Rola

Historian: Caleb. Date: 04/21/2025

TLDR – Alphie meets Gwyn’s mother in a dream. Fred gives a warning. Alphie is able to contact Inora. They relay everything to the party when they wake up. The party debates on whether or not to contact Morgen, and finds out through Jericho’s notepad that she has a kill count – and that someone is on the other end of the notepad. We decide to hold off on contacting Morgen, and continue up the mountain, sharing things about ourselves. We get Inora back. We reach the house and meet Rola, who reveals to us that Kirval was a godawful guest. We teach Kirval how to be a better guest and convince him to apologize, and Rola agrees to turn him back if we make her a banger dinner, which we do. We end the session sharing it together, and earn another patch.

• Date: 11-12 Lionnir 715 AR.
• Jamie gives the recap!
• We pick up with the dream sand – we find Alphie as they begin to look around, standing on an undulating surface of black tar with an iridescent sheen. The air is very cold; they get +3 cold. As they stand and look around, they feel something like bristles moving across their body in a wave of sorts, and the air smells of a tinge of lavender mixed with something else. Something burning. 20 ft ahead of them, something is beginning to bubble up from this ocean of black tar.
• Alphie crouches a bit to keep their center of gravity lower, their eyes locked on the thing.
  • “Inora?”
• As the shape begins to materialize, a humanoid emerges from the landscape, but it’s not Inora. She’s middle-aged, with alabaster skin and scars covering her body. She has a wild look in her uninjured eye, and has packs and bundles hanging from her shoulders and her toolbelt.
  • “Alphecca? Is that you?”
  • “I’m sorry, but I’m not quite sure who you are.”
  • “Oh, that’s fine. You look a little cold. Are you alright, dear?”
• Alphie asks who she is. She introduces herself as Morgen, and asks where they are. Alphie says she was hoping to ask her the same thing. Morgen says she was trying to come to them, and supposes this is a dream, to which Alphie affirms, and says they were trying to contact their friend Inora. Morgen asks where Inora hails from, and Alphie says they’re not quite sure.
  • “I’ve only ever seen her in my dreams, but she came into existence a few hours ago, days maybe, and then disappeared again. I was hoping to contact her to see if everything was alright.”
  • “I perhaps could help you contact her. The ways of the mind, they are extraordinary in their complexity. I’ve been trying to navigate this place. I hope that perhaps we can do it together, combine our efforts.”
• Alphie asks how Morgen knows them, and she says they’re a Tattercoat Knight. Alphie asks how she knows of the Tattercoat Knights, and she says it’s very famous in the Skybound Lands. She says it’ll probably be easier if they’re able to meet up and share notes – get to a place where they’re both able to fully talk to each other. Morgen says she can try to find us, and asks where Alphie went to sleep. Alphie says it was close to the Tillages, on a mountain a bit north of Low Falutin. She asks for Alphie to send up a bit of cold for her to follow, but when Alphie’s unsure, says that any kind of signal should do.
• All of a sudden, the dream shifts, and Alphie is thrust into a great, dark void. A cuttlefish floats in front of them.
  • “Fred! It’s wonderful to see you.”
  • “LIGHTS.”
  • “Where are the lights? Do you see them?”
  • “COLD.”
• Alphie asks Fred what’s going on, and the cuttlefish begins to circle them.
  • “HUNTER.”
• The body of the cuttlefish turns red, with spots of white running its length, moving in a pattern. Alphie asks if this is a warning.
  • “SECOND.”
  • “COLD. DARK. LIGHT. HUNTER. SECOND. ALPHIE.”
  • “Are you saying the second light has gone out? Fred, I’m sorry, but I don’t understand.”
• The cuttlefish stops and looks to them, floating a bit closer. Its body becomes pitch-black, except for the two eyes.
  • “SEEN.”
• All of a sudden, Alphie is tumbling again, and is now at the precipice of a great volcano. Below them is lava and magma, churning in the caldera. They feel the heat, but it’s not enough to do anything to their chill. Next to them, they feel a hand – Inora. They hug. Alphie asks where they’ve been.
  • “I– I’m here, where I’ve always been. I– when you lost consciousness, I… I don’t know, I just found myself back. The connection had stopped.”
• Alphie asks if she knows how they can get it back, and she says she thinks it’s up to Alphie, whatever they did the first time. She says there are still some of those spaces they looked through before, and offers to visit them more. She asks if Alphie’s alright – they seem very cold. Alphie says they are, but it could be getting okay; Astranna might be able to help, and Gwyn said she could probably try to fix Beady’s necklace. Inora says it was fun to talk to us.
  • “I… It’s been a– a lot, and… I guess the question is, do they– do they like me?”
  • “Yes! I mean, they met you very briefly, but they had nothing bad to say.”
• Inora says that’s very good, and asks why they’re at the volcano. Alphie says they don’t know, and Inora points out that they’re the one who came here – Alphie says they were just trying to reach her, and it must be some kind of subconscious thing. They look into the fire and warmth, and see a face within, looking back up at them. They ask if Inora saw that, but at that point, they wake up.
• Over Gwyn’s watch, she uses what’s left of her premium Quasit scrap to make an earcuff in the shape of a fin (3 successes). She makes it and goes to sleep. Morning comes, and everyone takes a complete rest – but Alphie does not regain any hb. They go to Astranna.
  • “I have a bit of a specific question, if that’s okay with you – I know it’s a sensitive subject. Can you set me on fire.”
• Astranna immediately declines, but after some back-and-forth with Alphie, starts to relent a little, and agrees to consider it if the rest of the party both agrees and is able to help if they get hurt. Upon opening the question to the group, they all immediately shoot it down. Astranna declines until they get to somewhere they can heal Alphie if needed, but agrees to attempt to warm something up for them, and tries to heat up their water flask. They immediately freeze the water inside when they touch it. Alphie then tries to stick their hand in the fire. They sear their fingers, and the fire goes out. They do not get to reduce their cold.
• Gwyn asks about the dream sand, and Alphie says it didn’t go as planned – they saw Inora, but also met someone by the name of Morgen who wanted to meet us. Gwyn is visibly alarmed and asks if she’s okay, and it’s revealed that Morgen is her mother. Alphie tells her about the request for a signal. Gwyn thinks it’s alright, but asks if Morgen knows what’s going on with Alphie about their cold; Alphie isn’t sure. They didn’t ask a lot of questions.
• Astranna is all for inviting Morgen here, but Anja’s suspicious of how knowledgeable she seems. Gwyn’s torn, and Alphie asks Jericho’s opinion, but he doesn’t feel informed enough, and asks Gwyn if there’s anything we should know about her as a person. Gwyn says she’s an artificer. She made Gwyn, and taught her what she knows. Astranna suggests using the notebook to learn about her. Jericho writes down Morgen Annwn, and gets a general list of characteristics. We write more questions.
  • Times traveled between the Rings of Meropis and the Skybound Lands? – 300+.
  • Date of first trip to the Skybound Lands? – ~6.5 years ago.
  • Purpose of traveling to the Skybound Lands? – Resurrection.
  • Resurrection of what? – Olwynn.
• Gwyn stares at him when he says the name. She’s scattered, but tells us that that’s Morgen’s daughter. She died around 7, 8 years ago. Jericho secretly asks the notepad for her kill count, and gets 3.
  • “Gwyn? It, um, I’m very sorry if what I’m about to say is a shock to you, it seems your mother has killed three people.”
• We ask more questions.
  • Reason for kills? – Self-defense, self-defense, premeditated murder.
    • “I– I know she hasn’t been well since Olwynn died, and… I don’t know, I never thought it was… like this…”
  • Identity of kills? – Restricted.
  • By whom? – Me.
• New words begin to emerge across the page.
  • Do you think you were just talking to a book?
  • Yes. (Jericho)
  • Poor little detective. :( Aren’t you the one who finds people?
• Jericho shuts the book. Kirval asks if we’re going to get going soon. Alphie asks Gwyn if they should send the signal, and she says to wait on that. We proceed with traveling. The Gibbit’s happy, floating next to all of us, but sticking generally next to Astranna. Anja sticks a couple rocks in her pocket. Jericho asks if anyone has any other familial or otherwise life experience people need to get off their chests. Anja asks if she’s allowed to say something and not elaborate.
  • “I don’t like my mother. I kind of hate her. I miss my sister.”
• We tell her she doesn’t need to elaborate on that, and she says good. She wasn’t going to. Alphie speaks up next.
  • “Sometimes I see colors.”
• We goof on Alphie for a second before they backtrack and say they meant hear – they associate colors with sounds. They associate Astranna with a lighter pink, and Gwyn a stark silver. Anja oscillates between red and blue. Jericho’s good not being told.
• Jericho tells us his parents are dead, and his sister raised him. He grew up underground in some catacombs. His sister’s actually the one who taught him divination. His dad died before he was born, and his mom shortly after. He once had a gambling problem, he has rats, he owns a detective agency, and he will not be getting into his exes.
• We realize many of us are fatherless – Only Alphie really has one. Alphie’s dad is sometimes a little confused, but he’s got the spirit.
• Anja feels bad she didn’t reveal very much, and says she won’t get into the depths of her relationship with her mother, but that she lied before – she was in Havell, just before she went by Knohnaem. She grew up devoted to Zell.
• Jericho asks about Knohnaem, and she says she used to have another name, but now it’s hers by choice. Perhaps she’ll pick up a new one if she feels like it. Jericho reveals Lachance isn’t his last name either – it’s just a marketing gimmick. Astranna says her last name is Himura. The others think it has a nice ring to it.
• Alphie reveals some scars of theirs – not important, they just wanted to share. Gwyn gives them the ear cuff, saying they hope she can contact Inora with it. Alphie genuinely doesn’t know what to say for a second, but thanks her and puts it on. And also reveals they’re adopted. Anja says she used to be worse.
  • “Like, at tailoring?” (Astranna)
  • “...No. [...] And I like rocks very much.”
• Alphie hears Inora.
  • “Is this the rat again?”
• Alphie tells Inora it’s them, and explains the ear cuff. Inora thanks Gwyn (through Alphie), and Gwyn asks them to tell her she wishes she could meet her again. Apparently, Inora can hear us! Alphie debates on if it’s safe to try to bring Inora out again right now.
  • “Alphie, with all due respect, I go where you go.”
• Alphie tries to think door thoughts. Inora asks why they’re thinking door thoughts. Apparently she’s just hearing “DOOR DOOR DOOR”. Alphie tries to reach in, and realizes they can use prophetic dreams as a trigger. There’s a swirling of wind in front of them, and some heat, and then Inora’s in front of us!
• We find out Inora’s never eaten before. Astranna suggests getting her some cake, or maybe some sunlight pie. Kirval reminds us we’re burning daylight. We keep on marching, and eventually find a hut hanging off of the mountain. Kirval announces that this is it. We decide to approach peacefully, and try to talk this out before there’s any escalation. Jericho looks around for anything watching us. He doesn’t see anything, but does see some very well-kept fruit-bearing trees; impressive for just one person.
• Jericho asks for more details about Kirval’s encounter. He says the witch got a little strange as he was there longer. Jericho considers doing a reading to figure out why she cares so much about the apples, and Alphie approaches him in private. They encourage him to ask about the night Kirval was here, because they’re getting some odd vibes. Jericho uses Augury, asking, “What happened the night that Kirval arrived here?”
  • Jericho sees a white, void-like space, with a bat standing on one end of the room, and a deer-like fellow on the other side. In between them are rakes on the ground, and the deer walks toward the bat, stepping on all the rakes. The bat looks confused, and as the deer stumbles forward, kicking rakes wildly, a few hit the bat, and the bat grows a little angry, walking to the deer, who steps on a rake again and hits the bat. The vision ends.
• Jericho realizes that as soon as Kirval arrived, he “fucked up, and kept fucking up the entire evening”. He knocks politely on the door, and a voice asks who it is. He introduces us as the Tattercoat Knights, and asks if she has a moment. She says of course, and opens the door. There’s some shuffling behind the door, and we see a bat in shepherd’s clothing, not anything fancy. She smiles at him, and greets us, asking how she can help us.
  • “A few days ago at this point, we were wandering around Low Falutin, we came across a frog.”
  • “Oh. I see. Oh, he had it coming.”
  • “Listen, we don’t know the whole story–”
  • “He insulted my cooking. He smoked my weed. I came in, he threw his wet clothes all about my living room–”
• Jericho turns to Kirval, who insists they were wet.
  • “I made food from the orchard, he said that the cooking was bad.”
  • “I didn’t say it was bad, I said some things could be better.”
  • “My duck was perfectly cooked. I gave you pie for dessert that you said tasted like it had been left out in the sun for weeks–”
• Jericho uses Inquisitor. 100% true. Kirval insists he was being polite and didn’t mean to offend.
  • “And at the end of it all, I work very hard on this orchard. Everything I do feels like an uphill battle on this mountain (pun, I suppose, intended), I do everything here. I make sure the weeds are gone from the fields, I prune the trees, I harvest all the fruit even, and yet they said that the apple was bad. And asked for another.”
• She introduces herself as Rola. We ask her to turn him back, and she says he doesn’t deserve to walk on his regular legs again. He looks much better as a frog.
  • “Oh, I suppose, though, if all of you are the Tattercoat Knights, if you would vouch for them, perhaps there would be something that we could do.”
• We have a heart-to-heart with Kirval, and try to teach him how to be a good guest – Jericho gets a hero point for pointing out how the wet clothes could ruin the wooden flooring. Alphie uses learn emotional state on Kirval, and finds annoyance, confusion, some remorse… His apology in the moment was “Sorry if I offended you,” which the party points out is not a good apology; he should apologize for doing the offending, not for if the person feels offended. He thinks he agrees to being a better guest forward, and we agree he should properly apologize. Jericho holds him toward Rola, and he nervously looks back to us. We encourage him. We’re asked what kind of apology he should give, and Dalton says a sincere one – he should apologize for his actions and not behave that way going forward.
  • “I… I’m sorry, I… it wasn’t my intention to be rude, um, to cause the situation to happen, I can see now where I went wrong. I won’t be doing any of this again, I promise you. I just kinda lost my mind a little bit, but I appreciate everything you did, and I will continue to appreciate it.”
• Rola kinda nods, and asks if we vouch for this frog. We say we do.
  • “Perhaps, perhaps. But how do I know that you are really the Tattercoat Knights, or that this person hasn’t bewitched you? How do I know that you’re pure of heart?”
• Anja shows her her coat and the two patches, and says the patches appear divinely on our coats when we help people. Rola isn’t impressed by the number of patches. Astranna offers to help in the orchard, and she says she likes to tend it herself, but…
  • “I was going to cook a nice dinner tonight, but I’ll allow you to cook it. If it is equal to my own food or better, I will turn Kirval back into his regular state.”
• Jericho asks what she likes to eat, and she says just about anything. She’s a fan of good food. She shows us inside, and there’s a small living room with a little bit of a fire going, a small dining room, and then a kitchen with bags and bags of apples, grain, a bread oven, a pizza oven, multiple bowls… A fully decked kitchen. Astranna spots rhubarb, and immediately wants to make a rhubarb pie with it. Alphie volunteers to make ice cream for it.
• A one-hour timer starts for us. Jericho makes pork loin with a sweet apple glaze (mental – 2), with Anja’s help (physical – 0). Astranna makes the pie (mental – 2), and Alphie uses their magic to make ice cream out of the cream and sugar (? – 3). Gwyn’s not very confident in a kitchen, but does the finishing touches on the pork loin (physical – 2). We succeed!
• Rola enters as the last bits of sand trickle down from the hourglass. We show her the food, and she takes a piece of the pork loin…
  • “Ooh, this is delicious!”
• She tries the pie and the ice cream.
  • “Mm, ice cream in the middle of summer, how did you do it?”
  • “I have an old family secret.”
• She also compliments the pie – Astranna says she used to make it with her mother.
• Rola says she also had some food just lying around, and she snaps her fingers. Beside our food appears a duck con fitte, risotto, some seasonal vegetables, and a series of personal strawberry souffles. She invites us to have a seat, and we all dig in.
• Jericho asks how long she’s been in this region, and she says a long time – probably about 25 years. She started the orchard herself. Anja says the views she gets up here must be exquisite, and she agrees. Outside, we see the sun beginning to set over the mountainside, a truly awe-inspiring view. As we look on, enjoying each other’s company, we pull out on the hut, as sounds of camaraderie and friendship emerge from within. The Tattercoat Knights have solved another problem, and a patch appears on all of our cats. We end here.
• Our new patch gives us +1 to our hp level (but no +5 hp bonus for getting it). Alphie loses another hb.