Game 77

Episode List

As we leave the town, Ereb scouts up ahead and sees a strange cloudlike thing, perhaps about a day away.

On the journey, Aziola leaves to hunt and doesn’t have much success, but she does smell the scent of death and decay on the wind. She follows her grumbling stomach quite some distance from the group. Merius checks in with her via Sending, but after only hearing the reply “HANGRY!”, he decides that we are unlikely to be able to communicate with her effectively until her belly is full. Knowing that Aziola took off in a Northeastern direction, the group decides to follow the road Northwest, hoping that when Aziola has finished her hunt, it won’t take her too long to rejoin the group on the road.

After four hours of Aziola’s absence, the group spies the tell tale signs of another impending storm, so they decide to hunker down for the night. Merius observes the incoming storm heads, hoping to further his observations into their unnatural origins.

Otto, steps out into the storm. He feels alive and with a clarity not felt since the storm in Silverymoon. He feels a presence. Convinced it is almost within reach, he peers into the distance. A flash of lightning streaks across the sky and he sees it, an ominous figure like a massive pillar against the sky. But just as quickly, the lightning fades and the figure is gone. Addled and wild eyed, Otto contemplates if there was a way to reach it. But Cirrine calls out to him, and ushers him back in the dome, where she and Merius share their concern over Otto’s recent behavior.

Aziola goes into a cave…eats a simmering stew and falls asleep.

She awakens herself as a child. Surrounded by snow and boreal trees and smells of something burning. It smells like singed hair. Matshani, her uncle, walks up to her and looks into her eyes, smiling.

“This is a dream, but not my dream. Having trouble lately, are we, Aziola?”

There’s something wrong about him standing in the snow like that. It was not him, it was your papa.

“Why dont you come down from there?”

She stays.

''“Aziola? Come down from there.”''

Something about the ground feels wrong. She tries to reach out to the source of the weave to cast detect magic. But that’s not right. She’s just a child.

''“Aziola? Is something wrong?”'' His foot drags just a bit.

Aziola attempts to leave the tree from the backside and tries to run away. She trips on the ground, taking a mouthful of snow. But its not cold like snow. She sees that she is surrounded by bones in a field of ash.

“Aziola?”

''There is a scratching sound. His face twitches like the after image of heat.''

''“There’s nothing wrong, uncle. I only tripped.”''

“Good, we should get going.” As he reaches out to offer her his hand, there is a bony hand with no flesh on it. The eyes in his skull begin to recede.

''“Mama has prepared a stew for us. We musn’t keep them waiting.”'' His hand is closing tighter. In the same cadence.

''“Aziola? Is ssssomething wrong?”''

''“Nothing. I must get the final ingredient.” What she feels is cold and lifeless. White bark stretching up with the dark fruit. Each family member hanging from a limb.''

''“Azzzziolaaa. Somethings wrong.”''

She feels incredibly cold. SHe remembers something he once said to help her find her place of peace. Aziola, however, decides to try to attack it. She punches into the chest cavity, collapsing several bones.

“Why would you hurt usssss?”

“Just a bit of play, uncle.”

“I have something to show youuuu.” IT begins to drag her until they arrive at a large wall. Her uncle turns and looks at her, but it is her uncle  no longer. It is Aziola’s adult face looking back at her.

“We have to see. We have to see.” It points a hand at a gate with dark figures at the edges of the threshold. Vines are growing at a rapid pace. From the ground itself, vines of honey suckle begin to grow around the doors. Her hand is released, and she falls beneath the ash and bones, but she continues falling. The clack of bones, with nothing but a sea of white and the sense of burning in her mouth and nose.

She awakens. Before her is an ancient halfling woman. Her cane wraps her on the snout.

“Wake up, thief! Now I’m inclined to do a thing or two! I’ve been brewing this all day!”

“You can have my firstborn?” (aka, a series of bear grunts)

“I don’t need a first born! I can hardly keep up with my self.” Aziola’s sense of smell is firing at 11.

“I know that look. But I need to find something. Maybe you can help me. And you DO owe me. I’ve been looking for 78 years! Will you take me to my stone?”

“Sure.”

“How good are you at climbing?”

“As a bear, great.”

“Good. We need to find a flower first. Have you heard of honeysuckle?”

“Of course.”

“Wonderful! Well, let’s be off.”

played 6.26.21

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