Incorrect WTHTI Quotes

Whisper: What’s the easiest way to steal a man’s wallet?

Isao: Knife to the throat?

Adoraor: Crossbow to the back?

Keithia: Poison in his cup?

Oriana: You’re all horrible.

Whisper: The easiest way to steal a man’s wallet is to tell him you’re going to steal his watch. You take his attention and direct it where you want it to go.

(Source - Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo)

Gods of Sprin’torel 9/50 [Legion of Light 9/10]

↳Keithia: Goddess of Heroism, The Heroine, Mother of Heroes

Keithia, often referred to as The Heroine or Mother of Heroes, is one of the major deities of Sprin’torel. Renown for her compassion, courage, leadership, and humility, she is looked to as a role model and protector for those dreaming of making the world a better place. As heroes can come from all walks of life, she is frequently worshiped alongside other gods, though she is most commonly linked with Isao as the road to redemption and the road to heroism are often one and the same. 

As heroes are often motivated by the people and places they care for, Keithia is also frequently considered to be a patron of love and family and looked to for guidance and support in these matters. She is considered a very maternal figure and is sometimes depicted with a child, generally believed to be her and Isao’s. Who this child is, however, is unknown, and some theologians believe that the child is representative of the heroes she looks over.

Whatever the Hell this Is: Upwards and Onwards

For those of you playing along at home, and/or wondering what all the screaming on Twitter is about, have a summary!

Kelsey I hope I’m not stepping on your toes too much here. 

Whisper heads into the ocean, and, after sobering up some, she casts Dream, contacting someone she hasn’t spoken to nor seen in almost ten years. Someone she was told more or less not to contact. But she gets confirmation of something she felt she desperately needed to know, and gets to finally cry out the emotions that have been building up in her since the Room of Secrets.

The next morning, there’s an awkward breakfast, as Oriana tries to get a brooding Isao and Adoraor to talk; Keithia comes down stairs eventually, and explains that her sister has been spying on them, and when she couldn’t find them over the last four days, she tracked the party to Dewsbury and now wants Keithia to return with her to Deerside.

Oriana tells her exactly what she said last night: follow your heart, Adoraor tells if he had more time to spend with his family he would, Isao asks Keithia to think about what she wants, to really think about it before leaving. They all fall silent, and it’s so awkward that Twiggy, when he comes down for breakfast, tries to avoid them all, only to be seen by Oriana, who is desperately looking for an out and practically forces him into her seat.

Twiggy, when Keithia tells him, tells her that he’d miss her, but she has to do what she has to do. Shortly thereafter, Keithia goes out in search of everyone else, and Twiggy also runs the hell away from the awkward. He finds his companion MoonMoon, and tells the wolf that Keithia might be leaving them for good.

Frank, bless his soul, comes downstairs and, unable to sense the tension in the air, tries to make small talk with a brooding Adoroar and an indifferent Isao.

Keithia (and Shade, who is following in bird form), goes out to the ocean to find Whisper, who sees Keithia on shore and tries to swim down the beach to avoid them, but is not nearly as stealthy as she thinks she is. She puts on a chipper façade though, when Keithia asks how she’s doing, but it falls as Keitha tells her what Chealyn wanted. Whisper also tells Keithia she should go home, citing the fact that they couldn’t protect her, that they were going somewhere dangerous and she should get out while she could… and telling Keithia that she would give anything to be asked to come home.

Keithia begins to return to the Inn to find Frank, only to run into Isao, who tells her that he’s sorry for what he did and how he reacted to the Dream, but that he wasn’t seeking forgiveness, since she was right to be angry about it. He goes on to say that no matter what she chooses—the party or her sister— she will always have a place with the group. Keithia notices the scabs on his hands—from where he was punching trees most of the night—and takes his hands in hers, healing them with a Cure Wounds spell.  

Meanwhile, Whisper swims out to the Adelaide to ask Arannis if he has some incense and ivory she can buy off of him—intending to cast Legend Lore and find out what the pocket dimension they were in was—but he has none to spare. Whisper tells him a little about what they faced before leaping back into the ocean.

Keithia goes into the Inn to chat with Frank, who seems confused and upset about the prospect of Keithia leaving them and him losing a friend. Keithia assures him that she wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye and she still has to think about it, and Frank in return gives her a bone-creaking hug.

With one person left to discuss it with—Shade—Keithia wanders the town, and eventually finds him, no longer Wild Shaped, by the edge of the water. She asks him what she thinks he should do and he tells her, simply, that he doesn’t trust Chealyn, but expresses sympathy when she says she doesn’t know what she wants to do.

Over the course of it, however, Keithia seems to come to a decision, for afterwards she goes to find her sister on the shore. She tells her sister that, as flattered as she is by the offer, she can’t leave her friends. Chealyn seems to take it badly, already starting to turn away, when Keithia stops her, saying that just because she isn’t coming with doesn’t mean she doesn’t want a relationship. She asks for a way to contact her, and Chealyn promises to have one made up.  

Keithia also tells her a bit about the dream the party shared, and tells Chealyn that she’s worried she too might get assassinated, but Chealyn waves her sister’s worries away, saying “I am protected by forces I don’t think you are aware of just yet.” Keithia tells her sister that she loves her, and Chealyn leaves.

Shade follows Chealyn back to the inn she’s staying in, and spies through the keyhole, seeing Chealyn with James. Unable to hear anything, he returns to above the inn, where Keithia has returned and tells the party that she won’t be leaving, that she’d miss them all too much:

“You all said something about a family, and yes Chealyn is my sister… but when I think of home I don’t even think of the forest anymore. I think of the keep we’re building. [Oriana] and Whisper are closer to being my sisters than she is. So I’m staying.”

[Insert bawling here].

Whisper buys everyone a round of the best damn whiskey in the joint, and we all toast one another, during which Whisper reveals that she’d named the group “The Susurrus Society.” And that she’d already bought business cards.

Oriana is the only one who knows exactly what that means, and staring at her incredulously, spills the beans. “No, you didn’t. You seriously didn’t name us after yourself?”

After that, apparently the name isn’t any good anymore, but no one could think of anything better, so it remains for now.

They are woken up the next morning by Yuan-Ti—the crew of the ship they’d hired—and brought up on board to be introduced to Lyra Cooper, Captain of the Star Song. She and Whisper haggle price before the Star Song goes to pick Arannis up from the deck of the Adelaide. That done, the Star Song turns North, and they begin the long journey toward the lair of the Frost Giants.

Sentence Starters: "Do you want me to leave?" for Thia

Everything was almost too quiet. From what they could see, they were the only people around. All around them, the smell of smoke hung heavy in the air and structures lay in crumbling ruins. Just as they had done with Shrim’s camp, the giants had done a good job of leaving this city decimated in their wake for reasons no one in the Susurrus Society could even begin to imagine. 

Frankly, the reasoning wasn’t Keithia’s primary concern at the moment anyway. As the party spread out to investigate, her eyes searched out one figure, alternating between seeming frozen and wandering aimlessly.  

“Isao?” She called softly, slowly walking up beside him. If the monk heard her, he didn’t make any indication. The thousand yard stare on his face was one that Thia knew she had mirrored on many occasions. Knowing what she alone knew about him, she couldn’t ignore it, particularly not when she knew just how much memories could affect you.

After a few months of no response, Thia slowly reached to put one of her hands on his shoulder, the other one reaching for his hand. “Hey.” She breathed, squeezing his hand gently. “I can only imagine what you’re remembering, but I know how much memories can suck. You’re not there though, okay? You’re not there and you’re not alone. All of your friends are here. I’m right here. You’re okay and we’re going to go find those fire giants and make sure they can’t keep doing this. I promise.” 

She fell into silence again, waiting another few moments as she got no response. “Do you want me to leave?” She finally asked, shifting slightly away from him. 

“No.” Isao surprised her by finally speaking, reaching the hand Thia wasn’t holding up to rest over the one she had on his shoulder. “Please, don’t. This – this is helping…Thank you…”

Keithia smiled, leaning back towards him slightly and giving his hand another squeeze. “You’re welcome.”

Kiss Prompt 11: Thia and Isao

when one stops the kiss to whisper “I’m sorry, are you sure you-” and they answer by kissing them more

“Why are you mad at me?”

“I’m not mad at you.” 

Despite knowing that Isao could overtake her in the blink of an eye, Keithia still tried to stay a few steps away from him, arms crossed in front of her and Irusan following at her heels, still carrying an air of concern to him as he sensed the tension and agitation that the ranger was feeling. In this moment, all she wanted was to get far away from her sister’s keep, from the staff calling her ‘Lady’ over and over again, and from the monk following after her with a look of confusion on his face. Though part of her appreciated that he had come right to check on her in the morning and realized that at least some of how she was feeling right now was her fault, considering she had told him to go and have fun last night, she still couldn’t quite bring herself to look at him. 

“Are you sure? Because you seem a bit upset with me, at least.” 

Thia picked up her pace slightly, appreciating that he was at least letting her keep these few steps between them, even though he was still following her. “I shouldn’t be.” She muttered, silently cursing herself and her consistently overwhelming emotions. 

“But you are.” 

Thia stopped walking, giving a slight shrug of her shoulders as she heard Isao also stop a few steps behind her. “Maybe.” She replied. “Still shouldn’t be though.” 

“Why?”

Thia stayed still, biting her lip and letting her arms fall tensely to her sides. She doesn’t know how to answer that question. How to tell her she’s upset that he left with everyone else. That he chose to spend the night in a brothel rather than with her. Not that she thought she would have been the better choice, not when she probably needed a babysitter more than anything else right now. She had told him to go. She didn’t have the right to be upset. 

“Thia –?”

He uses her nickname. The one that normally only comes from Whisper. She can’t ignore him when he does that, even though the words still won’t come. The only response that occurs to her is an impulsive one and she doesn’t allow herself to think about it past that, or else she would absolutely talk herself out of it in a second. 

Every movement Keithia made in the next couple of moments was fluid and quick, turning around, closing the space between them, cupping his face gently between her hands, and pressing her lips against his before she had a chance to really process what she was doing. 

She expected he would pull away almost immediately. Or else, just linger gently the way he had the last time. Polite and not wanting to hurt her feelings, she was sure. In this, Thia would ultimately prove to be wrong as Isao’s hands found their way to her waist, pulling her slightly closer as he returned the kiss.

Keithia couldn’t say how long they actually stayed like that, though it probably wasn’t too long before Isao pulled back slightly, Thia’s face turning red as he did so.

“I’m sorry,” Isao whispered, still holding onto her. “Are you sure you –”

 Thia gave a slight smile, letting the impulse take over as she leaned into kiss him once again as a response, letting herself forget where they were and everything else around her as she did so.

thia & isao: encircle

Kethia was trying not to make the frantic expression on her face too obvious, but the more this guy seemed to follow her around and the more neither Chealyn nor Whisper were nowhere to be seen, the more anxious she grew. She was almost prepared to turn and flee the ballroom - flee the castle, if she had to – when she felt his hand grab onto her’s. 

“Come on, Keithia, dance with me.” 

Relieved though she was to hear a familiar voice and allow herself to be led to the dancefloor and lost in the crowd, the realization of who it belonged to still make her cheeks turn pink. 

“Thank you.” She breathed, forcing herself to meet his eyes as Isao’s arm encircled her waist. 

“Don’t mention it,” he replied, a smirk that fit the still slightly tense air between them appearing on his face. “You looked like you needed help.”

Session Recap, Sprin’torel Campaign: Apotheosis

Continuing on with Anya’s trials, Whisper finds herself in an arena along with Adoraor. The only instructions they are given are “win”. They are then put through a series of battles that get increasingly difficult, only ending when they have survived every round of combat. 

Next up is the trial of Thrills, which sees Whisper paired up with Twiggy to fight a pack of hellhounds with the instruction “be prepared”. 

Following that is the test of honor, which sees Whisper and Isao bound to each other back to back, being told to “survive together” as the face down giants in a fittingly titled two headed giant battle. 

After three trials of combat, Whisper is ushered into a stone chamber where Thia is waiting for her, the two being confronted with a ghostly form of Justiana and the instructions “there are no secrets among friends”. The two struggle to come up with secrets they have still kept from each other. As they consider how to proceed, Thia heals some of Whisper’s injuries and Whisper tells Thia that she picked a good partner in Isao and that she is happy for her before confessing her own shortcomings when it comes to relationships, leading up to her confessing that she has feelings for Adoraor. In the interest of full disclosure, Thia tells Whisper that Shade has been spying on her and telling Thia all about her and her family since they arrived at Albatross Reach. Whisper is surprised that they didn’t turn on her as soon as they found out, leading to a heart to heart between the girls about their relationships and all they’ve been through, especially when it comes to Whisper’s family and how she only ever wanted Justiana to be proud of her. Thia tells her that “If she can’t see how amazing you are already, then she doesn’t deserve you.” After all, Whisper is the best at magic, as well as the best friend and almost sister that Thia could have asked for. The girls hug, and whatever is controlling the trials allows them that moment together before Thia fades out and Whisper continues on her way. 

The final room Whisper finds herself in houses a fountain, the gun that she stole from the monikers, and a shadowy figure revealed to be Oriana, who seems to be just as shocked to see Whisper as Whisper is to see her. The instructions they are given are “one life for her’s”. Whisper picks up the gun, prepared to shoot herself so that Anya may return and Oriana may go free, but is stopped by the appearance of a new figure. The new presence is revealed to the trickster Ur god, Baz’d. They tell Whisper not to take the shot as they have plans for the entire group. As the room shifts, the rest of the party appears along with two other figures: Haya and Alma’art, the gods of life and death. They, along with Baz’d, are the last surviving members of the Pantheon. 

Baz’d has many things to explain: his history with Anya, who he calls the Mother of Monsters; the collapse of the world as the Gods have fallen to a point where it is necessary to reset everything and everyone with a new pantheon;  and his history with the party. Baz’d had appeared throughout each of their lives, pulling them together and pushing them towards this point. As Oriana’s mentor, Isao’s army commander, an interference to ensure Frank failed his tests to enter his clan, one of Adoraor’s marks, Whisper’s mysterious drug dealer, the sender of Shade’s visions, the one that brought Twiggy to MoonMoon, and as Aasim - Keithia’s guardian, a front for Baz’d who admits to being her biological father. 

Keithia is expectedly confused and angry by this reveal, even more so when Baz’d admits that they killed her mother Coille (the goddess of the hunt and Thia’s patron) shortly after Keithia was born, as she had overstepped her bounds and wanted nature to overtake society again and also would have killed Keithia if she had survived, something which Thia has a hard time reconciling with the image Baz’d had given her of the goddess as Aasim when she was growing up. Over the course of their conversation, it is further revealed that Baz’d was responsible for the demiplane in which Isao killed Keithia, only furthering her anger towards them. In addition to revealing that Thia has been a child of the gods this entire time, Baz’d also reveal that they created Oriana from the last bit of Wahrwreight’s divinity and that Frank was distant descended from Kovat, giving them divine origins as well. That, of course, leads into the plans Baz’d really wishes to place before the group. 

With this version of the world falling apart, Baz’d faces the prospect of placing all those in it into a stasis while they assemble a new pantheon to rebuild it. They wish for all members of the society to be included in it, presenting them each with their individual titles: 

Shade. The protector, not only of the group but of all forces of nature. You would become The Warden, he who stands watch against those who would do nature harm. Your watch shall continue for all eternity but you won't be alone. Your people shall be returned to their home, and protected from those who would seek them harm. You would have your own wardens to do your work on Sprin'torel so you could protect everything.

Adoraor. Your life has always been one of turmoil. You raised through the ranks to become an assassin to a husband and father to a hero, yet you lived in constant agony over that which you have lost and in fear that loss would come for you again. You would become The God of Change. Whether for good or bad, you would watch over all. After all, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Frank. Through it all, you stood alongside everyone. In your greatest sadness you stood watch over your friend. You never backed down, And never once held it against anyone all the times they turned their back on you. You would become The God of Loyalty, standing as a paragon for all. You would inspire countless others to protect and stand alongside their friends and allies even in the darkest night, when all is truly lost.

Whisper. Despite your fears and insecurities, nobody here would argue that you are not as powerful as a tsunami - especially when you have been angered. Your strength and your heart has earned you the title of Goddess of the Sea. You would look over not only the creatures of the sea but also those who would sail upon it or even look to the sea for their dreams. None are more deserving than you.

Twiggy. All that you have done, you did to live your best life. From running away from the life of comfort to standing before me as you are now, everything you did, you chose to do freely. As such, you would be The God of Freedom. Around the world, people would look to you as an inspiration for a life of freedom where they may live as they want, And not as others force them to be.

Oriana. You devoted your life to the search for knowledge - even if it caused you the greatest harm and sent you to Carceri. Yet, even while you were there, your punishments were about your friends. As such, You would become The Goddess of Knowledge. Wherever people seek the truth, You will be there to guide their path and their hand. Where people seek to deceive others, You would show them the world as it is real. Knowledge is not simply about the facts, And none know that as well as you.

Isao. You sought redemption, and thanks to those around you, You have finally grown to realise what redemption means most. To forgive yourself. Especially with the help of the one you love most. You would become The God of Redemption. You would look over those who want to put a life of crime behind them and help them to the future where they would be able to forgive themselves. You would show them the path unique to them, using your experience of redemption most fully.

Keithia. None here would say that you are not a hero. Your love for your friends and for others inspired you to greatness. And while that greatness sometimes meant allowing others to stand in the spotlight, that simply cements the fact that you deserve to be the hero that all other heroes look up to. For that, you would become the Goddess of Heroism, standing bravely and boldly as an example of true leadership and heroism. Every child with the dream of wanting to make the world a better place would look to you to figure out how.

If they accept, they will ascend to the new pantheon. If they don’t, they will be returned to the material plane to take their place in the new world. Either way, Baz’d promises that they will be allowed to remain together as they are now and that Shade and Adoraor’s families will be returned to them. Some members of the party jump at the offer, such as Oriana and Shade. Others are more reluctant. Twiggy almost declines, but accepts when he realizes it means that his friends and his dog will live forever alongside him. Adoraor accepts with the promise of his wife and daughter being returned. Whisper, having been the most reluctant besides perhaps Thia, accepts after learning that Miren is dead and the completion of her mission will not bring about the world she was told it would. She disintegrates the gun with her magic before agreeing. Isao tells Thia that he is in if she is, implying that he will also stay with her if she does not accept. With Keithia being the last one to answer, she looks over her friends with a smile despite her anger, kissing Whisper on the cheek and embracing with Isao before turning to her father. She tells them that she does not forgive them for all that they have done to her and that while it may be possible to earn her forgiveness, it will take a long time to get there. She will not do this for their sake or for the world they let crumble, but she will accept to stay with her friends -- her true family -- and look after those she will leave behind when the new world comes to be. With that cementing a yes from everyone, Haya steps forward to write the ascension of the Susurrus Society into godhood. 

And that is where we close the campaign. 

Session Recap, Sprin’toral Campaign: This Is Why We Don’t Debate Religion Over Dinner

Picking up where we left off, with Justiana informing Whisper that “tomorrow is the day”, Whisper is further instructed to gather her friends and bring them all to the chapel, as they will all be needed for what is to come. With no further explanation given, Whisper goes to do so, Shade following behind her in his moth form. With the battle now behind them, the rest of the Society is relaxing and recuperating from their wounds when Whisper knocks on their doors, also interrupting a conversation in which Isao told Thia that he didn’t think he needed to eat anymore. 

As they make their way to the chapel, Whisper explains the truth about herself and her family and their beliefs. While it is true that they worship Miren, the Goddess of the Sea, they also worship her dead lover, Anya, alongside her and believe that they -- specifically Whisper -- are destined to bring her back. The rest of the party is a bit skeptical of this, especially of whatever Justiana might intend their involvement to be, and their concern meeting with Whisper’s belief and determination sends a few verbal blows flying between Whisper and Keithia, thankfully stifled a little by the presence of the rest of the party. 

Once inside the chapel, Justiana erratically explains that she had a vision telling her that Anya’s return would be tomorrow and that the whole society was needed for it to happen, though she can’t tell them what they are supposed to do. This combined with Justiana’s seemingly unhinged demeanour intimidates some of the party as well as Eamon, and they leave pretty quickly once they are dismissed. Eamon admits that this is strange behaviour, even for his mother, and he and Whisper try to explain what little they know or believe about Anya to the rest of the party. This leads to a discussion of what the party knows or has learned or suspects about the Gods and the history of the world, including what Whisper and Thia learned from the paintings in the Sunken Temple. Though most of the group is still skeptical, they are also curious and do not wish to risk Justiana’s wrath by not doing as she wishes of them. 

As the rest of the party and Eamon head off to bed, Keithia asks Whisper if they can speak privately for a bit. The two both apologize for what they said earlier, Thia reiterating her concern and how she’s afraid to lose Whisper or anyone else and Whisper reaffirming her belief and promising that she won’t allow anything to happen to the rest of them, though if Anya does require her to be a willing sacrifice, she will still do so. Thia says that she isn’t sure she could stand back and let that happen and the girls almost begin to argue again, but instead accept that they are at an impasse they won’t get around and agree to drop it until they know more. They hug each other, with Keithia telling Whisper that she loves her and that she meant it when she told Whisper that she was her anchor. Whisper says that she loves Thia too and promises that she will try not to cut her loose. They part peacefully, both with the hope that whatever is to come will not separate them, and Thia tells Whisper she will come to collect her in the morning so as not to miss Justiana’s sunrise wakeup call. 

After Thia heads back to her and Isao’s room, Whisper heads out to the gardens to visit her brother’s grave. Shade follows and eventually makes his presence known to her and the two of them have a conversation in which Shade admits that he sees a lot of himself in Whisper and that the two of them are more similar than Whisper might realize. He talks about his home in the Darkwood, his duty to protect it, and the reasons that he left. He also says that he did not expect to find what he did with the party and that he is grateful for all of them, including Whisper. 

The next day, the party is all up by dawn and meets up with Eamon, clad in coral coated armor, to board the airship once again. They spend much of the trip conversing with each other, favouring more casual conversation over focusing on what might be waiting for them when they reach the mysterious tower they are being taken to. 

Upon reaching the tower, the group encounters a door that allows everyone through except Eamon, much to both his and Whisper’s disappointment. It closes after Eamon returns to the ship, leaving the party in a room with a ring of circles on the floor, one of which is marked with the symbol on Whisper’s staff and another of which has been broken. While the party investigates, Thia receives a series of sendings from Oris, telling her that Oriana’s body and the kitsune have gone missing from the shrine. The party is alarmed by this, but as scrying on her seems to fail, they are unable to do anything about it now and turn their focus to the circles instead. When Whisper steps into the one with her symbol on it, she hears a voice telling her 

A Test of Strength,

A Test of Will,

One of Glory,

One of Thrills,

Bound by Honour,

The Truth Will Still,

Then The Last One -

The One That Kills.

One for each,

No more may come,

Choose a Friend

Or Else You’re Done.

For Her To Rise,

Your Bonds We’ll Test,

But In The End,

It is Your Quest

Each of the circles then show Whisper a word within them: Strength, Will, Glory, Thrills, Honor Truth. The party divides themselves among them (Frank for Strength, Shade for Will, Adoraor for Glory, Twiggy for Thrills, Isao for Honor, and Thia for Truth) and then the tests begin. 

The test of Strength finds Whisper and Frank in a room with a vampire and a door shaped mirror, being told to “protect until polite”. Frank fights the vampire as Whisper attempts to find her way out, eventually realizing that she needs to say “after you” to her reflection, thus letting her through. Frank fades away out of the room as Whisper continues on. 

The test of Will finds Whisper and Shade in a dark room, presented to each other as enemies and told “you are not alone”. To move on, they have to convince each other that they are a friend, something Shade manages to do when he remembers they still have their sending stones and can reveal themselves to each other that way. Again, Shade fades out and Whisper proceeds. 

Heading into the test of Glory, Whisper finds herself in what looks like a gladiator ring, which is where we close out for this week. 

MVPs: Whisper and Shade

Session Recap, Sprin’toral Campaign: Secrets Within Secrets

The party is greeted by Lady Justiana Nethespire, the Lady of Albatross Reach. She is a very elegant, cold, and unreadable noble woman who seems to be quite focused on Whisper and disapproving of everyone else. With little to discuss at this time of night, everyone splits off to their own rooms, Whisper being left with an entire wing to herself due to Isao and Keithia wishing to stay together. 

Keithia and Isao take some time to discuss their current situation. Their fears, the finality of Chealyn’s goodbyes to them, and Keithia’s frustration with the promise that Isao made. She once again pleads with Isao not to sacrifice himself for her and the two of them reiterate their agreement to try and stay alive throughout whatever they’re about to face. Meanwhile, Shade goes off to speak with Whisper, prompting the DM to ask everyone but the two of them to deafen the call. 

When everyone returns, Shade leaves Whisper’s room to go speak with Keithia, first entering as a moth, but then exiting and knocking at the door when he realizes he may be interrupting the couple in bed together. Despite some annoyance, they quickly dress and let Shade in. He proceeds to explain that he witnessed a conversation between Whisper and Justiana, revealing that Justiana is Whisper’s mother, though only in the biological sense of the word. She treats her children (including, in addition to Whisper, her older brother Eamon, deceased younger brother Mordecai, and younger sister Maristella) as pawns, seeming to care more for her servants than she does for her children. Whisper, however, seems to be completely under her mother’s thumb and was willing to tell her a lot about her friends: their backgrounds, strengths, demeanours, and though she attempted to avoid weaknesses, caved when Justiana pressed for them. She did, however, attempt to leave out and personal relationships that had not already been revealed, suggesting that she is, to the best of her ability, trying to protect the party. Though Isao does suggest that Whisper could have been a double agent this whole time, none of them truly believe that. Especially Keithia, who remembers Whisper seeming to be conflicted over not being able to explain to her when they discussed her connection to the Nethespire’s in the past. She recalls Whisper’s words about some loyalties superseding others and some secrets not being her’s to share and while she believes Whisper may be being manipulated and divided in her loyalties, she does not believe her friend actively wishes them any harm. The three of them agree to keep what they now know between themselves for the time being, not wanting their knowledge to get back to Whisper and thus also Justiana. With the fire giants being the more pressing issue, all they can do is wait and see what Justiana might try to pull and hope that Whisper’s love for them may overrule her mother’s influence, should Justiana try to act against them. 

Although Shade seems to want to stay to keep an eye on them, Thia and Isao politely ask him to give them their privacy again. The next morning, after an awkward breakfast, the party is given a tour of Albatross Reach by Whisper and Eamon, who proves to be much warmer and friendlier than Justiana. Though he is unable to acknowledge Whisper as his sister, he does acknowledge that they grew up together and spends the tour telling funny stories about Whisper as a child seeming to show a genuine love for his sister and dislike of the situation they are in, which seems to put some of the party more at ease with him. His relationship with Whisper also seems to strike some jealousy in other party members, who regret not having such familial relationships themselves. 

When they are eventually granted an audience with Justiana, preparations are made to deal with the approaching fire giants. The best course of action seems to be to go to the fire giants rather than wait for them to reach the keep. Justiana offers them travel arrangements, though Isao still attempts to contact Lyra and Lucien for help, though they are unfortunately busy and not in the area. In the background of their conversation with Lucien, Lyra seems to be engaged in a fight. Justiana’s offered transportation turns out to be another skypirate, a very grim man named Khafra, who is something of a rival of Lyra’s. The party wisely does not mention their association with her to him, though it seems agreed on that they definitely like her better. 

Khafra drops the party off about a halfdays journey from where the giants are currently camped and the party continues on foot, noting that the air is getting progressively hotter the closer that they get. As they approach the area Shade had sensed the giants, they are faced with a large and imposing figure that is unlike anything they have ever seen before. 

And that’s where we pick up next week!

Session MVP: Whisper

Session Recap, Sprin’toral Campign: Vows

As the year comes to an end, The Susurrus Society travel to Deerside for the wedding of Keithia’s sister, Chealyn Kingsnorth, and James Kumand’r. The castle seems very busy with final preparations and the party is more or less left to their own devices while preparing for the ceremony the next day. Isao seems to express a lot of concerns about safety and possible attacks on the wedding, speaking with the guards and introducing them to Shade so they don’t mistake him for a threat while watching for anything else. Whisper heads off into town in search of some drinks, Adoraor following after to find a gambling table. Despite ending up in the same bar, neither of them acknowledge each other. Twiggy later attempts to flirt with Whisper, asking if he could share her room, but not quite making what he’s really asking clear, leading to an awkward, anxious, and sleepless night for him. 

Early the next morning, preparations begin for the wedding ceremony. Thia and Whisper get ready together, sending Twiggy off to Adoraor. Seeing how tired Twiggy is, Adoraor makes the mistake of giving him coffee, leaving the elf wired and aimlessly wandering for a while until Keithia has to call Adoraor to come and collect him again. When everyone is ready, the party makes their way to the wedding chapel. Isao still seems very on edge at the ceremony begins, despite Thia’s insistance that he try to relax and enjoy himself. 

The ceremony is long and formal, different from the usual sort of events that the party would usually attend. Chealyn and James deliver their vows, which are exceptionally sappy though seemingly filled with little nods towards the party, whether intentional on their part or not.

James

Chealyn, I'll always remember the first day we met. Introduced by some friends at a party. They goaded us into singing together, and next thing we knew, we were tangled in each other's arms. I knew since then that you were going to be the woman I marry. And here we are now. Since then, our life has been a series of ups and downs, the strings of fate pulling us wherever they saw fit. Yet, they could never pull us apart. And I swear to you before all the gods that I'll never let them even if it should mean our deaths. I swear to be with you through every rough note and off key. To be with you in sickness and in health. When everything in the world is against us, I swear to be there with you, hand in hand to face it all. In life and in death, I will never stop loving you, the melody that keeps me rocking.

Chealyn

James, every time I look at you, my hear is aflutter, and my mind goes blank. When I see you, I see love in its purest form, and I never want to let that go. I swear that I'll be with you through it all, and that nothing - whether person or god or whatever - will be able to pull us apart. If I have to find my way into the deepest of hells to save you, I wouldn't even bat an eye at it. And gods save anyone who would stand between us. You're the rhythm to my soul, and I'm never going to stop loving you.

After the ceremony, everyone makes their way to the reception, still keeping to themselves as there are very few people they know here. They meet Ed, Ignatius’ son sent to the wedding in his stead, and spend some time talking with him until Chealyn and James make their entrance. Shortly after, Chealyn pulls them off to another room, telling them that they need to leave immediately. She had a vision that the giants will make their move on her friend, Lady Nethespire, in three days time, forcing the party to leave for Stromthar immediately. Despite their differences, Chealyn gives Whisper a present of a scroll and a piece of chain, saying that she can’t explain, but hopes that Whisper will know when the right time to use them is. She says her goodbyes to the party, having Isao promise to protect Thia for her and telling Thia not to let Isao go before returning to her party. 

The group rushes off to change and prepare to leave, Whisper sending a message to Lady Nethespire, asking if she can explain anything to the party now. The answer she is given is no. Despite Thia and Shade’s continued concerns, she states that she trusts these people and that she will explain as soon as she is allowed to. Reuniting in the teleportation chamber, the party teleports to Albatross Reach, being greeted by an elegantly dressed woman who simply states “I have been expecting you.” 

Adoraor Zanfire Gallentara (human fighter); Frank (goliath barbarian); Isao Ito (human monk); Keithia (half-elf ranger); Oriana Wright (aasimar human pladain); The Shade of the Darkwood (firbolg druid); Yah-ar ‘Twiggy’ Galanodel (elf ranger); Kalista Nethespire Whisper (tiefling sorceress)

The Susurrus Society

Character Headcanons: Thia

1: sexuality headcanon

Thia is demisexual and panromantic. However, sexuality and romance are still quite new to her. Interacting with people in general is still quite new to her and any feelings she has for other people are still confusing and something she is trying to figure out.

2: otp

I have two. Keithia x Isao or Keithia x Whisper

3: brotp

Again, I’ll give you two. Keithia & Whisper and Keithia & Twiggy

4: notp

Non-Platonic Keithia & Twiggy. That boy is like her brother and there’s no other way she could possibly see him.

5: first headcanon that pops into my head

Thia is less defined by needing to find her biological family now than she used to be. She’s still curious to figure out what is going on with her, but she feels like she has found what she was looking for in her family with the party now.

6: one way in which I relate to this character

We are both painfully shy and extremely anxious. A lot of Keithia’s anxiety comes from channeling my own quite a bit. 

7: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character

Almost any time she has to try to interact in any sort of social setting. She is the worst at dealing with people. 

8: cinnamon roll or problematic fave?

Absolutely a cinnamon roll. 

Whatever The Hell This Is: Learning Experience

Back on the ship, the party heads towards the floating university to meet with Lunkhead. Along the way, Whisper manages to finish her shield spell and calls for someone to shoot her as a way to test it. Lucien discourages the crew of the Star Song from doing so, but Keithia reluctantly agrees and takes a shot at her best friend (Nat20 to hit and max damage). Whisper’s shield does not stop the arrow entirely, but it does protect her from some of the damage. Despite some bickering over Whisper still having gotten hurt, it seems all of her work has finally paid off. Continuing on with their journey, the Susurrus Society take part in a bit of piracy against a merchant ship alongside the crew of the Starsong, settling their debt to Lucien and Lyra. Following that, the trip is largely uneventful until the party finally reaches the floating island of Arduak.

Arriving at the island, the party is taken to meet Lunkhead, the warfroged headmaster of the School of the Seven Stars, who addresses the Susurrus Society with the possibility of officially being recognized as heroes by the university, should they pass his test. They are sent to the university library in search of a book called Dying Ships by Jace Keats. After five hours of searching, Isao remembers seeing the shelf they are looking for in Lunkhead’s office, and they return find it and pass the test.

The party then makes their way towards the Hall of Heroes, a place where memorabilia from various recognized heroes, including Lunkhead’s original party: the Heroes of the Seven Stars, is kept and where those recognized have private rooms. Each member of the party signs their names in a book and then are then transported to individual demiplanes that take the form of the place they are the most comfortable. Oriana to her old room at the temple, Isao to his room at his monastery, Shade to the Deepwood, Frank to the clearing he lived in with his elvish family, Adoraor to the room he once shared with his wife, Whisper to the bottom of the ocean, and Keithia to one of her and Aasim’s old campsites. Despite the sense of peace that fills the room, Keithia begins to feel panicked over being sent to another demiplane after what happened the last time and seeks permission to enter Whisper’s room, looking for reassurance. Whisper attempts to calm her down and offers to let Thia watch as she casts a spell that will hopefully tell them who sent them to the Labyrinth demiplane. She uses Matthias to cast Legend Lore, but he does not offer up any useful information, much to both girl’s frustration.

Looking to recover from that frustration, the two girls plus Frank and Isao head out to a house party that Whisper had scored an invite to earlier. Frank and Isao sample some of the drinks on site, but find they are really watered down and go off to a bar in search of better alcohol to sneak back into the party. Meanwhile, Whisper sets herself on one obviously rich party guest giving some of the girls there a hard time and successfully pickpockets all of his valuables off of him. Meeting back up with Isao and and Frank, they split the alcohol the boys smuggled back in between them. The discuss having a drinking contest until Whisper hears tell of a game beginning upstairs and drags her friends into a game of spin the bottle. The game progresses with each of the present party members getting a few turns at kissing people, including each other, and Fank ultimately disappearing into a bedroom with a tabaxi girl and not returning, much to the shock of his friends. When the game ends, Frank still has not returned and the rest of the group elects to leave him there for the night and begin to head back to their rooms at the Hall of Heroes.

MVP this week: Frank

Concerned dialogue starter: "Don't do this." for Thia

The room around her is dark an ominous, befitting of her situation. Though uncertain of where the chains are, Keithia could feel them around her wrists, restricting her from fleeing, though she did not really know where she would run to begin with. From where she was stuck, there seemed to be no way out. She wasn’t even really sure how she had gotten here in the first place, nor how she had ended up back in this familiar blue, black, and silver gown once again. 

The only things she is sure of is the weapon held towards her, the fear coursing through her veins, and the fact that she is sure she knows her assailant.

Her head is spinning and she isn’t entirely sure she can pinpoint specifically who it is that has her in their sights like this, though she is sure it is one of her friends. Oriana, Frank, Shade, Twiggy, Whisper, Adoraor, Isao… Her mind cycled through them like flipping through a book, Keithia still only being too aware that, by one of them or another, she was about to die. 

“Don’t do this.” She pleaded, her voice breaking as she struggled against the invisible restraints. “Please, don’t do this.” 

But it’s useless. Before she can form another begging sentence, the arrow pierces her heart and Keithia can feel the cold, dark wisps encircling her once again, pulling her into them and away from everything.

She bolts up with a start, breathing quickly as her heart pounds in her chest reminding her that it is still beating. As her eyes adjust, she makes note of where she is. Irusan is beside her, Oriana is asleep nearby, and she can hear the waves hitting Dewsberry’s coast outside of the inn. 

She was safe. She was alive. It had been a nightmare. 

Yet she was still afraid. Afraid that the cold embrace of death that now plagued her memory would really come back for her.

Microstory: Thia, 15

“Trembling Hands”

If everything had been moving in slow motion around her while her sister (Chealyn. Her name was Chealyn. She knew that now.) had been in front of her, it all seemed to stop the second the other woman released her hands and disappeared into the crowd once more. 

She is confused. 

More than that: she is terrified. Not just from having been in Chealyn’s presence, but from not understanding what had just happened to her. What sort of magic had Chealyn done to her?

Or – had she done to herself?

Nothing makes sense and Keithia doesn’t even know where to begin trying to process what just happened. She isn’t even sure how she is remaining on her feet as her entire body is shaking in panic. 

A part of her wants to reach for her bow. To clench the curved, gilded weapon in her hands even if only to reassure herself that she is not powerless or defenseless. 

But, of course, she does not have it with her. 

Even more so, she wants to reach out for Irusan. To feel the soft, dark fur of her beloved companion, friend, and protector between her fingers, grounding her in the world around her. 

But, of course, he is not here with her either.

Instead, she is standing in this crowded ballroom, in a dress that cost more than everything else she owns combined, shocked and afraid, her hands trembling with nothing to reach out for. 

She is still shaking when first Oriana, then Whisper and a very colorfully dressed man, and then Isao reach her and she has to force herself to try and focus enough to speak.