THE BEGINNING OF THE RECKONING

***THE BEGINNING OF THE RECKONING*** is the fifth session of *Glimpses into the Fade.* Escaping the clutches of Hippogriffs, our adventurers find themselves projected into the Fade, meeting some new yet familiar faces.

## Musings

*There is nothing to say tonight. Only that of all the forces at work in this world, this little unnamed group of adventurers may have been unlucky enough to be in this One’s path.*

## **Synopsis**

With Piriele's caravan flipped over, our adventurers find themselves in a daze, as a large hippogriff claw snatches one of their companions. The hippogriff carries Riya out of the caravan and into an open clearing, the group crawls out of the caravan and begin moving towards them.

Oriza and Anthir begin moving quickly as Hira reaches Riya, using the Help action to allow Riya to wriggle out of it's talons. The hippogriff retaliates, pecking angrily at its loss of food. Oriza and Anthir strike the beast as Hira hears noises coming from the surrounding forest, yelling a warning to her friends. Bran calls out to the beast, questioning why is it doing this, and uses Detect Thoughts. Only carnivorous thoughts of hunting can be read, but a second voice creeps into Bran's head, impressed that he found them.

Bran panics, warning his friends there is something near them. As Riya escapes the talons once more, a new creature appears out of invisibility: a hippogriff, but of crow like feathers and deer antlers from it's skull. Attacking Bran, he falls unconscious after a blow to his shoulder. Hira finishes off the normal hippogriff, turning it's flesh icy cold with a use of Hands of Harm. The parties attention swiftly moves towards Bran, with Anthir bringing him up. As Oriza deals a heafty smite, the creature begins to flee. After quick deliberation of wanting to talk to it, Hira springs up and grapples it in the air. Whilst taking no damage herself, the creature lets out one last dying screech.

Hira apologizes as she didn't mean to kill it. With Bran's detect thoughts, Oriza's single point of healing, and a Hold Person from Monsoon, they attempt to interrogate the creature. Bran asks the creature questions, which it is heavily reluctant too, as it views Bran as weak, and begins to belittle him. Upset, Bran steps aside as Hira attempt to talk to it. The beast refer to her as a warrior of strength, acknowledging her, which skeeves her out. Bran begins digging deeper into its mind, hearing it's inner most thoughts of how it's death would be justified if it meant **The One** can reach Orion. Upon exposing his thoughts, the creature glares at Bran, letting only Bran hear it's last words:

> *"You will reckon the day, reckon the day you see what your pride has wrought."*
>
>

The creatures magic returns to them in waves, connected to Bran, a wash of magic going over him as his magic goes unstable. Oriza finishes off the beast as Monsoon rushes to Bran's side as his Wild Magic surges shoot off. As Monsoon's tattoos glow white, the party goes unconscious as lightning and fire surround them.
As our consciousness is filled with darkness, the ground beneath us is water. The party lay on their backs, water near their ears. Nobody can see or move around, except for Bran, who stands in a dark expanse. Something holds onto him, as a pair of Red Eyes stare down at him. As the mysterious being evades Bran's questions, the rest of the party disappear into the water. They deeming Bran a danger to something important of theirs, and need him to keep his Wild Magic in check.

> "I need you for the reckoning, the world will rue, its locked back wonderful creatures..and they will set them free. *At least* that's their part of the plan."
>
>

Bran continues trying to question them, but the figure laughs. They refer to Bran as a Basilisk, a being possessing magic not of his own. They don't know who he stole it from, but he's stolen from him. As the figure moves away, letting Bran sink in the waters below, he is now able to use lightning spells.

Anthir and Hira wake up in the frigid mountains, being overlooked by a brown bear. Panicked, the two of them attempt to converse with the bear, who only sits and groans in response. A voice booms out, calling to Vilya whose Wild Shaped as a bear. Odin approaches the group as Vilya dismisses her Wild Shape. Hira mentions Monsoon, which has the two rush to her in concern. Anthir and Hira explain what happened to them, they aren't sure how they are here. But as Vilya offers a hand for Hira to take, her hand moves through hers, revealing they aren't with them entirely. Vilya explains there is a veil between them, the portals are rifts within the veil, a barrier between the two worlds. One portal may not lead to one place, or that they'll be together, or find one another. They also explain that with their names, and a portal nearby, she can tap into their dreams to communicate.

Vilya warns them not to enter any portals, and Hira mentions the last portal they saw was a month ago, the one they were thrown into. Vilya is confused, it's been four months in the Fade. The sun doesn't set in the Fade, they've been using a watch to keep track, although sometimes it stops. As they speak, another rift appears nearby. Hira asks where it leads too, to which Vilya is unsure of. It doesn't feel right to leave yet, she only wishes for them to relay her messages to Monsoon. As the conversation drifts off, Anthir and Hira take in their surroundings. Hira recognizes a large dark varnished door, whilst Anthir recognizes a familiar tree, not in it's usual spot. Vilya says they are real, tangible, their memories. As Hira warns Vilya to not go through the door, their vision begin to fade. As sentiments of well wishes echo, the two fade away from this plane.

Meanwhile, Riya and Oriza find themselves in a village set ablaze. Amongst the fire they spot a short woman in plate male, attacking shadowy figures appearing from the smoke of the fire. Approaching her, the woman swings a mace around startled, realizing they aren't really there. Oriza stares out in the distance to a castle, before being struck by a shadowy monster. Their hand begins going necrotic and fall away, but is quickly saved by the woman's healing. With the creatures defeated, they begin to walk and talk.

Riya realizes the woman is familiar from the photo Monsoon showed them, and the woman reveals herself to be Wendy. She reveals that magic can occur between the planes, but no items and physical touch cannot. Wendy questions their surroundings, whilst the village is Riya's memories, the fire and creatures seemingly belong to Oriza. Riya asks what Wendy has discovered during her time in the Fade, revealing there's been text that shouldn't belong here, unless something was living in the Fade previously. The creatures she's seen are pure magic coalesced and extremely hostile.

Wendy describes the Fade as a curtain set up by the Gods that is old and breaking, and now there are tears in this veil causing things to come back out into Orion. Oriza and Riya are stunned, Wendy apologizes to the fresh faces of adventuring, and suggests retiring early. With a request to punch Monsoon when they see him, Riya and Oriza fade away from this plane.

Everyone but Bran awakes in bed, bandaged and sore, but alive. They hear frustrated groans from outside, and rush to investigate much to the nurses chagrin. Standing in the middle of training grounds is Monsoon, and as Oriza approaches him, he asks if Bran is awake, and expresses frustration hearing no. As Hira share Odin and Vilya's words, Oriza deals a punch to Monsoon as Wendy requested. As Monsoon stumbles, Hira is able to read his lips, saying "They were right." Hira hears a soft breath in the back of her head, along with a set of eyes. A voice mutters to use their gift well, unlocking the lip reading portion of her Observant Feat.

## Featured Characters

#### The Fireflies

* Anthir
* Bran
* Hiraeth
* Oriza
* Riya

#### New

* Odin
* Vilya
* Wendy
* Disembodied Whisper