Ep. 93 Divergent Paths

## Watch

Divergent Paths | Khyber Shards #93 | D&D 5e Actual Play

—Daine

At the Sword and Sheathe, Pog tells Daine to stop disrupting the household. Daine pushes back, saying he's not requiring any of them to do anything, but it needs to get done, and he's going to do it.

At the mansion, Esri gives Thora his staff. Shade and Ari takes the kids on a field trip to Ben and Jerry's.

Seeking guidance, Pog visits the Silver Flame temple once again. He talks to Adrian, who tells him that though the Flame can help, the decisions ultimately need to be made by individual people, and they need to take responsibility for and live with those decisions.

## Synopsis

Pog arrives at the Sword and Sheathe, after leaving the discussion with Ari and Shade in frustration. Carl greets him cheerily, but is happy to give him a few drinks and a room after Pog makes it clear he doesn't want to talk. Across the room is Daine. He tells Daine to stop disrupting the household, and think about what affect his words have on them. Daine ignores his order to not talk and tell Pog that he's not *requiring* anyone to come, but it needs to get done. They argue about it, and don't come to an agreement.

*"Pog, if we wait—if they finish—then we die."
—Daine*

At the mansion, Esri gives the Sentira Staff to Thora for safekeeping; she asks if he's going somewhere. He tells her about meeting with Miravella Uruvai. Thora doesn't feel like going with someone you don't trust on their terms isn't a wise choice, but Esri doesn't see it as much of a choice at all when this is his only source of knowledge about his ancestry.

Ari tells Shade he wants to show her how life could be. He walks out to where the kids are playing and asks who wants to go on a field trip.

*"We have fields here. I wanna go somewhere, but is it just a field?"
—Mo*

There's a shop by two sorcerers, named Ben and Jerry, who have perfected cold magic and made a treat called iced cream. They invite River, but she gets confused since she doesn't eat, and returns to the grove.

They have dinner at the Ship's Cat, and then get iced cream. A pair of long dishes with five scoops of dessert are produced. Nuts are sprinkled over it. The shopkeeper raises a wand and whipped cream is twirled on top. He lifts the dish with a mage hand and floats it over to Mo and Pip. Shade gets a lavender iced cream. Kara gets apple. Ari tells them stories of their adventures.

Puzzledust interrupts and says they'll need to come back. The Forgotten Prince wants the jar that the whipped cream came out of. Puzzledust starts disappearing, and Mo throws a spoon of ice cream to him. It splatters all over both the dragon and Ari.

When they get back, Ari tells Shade that he thinks that's possible if they don't go after the Houses.

When Pog's show is over, he goes to the Silver Flame temple. The same priest is there as before, and he shares his name—Adrian. Pog asks if he can talk to the candles again. Adrian asks if something is troubling him, and Pog shares a very brief summary of what's happening with Thora and Daine, giving no exact details. Adrian warns him that some can do bad while trying to do good, and most people serve the Flame by good deeds in their regular life—not going out and fighting battles. His advice is that if innocents are getting hurt, they should be protected, and you should always default to kindness if you can. Pog is conflicted about weakening the Flame by hurting people, and Adrian cautions that he rarely gets direct guidance from the Flame; ultimately, he needs to decide for himself what his actions have to be.

Pog leaves, gives a street urchin a copper, tells Carl that he doesn't need the room after all, and goes home.

## Locations

* Greymalkin Manor
* The Ship's Cat
* Silver Flame temple
* Sword and Sheathe

## Quotes

"That's way stronger when you drink it than when you serve it."
*—Pog, regarding alcohol*

"I understand why you want to know more, and I understand you think this person can give you more information. Be careful, and yes, I understand that your mark is something different and, to a degree, unique in the world right now. That doesn't actually have to be the definition of who you are, if you don't want it to be."
*—Thora*

"What kind of milk is it?"
"Good. Frozen. Sugary."
*—Mo and Pip*

"What the Flame calls us do to is to simply do our best, in every action, in every day, to protect those around us."
*—Adrian*

"We aren't always going to make the right choice. Maybe there isn't a right choice all the time. But, it is on us to make the choice and accept the responsibility of the choice."
*—Adrian*