🪞48. mirror, mirror

session 48 • november 01 2022 • 934 words

🌞 DAY 11 • 📅 MARPENOTH 1

Switching Gears

In preparation for the upcoming fight(s) at Wave Echo Cave, we head to Lionshield Coster to drop off the gear we've found and purchase some new ones, especially to cover our very-clear lack of range on part of the melee martials.

Hugh purchases a heavy crossbow, Will sells his scalemail and Hugh shows Linene his dragontooth necklace.

The Network

Soren, realizing that Halia of the Zhentarim was waiting for a report about Cragmaw Castle, as Soren had technically joined the Zhents. He goes to get that over with while the party heads to Stonehill to set up for the herb mashing session.

Soren, who had told the hobgoblins to "welcome with open arms" the Zhents--implying that they should attack--tells Halia that the Zhents will be welcomed at Cragmaw :) Otherwise, Soren gives a truthful account that they had killed King Grol, but left a squadron of hobgoblins and some goblins in charge of the castle.

Satisfied, Halia gives Soren some gold; Soren jokingly asks for a pat on the head, which Halia obliges reluctantly with UTMOST disgust :( Soren has very soft hair OK?

Halia expresses interest in an individual called "The Black Spider" that the Zhents want to work with. LMAOO Soren keeps the world's hardest poker face and shrugs off any connection to this person. He lies and tells Halia that the party will be leaving to get rid of some orcs shortly, and notes that the Zhents have their eye on the forge.

Stonehill Inn

At the inn, the party greets Pip, who has been taking excellent care of Truffles and Gravy. He's ecstatic to see everyone and hounds them for stories of their adventures, which the group gladly regales. Hugh ends up telling him that Soren killed a green dragon in one shot (I guess.. lmao,, it was more the demon sugar daddy tho 😔) which BLOWS this little boy's mind.

Soren comes back from the Zhentarim meeting and Pip is like BRUHHHH DRAGONSLAYEYYR. Soren adores the attention but feebly tries to be humble.

Pip is adorable and asks to go on the next adventure with us LMAO boy you will be, we just don't know it yet.

The party of course weasels out of it ("we need you to take care of gravy and truffles, it's the most important job in the world!!") but end up promising to bring Pip to a fair. Pip promises to make the group a big breakfast picnic with lots of pancakes before we leave, so that we're nourished.

Will speaks with Glitter via Speak with Animals and takes all the emotional damage from apparently, how babbie Glitter is. She loves everyone except Gravy who is being very rude to her.

Mirror of the Past

Reluctantly, Soren admits to the group that he plans to look into the Mirror of the Past to glimpse Nezznar's life moments, in hopes of gaining some advantage in the coming fight. He lets the group know that it will likely be unpleasant, and contain scenes of his torture. Sildar and Will insist on looking regardless, while Hugh chooses to sit out.

We settle down and peer into the mirror.

We see a young male drow playing with a spider plush; it's taken away from him by someone who seems to be a female sibling. The toy rips in half and the boy--presumably young Nezznar--is dragged away by two older females. We see him later, crying and bruised, presumably having been punished for his transgression against a female.

The scene shifts, and we see Nezznar, older, teaching in a classroom setting. He creates a demonstration of evocation magic, which amazes the younger children in the class. Nezznar seems gratified by the attention, and gives the children a small smile.

We see instances of Nezznar casting destructive evocation magic:

Another long scene: we see Nezznar during his training at Sorcere, being forced to concentrate on a spell while an open flame is being held to his back by an older mage bearing the sigil of House Baenre. Though panicked and clearly conflicted, he manages to cast a domination enchantment spell that forces a slave to slit their own throat.

We see a glimpse back into Nezznar's childhood: he's holding a trophy that says "Top First Year Mage of Sorcere". He proudly shows his Matron, who is thoroughly unimpressed and asks if that's all he achieved, devastating the boy.

Soon after, the scene shifts to situations that Soren is more than familiar with; scenes of Nezznar toying with and branding or otherwise hurting him.

The mirror's scenes come to a close, leaving the party thoroughly uncomfortable -- both from the graphic depictions of Soren's torment, as well as from the other sides of Nezznar they just witnessed. Regardless, of his reasons for doing so however, it's clear that Nezznar has become an evil individual who must be stopped.

Soren eventually begins working on the potions quietly, alongside identifying all of the potions and items that they have yet to. Sildar dips out of the inn for half an hour and returns acting suspiciously, though Soren does not pursue.

🌞 NIGHT 11 • 📅 MARPENOTH 1

Promise

Eventually, the party heads to bed. Sildar slips a ring onto Soren's hand but Soren notices and, of course, questions it. Sildar admits that he had the blacksmith make a promise ring--a quartz-inset butterfly over a simple silver band--to show him that his love for Soren will never change.

Soren tears up and they have this soft ass convo thanks for transcribing it Mel

Happy and fucking adorable, the two head to bed.