Inner Mirror

***Inner Mirror*** is a special bonus session related to *Shadow of Tyre*. It occurs between Episode 23 and Episode 24 of *Shadow of Tyre*.

## Premise

Join Ahst on a special journey as she learns more about the Traitors.

## Characters

### Player Characters

Ahst

Changeling Ranger

## **Summary**

Summary from Verum Weekly

Ahst steps through the gate and finds herself walking in smoke. Her surroundings are all of mist, similar to the Dream Realm. As she tries to touch a set of armor in front of her, it dissipates into the smoke, and she finds herself standing in a stone structure. Ahst looks at herself and only sees a wisp of smoke. A vision forms in front of her. Two figures wait and converse with each other. There is a map on the table between them and it shows Kalkatesh but during the Elven Empire. There are also documents with the mark of the Taladoni. Eventually a third one appears, evidently a dark elf. One of the two holds out their hands expectantly, and the dark elf hands over a gold ring with a signet of 12 stars. He points at his own hand, and subtly while the other two figures are distracted, the dark elf casts a spell. Ahst notices that there is an inscription on the ring so she waits till one of the two holds it in a position to read. One of the figures accidentally knocks the ring off the table, and Ahst takes the chance to read it. She manages to read “Never forget your duty, my son” before the dark elf goes to reach for the ring. Ahst looks up to him and sees that his eyes glow with Violet, and for a moment they turn to look at Ahst. The two original figures get back to conversing and the elf turns to leave, but as he leaves, he looks back directly at Ahst and smiles.
The scene fades away and a mirror appears. Ahst investigates the mirror, and she sees her old self at the beginning of her journey with her party. She then takes the form of the dark elf, but the mirror only shows a black shadow. She loses control of her power; her hands stay in the shadowy form. The mirror begins to crack and the shadow seeps out of it. Ahst becomes herself again, and the shadow slowly manifests itself in a visage of the dark elf, looking like a painting with faded outlines (It is Ventil Twelvestar). Although accusing her that delving into shadows should be best forgotten, the dark elf urges Ahst for what he is about to say. As he doesn’t have much time left, he extracts Ahst’s memories from her hand. The dark elf comments that some of the “pieces" have been found and calls Ahst courageous for trying to take Tyre’s labyrinth. He asks if she knows of the weapon that waits for them in there against the labyrinth. She suggests the Traitor’s Blade, but he wasn’t referring to that. Wishing to explore her intuition, he asks what the world (Strippin is addressed directly) knows about the Violet. She mentions that it was a halfling, a member of the original Seven who betrayed his group, and that it is not of this world and doesn’t belong here. The dark elf confirms her knowledge for the most part. However, he tells her that the original form of the Vessel is not important, but rather what it became or, more importantly, what it contained and what it became. He says that what waits for each of the groups in the labyrinth are keys that will open the door of the mad wizard’s realm. There they will find the point in which “reality was sundered; the crack in the Prism and where the End might begin”. The crack is the path to the Twilight Station. When they will walk through the Prism, they will gain the knowledge needed to face the Enemy.
Ahst asks if he knows how the Covenant of Mercy was broken, but he doesn’t. However, he does mention that they might find the answer when walking through the edge of reality, for the Prism is not of this world but merely a casing around it that is cracked and fading. He tells Ahst of the Seven coming from another existence who walk outside of the Great Wheel. The Violet had its purpose, just as the others, and its Covenant was destroyed, but he reveals there was a reason why the others were sealed and kept from the world. The purpose of the Cardinals was to keep the other pieces of the Prism hidden, but now that some are free, he theorizes it might be for the best in this Iteration. Ahst asks if he was the first Traitor but he says no, the Violet was the first. The dark elf claims to be the Traitor of the third Iteration. Ahst follows up asking how he failed. The dark elf responded, “I loved my father too much”.
He asks Ahst if she is ready to know what it means to be a Traitor, and she agrees, stealing herself. He retails that once upon a time there was harmony and that the Prism was once whole. Sadly, such things cannot last forever. The circle became a tear, the Prism was broken, the Violet became a Traitor, and a Covenant was broken. Incessantly, the Violet scours the realms of this world and all worlds within the swirling grasp of the Wheel. Each time it takes more and more, even though every time it was slowed but never stopped. The first Traitor wanted the power for his people and their security, but he failed, thinking that this power was his own. Soon the Folly of Maltos became the paradigm in which each Traitor followed. Each time a Traitor calls, attempting to be different from the others, but it always ends the same. A little more of the world is gone, a little more knowledge and memory is lost, and it resets. Each time the world grows weaker and the Violet grows stronger. Ahst asks why this time would be different. He admits that he himself does not know, but this Iteration is different from most. The dark elf continues saying that everyone is doing their part and that the Violet is not omnipotent. Believing that the Violet’s victory in each Iteration is the end is foolish; however, believing that we are even close to winning is foolish as well. Hope surges high as the Colors awaken, and even though this will just exacerbate the problem, perhaps it is enough. Perhaps the Herald will face the Heralds of the other Colors. Ahst recounts her journey, invigorating her with motivation to save this world. The dark elf nods; “Hope is not so easily extinguished” he says, claiming that his father would say that to him often. He hands Ahst a wrapped Shard of Oblivion. She reluctantly takes the Shard, but he assures her not to be hesitant as she needs to be fearless for the future. She asks how to get a Traitor of their own. He laughs “There is no need for there already is one” The elf gives his final advice to Ahst and says:
“Before your body is broken, before your mind is shattered, before your spirit is sundered, never forget that hope burns within us all, even the Enemy you face”
Ahst turns to smoke and is teleported back to her party. The dark elf finally looks at the sky (and through the screen) and says:
***“It is done then. Now it falls to all of you. It comes for us all. Be wary. Be ready.”***