A NUDGE OF FATE

***A NUDGE OF FATE*** takes place after the events of Session 25. As members fall into slumber or attempt to make their way back to camp, the Fade has other plans giving them all a chance to look at threads long forgotten.

## Synopsis

#### Riya

Laying peacefully in the campsite, Riya thinks of the woman in her ring, wondering of her trial and her cries. Riya finds herself wandering in a unfamiliar forest, the dappled rays of the sun and the playing of the lute greeting her. Moving to follow the sound, Riya moves towards a clearing hearing the playing of an old instrument, one her Nanna keeps in her office. Reaching the edge of the clearing just as the man's playing reaches a climax, she catches sight of his large brimmed hat and flowing robes.

The man from her trials has his back turned to her focusing on his playing. Hiding in attempt to not disturb him, roots of the trees move to his music in a wave reaching towards him. Nature dances with his music, but is promptly disrupted realizing she is there, roots creeping away. He greets her, not expecting an audience, but Riya states she hadn't meant to interrupt and complements his playing. He reassures her, realizing she's not from around here, he states she's in his home. Stumbling over his words as if not practised talking to others, he apologizes for the way he's acting. Riya reassures him it's alright, not expecting to barge into his home like this. The man states the land technically isn't his but the Gods, they allow him to live in it.

Riya asks about the Gods, who exactly he refers to. The man speaks of The Evanuris, The Pantheon of Elven Gods. He claims all eleven of them are wonderful, however this special piece of land belongs to June, Lady of the Mountain, Seas and Forests. Riya looks to his hand, finding a branching golden ring with a lustrous emerald gem in the centre. The shape of the ring creates a large tree, the design is similar to the ring on Riya's own hand. Removing his hat, he asks if she's interested in learning of Lady June. A pale Elven man stands with bluish-black hair, a bright red earring and beaded necklace around his neck. He bears marks similar to Elvhenanian Elves, but is a dark ink instead of the familiar white.

Riya introduces herself to him, asking for his name. He calls himself El'duin June (roughly translating to 'Heart of June') stating his name is long forgotten. El'duin murmurs June means everything to him, as if their souls are intertwined. He tells Riya to get her out of there, which confuses her for a moment, however he gestures to the ring on her hand. His ring a blooming tree, whilst hers only a seed, they are seemingly one in the same. Riya had answered his call and like souls intertwined, June had found her again. El'duin steps back, stating that's all he can say as the forest begins to smell of ash. Riya asks how it could be done, El'duin states the key to getting her out is in the heart of the forest, urging her to find the heart. He believes the two of them cannot be together, him and Riya.

Stating that, hearing the galloping of hooves, a familiar knight appears. The Time Knight rushes through the forest, striking El'duin with his blade. As he disappears, Riya falls back into a restless sleep surrounded by green mist.

#### Hira

As they are walking back towards their camp, the two miss the soft creeping of green mist in the forests. Mind occupied with the thoughts of her trial, a thought not of Hira's enters her own head — happiness, reunion, an feeling of relief for making it in time, as the thought is cutoff. Vilya asks Hira if she thinks the beast in her trial was her, to which she reconfirms her suspicion. Another thought enters her head — one berating themselves over an interaction. It becomes clear the forefront of Vilya's thoughts are shared to her, in return she reacts to Hira's thoughts as well.

Her thoughts delve further on her trial, wondering if it was loneliness or the loss of an unknown figure that would lead her to this future. At this thought Vilya visibly grows uncomfortable — uncomfortable with the unintentional invasive peering of her thoughts. Hira speaks up, confirming they both hear it. Noticing the mist, deeming the effects unpredictable in nature. Hira mentions every encounter of the mists had a portal lingering nearby. Although in the Fade, the two think it could be a portal leading to the Material Plane. Searching for any rifts, the forest breaks leading them to a mountainside.

Hira curses at the sight of the place as Vilya reminds her they've been here before, not noticing the crag on the mountainside. Panicking, a thought enters Hira's head of reassurance, reminding her of Vilya's presence. The head back the way they came, stepping backwards with eyes on the crag, they hear a loud clash of thunder and smell of the ocean as they walk away, but come right back to the mountainside. Unsure if they had to climb it, Hira brings up there being a tunnel. Vilya asks if she's afraid to go in there to which Hira confirms, recalling the ceremony she had gone through. Vilya offers to go ahead, stating she wouldn't have offered if she didn't want to go first.

Accepting the terms, Vilya leads the way with a light spell to her quarterstaff. As the light purple light bounces off the wall, along with claw marks, there are figures and scripture etched into the walls. Unable to make out the writing, similar to the characters along the sheath of her sword. The script repeats over and over, parts of the writing breaks off to show illustrations. A figure with their arms outstretched wide towering over a swarm of circles and dashes. Turning around, the same figure points forward reaching towards another — with big scales and a long snout, the figure reaches towards a dragon.

Hira begins taking down the writing in her journal, asking if Vilya knows anything of the script. Vilya can deduce it to be Primordial — an ancient language lost to the Blight. The two begin to walk again, Hira questions the ruins she had been studying. Vilya explains they were written in Ancient Sylvan making it difficult to decipher, she assumes the ruins were Elvish due to motifs but cuts herself off in fear of boring her. Hira reassures her she had asked and Vilya mentions she had seen other ruins, but didn't pay them much mind. Hira thinks they could run into them again now that there are more of them.

Vilya suggests revisiting the tunnel in the Material Plane. Hira states she'll have to return one day so perhaps, but wonders if places of Orion have began bleeding into the Fade. Vilya hopes it's just memories, in fear of a giant Fade rift being left behind. Eventually they reach the end, a familiar room home to an altar and cauldron. The walls of this place have changed, less compact, as something has been digging. Whatever was on the walls is now illegible rubble.

Above the altar the same dragon looks down upon a figure with open arms, pressing a beastly claw against their forehead. The two converse, making out the figure to be The Monarch. Hira recalls during gatherings that a member of the Eclipse writing their words and teachings, somewhere there are records. Vilya comments that Hira is young, suggesting to talk to any elders, but retracts her words recalling how Hira spoke of them. Looking over the room once more the two stand befuddled by what they've seen. A moment passes before they hear a squelching noise.

There's no space beneath the cauldron, affixed to the base of the mountain itself. The cauldron shakes as the lid pops open, a hand erupts, then a eight foot tall Firbolg impossibly so. Their eyes dart towards Hira as Vilya urges them to leave, but Hira stands frozen. Their fur and hair is slicked down, tumbling onto the floor as worms fall and wriggle. The figure lays with a vacant stare, their face unmarred like the Monarch. Growing overwhelmed Hira fails to comprehend the figure in front of her, the light fades as Vilya wildshapes into a Halla, pushing her out of the tunnels.

Hurried out, Vilya dispels her wildshape focus on shutting the tunnel entrance and turns to Hira, who stews in her panic hyperventilating as her mind races. Vilya helps to calm her, settling away from the mountain, she coaxes her to keep her gaze on the tunnel and focus on her breathing. As Vilya finds another way towards camp through a sparrow, she reassures Hira she will wait until she's ready to move forward.

#### Bran

Rushing through the forests of the Fade, overwhelmed, he feels as if an army is rushing behind him. Paranoia seeps in as he's being hunted. Bran shakes Mint awake, urging him to make his way back to the others in desperate hope in keeping him alive. Mint flies off, leaving Bran alone. Arel's voice echoes through his head in a message, laughing stating they'll see him again. Contemplating to head back the way he came, Bran moves forward towards a vast grassy meadow with mountains along the horizon. Walking out of the forest, he realizes how big the Fade is.

There is little signs of life, but as Bran wishes to find someone, speak to someone, he finds a door jutting from a hill. Reaching forward, a voice chides him to knock before opening someone else's doors. With a head of leaves and long ears, skin made of bark, Bran comes face to face with a Fey. Bran is familiar with Fey through fairy tales, the woman seems to be an aged Dryad. They deal with favours, despite her kind appearance they are mischievous in nature. She steps toward him, wondering if he's lost. Introducing herself as Esmeralda, Bran hesitates giving his own, instead introducing himself as Mint. The name escapes his head, as if a thread has been erased. Nobody remembers his bird's name anymore.

Esmeralda smiles, now that he gave her his name she'll only call him dearie. She asks what he'd like in return for this gift. Bran asks her to show him the true bond that binds his sister and him together and a way to save her from it. Only offering to answer the one question, she blows some dust in Bran's face, showing him a scene back home. He hears the pained cries of Nimue, the scene of their birth. One child swaddled in his father's arm, whilst the midwife brings out the other, pale nearly blue and cold. Nimue scrambles to hold them, a small spark of magic jumps of her as Bran is transported to sandy dunes.

Nimue trudges through the sands, two children in her arms, only one breathing. Nimue arrives to a dark lit room, adorned with piles of gold. In the middle of the room something slithers. Nimue begs the being to save her, wishing for her to live. The being states she can't handle the magic running through her veins but Nimue insists. A hand emerges from the shadows, black and scaly brushing against the child's face, bringing a small piece of magic to place into Bran. In this moment, Bran was made to stay by Violet's side, as he keeps her magic at bay. This creature gave Bran a piece of it's power, absorbing the arcane around him.

Nimue comes back, two children in her arms, crying. Elliot asks her what she had done, to which she states she did what any mother would do. The last scene Esmeralda shows him is from a few years back, where Bran had declared his want to venture out in the world. This time he noticing how Nimue held Elliot tensely, they cannot hold him back, but hears their worried whispers. Nimue expresses she'll find another way once Bran leaves. Shortly after bidding Bran farewell, Nimue had left as well.

Bran opens his eyes once more. Esmeralda asks if that answers his question, it did, at least partially. She doesn't understand the complexity of emotions, leaving him be. Leaving the hill, Bran begins to run through the meadows, willingly this time.

#### Oriza

so sorry oriza got to see loralynns death crime scene and was a detective. they saw cyril running away from the crime scene, and a blue dragonborn servant also saw him run. there was also a scene where oriza got to look into loralynns memories of what she saw in orizas dreams back when they were kids WHICH WAS NOT RECORDED so rip it was sick tho i bet

## Featured Characters

#### The Fireflies

* Oriza
* Hiraeth
* Bran
* Riya

#### Returning

* Mint
* Vilya