In Rare Form

## **Synopsis**

In Chapter 74: In Rare Form, Selas led Orba into another wing of his laboratory as he explained the significance of being one of Salandrael's chosen students.  In a world where gods consistently vie for power on the material plane, so-called Reapers are chosen by the dead to maintain the balance between mortals and the divine – but Reapers are currently being hunted before they can perform their duties, and every day the scales tip a little further.

Hoping to shield the vulnerable Reapers while they are still young, Salandrael sends them to her brother Khlyff for protection – but it Selas's responsibility to see if the chosen few have what it really takes.  It was an ominous tale that proceeded Selas's disappearance and the summoning of a great undead warrior that wasted no time in attacking Orba.

Partially depleted from this morning's skirmish in the Steederway, Orba was working with limited magical resources – and with no backup in sight it took only a pair of mighty slashing blows to drop her into unconsciousness.  With life fading from her eyes, our wizard wondered whether it was not meant to be – until a familiar voice whispered in her ear and willed her back from the brink.

The spirit child that offered guidance at the New Qelqian church had appeared to imbue her with powers from beyond the grave – materializing a necrotic war scythe that Orba used to rip the essence from her skeletal opponent.  When the beast was slain, it was clear that she possessed the Reaper's gift – and Selas returned to walk her through what to expect in the coming days, while apologizing for the brutal manner in which the students had been tested.

While Orba was reinventing herself outside of town, Graven and Beezaura headed to Cleaver Herbs & Spices to ask a favor of the half-orc Graven had bested earlier – but an old friend of Beezaura's interrupted their walk and asked for a moment to catch up at his coastal residence.

Mohan Fowler, who had abetted in Beezaura's escape from Leopold's Garrison back when she was posing as Gentle Void, was thrilled to find her alive and well – and the two of them exchanged tales in a rare, refreshing opportunity to be open and honest without worrying about who that information might get around to.

Not too far away, Graven was… sort of… making a friend of his own as he convinced Wilson Cleaver to let his private investigator out of his retainer – so he could devote some time to locating the enigmatic "Pockets".  It was going to take a little bit of public humiliation, but it would hopefully be worth it – a notion that Graven clung to as he also paid a visit to the Militia Reserve, where Thorsten Ramaker was desperately trying to connect a series of murders that had occurred over the past 10 days.

While Erland and Safira waited for Orba to return to the Upa Alehouse, they stopped briefly at Boffin Estates – and though the maze was closed for the night, one of the attendants offered to conspire to win the prize by giving us an advance tour of the hedges.  Still debating whether we wanted to involve this property in the suspected forthcoming ambush, we agreed – because at worst it seemed to be a quick way to make a few gold.

The reunion finally came just past midnight – and Orba seemed to be in a celebrating mood despite an unusual, pulsing coloration in her eyes.  Not wanting to get into the details just yet, we turned our attention to a heated conversation between Niels Bagas and a man we didn’t recognize – and with a clever bit of distraction, Safira was able to swipe a note that Niels left behind.  The note seemed to further incriminate him in the slaughter at the Mycrawl Den and the mutant that was loose.

## Trivia

* Natural one count: three natural ones were rolled in this Chapter. 1 by Matt, and 2 by Anthony.