Mirrors

*Mirrors* is the title of the tenth episode of the sixth season of S.H.A.D.O.W. and the seventieth session of the entire game.

This session was played on February 23rd, 2020

## Mirrors

### Writer

Jonny Christie, Matt Christie, Rob Christie, Richie Maynard, Eric Rios

## Synopsis

Phylyco passes the document off to Hylophagous. The Saint reads it over with a bewildered look. He is amazed the boy king would agree so quickly. Phylyco barely acknowledges it before leaving to train the troops. Meanwhile, King Vargas is at the barracks, meeting the latest recruits. Varane explains that the standard military training is effective but he doesn’t believe it will matter since the army they’ll be fighting aren’t soldiers, they need a more rugged exercise. Vargas summons Mordecai to lead the rookies to the former Gladelake and hunt Wyverns. The Hand takes one hundred men and heads north. Vargas Joins him to better show his soldiers he is a king they can follow. Aragi is on the road with Tabhu and Singula. They are not a very talkative group. Aragi attempts to get any information about where they need to go but Singula is too cryptic and Tabhu is mute. He pulls out a map and asks the Crystal man where they are going. He points to the Ruins of Dawnrise and Singula whispers the word “family”. They camp for the night. Phylyco has a strict regiment for two group. The main force is taught normally, with swords and bows. The elite are much more specific and only train at night. The plan is to ambush the King’s men while they are out in the Aethel forests. As Mordecai is getting the men ready to depart, Vargas calls a meeting of his smartest advisors, Injun and Feyfinder, to discuss the state of the country and people. Mordecai comes in asking for fire and Vargas asks him if it is wise to give the former Abettor the title of Master of Intelligence. Mordecai reminds him that he is too easily captured and also a tiefling so he should just be executed. Vargas has Injun seized and sends him to death row. Mordecai gets his fire and goes back to what he was doing as if nothing just happened. Vargas then makes Feyfinder the Master of Domestic Affairs. The Gnome thanks him and tells him that he may actually be able to save this dying world.

The next morning, Vargas asks Mordecai about his own men and if they would fight for him. Rather than tell him, The Merchant King shows him. They teleport to the Silver Throne so Mordecai can give him a tour of his fortress and army. Once they get to the armory, Mordecai grabs a special blade and hands it to the King, claiming a ruler should have a proper sword. Vargas accepts it and feels a wave of energy. Hot but cold. Shocking but calming. Hurts but heals. A hybrid blade of sorts. He sheaths it and they depart for the Gladelake. Aragi and Tabhu decide to move on before the sun even rises. The Stone skin reflects the rays at dawn so to avoid detection, Aragi builds him a cowl to cover him up a bit more. Their eyes lock and for a moment Aragi notices they have the exact same eyes. He shrugs it off as a mirror trick of some sort and they move on. Phylyco’s plan is set in motion. He has his elite prep in a clearing north of town and disguises the rest as former members of House Rose. The ambush commences but it is actually both groups killing each other. It is tragic. Meanwhile, Vargas and Mordecai arrive at the lake and begin hunting Wyverns. They send a few men to retrieve eggs so they may use them for future endeavors.

Aragi once again attempts to get information about Tabhu. The only thing Singula can find is that he is not from Eris. The way Tabhu looks at the fire in front of them makes Aragi think he may be from that plane but Tabhu turns the theory down. Lara enters a hidden chamber within the Mausoleum to find Hylophagous sitting next to an incredibly sick Lyssaria. Her disease is much worse than they were showing Aragi. Lara informs him that a lot of their men have been killed. The Saint is shocked to hear this news and plans to get up to solve this but Lyssaria begins to cough up a lung again so he sits back down and tells Lara to handle it. He turns to his young love and tells her that she can’t go yet, they have a show coming up. It’ll be a performance they’ll never forget. She smirks in her delirium and motions for him to go deal with what he has to. He kisses her on the forehead and leaves to figure out what happened with the army. Aragi feeds Singula and offers Tabhu some but he gains his energy from the sunlight which is more information Aragi attempts to use as a clue. He also discovers that Tabhu is practically mimicking every motion he does. He considers that the being may be trying to become him, or a reflection of him. The party arrive at Dawnrise. It is the first time anyone has been there since the Vale. It is also the first-time plants are growing and animals are around the city. Tabhu rushes over to a temple that is clearly not damaged which is surprising. Aragi attempts to stop him from entering but the man is too eager to go in and they are blindsided by a mummified person. They swiftly take care of it and enter the Temple to find Tabhu’s family. There are six total, counting the archer. They all turn to Aragi and each thank him for returning their leader and as he is introduced to each, he gets the feeling he knows them all and sees a flash of each of his friends. Lara, Darrow, Sirobe, Phylyco, Boggle, and finally himself within Tabhu. They are Shardmind. They were created by the party as they returned from the Vale. Copies of them. Aragi plans to protect this family from the dangers of this world and promises to keep them out of the fight. Tabhu thanks him using Aragi’s voice. That’s terrifying but he accepts it. He asks to stay for the night but he coughs and remembers his own family and before he departs he goes down to the statue of Sachayoj and destroys it with a Wolf Arrow. Back at the Mausoleum, A gloved hand covers Lyssaria’s face, taking her lifeforce and leaving her deceased.

## Cast

### Main

* Aragi Maxul
* Phylyco Brokenwhisper
* Lara Youngheart
* Mordecai Silvergleam
* Vargas de Orion Highstar
* Lyssaria
* Saint Hylophagous

### Supporting

* Abettor Injun
* Raphael Varane
* Tabhu
* Blaktar
* Singula

### Guest

* Ronxim Feyfinder
* Myst
* Baan
* Anathema
* Resrict
* Hibit

## Trivia

* This session revealed that by traveling from the Vale into Eris, the Shardmind were created.
* Each Shardmind is represented by a member of the Vale party (Myst is Boggle, Baan is Phylyco, Anathema is Lara, Resrict is Darrow, Hibit is Sirobe, and Tabhu is Aragi).