looks at Ceciare through the dagger. There seems to be more interference, but he can see both of their eyes are a bright, glowing green, and a spindly, gnarled hand rests on the left shoulder of their shadow.<\/p>\n
      ANJAY:<\/strong> I think the dagger shows \u2026 facets of people, perhaps things that are hidden to us, or things that we don\u2019t\u2014it\u2019s hard to explain without sounding convoluted and jargon, but I saw Lethe as we saw them, as a werewolf \u2026 and I saw Ceciare, but it was more \u2026 muddled. There was a hand.<\/p>\n
      SALEM:<\/strong> What do you mean?<\/p>\n
      ANJAY:<\/strong> Knotted, mossy \u2026 like someone was peering. Someone\u2019s watching you, that\u2019s the impression I get.<\/p>\n
      CECIARE:<\/strong> \u2026 Well that\u2019s interesting to hear.<\/p>\n
      SALEM:<\/strong> Do you know them?<\/p>\n
      CECIARE:<\/strong> Specifically, the person who may or may not be watching me? That\u2019s a little more convoluted. The fact that there\u2019s a hand? No, I don\u2019t know anything about that.<\/p>\n
      SALEM:<\/strong> Where was the hand?<\/p>\n
      ANJAY:<\/strong> On the left shoulder.<\/p>\n
      Salem approaches Ceciare and touches their left shoulder, and shrugs when they find nothing. Angel slithers out from a sleeve and bites Ceciare very hard on the neck. Angel is shooting daggers at them with their eyes.<\/p>\n
      CECIARE:<\/strong> Ow\u2014 Yes, I\u2019m sorry Angel, I know you hurt your person. I deserve that.<\/p>\n
      Ceciare offers Angel a honey cream moss ball as an apology \u2013 they quickly snatch it and slither back inside.<\/p>\n
      Ceciare offers to tend to people\u2019s wounds.<\/p>\n
      CECIARE:<\/strong> You can say no, I just figured I\u2019d offer.<\/p>\n
      Well, looking at the group, you\u2019re probably the most \u2026 medically-qualified, considering you actually have healing tools and, I mean, it would be an appropriate way for you to make up for what you\u2019ve done.<\/p>\n
      SALEM:<\/strong> Sure! I probably just need a couple band-aids!<\/p>\n
      Suddenly, Salem jolts.<\/p>\n
      SALEM:<\/strong> Oh! Oh no. Does anybody\u2014hmm. Does anybody have any \u2026 message spells?<\/p>\n
      KYRIELLE:<\/strong> To an extent.<\/p>\n
      SALEM:<\/strong> Well not necessarily the spell Message, but a spell that can deliver a message.<\/p>\n
      KYRIELLE:<\/strong> Oh. No, I usually have people for that.<\/p>\n
      SALEM:<\/strong> Um, because I think something may have happened at the inn.<\/p>\n
      CECIARE:<\/strong> Like what?<\/p>\n
      SALEM:<\/strong> It\u2019s really hard to explain! I just sort of have a feeling?<\/p>\n
      No, I don\u2019t have any ability to send a message or messenger. We might be able to convince one of the fey to deliver a note?<\/p>\n
      Salem looks concerned.<\/p>\n
      HEMAKSHI:<\/strong> Why do you have this gut feeling?<\/p>\n
      SALEM:<\/strong> After Ceciare attacked<\/em> me, I sort of \u2026 saw \u2026 everyone back at the inn, and it looked like \u2026 Orev, anyway, didn\u2019t look so good \u2026 so we should probably get back after our mission \u2026 or sooner.<\/p>\n
      KYRIELLE:<\/strong> You have scrying magic?<\/p>\n
      SALEM:<\/strong> Well, no! I don\u2019t know, maybe? That\u2019s never happened before.<\/p>\n
      KYRIELLE:<\/strong> \u2026 A lot of firsts tonight.<\/p>\n
      SALEM:<\/strong> Mine didn\u2019t hurt anyone, though! So that\u2019s good.<\/p>\n
      Ceciare heals the group and uses Prestidigitation to mend their clothes. Salem makes inappropriate comments.<\/p>\n
      Wow, good thing you\u2019re as good at healing as you are hurting!<\/p>\n
      CECIARE:<\/strong> Well, let\u2019s just say I\u2019m more proficient in the former.<\/p>\n
      KYRIELLE:<\/strong> Is that why you turned down healthcare?<\/p>\n
      Anjay tucks himself into the pillow room to inspect the dagger. Lethe approaches Hemakshi to talk to him.<\/p>\n
      HEMAKSHI:<\/strong> Sorry, can I help you? Did you want to shower next?<\/p>\n
      LETHE:<\/strong> No \u2026 No, I just \u2026 I am sorry for \u2026 attacking you? And I\u2019m sorry that I accused you of being a ghost, because obviously, now I know, you\u2019re probably not a ghost.<\/p>\n
      HEMAKSHI:<\/strong> The \u201cprobably\u201d really sells it there.<\/p>\n
      Lethe sighs.<\/p>\n
      HEMAKSHI:<\/strong> Listen, I would have been a lot more upset if it weren\u2019t for the fact that\u2014it sounds like it had something more to do with external circumstances than you yourself. I can\u2019t imagine any of this has been easy for you, so \u2026 while I appreciate the apology, you don\u2019t necessarily have<\/em> to apologize for having all that on your plate on top of everything else.<\/p>\n
      HEMAKSHI:<\/strong> As for the ghost thing, I \u2026 I kinda get that a lot, at this point? Or at least the looks, so it\u2019s really nothing.<\/p>\n
      <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
      ANJAY: Salem, I\u2019m like\u2014 on a scale from zero to like, a thousand, I am a thousand percent sure he hates her. SALEM: Well, yeah, but in like, a special way, you know? ANJAY: … What kind of special way do you mean? SALEM: … Aren\u2019t they fucking? ANJAY: No!! No???<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10495,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[215],"tags":[231,120,234,107,232,233,220,221,223,238,239,237,235,236],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-12993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gatecrashers","tag-ash","tag-brian","tag-ely","tag-emily","tag-katie","tag-nic","tag-riley","tag-salem","tag-anjay","tag-ceciare","tag-downtime","tag-hemakshi","tag-kyrielle","tag-lethe","blog-left-layout","blog-style-postblock","","blog-alt-odd"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/emifail.com\/ocs\/wp-content\/uploads\/salem-anjay-hemakshi-kyrielle-ceciare-lethe-bigbuff_ashpuff-01.gif","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/emifail.com\/ocs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12993","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/emifail.com\/ocs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/emifail.com\/ocs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emifail.com\/ocs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emifail.com\/ocs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12993"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/emifail.com\/ocs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12993\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emifail.com\/ocs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/emifail.com\/ocs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emifail.com\/ocs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emifail.com\/ocs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12993"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emifail.com\/ocs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=12993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}