Kwaal Middernag
Ivoorstrandnt- Vol.1:Iss#007
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Story
I stood over Aq's sleeping body, my shovel raised, contemplating whether to bring the edge down on the base of his neck. This past week had been an ordeal. I had gained the trust of most of our band, save for Fievhos' most trusted – Aq and Xhum. Even after saving Fievhos from a Gladkruip ambush and reviving him with my Life Tap ability, Aq remained suspicious. My secrets had to be protected, and the runt's curiosity was becoming a threat.
I recalled Aq's words before he went to sleep: "Look, Dwass, you may have everyone else fooled, but not me. You did somethin' to Fie… and you're hiding somethin'. It makes my scars itch."
I gritted my teeth, lowering the shovel. "Your lucky day, runt," I mumbled. I couldn't let Aq push me to my breaking point. I needed Fievhos' favor to understand Ayetha's actions.
I returned to my post, just on the edge of our firelight, when a chuckle from behind startled me. I grabbed my shield and faced the intruder, weapons ready.
A Haseman stood there, hands raised in surrender. "Not ready to end that one, are we, Dost?" he whispered.
"Another survivor?" I asked quietly, noting the FlintGarde Crest beneath his cloak.
He grinned. "Do I look so destitute, Dost? I am Rasaalm. And you have something rather curious." He gestured at my shield.
"We found it among the aftermath of a battle," I said, glancing at the haunting shield. "What's your interest in it?"
Rasaalm replied, "A benefactor of mine seeks it. But you, Dost, chose mercy when many wouldn't. You're my dark horse."
I scoffed. "Mercy? Aq has his uses. I'm hedging my bets. If you're here for the shield, I assume you intended to steal it?"
"Aye," Rasaalm admitted, "but I've been watching you. As you said, it's best to hedge one's bets. The shield should fall into the right hands – and I believe yours are those hands."
My curiosity piqued, I lowered my shovel. "So, what now?" I asked, eyeing the Haseman with a hint of sarcasm.
Rasaalm's maniacal grin widened. "Now, Dost, we see what fate has in store."
My heart raced as Rasaalm stepped close. He looked over the shield with a discerning eye, seemingly assessing its potential.
"What's so special about this shield, Rasaalm?" I inquired, as my curiosity grew.
He glanced at me, his one good eye piercing my soul. "The Face of Longevity, I have only heard rumors. A weapon that will let you out last even the worst of sieges.
I looked at the shield, its ashen grey face staring back at me. "And you think I'm the right person?"
Rasaalm nodded. I hesitated, glancing at the sleeping Aq. "I can't promise I'll always choose mercy."
"Nobody can," Rasaalm admitted. He touched the front of my shield and a pulse of warmth hit me. “But mercy isn't always the right answer either now is it?”
*CLATTER of DICE*
Title Obtained
Face of Mercy
*Clatter of Dice*
Appraisal Complete
As everyone woke the next morning I couldn't help but recall the conversation with Rasaalm as I stared at the Shield tooltip still trying to comprehend it.
Face of Longevity
Upon the first strike, where shadows converge,
With the wielder's blood, an oath to emerge,
With each echo, up to four they arise
Shadows aligned, their might amplified,
As echoes converge, their force unified.
The visage of old grants protection unyielding,
To the wielder and echoes, a steadfast shielding.
A damned riddle for a description and nothing else beyond that after Rasaalm's appraisal. I did sense there was something different about it. It felt lighter, almost apart of my arm.
A shout pulled me from my thoughts.
“Kes-qa! Over here quick!” Shouted Xhum. I slammed my inventory closed1 and whipped around to find everyone crowded around Aq. I immediately thought of Rasaalm that damned Haseman might have taken it on himself to end my problem for me. I hesitated a second.
“Damn it woman hurry!” Fievhos shouted over his shoulder.
Aq made it clear he didn't trust me, best not to raise suspicion. I darted over sliding in beside Xhum and Fievhos.
I nearly spewed the nights dinner on the pavement next to them. The sight was grisly Aq's already scared fur was engorged and enflamed. Occasionally something moved beneath his flesh.
“The hell is that?!”
“Staalgvlo.” Fievhos said gravely. He shot me a look of desperation. “I don't know what you did to help me but can you do the same for Aq.”
Xhum and the others looked at me expectantly. I tried to wrack my brain for anything about these things and I was coming up blank I couldn't risk using my abilities so blatantly in the open. The last time I had the heat of battle and the separation of the band to keep my secret but this, this was beyond even my deception skills.
I shook my head, “I can't treat this here we have to make it to the Stuitlaai, now!” As Fievhos pleaded with me to help Aq, I felt the weight of my decision bearing down on me. The stakes were high, and my loyalty was being put to the test. In this critical moment, I had to prove myself to Fievhos while preserving my secrets.
I could sense his desperation, his trust in me hanging by a thread. It was a delicate balancing act, and every word had to be carefully chosen. The tension in the air was palpable, and the gravity of the situation left no room for error.
“You offered me cot, escort, and trust when you didn't have to. Let me return the favor. Our band is too large to move at the speeds we need to. Let me take him to the Stuitlaai.”
The Stuitlaai would get us to the top levels but it was in a the Northern shaft of the 60th floor. A party as large as ours was moving faster than any raid party but we still weren't moving fast enough. It was a drastic bargain but loyalty required such things.
Fievhos nodded, “Fine, take Vhowin with you. He's our fastest runner by far. The extra set of eyes wouldn't hurt either.”
Aq slipped in and out of consciousness. His scars writhed and with it a shriek of pain.
“Go!”
With Fievhos's words at our heels. Vhowin and I rushed for the Stuitlaai. The uncertainty of our journey weighed on my mind, but I knew I had no choice but to move forward and face whatever challenges lay ahead.
Next week
As Vhowin and I run through the dark twist and turns of the FlintGarde Dungeon. I am lost in thought contemplating my next move. Is this damned rat even worth saving? Find out next week!
Bones and Mechanics
The dice were amazing this session. I think this and the last session deserve to have some focus on them so I'll break those down for you in our Ink and Bones recap installment.
Writing with Dice, or Solo TTRPGS have a very unique element of suprising even me. Which is a bit funny as I am player,DM, and Author of this story. But giving a vast majority of the agency over to the dice well that is a wholly unique experience. My ideas for a die roll and someone else's will never be the same. That is the beauty of such things. That said the dice did bend in my favor. And kept Rasaalm non hostile glad that didn't devolve into a battle. But how curious that Aq my newest rival is now sick. So we are going to ask a question this week. Do we actually rush for the Stuitlaai and try to help Aq or are we going to find a way to “just not make it in time.”
Both choices have their ramifications. Currently we are in good favor with Fievhos. This could extend said good favor further. Even if we don't make it in time that possibility is still there. But on the other hand this is a prime opportunity to make sure our Soul Collector Abilities stay hidden. The choice is yours.
Thank you again for reading.
Fellowship
Jesse Lee over at Epic Solo makes minis fun. His knack for clear rule explanation is a master class for DM's and Solo players alike.
DC once again offers a chilling tale in his latest installment of Frontier, over at GFA!
The Master Rogue Campaign over at P&D has just gone Multiplayer! Make sure you get in on the action and watch the Director bring your character to life!
Royce makes DIY look so painfully and fun over at SFA. If you like weird, whimsical and wacky this is the place for you.
Thanks again for reading and don't forget to drop a comment or leave a note!
So an on the fly note I am refining certain things about the 'game world' to bring it more in line with the vision I have of what a tabletop Isekai would be like. So the HUD is turning into a more traditional Explorers notebook. This maybe jarring but will be addressed and possibly later edited. This is one of the beauties of Solo On the fly Refinement of ideas.