The Sundered Way

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

Randy turns around to see the ghost vanishing. He then looks intently at Tess, specifically to see if she's acting unexplainably different.

perception: 1d20+3 = [16] = 19

[thinkslogically]

Insight: 1D20+2 = [19]+2 = 21

[Theis2]

"I doubt my spells will work on this, the fire too brief to cause more than the surface to be scorched nor purposed towards breaking magic in the first place. Perhaps the scimitar Zephyr has will work on it given that's an actual magic weapon. If that's still not enough, let's just stuff them somewhere safe till we have some new means to deal with them."

Just to be sure, Holger will shoot one of them with firebolts and eldritch blasts a couple of times, not expecting much. I decided to just roll damage as he's going to try again if he misses.

3 fire bolts and 3 eldritch blasts: 1D10 = [7] = 7
1D10 = [1] = 1
1D10 = [2] = 2
1D10 = [3] = 3
1D10 = [6] = 6
1D10 = [6] = 6

[spiderwrangler]

Tess remains standing, hand still outstretched, necklace about her neck. Her back is three-quarters to you Randy and Dornikal, so you don't have a visual on her expression.

► Show Spoiler

Tess?

► Show Spoiler

The images and memories flash through, from the perspective of a child... in the moment, you are a child, the child is you.... an older woman, wearing a similar necklace, old and stooped with age, but still sure of foot... Granmam... teaching you to dance.... that same woman, on her deathbed, other women, Mother, Auntie... removing the necklace... later, taking it apart, incorporating some of its discs into their own... three strung together and placed solemnly around your neck... a connection, from daughter to mother, to mother before, back through the years... a gift of dance, a gift of life, a gift of joy... Later, other family passing, and necklaces being restrung to carry their dance, their song down through the generations... new discs added with your own accomplishments, to one day be passed on to your own future daughters.... a sense of loss, for what might have been, and a sense of gratitude, for what must be...

You are back in your own perspective once again, the joyous laughter fading as the last bit of the woman departs, satisfied.

► Show Spoiler

Given freely by the spirit, you can call upon the experience of the women who have worn these discs before you. Prior to making a Charisma ability check, you can use this necklace to gain advantage on the roll.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

You also get an Inspiration point.

Holger engages in a magical version of "kick the block", repeatedly blasting the bracelets across the sand.

[thinkslogically]

((yay! Also thank you for not having it turn into a nightmare creature and eating Nems face!))

Nem sits back down it the sand, hugging her knees to her chest and listening to the jingle of the necklace as she lets her fingers run through the discs. Her gaze keeps returning to the bones, lying in her scarf, and she just continues to sit.

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

"Dornikal, you said you could make a primitive forge? Let's give it a try and then try hammering it. If it doesn't work, we'll do a proper burial and take the manacles with us until we can figure out a method of breaking them."

[M0rtimer]

Ulmwin tries to recall some of the things he learnt back in the city under the tutelage of the bard he had met... Was there a way to disenchant items, perhaps..?

Arcana: 1D20+4 = [7]+4 = 11

Alas, it was never really the true subject of their studies, so he likely doesn't recall anything of importance.

[Rodgeir]

Dornikal looks back to Randy from Tess. He gives Tess a pat on her shoulder before heading over.

"Aye think the ghost has been released, we don't need to destroy these right now. Fixing a forge will take some time to make so aye can give it a try where we camp rather than out on a dune"

[thinkslogically]

((is Dornikal talking to Nem?))

[Rodgeir]

((No, he left her with the bones to speak with Randy. He is totally guessing based on what he saw and understands to be going on.))

[thinkslogically]

((cool, she'll continue to just sit then ))

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

Randy nods.
He walks over to Tess.
"It's going to take some doing to break the manacles. We can take another crack at it when we set up camp at the next well and have more resources available. Coljin, Dornikal, and I can give her a proper burial in the meantime...unless you've found out who her people are."

[thinkslogically]

Nem comes back to herself a bit as Randy begins to speak. He would notice most of her gear is laid in the sand a little way away and her head is uncovered, revealing a pair of moderately long horns that run backwards through her hair, close to her skull. She is wearing the ghost's necklace. She looks tired.

As Randy speaks, she gives a short laugh and shakes her head.

"Well it was with a try I suppose."

She sighs and starts getting to her feet.

"Shes already gone, love. Any words you want to say will just be for you."

[spiderwrangler]

((Dornikal had approached, had he previously been aware of her tiefling nature? Can't recall if Szartha's people had been looped in or not.))

[Rodgeir]

((Nope, Dornikal was not in the loop.))

Following Randy over Dornikal is caught off guard by the person Randy is speaking with and that she has Tess voice and general features. He will say cautiously

"Tess, lass, that necklace has changed ye. May be best ye take it off for now."

He will look to Randy for support.

[thinkslogically]

She flashes him a fanged half-hearted grin.

"Surprise, love. The necklace didn't do this."

((Her eyes are gold too right now, by the way))

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

Randy is not surprised, having suspected for some time.
"You're going to reveal yourself to the others?" He looks at her with concern . "Why now?"

[thinkslogically]

((I'm pretty sure Randy already knew: https://goblinsforum.com/viewtopic.php? ... ng#p256350

Edit: Actually, everyone in the original party knows:
https://goblinsforum.com/viewtopic.php? ... ng#p260454))

She sniffs and looks back to the bones and up at the pillar to the night sky and pauses.

"I'm tired of running."

She collects her armour and pulls it back over her shoulders, leaving it loose and open and kneels next to the bones one last time, running the dark red fabric of the scarf between her fingers a moment before tucking it snugly and carefully around the remains. With a deep breath, she stands up, grabs her rapier from the sand and walks back to the caravan.

[Rodgeir]

Dornikal just watches until she is out of earshot and whispers to Randy,

"Aye don't understand? She was a teifling all along? Is that a problem to the west? Zephyr seems to be pretty open about it?"

He looks at the bones and then after Tess,

"What's she running from?"

[spiderwrangler]

((Tieflings aren't a common race, and people tend to take note, and make assumptions, even if they don't voice or act on those assumptions. Maybe similar to encountering someone with face tattoos and extreme piercings?))

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

((Well, to be precise, Randy knew that she wasn't human. And given eye color and dark vision, along with a few other items here and there, he strongly suspected tiefling. Of course there could be other gold eyed humanoids out there I suppose. ))

Randy nods to Dornikal. " I've known for sometime that she wasn't human. I believe Holger knows as well. Pretty sure Zephyr didn't, though. Not sure about the others. As to what she's running from? She was running from her past. Just like everyone does until you realize that you can't. She just realized that. She done running and going to face it head on."

[Rodgeir]

Dornikal Still doesn't understand but he nods anyways.

"Let's get these bones taken care of. Aye've already ask Dumathoin to guide her spirit in the after but we can bury her earthly remains as well."

Dornikal does so and then proceeds back to the caravan and takes a moment to quietly explain to Szartha, Galt and Tren what he saw.

[thinkslogically]

((She would have done it when we were all hanging out in the orc cave, I just posted it in the OOC rather than IC (2nd link above). I'm happy to go with whatever level of knowledge you guys want to have had, but the fact she's a tiefling shouldn't be SUPER surprising to anyone except the merchant crew)).

[Rodgeir]

((The merchants have all be around tieflings so that part isn't a big deal but it is still weird that that someone would spend that much time around people she knew to be okay in a disguise for so long. That being said Galt, Tren and Szartha will each have their own takes on it, though generally they are an accepting bunch.))

[thinkslogically]

((that's fair. Feel free to ask her about it ))