Ep. 6 Awakening

## Watch

Awakening | Khyber Shards #6 | D&D 5e Actual Play

—Donnabella

At the Ship's Cat, Solarca does not stop lamenting how she missed the fight with the mummy. Shade feels bad for both starting the fight and starting the fight without Solarca. Esri brings up the importance of not drawing attention to themselves.

Walking through the marketplace on their way home, they see a swarming pile of kitchenware chasing a young girl. Unsure of how to deal with this, they watch for a minute, until Shade steps in, meaning to attack the utensils, but her mark activates and she turns over some of the stalls and tables, adding to the chaos. Esri knocks Donnabella on the head, and when she falls unconscious, everything drops to the ground.

They bring her inside, and find that she has an aberrant mark on the back of her head. Pog attempts to comfort her by showing her that they're also marked, not realizing she wasn't aware of hers. She freaks out and tries to run away, but runs into Ari on her way out. Soon after, Arabella gets home. There's a tense conversation, which ends with the party leaving Arabella to comfort her daughter. Esri leaves with a threat that she better have not been harmed in a week.

## Synopsis

The group finishes their meal at the Ship's Cat and parts with Solarca. Shade apologizes more for starting the fight with the mummy. Esri brings up the importance of them not drawing attention to themselves. They get sidetracked. Shade is petting and feeding the cats, and Ari is spending time with his best cat friend, Jerome.

Passing one of the marketplaces on their way home, they hear a shout, and a young girl comes bolting out of a house. A moment later, a swarm of cutlery and plates come flying out of the door in pursuit of her. She runs around the marketplace, dodging the various kitchenware, as the Stryke Force ponders how to help with this.

Ari's blast doesn't do anything, so Shade steps forward. Before she can decide what to do, her mark acts to protect her with a thunderwave. One of the market stalls falls in on itself, a table goes flying; general chaos is increased. Donnabella sees this and runs towards Shade. Esri walks towards it. Donnabella dives past Shade, and the knickknacks go after Shade. As Donnabella runs past him, Esri bumps her with his staff. When she falls to the ground, so does the kitchenware.

Just barely peeking out from her hairline, they see faintly glowing, swirling lines.

A group of very disgruntled merchants complain at Shade for ruining their stalls. Ari tricks them into thinking the culprit ran away.

Shade feels bad about losing control, and Ari notices her torn shirt, revealing part of her mark, and gives her his to cover it up with.

They take Donnabella back inside. Esri finds her mark on the back of her head, and then revives her with his one magic mushroom that Shade didn't eat. She jumps up with fists up, ready to defend herself. Pog shows her his mark in an attempt to calm her, but it only makes her more scared—until she thinks about her mom's lost cutlery, and she bolts out to try to find it. She smashes into Ari, who was just returning with a newly purchased shirt. He attempts to convince her how silly it would be for Shade to have been trying to steal her cutlery.

After some talking, Esri grabs her and tries forcing her to see her mark. She's writhing and trying to escape, and the mirror flies off the wall and smashed into Esri. Arabella gets home, and Donnabella flies over to her. Ari tries talking to her, but Pog responds to Esri's telepathic message out loud about something on Donnabella's neck, so she immediately starts checking her over. Ari tries getting them to leave, but Esri, not knowing how her mother will react, insists on staying. He tells her her daughter has a mark, and shows her his own. Ari makes a plea to Arabella to let them help Donnabella. She thanks them for the offer, but would like them to leave. When Esri leaves, he tells Arabella that he's going to check on her in a week, and Donnabella better be here. Pog puts various things on their porch that he thinks might have been the runaway kitchenware.

## Locations

* The Brightdoom residence
* The Ship's Cat

## Spells

* **Ari**
	+ Eldritch Blast
* **Esri**
	+ Goodberry
	+ Shillelagh
* **Shade**
	+ Thunderwave

## Quotes

"Other people were gonna die."
"I mean, they kinda shoulda run away faster."
*—Ari and Shade*

"Esri squats down into pooping position."
*—R.A*

"Can I help? Not with the pooping; with the fight."
*—Pog*