Session 15-D: Out of Time

## Key Plot Developments

Pyrite, cured of her madness but badly wounded by her encounter with Annarei and her crystal wraiths, appears in a puff of red and black mist in an unrecognizable series of tunnels. She struggles to process what just happened. She orients herself by communicating with her Hook Horror, which has gradually matured into a stronger, sturdier, more active creature. Hungry, she and her Hook Horror forage for mushrooms.

They find the ruins of some forgotten civilization, where they take a short rest. The walls are smooth obsidian. Pyrite, desperate to discern why she was separated from her family, attunes herself to the ambient magic of the region. She realizes that she is currently in a faerzress bubble, and that any magic she casts will likely create a wild magic surge.

Soon, she hears the screams of a goblin rushing from the West. She bides her time, watching as the goblin--recognizable by his wild, scraggly, white hair and distinctive goatee--is attacked by a swirling mass of green wind. It has a pair of vaguely visible, menacing eyes. She recognizes it as an embodiment of time itself. Shocked, she watches it batter the goblin--her Uncle Rotgut!--into submission. He visibly ages under the might of each blow, dissolving into dust.

Pyrite and her Hook Horror leap into action against the time elemental. It kills her after taking a great deal of damage. However, she soon opens her eyes and realizes that her wounds have healed and the damage from the battle has been undone. Shocked that her uncle was slain--or around her at all--she reflects on her circumstances. She concludes that she's in a time loop. She resolves to save her uncle and destroy the time elemental, no matter how long it takes.

Pyrite spends five loops trying to draw the elemental's focus away from Rotgut; her failed attempts lead to his death, her death, or the death of the Hook Horror. She refuses to settle for anything less than perfection.

After many more loops--including versions where she kills Rotgut herself to reset the loop more efficiently, times where she's aged to dust by the blows, times where the Hook Horror is supernaturally matured into a full-grown version--she destroys her foe. After suffering from the creature's aging effects, she's now physically middle-aged. She and Rotgut share what happened.

Rotgut is a member of the Society of Brilliance, a mixed-species Underdark secret society. Their ranks include Grazilaxx, a mind flayer and the leder, Giggles, an ogre, Sloopidoop (not to be confused with Sloobludop), a kuo-toa, Blurg, an orog, Skriss, a troglodyte, and Y, a derro. Rotgut's goal, per Grazilaxx's direction, was to investigate different areas of faerzress throughout the Underdark. He confirms that he stopped by Miss Annarei's grove, but didn't find what he was looking for or drink her wine. He also confirms that Giggles the ogre was supposed to follow his tracks in case something went wrong; Pyrite concludes that Giggles fell under Annarei's sway instead of fulfilling her duties. After leaving Anna, Rotgut felt drawn towards the West, but was attacked by the time elemental and had to retreat. Rotgut seems unaware that he is trapped in a time loop.

Pyrite, Rotgut, and the Hook Horror proceed West. Their senses are blasted with brilliant, colorful light! Rainbow streams of energy flow across the portal within a raised dais, shining outward and reflecting off the obsidian walls.

In front of the gate stand a large, regal creature, with the head of a humanoid female, the body of a lion, and the wings of an eagle. It is adorned with ornate headdress that bears the markings of an unknown deity.

This creature introduces itself as Persemone, a gynosphinx. Rotgut is amazed by it; it greets him with friendly familiarity and welcomes him. He shows no recollection of it. Pyrite deduces that Rotgut is bound here by the creature--which radiates magic, power, and a feline combination of curiosity and empathy. The creature challenges Pyrite to a riddle contest for the right to leave through the portal.

Pyrite tries to think of ways to break her uncle from this thing's control, but she cannot. She correctly guesses Persemone's riddles and is allowed to leave. She asks to take Rotgut, but is intimidated by Persemone, who insists that Rotgut enjoys her care. Realizing that the time loop may reset, Pyrite resolves to return to Rotgut when the time is right. Reflecting on how disastrously her confrontation with Miss Anna went--perhaps more emotionally mature, in addition to her physical change--she steps through the portal.

Pyrite finds herself outside the faerzress bubble. She's still physically mature. She and her Hook Horror leave, determined to gain the power necessary to free Rotgut.

## New NPCs

1. Rotgut, goblin elder
2. Persemone, gynosphinx guardian