Session 33: The Afterlife

## Summary

The party decides to spend some time at the mall, where they see a clothing store, a weapon store, a book store, and an apothecary. They first enter the bookstore, full of comics, tomes, scrolls, and a singular chained book made of human flesh. The owner, an old man in a black suit, approaches them to negotiate for the books, plainly stating that one of his hundred nieces vanished while taking it out of storage. He says that by binding one’s soul to something with a blood ritual, one can take it back to the world of the living. Nonamé flips through an encyclopedia of powerful artifacts, reading about Annora’s sword. It is “one of the seven” and “highly dangerous.” Cryllos buys two comic books and a short book about the God of Dreams. The party purchases many potions at the apothecary and new tools at the weapon shop, only to notice Delirium missing.

They instead find the gatekeeper’s house, which is surrounded by blue flowers. It is gated and protected by a guard in a suit. He says that the flowers have been enchanted by the King of the Dead. He lets them in while Nonamé takes a petal. He introduces the gatekeeper, Lalia Demask. She considers the events leading to her death water under the bridge, as her life has improved after death. She appreciates being treated with respect and is given more topics of gossip. She says that everyone is talking about Cryllos due to his position as a god aspect. She accepts the role of bringing them to him but brings a pair of opera glasses. She walks them to a highly protected, black obelisk, where she calls for Beloch. They act all lovey-dovey before letting the others in.

The doors close behind them, and spotlights illuminate the party. Beloch rises on a podium, announcing the annual/semi-annual/multi-annual/etc. Soul Games and revealing an audience of skeletons. Beloch names the party George 1-5 and Georgina. He complains that the trials are old fashioned, so he made it entertainment. His rant goes on as he transforms into a demon, going on about how he was unwillingly trapped. He notices Cryllos and reveals that he was also a candidate to be the God of Dream’s aspect, although his memory of those times is kept in truth stones, which he sold. Nonamé begins to grossly suck up to him. He lunges at the party, using their reaction time as a decision for the order.

As the party walks to the exit, Beloch continues to apologize about selling the truth stones. Metis affirms that she is human, though this is highly dubious now. Before exiting, Nonamé drops her act and calls him a freak, a liar, and cocky, making him cry in the fetal position. At the exit are a mirror and a pile of autobiographies.

Annora hears a voice from the mirror. A red-haired man in a black turtleneck looks back at her, asking, “she’s alive, please find her for me. I need you to find her.” He confirms that he is dead but died in the place he wanted. He is still satisfied with his incomplete life. He makes her a request, he gives her his power through the sword, but she has to find and protect “her.” She’ll know who “she” is. He swore to protect “her” and hopes for “her” to change. Annora declines and says that he needs therapy. They leave, getting engulfed in light. They wake up in a grassy plain, in the middle of nowhere. The sky is overcast.

## Misc.

* Lalia’s (rude) comments:
	+ Nonamé has no social skill
	+ She passes Oliver in a museum
	+ Shade is quite distractible
	+ She would’ve been great friends with Annora

* Challenges
	+ Shade: Knife throw. Throw at a skeleton without hitting it. The area between the limbs give 1 point, around the head gives 3, fingers and toes 5, between legs aka nutshot is 10. He needs 11 pts after 3 throws. He hits between the fingers and legs but misses the nutshot, only getting him 6 points. He has a penalty, which is to guess Beloch’s favorite color. He answers yellow, which is correct since he likes all colors except gray. Shade wins.
	+ Annora: Challenge of the heart. Make a speech about love and/or root vegetables and make him cry. She talks about how love is like a root vegetable, which moves him immensely. Annora wins.
	+ Alastor, Oliver, and Cryllos: Team challenge. Go through three mystery doors and press the buttons on the other side. One leads to a tightrope over lava, another a mirror maze over lava, the last a gently inclined slope and stairs. Oliver underwhelmingly climbs the stairs, Alastor flies over the tightrope, and Cryllos floats through the mirror maze. As he goes through, Cryllos notices comets streaking through a night sky in the stead of his reflection. They are asked two questions. One is of his hobby, and the other is of his actions before renovating his castle. Alastor answers the first with sex, which isn’t the intended answer but is still correct. Annora answers the second with that he sold the truth stones, which is correct. They win.
	+ Nonamé: Duel. Beloch changes into his shadow monster form. After transforming, he says, “yes...I know you,” and his form suddenly dissolves. He whispers, “my lady, forgive me. I did not know she was your…” Nonamé notices Metis standing behind her. He meekly asks a question about his favorite chocolate. Nonamé answers all the questions. He says it is correct when it is clearly not. Nonamé wins.
* Three Truth Stones were sold, one to the Silver Court, one to the Gold Court, and a strange woman who looked like someone.
* The mirror was bought in auction from the Castle of Mirrors. There is nothing special about it.