LotFP Solo - Part the Thirty-Ninth: „Ja es liegt die Welt jetzt vor mir offen“

Having spent the better part of two days recounting their Quest to the sage and the council of elders in, Lycinia and Théscine are once again summoned to the Shimmering Hall at the centre of wondrous Feyalldra for an audience. They march solemnly into the hall, and stand before the elders, rulers of the fairy kingdom, resplendent in their white robes and bearing the great white staves, which illumine the Shimmering Hall by their mystical radiance. The two young elves stand with their eyes downcast in reverence and awe. The sage, most venerable of all the elven elders, steps forward to address them.

"We have been long in deliberation," says the sage, "for the reports ye bring of the world outside our fair Feyalldra are troubling. And the account of your Quest, successful though it be, did greatly sadden our council as it shall our people. So costly was it in terms of lives -- both elven and mortal -- and by these losses are we so greatly diminished, and do bitterly weep to see so many from our finest bloodlines cut down.

"But you did succeed in your Quest, and return with this most terrible grimoire of black sorcery, though without the thief himself, whom we had hoped to reform, or at least punish according to our own Law. And for your deeds, we now lay the mantle of adulthood on both your shoulders.

"Théscine, look you now to me; I welcome you in your own right as a Lady and a Knight in the court of fair Feyalldra.

"Lycinia, look you now to me. You, who by your own admission have consulted the wicked tome, and in the full knowledge that it be a forbidden thing, are hereby banished from our forest home forever!"

The Shimmering Hall

[At some point I had decided that when the first quest were over, some of the PCs would part ways, as 8 person parties require a bit too much paperwork. When only 2 of them made it back, it became clear that Théscine would stay in Feyalldra, having had enough of the adventuring life. I decided to let some time pass in Feyalldra with a Mythic 'tween story' (above).

Tween story setup: Lycinia gets restless and decides to leave on a new adventure after 1d3 months.
Does it hold? 50/50: 97, Exceptional No, there is a random event instead--
PC negative - Proceedings / The innocent (Found to have consulted the Forgotten Reckoning of Bliss, she is exiled from Feyalldra after 1d20= 7 days).

I'm in the midst of trying to figure out how to manage the enormous NPC list that I've generated over the course of the campaign. At the moment, I have sub-divided it into two lists. I'll see how this works in practise as I go.]

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Scene 1

Chaos: 5

Setup: leaving Feyalldra

NPC list(s):
1. the Elders of the Elven Forest
2. Siorighan MU12
3. Reverend Father Gelnay de Val d'Oine
4. Reverend Father de Molleré
5. Sir Gaunet & Jönnick
6. Baron Iehan Forzdeleu
7. Count Rotres d'Estancbel
8. Lady Delphinia
9. Orezuthía the Arcane
10. (secondary list - roll again)
 1. Ranwitha the Pious Merchant
 2. Tibalt & Barnot
 3. dwarven mercenaries
 4. griffon
 5. Brother Mundlo
 6. Zuhal B'thallit
 7. centaur lizard
 8. Jola
 9. Cemmeret
 10. Efalgyt the Enchanter

Threads:
1. find somewhere to go / something to do / somewhere to stay


day 113

Lycinia was given a day and a night to prepare. The elders made a full search of her possessions, and removed any items they deemed dangerous or unsuitable.

[Q: Are any of her special items confiscated? (50/50 for each)
-magic torch: 04, Exceptional Yes; this is destroyed as a thing of evil.
-magic sword: 90, No; a princess of Feyalldra, even an exiled one, ought to have a proper sword.
-The Phantasmagorical Silence: 15, Yes; a wizard died reading this -- it may be cursed.
-Vethrelcem's spellbook: 27, Yes; a wizard who would own such a dangerous book as the proceeding one is not to be trusted -- who knows what awful secrets reside in his personal writings.
-the strange papyrus: 43, Yes. A work on demons is inappropriate reading material.

Q: Can Théscine give her a scroll before she goes? 50/50: 35, Yes.

Also, the experience award for the final adventure and the side-quest with Efalgyt came to 2089XP each. Théscine advanced to 4rd level, but Lycinia is still a bit shy of 4th. Here's her character sheet at the start of her exile:]

Lycinia
female Elf, Level 3, XP: 10223/12000
Cha 11 Con 14 Dex 16 Int 16 Str 15 Wis 9
Hit Points: 16
Social Standing: Princess
Personality: taciturn, curious
Armour: chainmail
Weapons: magic longsword, silvered dagger, dagger, wheelock pistol (no ammo)
Equipment: tinderbox, bedroll, scroll case (for personal spellbook), map of the kingdom, backpack, ink, silver mirror, potion of gaseous form, Scroll (Phantasmal Force, Stone Shape, Extension, Floating Disk)
Wealth: 6gp, porphyry pendant (400sp), fine silver necklace (200sp), ornate bronze fibula (200sp), 3 gold rings (100sp each), coiled serpent armband (gold with lapis eyes - 350sp), carved green jade thumb ring (150sp)
Spellbook: Read Magic, sleep, invisibility

A dozen elven warriors meet Lycinia at dawn, wearing full ceremonial armour. Their faces are completely hidden beneath their ornate helms, and each carries a spear tipped with adamantine or mithral. They do not speak, and Lycinia knows better than to try addressing them. They proceed through the forest in silence. There are none who come to see her go, nor her family nor any of her childhood friends; only Théscine rushes out of her house to accompany her friend, trudging after her in the heavy blanket of snow.

"Lycinia!" she shouts, "Slow down! I want to walk with you until you leave the forest. I can't believe they've done this to you. I'm sure it must be a mistake. They'll have to let you come back some day. They'll have to!"

"Oh, Théscine," she replies, "you are quite the optimist. I do still wish you'd come with me, but I understand why you can't."

"I'm sorry. It's all too much for me. I don't think I shall ever leave Feyalldra again if I can help it."

"What will you do?"

"I think I'll work at the temple, tending the gardens or something. Something where I can dig in the dirt all day and grow things. Then I'll find a husband, settle down, and have eleven babies."

"We're a dying race, Théscine."

"Not if I can help it! Besides, I have to have eleven. I've already got their names all picked out. You can probably guess..."

"You... Wait-- you don't think you can bring them back... not all of them..."

"Why not? Why couldn't a human soul be reborn into one of us? And even if they don't, it will honour their memory."

"You're going to force an elven child to go through life called Father Rochouart?"

"Well, maybe as a middle name," says Théscine. They walk for a while in silence, then Théscine finds she can no longer keep her question bundled up inside. "Lycinia, what will you do now?"

"I don't know. Head south to Wandlebourne, I guess. Wait out the winter there. Maybe I'll go back to Chateau l'Oret in the spring; we left some things there, and I'm curious to see where the treasure map leads."

"Will you help the baron."

"If I must. I'm not in the mood to get involved in the humans' war."

"Well, if you do... just promise you won't come back to Feyalldra at the head of a conquering army or anything."

"Théscine!"

"You do tend to over-react a bit, you know."

When they have reached the stone circle, the warriors halt. "I know," says Théscine tearfully, I'm not allowed any further. Lycinia, here, take this scroll; I won't be needing it. I wrapped the map up inside it. And here's some cakes for the journey."

"Don't be sad. This isn't goodbye. And I'll write you... somehow."

She kisses Théscine goodbye, then turns and walks into the midst of the sarsens. Two of the warriors remain without, and cross their spears to symbolically deny her return. The rest follow her as a escort. When they have reached the centre, the captain produces a linen scroll, and reads out the formal decree of banishment. Lycinia does not look back, but heads south upon the road. Only once she has gone several miles, and is sure that she is alone, does she permit the tears welling in her eyes to finally fall.